Shakambari-Vegetables unlimited

Mushroom Dhum - a very rich, tempting Party Dish !

Mushroom - 200 gms (chopped)

Shahjeera - ½ tsp

Finely chopped onion - ½ cup

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

Melon seeds - 2 tbsp (soak & grind fine with , methi & cardamom powderswater)

Tomato pulp - ½ cup (Blanche & blend 3 ripe tomatoes)

Red chilli powder - 2 tsp

Dhaniya powder - 2 tsp

Methi powder & cardamom powder - each ¼ tsp

Salt, haldi

Oil - 1 tbsp

Heat oil & temper shah jeera.

Next sauté onions till transparent.

Next add the ginger-garlic paste & fry lightly.

Add red chilli powder & dhaniya powder.

Fry for a mte & add tomato pulp, salt & haldi.

Fry on a medium fire for 5 mts.

Now add the paste & mix well.

When it starts simmering, add the mushroom.

Close with a plate in which pour some boiling water.


Simer the stove & cook for 5 mts.

Open after 5 mts & dot with butter before serving.

If you cannot get melon seeds, use a paste of 1 tsp each of cashew, khus khus & 1 tbsp cconut.

 

Bottlegourd Morkootu - A Very delicious dish.

I make this with white pumpkin, chow chow & banana stem also. This can be made slightly thick as a side-dish or as a kuzambu also. Chop the vegetable to 1 cm cubes.

Cubed vegetables - 2 cups

Fresh curds - 1cup

Salt

To grind:

Grated coconut - ½ cup

Green chillies - 2-3 ( or more to taste)

Jeera - ½ tsp

Rice flour - 1 level tsp

To temper:

Coconut oil (or any oil) - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Boil the vegetable with just enough water till just soft.

Add salt & ground paste.

Simmer to boil & remove.

Temper as given.

After it becomes lukewarm, beat the curds well & mix.

As a kuzambu, goes very well with appalam and a roast curry.

As a kootu, goes with any kalanda sadam.
Cabbage morkootu photo is posted below.

 

Peanut Sag - mildly spicy but very tasty!

Potatoes - 2 big – peel & cut into 8 pieces

Raw peanuts - 1 cup

Lime juice - 1 tsp

Onion - 1, chopped

Salt

Grind for masala:

Grated coconut - 2 tbsp

Dhaniya powder - ½ tsp

Khus khus - 1 tsp

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Garam masala - ½ tsp

Garlic - 2 flakes

Haldi

In pressure pan heat 2 tbsp oil.

Add potatoes, fry for a few mtes & remove.

To the remaining oil, add onions, fry a little & add the paste.

Fry well, then add lightly roasted potatoes & peanuts.

Add 2 cups of water & salt.

Close the cooker & keep the weight.

When the first whistle comes, decrease the flame & cook for 10 mts.

Cool, open & add lime juice.

Serve with rice or rotis.

 

Bittergourd Palya (Sihi Palya) - this one is from Udupi cuisine

I learnt this from my friend. She comes from Udupi.
She makes special Saru powder, which, I can post on request. I substituted Rasam powder.

This is a spicy half-dry sabji & goes with rice and chappathis.


Slit bittergourd vertically & cut into thin slices.


Vegetable - 2 cups


Rasam powder - 2-3 tsp


Tamarind paste - 1 tbsp


Salt, haldi


To temper:


Oil - 1 tbsp


Mustard seeds - 1 tsp


Red chillies - 2,3


Curry leaves - few


Hing - ¼ tsp


In a kadai, temper as given.


Finally add the vegetable & sauté on a low flame for 10 mts (this is to make it
less bitter).


Now add tamarind paste, rasam powder, salt & haldi.


Add just enough water to cook the vegetable soft.


This is a semi-dry dish.


Goes with rice & ghee as well as with chappathis.

 

Jain Bread Curry - a simple recipe, I learnt from Ms Cheeniya

This is an ideal accompaniment for plain fresh bread. By Jain, I mean, I am not adding onions & garlic.
You can add onions, if you so prefer.
Vegetables like beans, carrot, peas, cauliflower, cabbage, potatoes, babycorn can be used. Chop them into small cubes.

Chopped vegetables - 2 cups

Grind fine:

Cashews - 7,8

Khus khus - 2 tsp

Separately grind:

Coconut - ½ cup

Green chillies - 3, 4

To temper:

Oil - 1 tbsp

Bay leaf - 1

Cloves - 3,4

Cardamom - 2,3

Cinnamon - 1 “

In a pressure pan , heat oil & temper.

If you want to add onions, chop & add at this stage.

