Shakambari-Vegetables unlimited

Brinjal Kootu - another interesting name is Katharikkai Asadu

Select fresh, tender brinjals.

Brinjal cubes - 2 cups

Green chillies, chopped into 1 cm pieces - 4,5 ( or to taste)

Tamarind paste - 2 tsp

Salt, hadi

Hing - ½ tsp

Cooked tur dhal - ½ cup ( minimum)

To temper:

Opil - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Urad dhal - 2 tsp

Red chillies - 2,3

Curry leaves - few

In a kadai, heat 1 tsp oil & fry lightly brinjal & green chilli pieces, till they start shrinking lightly.

Add tamarind paste with ¾ cup of water, haldi & salt.

Cook till brinjal becomes soft.

Now add cooked dhal & hing.

When it starts boiling, simmer & cook for a few mts till all ingredients are well blended.

Remove & temper as given.

Goes well with thogayal sadam, paruppu podi sadam & vathakuzambu.

The combination ofbrinjal & green chillies gives this a different taste.

 

Broccoli Dishes - full of iron & goodness.

Stir fry

1 - Roast white seasame seeds (3tsp) & powder.

Cauliflower & broccoli (alone) – cut into big pieces , lightly steam – 2 cups
Heat 1 tsp oil , temper , 2,3 red chillies , hing & 1 tsp plain seasame seeds (also) – add lightly steamed vegetables , sprinkle powder , salt & mix well & remove. Goes well with rice & can be used as a dry sabji with parathas.


2 - Instead of seasame seed powder, add grated coconut.

The secret of a good stir-fry dish lies in the fact that the vegetables should be crunchy-cooked and not overcooked. It is best to prepare a stir-fry dish just before a meal so as to serve it immediately.

For stirfying you may use either peanut oil (groundnut oil) or til oil (gingely/sesame oil) and before adding broccoli, you may saute some minced garlic (fresh garlic and not the off-the-shelf paste) and freshly ground (coarse ground) red chilli powder. Stirfried broccoli tastes best when fresh and hot/warm and spicy with the flavor of garlic.


3 - You can make 'mulagoottal' with broccoli. It will taste great. Just prepare it the same way how you make cabbage/cauliflower mulagoottal. Garnishing with 1 tsp. coconut oil will give added flavor/taste. This goes well with Chappathi too and is a healthy diet too.

The photo of broccoli-cauliflower stirfry is given below.

 

Dear VS,
Yes, do get a Samathu pattam by cooking asadu & send a F B to this asadu, without fail !
Love,
Chithra.

 

Dear VS,
Thankyou very much for the prompt F B.
You seem to have cooked a grand, enjoyable lunch !
Love,
Chithra.

 

Sweet & Sour Vegetables – goes with Chinese rice & Noodles.

Carrot - 1

French beans - 16

Cucumber - 1 medium

Capsicum - 1 small

Tomatoes - 2, medium, cut into thin slices

Spring onions - 2, cut into 4 pieces

Medium flowerettes of cauliflower - ¼ cup

Ajinomoto - ¼ tsp (optional)

Oil - 3 tbsp

Tomato sauce - 1 cup

Vinegar - ½ cup

Sugar - 4 tbsp

Water - 1 ½ cups

Pepper - ½ tsp

Salt

Cornflour - 3 tbsp mixed with ½ cup water

Scrape the carrot, string the beans & drop in boiling water to which ½ tsp salt is added.

Boil for 1 mte, drain & cool.

Cut carrot into 1 cm flowers & beans into 1” pieces.

Peel cucumber, cut that & capsicum into ½ “ pieces.

Heat oil in a pan, stir fry cauliflower & onions on a high flame for 2 mts.

Add carrot, beans, cucumber, capsicum, ajinomoto & salt.

Stir fry on a high flame for 3 mts.

Add tomato sauce, vinegar, sugar, water, pepper & salt.

Bring to boil & stir well.

Add cornflour mixed with ½ cup of water, stirring all the time.

Add the tomato & simmer for 2 mts, stirring continuously.

 

Kovakkai (Tindli) chutney - a spicy dish which can be preservedfor 3 days !

I learnt this from my Hyderabad friend.

This dish can be kept in the fridge for 2, 3 days, if made using a little more oil.

This goes well with curd rice, mulakootal & with dosai also. This can be made as spicy as one likes.

Finely chopped kovakkai 2 cups

Tamarind paste 2 tsp (or more)

Fry & powder


Gram dhal 3 tsp

Udad dhal 1 tsp

Red chillies 5

Dhaniya 4 tsp

Hing, haldi, salt, jaggery

Oil 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds 1 tsp

Mix tamarind paste with salt, haldi & cook kovakkai in that.

Add the made powder, little jaggery &boil.

When they blend well, remove.

Heat oil, temper mustard seeds, add the paste, fry well & remove.

Keeps for 2,3 days.

Tamarind & chillies can be adjusted to individual preferences, if you prefer it more spicy.