Shakambari-Vegetables unlimited

With Gravy:

Potatoes - 5 medium ( boil, peel & cube)

Methi leaves - 2 big or 5 small bunches ( clean & chop)

Onion – 1 ( chop)

Tomatoes - 3 (chop)

Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp

Bay leaf - 1

Cinnamon - 1 “

Oil - 1 tbsp

Grated coconut - ½ cup

Take milk from coconut in 2 instalments, one medium (1/2 cup) & one thin (1 cup).

Heat oil in a pressure pan, add leaf & cinnamon, then add chopped onion & fry till aroma comes.

Then add ginger- garlic paste, fry & then add tomatoes & methi leaves.

Fry till they become pulpy, add thin coconut milk, chilli powder, salt & cubed potatoes.

Cook for just one whistle.

Open, add medium coconut milk, simmer & remove.

The photo is posted below.
alu methi sabji.JPG
Dry Curry:

Potatoes - 5 medium

Methi leaves - 2 big or 5 small bunches ( clean & chop)

Oil - 2 tbsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Minced garlic - 1 tbsp

Chopped green chillies - 3,4 ( to taste)

Cube raw potatoes.

Amchur powder - 1 tsp

Salt, haldi

Peel & cube raw potatoes.

Heat oil add jeera, minced garlic, chopped green chillies, haldi & finally potato cubes.

Close & cook in its own steam till ¾ done.

Add chopped methi leaves & salt, continue to cook.

Just before removing, add amchur powder.


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Peas - 1 cup

Methi leaves - 2 big or 5 small bunches

Malai ( top of milk) - 2 tbsp

Garlic - 4,5 pieces

Green chillies - 4,5 ( or to taste)

Cornflour - 2 tsp

Milk - 2 cups

Butter - 1 tbsp

Oil - 2 tsp

Salt, little sugar

Boil peas till soft.

Clean, wash & drain completely methi leaves.

Lightly fry them in 2 tsp oil till they shrink well.

Mince garlic & green chillies fine ( or grind).

Heat butter in a vessel, add cornflour – milk mixture, stir till it boils.

Add peas, methi leaves & minced garlic-green chillies.

Add sugar, salt & simmer.

Add malai, mix well & remove. Sprinkle garammasala on top decoratively.
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Peerkangai is known as ridge gourd.Test for bitterness before using it.

Peeled & chopped ridgegourd - 3 cups

Moong dhal - 3 tbsp

Green chillies - 2, slit

Lime juice - 2 tsp

Grated coconut - 2 tbsp (optional)

Salt, haldi

To temper:

Oil - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - ½ tsp

Urad dhal - 1 tsp

Finely chopped ginger - 2 tsp

Hing - ½ tsp

Curry leaves - few

To garnish:

Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp, chopped

Soak dhal in boiling water for 30 mts.

Boil the dhal in 1 cup of water with haldi.

When it just soft, add vegetable cubes & green chillies.

Let it boil on a medium flame for sometime till the vegetable becomes soft – do not add water.

If it is too thin, add 1 tsp cornflour or multipurpose flour mixed with a little water, & give a boil.

Add coconut & remove from flame.

Temper & add lime juice.

Garnish with coriander leaves.
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There are many recipes for thalakam - I am giving 2 here.

Vegetables like white ashgourd, yellow ash gourd, avarakkai, clusterbeans, mochaiparuppu, snake gourd, raw banana, brinjal, chenaikizangu, cheppankizangu, koorkankizangu, sweet potato are best suited.

Next come carrot, potato & peas.

Avoid ladies’ finger, drumstick, bitter gourd etc.

Cut into cubes as for sambar.

Vegetables - 4 cups
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Tamarind paste - 1 tbsp

Salt, haldi

First recipe:

Roast dry & powder:

Raw rice - 2 tsp

Urad dhal - 2 tsp

Black seasame seeds - 2 tsp ( if not available, use white variety)

Red chillies - 7,8

Grated coconut - ½ cup
thalakam-1.jpg
To temper:

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Red chillies - 2,3

Curry leaves - few

Boil vegetables in water to which haldi & salt are added.
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When the vegetables are cooked soft, add the powder mixed with little water, to prevent lump formation.
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Boil again & when the correct consistency is reached, remove & temper as given.
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Variation:

The roasted ingredients can be ground to a paste & added for a thicker consistency.

Half the coconut can be used for roasting & the other half added with tempering ingredients.

Second method;

In this the ingredients to be roasted are different.

To roast dry & powder:

Red chillies - 7,8

Raw rice - 1 tbsp

Tur dhal - 1 tbsp

Hing - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - few

The method is the same as above.

Frying 2 tbsp coconut with tempering ingredients is optional.

Breadfruit peeled & cut into cubes - 2 cups

Onion - 1 big – cut the same size as breadfruit

Tomato - 1, chopped

Grind to a paste:

Green chillies - 10

Saunf - ½ tsp

Jeera - ½ tsp

Khus khus - 2 tsp

Fried gram ( pottukadalai ) - 2 tbsp

Grated coconut - 3 tbsp

To temper:

Oil - 2 tbsp

Saunf - ½ tsp

Pepper - 1 tsp

First pressure cook the vegetable for 1 whistle & drain.

