Shakambari-Vegetables unlimited

Corn - bread Kurma - very easy, very delicious !

Corn kernels - 1 cup

Bread slices - 4

Curds - ½ cup

Onion - 1 – chop

Salt

Oil - 2 tbsp + enough to deep fry bread cubes

Grind together:

Coconut - ½ cup

Onion - 1

Green chillies 5,6 ( or to taste)

Saunf - ¼ tsp

Cloves - 2

Cinnamon - ½ “

Coriander leaves, chopped - 2 tbsp

Khus khus - 2 tsp

Cut bread slices into cubes & deep fry.

Heat oil, add onions & fry till glossy.

Add the ground paste & fry till the raw smell goes.

Add some water, salt & boil.

Add cooked corn & churned curds.

Simmer & remove hot.

Add fried bread croutons just before serving & serve hot.

 

S I Style Cluster bean dishes - Kothavarai !

Always select tender ones. Cut both ends & string on both sides to remove fibre.

Chop fine for curries

Dry curry::

Cook 1 cup of chopped vegetable with haldi for 2 whistles till soft & drain.

Take about 2 tbsp of cooked tur dhal or moong dhal, slightly grainy – they should be just cooked & not soft..

Heat 2 tsp oil in a kadai, temper 1 or 2 broken red chillies, ½ tsp mustard seeds , 1 tsp urad dhal & a few curry leaves.

Now add the vegetable, cooked dhal & little salt.

Saute on a low fire till dry, taking care not to mash the dhal.

Optionally 2 tbsp grated coconut can ba added just before removing.

It is customary to sprinkle just a pinch of sugar for this vegetable since it has a slight bitter taste - again this is one’s choice !

(1) Paruppusili – this is a classic recipe, most famous with this vegetable. Please refer to recipe no: 4 in the Shakambari thread. Use chopped clusterbeans in the place of mixed vegetables & proceed as given there

(2) Puli vitta kootu ( with dhal):-- In a pressure pan, lightly saute1 cup chopped vegetable in a little oil.Add 1 tsp tamarind paste, 1 cup of water, haldi, salt, hing & 1 tsp sambar powder. Add 2 tbsp cooked & mashed tur dal. Cook the entire mixture for 1 whistle.Cool, open & add 2 tbsp coconut ground with a pinch of jeera. Alternately, can add coconut & curry leaves fried to light brown in a little oil. Or coconut can be entirely omitted. Temper in 1 tsp oil with ½ tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp urad dhal, curry leaves & ½ tsp hing powder.2 tbsp roasted peanuts added along with the tempering increases the taste. Adding a little jaggery is optional.

(3) Kottu kootu - This does not contain dhal. Roast in 1 tsp oil, 1 tsp each of urad dhal & gram dhal, 2,3 red chillies, ½ tsp hing & grind to a coarse paste with 3 tbsp grated coconut.

In a pressure pan heat 1 tsp oil, fry the chopped vegetable slightly, add 1 tsp tamarind paste, ½ cup of water, salt, haldi & ground paste. Cook for 2 whistles. Cool, open & temper with ½ tsp mustard seeds , 1 tsp urad dhal & few curry leaves in 1 tsp oil.
The photo is posted below.

 

Dhal Makhni - The Maharani of Dhals !

Black whole urad- 1 cup

Rajma - 1 tbsp

Gram dhal - 2 tbsp

Milk - ½ - 1 cup

Cream - 4 tbsp

Tomatoes - 4 ( make pulp)

Ginger, finely chopped - 1 tbsp

Garlic, finely chopped - 1 tbsp

Red chilli powder - 1 + 1 tsp

Onions - 3-4 – slice long & thin

Ginger juliennes - 2 tbsp

To Garnish:

Chopped coriander leaves - 1-2 tbsp

Cream - 2,3 tsp

Punjabi garam masala - 1-2 tsp

Wash & soak all 3 dhals together for 8 – 10 hrs.

Then again wash 3, 4 times with fresh water every time.

Drain, add water, little salt, 1 tsp red chilli powder & finely chopped ginger & garlic.

