Cabbage Kofta - Goes with pulaos & Rotis! This is the first kofta & one of the first N I dishes, I learnt from a Chef, who had come to Madurai in 60's ! For koftas: Very finely grated cabbage - 2 cups Minced green chillies & ginger - 1 tbsp Finely chopped coriander leaves - 2 tbsp Besan - 2 tbsp Atta - 1 tbsp Curd - just enough to bind Salt Oil - to deep fry koftas Gravy: Big onions - 2, chopped Tomatoes - 4, chopped Ginger - 1” Red chilli powder - 2 tsp Dhaniya powder - 2 tsp Garam masala powder - ½ tsp Salt & little sugar Oil - 2 tsp Heat oil & fry onion & tomatoes for a few mts. Add ginger & all masalas. Fry for few more mts. Remove, cool & grind. Add sufficient water, salt, sugar & simmer & keep ready. For koftas, add 1 tsp salt to chopped cabbage & leave for 10 mts. It will leave water, ten extract that by squeezing well. Add all other ingredients & enough curds to be able to roll balls. Heat oil & deep fry. Add to the gravy before serving. Garnish with coriander leaves. Always test fry a kofta - if it breaks add a little more of both flours.
Banana Podi - a very old fashioned Dry Curry Vazhaikai podi & podimas are different, please note. The former is made by roasting & the latter by boiling the vegetable. For the podi the vazakai must be very “muththal”. Roast the banana , keeping over the stove, till skin turns black. Remove, cool & peel of the skin. Roast dry & powder coarsely: Red chillies - 2 Gram dhal - 1 tbsp Tur dhal - 1 tbsp Hing - ¼ tsp. To temper: Oil - 1 tsp Mustard seeds - ½ tsp Curry leaves - few Now crumble the cooled banana – do not mash or grate. Mix into it salt & the powder. Temper & serve. This goes well with morkuzambu as a side-dish. Or mix this with hot rice & ghee & serve with dangar pachadi.
Channa palak - a very delicious side dish for rice & chappathis Channa dhal - ½ cup Palak chopped - 2 cups Potato - 1 chopped Carrot - 1 chopped Tomatoes - 3 big chopped Green chillies - 2 chopped Ginger - 1’’ piece chopped To temper: Oil - 1 tsp Garlic minced - 5, 6 Cook all the above ingredients with ½ cup water, haldi, salt and chilli powder in a pressure pan for 4 whistles. After opening ligtly mash it to get a uniform consistency. Then grate or finely chop 5,6 garlic, temper it to brown colour in oil. Add to the mixture.
Re: Cauliflower Palkootu - very simple, but very tasty. too good!! i really loved it. thanks a million, pal! tweenie.
Re: Cauliflower Palkootu - very simple, but very tasty. Dear Tweenie, I am glad you liked it. Thankyou very much for the F B. Love, Chithra.
Cauliflower-Tomato-Paneer Sabji – no onions & no oil This is a simple dish which goes well with pulaos & parathas. Cut cauliflower into small flowerettes. Cauliflowerettes - 2 cup Chopped tomato - 1 cup Grated paneer - 2 tbsp Besan - 2 tbsp Red chilli powder - 1-2 tsp (to taste) Dhaniya powder - 2 tsp Salt, haldi, coriander leaves In a pressure pan, to ½ cup of water, add both vegetables & haldi. Cook for 2 whistles. Cool, open & add besan, red chilli powder, dhaniya powder mixed with 1 cup of water. Cook, stirring, till it thickens. Simmer for 5 mts & add grated paneer. Remove & garnish with coriander leaves.
Mashed Potatoes – delicious, more delicious, most delicious Select fresh blemishless potatoes. You can give serve it hot, without baking also. Medium potatoes - 6 Salted butter - 1 tbsp Hot milk - 2-3 tbsp Pepper corns - 20, freshly crushed Salt - ¾ tsp Grated cheese - 25 gms Coriander leaves - 3-4 tbsp Boil potatoes, peel & grated when still warm. Mix with all other ingredients, using a fork. Grease a baked dish & fill with this. Sprinkle coriander on top. Run a fork all over to make impressions. Dot with little butter. Bake in a hot oven for 25 mts till top turns golden. Serve hot with buttered bread.
Green Tomato Kootu - Goes with rice as well as chappathis Gram dhal - 3 tbsp Chopped green tomato - 3 cups Green chillies - 3-4, chopped Chopped ginger - 2 tsp Grated coconut - 3 tbsp Salt, haldi To temper: Oil - 1 tsp Mustard seeds - 1 tsp Urad dhal - 1 tsp Curry leaves - few To cook gram dhal fast, soak it in water for 1 hr. Boil gram dhal in a pressure pan till just soft with correct amount of water. Add tomatoes, green chillies, ginger, haldi & salt. Do not add water since tomatoes leave out much water. Boil till soft. Add coconut & remove. Temper as given.
Clusterbeans Kootu - Fibre + Protein combination. Select tender fresh cluster beans & chop fine. For this, I prefer to soak gram dhal in hot water for 2 hrs, so that it will cook soft along with the vegetable. Otherwise, cook dhal fist & then add the chopped vegetable to cook further. Chopped vegetable - 2 cups Gram dhal - ½ cup Tamarind paste - 2 tsp Salt, haldi To roast in ½ tsp oil & grind to a paste: Red chillies - 3, 4 Gram dhal - 1 tsp Dhaniya - 2 tsp Hing - ¼ tsp Grated coconut - 1-2 tbsp To temper: Oil - 1 tsp Mustard seeds - 1 tsp Peanuts - 2 tbsp ( pre roasted) Curry leaves - few Boil vegetable & gram dhal till soft with minimum water. Add salt & tamarind paste mixed with ½ cup of water. Boil for a few mtes & then add the paste. well & simmer till it thickens. Remove & temper as given. A marble size jaggery is optionally added. <xml id=yoombaxml></xml>
Kadai Kurma - very popular in Chennai buffet dinners. Suitable vegetables are cauliflower, capsicum, beans, carrots, potatoes etc. Take 500 gms of above & cut into 1 “ size. They must be very fresh because this recipe involves stir-frying. First part: Oil – 2 tbsp Onion paste - ½ cup Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tbsp Green chilli paste - ½ tsp Chilli pdr, dhaniya powder - each 1 tsp Tmatoes - 2, finely chopped Garam masala - ¼ tsp Heat oil, add onion paste, g-g paste, fry till golden. Add green chilli paste, both powders & fry till masala leaves the oil. Now add tomatoes & fry well. Add 1 cup of water & boil till it reduces to half. Add salt, garam masala & keep aside. Second part: Oil - 1 tbsp Ginger juliennes - 1 tbsp Green chillies, slit - 3, 4 Kasoori Methi - 1 tsp Heat oil add green chillies & ginger juliennes & lightly fry. Add vegetables & stir fry, adding the prepared curry gradually, to keep the frying mixture moist. When all the curry is added & the mixture leaves the oil, add kasuri methi. Switch off & keep covered for a few mts for the kasuri methi flavour to penetrate. <xml id=yoombaxml></xml>