In a kadai heat oil, temper as given & then add onions first & fry well.

Then add tomatoes & fry till pulpy.

Add the ground paste & fry well.

Add cooked vegetable, sufficient water & salt.

Boil together & when the whole mixture becomes homogeneous, remove.

Paneer - 500 gms

Tomatoes - 500 gms

Malai ( top of milk) - ½ cup ( for a rich taste)

Onions - 2 – mince fine

Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp

Kasoori methi - 2 tsp

Methi powder - ½ tsp

Cardamom powder - ½ tsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Chilli powder - 2 tsp ( or less)

Green chillies - 2 ( slit)

Garam masala - ½ tsp

Butter - 1 tbsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Salt, sugar

Deskin & puree tomatoes.

Cut paneer into cubes & immerse in warm water to soften them.

Boil tomato puree with methi &cardm pdrs, haldi, salt sugar, kasoori methi & butter to a sauce consistency.

Strain in a soup strainer.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a kadai ,then add in this order,-jeera, onion, ginger garlic paste,garam masala, 2 slit green chillies (adding each after the previous one is fried) &finally tomato sauce.

Boil, add cream & paneer.

Simmer till everything blends.

If you prefer you can fry paneer lightly – it is not a must.
Please see
Preparing Paneer Cubes for Sabjis

The addition of methi & cardm pdrs gives it an interesting taste.
paneer makhni.jpg

Brinjals - ¼ kg

Methi leaves - 2 small bunches

Amchur powder - 1 tbsp

Salt

Haldi

To fry in a dry kadai & powder:

Red chillies 3

Dhaniya - 1 tsp

Urad dhal - 1 tbsp

Khus khus - 1 tsp

Seasame seeds - 2 tsp

To temper:

Oil - 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Cut brinjal into long pieces.

Wash,chop & drain methi leaves.

Heat oil, temper mustard seeds, add brinjals, salt & haldi.

Cover & cook.

When done, add methi leaves & fry on a medium fire to cook them.

Add the dry powder & amchur.

Mix well & remove.

Goes well with chappathis & rice.
methi brinjal curry.JPG

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Tender jackfruit ( idichakkai) - 1 – Peel & chop into big squares

Onion big - 1 – chop

Tomatoes - 2 – chop

Salt

Grind to a paste:

Red chillies - 4,5 – can use 2 red & 2 green chillies.

Small onion - 4

Garlic - 4 pieces

Ginger - 1”

Saunf - ½ tsp( optional)

Jeera - ½ tsp

Khus khus - ½ tsp

Fried gram ( pottukadalai) - 1 tbsp

Grated coconut - 1 tbsp

To temper:

Oil - 2 tbsp

Cinnamon - 1 “

Cloves - 3,4

Cardamom - 3,4

Cook the jackfruit pieces soft.

It is optional to add 2 potatoes also.

Heat oil & temper as given.

Add chopped onion & tomato & fry well.

Add the paste & fry till the raw smell goes.

Add salt & very little water.

When everything boils together, add the boiled vegetable.

Fry well till it becomes a mass.

This can be made, omitting onions completely.

White radish ( mullangi) - ½ kg – peel & chop into cubes

Potatoes - 2 – boil, peel & crumble
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Grind to a paste:

Tomatoes - 2 big

Green chillies - 4,5

Ginger - 1”

Dhaniya - 2 tsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Oil - 2 tbsp

Salt, haldi

In a pressure pan heat oil & fry the paste well for 3-4 mts on medium flame.

Add chopped vegetable cubes, salt, haldi & 1 cup of water.
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Cook for one whistle.

Cool, open & add crumbled potatoes.

Boil everything together & remove.
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Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
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For the koftas:

Tender jackfruit - ½ kg

Ginger - 1”

Green chillies - 2

Red chillies - 2

Fried gram flour - 2 tbsp ( pottukadalai mavu)

Salt

Oil - to deep fry

To stuff inside - chopped cashew or raisins ( optional)

For the gravy:

Boiled peas - 1 cup

Bay leaves - 2

Curds - ¾ cup, well beaten

Salt

Oil - 2 tbsp

Grind together:

Onion - 1

Ginger - ½ “

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

Garam masala - ½ tsp

Haldi

Koftas:

Remove the thick hard skin & cut into 2 cm cubes.

Steam well for 15 mts or boil in water & reserve the strained water for gravy.

Grind it with ginger & both chillies.

Mix with fried gram flour, salt & make lime size balls., stuffing raisins or nuts.

Deep fry till golden.

Gravy:

Heat oil & add bay leaves.

When they sizzle, add the ground paste & fry till raw smell is lost.

Add boiled peas, salt & the reserved water.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat & add koftas.

Simmer for 10 mts & then add well beaten curds.

Cook on a low flame till gravy is blended, adding more water, if necessary, to get the desired consistency.

Remove & garnish with coriander leaves .