Cook this till very soft.

Now add milk ( enough to get the required consistency), cream & churned tomatoes.




Boil the mixture & simmer for 15 mts till the raw flavour if tomatoes is lost.

In another kadai, heat 2 tbsp oil & add long slices of onions.

Fry them well, then add ginger juliennes & continue to fry till onions become brown. ( This is important.)

Add red chilli powder , mix well & add to the dhal.

When everything boils together simmer for a few mts.

Garnish with Punjabi garam masala, little cream & chopped coriander leaves.

 

Banana Flower Kootu - Also called Araipuli kootu

This can be made of desired consistency.

This goes well with Morkuzambu & mixed rice varieties.

Chopped banana flowers - 2 cups

Cooked white chawli ( karamani or perumpayru) - ¼ cup

Cooked tur dhal - ¼ cup

Pepper powder - ½ tsp ( little more is optional)

Sambar powder - 1 tsp ( more is optional)

Grated coconut - 2 tbsp

Salt, haldi

Hing - ½ tsp

Tomatoes - 2 ( deskin & liquidise)

Tamarind paste - 1 tsp

Oil - 2 tsp

Mustard seeds - ½ tsp

Urad dhal - 2 tsp

Curry leaves - few

In a pressurepan, cook very finely chopped banana flowers with minimum water & haldi for one whistle.

Cool, open, add both the cooked dhas, pepper powder, sambar powder, salt tomato pulp, tamarind paste with enough water to get the desired consistency.

Cover & cook for 1 or 2 whistles, depending on how soft you want the dish.

Cool, open & add raw hing powder.

Heat oil, temper mustard seeds& urad dhal, when dhal turns golden, add coconut & curry leaves & saute till coconut turns golden coloured.

Add to the kootu.

Note:

For this particular dish, hing is added raw at the end.

You can use either one – dhal or pulse alone.

This can be made with bittergourd or brinjal also.

Instead of chawli, we can use raw groundnuts, small black whole channa also.

 

Paneer Tikka - One of the many versions.

Paneer from 2 litres milk + 2 cup curds

OR 400 gms

Red food colour - 2,3 drops

Cornflour - 2 tsp

Salted butter - 50 gms

Salt

Grind together:

Green chillies - 15 ( or to taste)

Garlic - 15 flakes

Ginger - 2”

Cut soft paneer into 2” long pieces.

Add ground paste, colour, cornflour, salt & butter.

Marinate for 4 hrs in the fridge.

Shallow fry 2,3 at a time in a tava.

 

Aloo Dum - without onions & garlic.

This is one of the many versions of this recipe.

Small potatoes - ½ kg

Dhaniya powder - 1 tsp

Amchur powder - 1 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1 ½ tsp

Garam masala - 1 tsp

Curds - ½ cup

Salt

Chopped coriander leaves - 2 tbsp

Oil - 2 tbsp

Boil the potatoes (they should not become too soft ), peel & prick all over with a fork.

Mix masalas & salt with the curds.

Marinate the potatoes in this mixture for 1 hr.

In a kadai, heat the oil, add potatoes & ½ cup of water.

Cover & cook on a low flame till the potatoes are well coated with the masala.

Remove & garnish with chopped coriander leves.

 

Sweet & Sour Paneer - fusion dish - Indo-Chini Bhai Bhai !

This is an ideal side dish with chinese fried rice, noodles, peas or corn pulao etc.

Paneer - 200 gms

Onion, large - 1

Capsicums, medium - 2

Carrots, medium - 2

Salt

Aji no moto - ½ tsp ( optional)

Oil - 2 tbsp

Sauce::

Tomato sauce - 4 tbsp

Vinegar - 2 tbsp

Soya sauce - 2 tbsp

Sugar - 2 tbsp

Salt - 1 tsp

Cornflour - 1 tbsp

Water - 1 cup

Oil - 1 tbsp

Cut paneer & vegetables into 1” pieces.

Heat oil, first fry onion pieces lightly.

