Shakambari-Vegetables unlimited

Stuffed Ridgegourd - Try this with Zucchini

Ridgegourd - ½ kg

Red chilli powder - 2 tsp (or to taste)

Hing - ½ tsp

Haldi - ¼ tsp

White seasame seeds - 1 tbsp

Oil - 3 tbsp

To temper:

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Urad dhal - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Peel the vegetable & cut into 3-4” long pieces.

Slit each piece into 4, keeping one end intact.

Mix, red chilli powder, hing, haldi, salt, seasame seeds,1 tsp oil with little water & make a thick dough.

Fill the slit vegetable with this & rest for 5 mts.

Heat oil in a flat saucepan, temper the given ingredients & add the stuffed vegetable.

Cover & lower the flame for 5-6 mins.

Since it is a watery vegetable, don’t add water.

It will get cooked in its own steam – stir once, in between.

 

Puli Kuthina Upperi - the name suggests the Kerala Origin !

This is a slightly moist ( not dry) dish, little spicy & is a perfect combination for mulakootal.

It is generally made with raw plantains & brinjals & some add ladies’ finger as well.

Cut the vegetables into slightly long pieces (roughly 3cm by 2cm)

Raw plantains - 1 cup

Brinjals - 1 cup

Ladies’ finger - 1 cup (optional)

Tamarind paste - 1 tbsp or little more

Salt, haldi

Dry roast & powder:

Red chillies - 3

Methi seeds - ¼ tsp

Urad dhal - 2 tsp

Rice - 1 tbsp

Dhaniya - 1 tsp (optional)

To temper:

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - ½ tsp

Urad dhal - 1 tsp

Red chillies - 2

Boil plantains first in 1 cup of water with haldi.

After a few mts add brinjals & finally add ladies’ finger after frying them well separately in a kadai in 2 tsp oil to remove their sliminess a little.

Adjust the water added at the beginning, so that not much is left when vegetables are cooked.

Now add tamarind pase mixed with ½ cup of water & salt.

When it boils, simmer for a few mins.

In another kadai heat oil, temper as given & add the vegetable-tamarind mixture& the powder made.



Roast for a few mts on a low fire & serve hot.

 

Bhindi Sabji - a Tribute to a young friend.

I learnt this recipe from a young person called Ramsingh from Bihar, who was employed in my daughter's house. He died recently of cancer at a very young age.He was a "real wizard" with vegetables. I dedicate this recipe to him .He taught me quite a few recipes !

Bhendis - ¼ kg (select tender small ones)

Onions - 2 (mince or chop very fine)

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

Tomatoes - 2 (make a puree)

Tamarind paste - 1 tsp

Red chillii powder - 1 tsp

Dhaniya powder - 1 tsp

Salt, haldi

Jaggery - to taste (optional)

Oil - 3 tbsp

Dry roast & powder:

Seasame seeds - 2 tsp

Khus khus - 3 tsp

To temper:

Mustard seeds - ½ tsp

Jeera - ½ tsp

Saunf - ½ tsp

Cut the vegetable to 1 " pieces.

Heat 3 tbsp oil in a kadai & shallow fry ladies’ finger well.

(If you smear the vegetables with a little lime juice, they will not be sticky & get fried well )

Remove & in the same oil, temper the given ingredients.

Add onions, fry little, then add ginger garlic paste, chilli powder, dhaniya powder & fry well.

Then add tamarind paste, tomoto puree, water, salt & haldi.

Wher it starts boiling add the vegetables & khus khus-seasame powder.

Simmer everything together & add jaggery.

Remove & garnish with 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves.

 

Hello Kalpana !

Dear Kalpana,
Til is seasame seeds in English & "ellu" in tamil.
Copra is dried coconut. I always grate fresh coconut, microwave it on a plate till dry & crisp & use.
Regards,
Chithra.

 

Pineapple Race - This recipe is from a famous Chef in Malabar.

If you do not have fresh pineapple, you can make this dish with canned pineapple.

This dish is sweet, sour & hot !

Finely minced ripe pineapple - 3 cups

Tamarind paste - 2 tsp

Salt, haldi

Jaggery - 1 tbsp ( little more is optional)

Grated coconut - 2 tbsp

To fry in 1 tsp oil & grind with 2 tbsp raw coconut

Red chillies - 2,3 ( to taste)

Pepper - ½ tsp

Urad dhal - 2 tsp

Gram dhal - 2 tsp

Dhaniya - 2 tsp

Hing - ½ tsp

Curry leaves - few

To temper:

Oil - 1 tsp ( coconut oil is generally used for this dish, however this is optional)

Mustard seeds - ½ tsp

In a pressure pan cook minced pineapple with ½ cup of water for 1 whistle.

Add ½ cup warm water to 2 tbsp grated coconut & extract milk.

To the cooked pineapple, add salt & the ground paste with little water.

Cook for 1 more whistle.

Cool, open, simmer & add the coconut milk & jaggery.

Mix very well & switch off.

Temper as given.

Generally jaggery is made as a syrup & added to this dish at the end.

This dish is the equivalent to the Tamilnadu Sweet Pachadi, in Kerala Sadhya.

 

Malabar Kootu Curry - a "must" for kerala Sadhya.