Add all the vegetables & sauté.

Now add 2 cup of water & haldi.

Pressurise for 2 whistles.

Cool, open & add cashew-khuskhus paste.

Simmer to cook the paste well.

Finally add the coconut paste, give just one boil & remove.

Serve hot with fresh bread or rotis.

 

Diet Kootu - you can make a meal out of it !

This kootu can be made with white pumpkin, bottle gourd, snake gourd etc specially for diet purposes. This also tastes good with cabbage, cauliflower, chow chow etc. I make it bland; you can add more chillies.

Masoor dhal - 1 tbsp

Moong dhal - 1 tbsp

Chopped vegetable - 2 cups

Red chilli - 2 or more


To temper:

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Jeera - ½ tsp

Curry leaves

In a vessel, take the dhals & enough water to immerse them.

On top add the vegetables & the raw red chillies.

Cover & cook inside a pressre cooker for 10 mts, after the first whistle comes.

Cool, open, add salt & lightly mix, mashing the chillies.


Temper dry in a ladle as given.

This goes well with rotis also.

 

Bread Koftas in Pumpkin Gravy(Jain) - tastes very good without onions .

For the koftas:

Trimmed bread slices - 5, 6

Curds - enough just to soak them

Minced green chillies + ginger - 1 tbsp

Atta - 1-2 tbsp

Soda - pinch

Salt - very little

Make a dough with all ingredients & roll small koftas.

Test fry one kofta, to see if it does not break.

If it breaks, add a little more flour.

Deep fry all koftas.

Gravy:

Boil together & liquidise:

Chopped white pumpkin - 2 cups

Tomatoes - 3

Ginger - 1 “

Temper:

Oil - 1 tbsp

Cinnamon - 1 “

Cloves - 3, 4

Cardamom - 3, 4

Red chilli powder - 2 tsp

Dhaniya powder - 2 tsp

Salt & sugar

Temper as given & then add the blended puree.

When it boils simmer to cook for 5 mts.

Add koftas & remove from fire.

Decorate with coriander leaves.

Serve with pulao or parathas.

 

Bhindi Kootu - unbelievable, but delicious !

Select tender bhindis, wash & dry.

Cut into 1 cm long pieces.

Bhindi pieces - 2 cups

Gram dhal - 3 tbsp

Tamarind paste - 1 tsp

Sambar powder - 1 tsp

Salt, Haldi

Hing - ¼ tsp

Jaggery - little ( optional)

Oil - 1 tsp

To temper:

Oil - 1 tsp

Boil gram dhal till soft.

In a kadai, heat 1 tsp oil & fry bhindi pieces on a low fire till they start shrinking.

Add to the boiled gram dhal with salt, haldi, tamarind paste, sambar powder & hing.

Add just enough water.

When the vegetable becomes soft, remove & temper.

Adding 3 tsp freshly grated coconut at the end adds to the taste – however this is purely optional.

Goes with rice and rotis.

 

Continental Vegetable Stew - for those who don’t like it spicy !

This dish has a Westen flavour !
This goes best with bread as a side dish. You can serve it with hot rice also.
Use vegetables like beans, carrot, potatoes, cauliflower, peas etc. Cut into big chunks, 1”.

Vegetables - 500 gms

Small onions - 4,5 cut into 2

Big onions - 3, sliced

Butter - 3 tbsp

Cloves - 4

Cinnamon - 1”

Peppercorns - 1 tsp

Maida - 2 tbsp

Tomatoes - 2, cut into 8

Worcestershire sauce - 3 tsp

Salt

Heat butter & first fry the sliced onions on a medium flame.

Then add cloves, cinnamon & black pepper.

After 1 mte, add vegetables & fry very well on a medium flame.

Then add water just to cover them & cook on a low flame till vegetables become soft.

Mix maida in ½ cup of water & add stirring continuously.

Add tomatoes, salt & Worcestershire sauce.

Simmer till well blended.

 

Whole Moong –Snake Gourd Diet Kootu - ideal when you are dieting.

I make this with brinjal,raw banana, yam as well. You can use your imagination.

There is no spice in this kootu, only the goodness of vegetable &pulses.

Whole green moong - ½ cup

Small snake gourd cubes - 2 cups

Red chilli - 1

Salt

Lightly fry green gram & soak in water for 5-6 hrs.

Wash well, add vegetables & the red chilli.

Add just enough water to immerse or a little less.

Cook in a pressure pan for 3 whistles.

Cool, open, add salt & lightly mash with a ladle.

It is optional to add a few drops of coconut oil, for a nice flavour.