Then add vegetables, aji no moto & fry for a few mts on a high flame.

Add paneer pieces, salt & fry for 2, 3 mts.

Mix cornflour with water first.

Mix all other ingredients & transfer to a saucepan.

Bring to a boil, simmer, add cooked vegetables & paneer cubes.

Serve hot with fried rice..

 

Sundakkai Dry Curry - laden with iron !

Select sundakai which is not the bitter variety.

Slit into two or crush lightly & soak in warm water for ten mts.

Rinse 2, 3 times changing water every time.

Drain well.

Prepared sundakkai - 1 cup

Tamarind paste - 1 tbsp

Salt, haldi

Seasame seeds - 2 tsp ( dry roast & powder with the ingredients below )

To fry in ½ tsp oil & powder:

Red chillies - 3, 4 ( or more to taste)

Dhaniya - 4 tsp

Gram dhal - 2 tsp

To temper:

Oil - 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Hing - ½ tsp

Curry leaves - few

In a pressurepan, mix sundakkai, tamrind paste, 2 tbsp water, salt & haldi.

Preesurise for 2 whistles.

Cool, open & lightly mash.

Prepare the powder & keep ready.

In a kadai, heat oil & temper as given.

Add the mashed sundakkai & the powder.

Saute to desired consistency.

If made more spicy, with a little more oil & sauted well, this will keep for a week in the fridge.

Goes with mulakootal, curd rice, dosai rtc.

 

Paneer Butter Masala - Tasty, not spicy, cooked in cream & tomatoes

For this, very soft variety of paneer is necessary.

Paneer - 200 gms ( cut into 1 cm cubes)

Onion - 1 big or 2 medium – chop

Ginger - ½ “

Garlic - 2,3 cloves

Tomatoes - 5

Tomato sauce - 1 tbsp

Cream - ¼ cup

Oil - 3 tsp

Curds - ¼ cup

Water - ½ cup

Garam masala - ½ tsp

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Salt

Pepper - ¼ tsp

Chopped cashewnuts - 1 tbsp

Chopped coriander leaves - to decorate

Butter - to dot when serving

Saute the chopped onion, garlic & ginger in 3 tsp oil till the raw smell goes completely & grind to a paste.

Deskin & puree the tomatoes.

Mix together the ground paste , puree, sauce, dry masalas, curd, salt & water.

Cook on fire till it thickens a little .

Add chopped cashewnuts & cream.

Simmer, add chopped paner pieces.

Simmer for 2,3 mts & remove.

Serve hot garnished with chopped coriander leaves & dotted with butter.

Goes well with naan, parota etc.

 

Mattar Paneer - yet another recipe of the 60's !

Boiled peas - 1 cup

Paneer cubes chopped 1 cm - 1 cup ( chop 100 gms)

Tomatoes - 3 – deskin & chop

Green chillies - 3-4, slit into two

For SBS photos,please go to Mattar Paneer

Ginger juliennes - 2 tbsp ( or less)

Salt, haldi

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

Curds - ½ cup

Oil - 2 tbsp

Bay leaf - 1

Cinnamon - 1”

Cardamom - 3,4

Cloves - 3, 4

Onions - 2 - chop

Cashew nuts or melon seeds soaked for 1 hr - 1 tbsp

Grated coconut - 2 tbsp

Pepper powder - ¼ tsp

Garam masala powder - ¼ tsp

Chopped coriander leaves - 2 tbsp, to garnish

Fry chopped onions in 1 tsp oil till light brown.

Grind to a paste fried onions, cashew nuts or soaked melon seeds & coconut.

In a kadai, heat oil & temper bay leaf, cinnamon , cloves & cardamom.

When they are well fried, add green chillies, julienned ginger & finally tomatoes.

When the tomatoes become pulpy, add the ground paste, curds, boiled peas, chilli powder salt & haldi.

Let everything blend & boil together on a low fire.

Add paneer pieces, pepper powder, garam masaa powder & coriander leaves.

Mix well & remove.

For panner in sabjis, please go to

Preparing Paneer Cubes foor Sabjis