For SBS photos,please go to - http://www.indusladies.com/forums/973574-post5.html

Vegetables like Pooshanikkai ( white ashgourd), Chenai kizangu (elephant yam), Brinjals and drumstick can be used.

Cut them slightly bigger than for kootu .

Whole brown channa ( small variety) - ¼ cup

White karamani or perumpayuru can be substituted.

Chopped vegetables - 3 cups

Tamarind paste - 2 tsp

Salt, haldi

To fry in 1 tsp oil & grind to a paste:

Red chillies - 3,4 ( or to taste)

Pepper - ½ tsp

Dhaniya - 2 tsp

Gram dhal - 1 tsp

Urad dhal - 1 tsp

Grated coconut - 2 tbsp

Hing - ½ tsp

To temper:

Coconut oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Urad dhal - 2 tsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Finely grated coconut - 1 tbsp

Soak the whole pulse for 6 hrs & cook till soft.

In a pressure pan, mix cooked pulse, vegetables, tamarind paste mixed with water, salt, haldi & the ground paste.

It is optional to add marble size jaggery at this stage.

Mix ingredients to the correct consistency you want – remember that there is no loss by evaporation in pressurecooking.

Cook for 1 or 2 whistles, depeding on how soft you like it.

Cool open & temper the given ingredients & fry the coconut to light brown colour.

A simple variation is :

Soak ¼ cup channa dal in hot water for 1 hr.

Then to that add 1 cup poosanikkai cubes & 1 cup chenai kizangu cubes .

Put them in a pressurepan with salt & turmeric powder&cook for 1 whistle.

Cool, open & add ground mixture of ½ cup coconut, 2 red chillies & ½ tsp jeera.

Add little jaggery.

Simmer & remove.

Temper in 1 tsp coconut oil with 1 tsp mustard seeds., 1 tbsp grated coconut ( fry to red) & curry leaves.

This is for everyday cooking & the 1<SUP>st</SUP> is for occasions.

 

Rasavangi - Make this with brinjal as well as white pumpkin.

Brinjals or white pumpkin - 250 gms

Cooked tur dhal - ½ cup

Tamarind - 2 tsp ( or a little less)

Green chillies - 4,5 ( or to taste)

Ginger - 1 “ piece

Lime juice - 2 tsp

Coconut - ½ cup + 1 tbsp

Salt, haldi

To temper:

Oil - 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Urad dhal - 2 tsp

Gram dhal - 2 tsp

Red chillies - 3,4

Curry leaves - few

To garnish:

Chopped coriander leaves - 1 tbsp

Cut brinjal into 1 cm thin & about 2” long pieces ( like orange petals !)

Slit green chillies into 2 & cut ginger into thin long strips.

Grind ½ cup coconut to a paste.

In a pressure pan heat oil & temper as given.

When the dhals turn brown add vegetable, green chillies & ginger.

When they are well fried add tamarind paste, water, salt, haldi & cooked tur dhal.

Adjust the amount of water to desired consistency.

Cook for one whistle .

Cool , open & add coconut paste.

Simmer & remove.

Add 1 tbsp grated coconut roasted to golden colour in 2 tsp oil.

Add lime juice & coriander leaves.

You can adjust the amounts of tamarind paste & lime juice to suit your preference.

Generally for brinjal more of tamarind & for white pumpkin more of lime juice, tastes better.

This can be done with chow chow also.

Besides rice, this goes well with chappathis also.

 

Marwari Potatoes - Reason for the name, not known !

As my recipes of late have been , this is a recipe given by a cook to my mother in '40s ! Since onions were not very much used in that period, this dish does not have onions & hence, perhaps, the name - Marwaris are mostly Jains & do not eat onions.

Potatoes - ½ kg

Red chilli powder - 2 tsp

Salt, haldi

Dhaniya - 1 tbsp

Fresh curds - 1 cup

Oil - 1 tbsp

Ghee - 1 tbsp

To garnish:

Chopped coriander leaves - 1 tbsp

Wash, peel & cut potatoes into small cubes.

Wash well to remove extra starch & drain.

Roast dry dhaniya till aroma comes & powder fine.

Heat oil – ghee mixture.

Add haldi & red chilli powder.

Then add potatoes & salt.

Cover & cook potatoes in its own steam, as far as possible.

When cooked, add roasted dhaniya powder & remove.

Add well churned curds & mix well.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

 

Paneer Kheema - a less common recipe !

Fresh peas - 2 cups

Crumbled paneer - 1 cup

Onions - 2 ( or 3) – slice thin

Green chillies - 4,5 ( slit )

Ginger - two 1” pieces – cut into juliennes

Tomatoes - 3,4 ( chop)

Curds - ½ cup

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Garam masala powder - ½ tsp

Pepper powder - ¼ tsp

Chopped coriander leaves - 2 tbsp

Oil + ghee - 2 tbsp + 1 tsp ghee

Salt

Heat oil-ghee mixture in a pressure pan.

Fry onions, green chillies & ginger – all cut thin & long.

When fairly well fried, add fresh peas.

Fry for a few mts & then add chopped tomatoes.

Fry again & add curds.

Add salt & chilli powder.

Cook for one whistle.

Open & add crumbled paneer.

Simmer & add pepper & garam masala powders mixed with 1 tsp ghee.

Remove from flame & add coriander leaves.


Consistency can be adjusted to individual preference.