Shakambari-Vegetables unlimited

Micro Stuffed Brinjal
The favourite "Ennai kathirikkai Curry" with a different filling , if made in the microwave , needs little oil!

Small round brinjals (tender ) ½ kg

Tamarind paste 1 tbs

Stuffing:

Roast and powder

Dhania: 2 tbsp

Peanuts 2 tbsp

White til 1 tbsp

Copra 2 tbsp



Oil 3 tbsp

Red chilli powder 3 tsp

Hing powder 1 tsp

Salt. haldi



Wash and slit brinjals into 4 upto ¾ lengthwise.

Roast & powder the given ingredients and mix with tamarind paste, chilli powder, salt,haldi & hing powder.

Stuff the brinjals with this mixture.

Arrange them in a microwave steamer and steam for about 8 mtes.

Remove, open & cool well.

Arrange them in a big microwave plate, drizzle little oil on it & micro medium for 4 mtes.

Turn over & repeat the procedure twice or thrice till brinjals are uniformly roasted.

Do this carefully without breaking the brinjals.

Microwave timings may vary slightly with different capacity ovens and difference in wattage.
The same procedure can be followed for conventional method as well.

Hi Mrs.Chithra,

Need some ideas to make avial. Use to pressure cook the vegetables with limited water. While adding curd and paste with the vegetables at the final stage, somehow, water is leaving and it is not coming out creamy!

Can u tell me how to cook the veggies with no water at the end and how to avoid the water which leaves from the curd ? Overall, would like to taste a avial recipe which has to be thick & creamy.

TIA n Rgds

Avial


There are 2 methods I follow , combining Kerala & tamilnadu recipes.

Use all vegetables except bitter gourd , ladies’ finger , banana stem , flower , kovaikkai ,

beet root etc.I don’add cauliflower also – it is your choice.

First method – little tamarind & not sour curds. The main thing I do is for the paste

(because of the cholestrol angle ) I grind 75 % grated carrots & 25 % coconut ! If freshly

grated carrots are used , it gives such nice colour & taste to the avial- nobody will know

the difference. I don’t like to add anyother thickening agent like soaked rice , dhal etc & so

I just tried this . It clicked so well that I now use this method regularly! If the avial has to

be creamy the paste has to be considerable amount – otherwise it will not be thick. In a

pressurepan , add just ¼ tsp coconut oil ( not more ) , a bunch of curry leaves & the cut

vegetables. Now see that hard vegs are at the bottom & brinjal , drumstick are on top.

Then mix just 1 tsp tamarind paste with ½ cup water (not more ) , salt & haldi.If you like it

hot you can add a little chill pdr at this stage & less gr : chillies. It is your preference. Now

cook for 1 whistle. Cool , open , strain the water . Using that water grind coc:+carrots ,

green chillies+ Jeera ( optional – some don’t use it).Add this paste , keeping the stove on

low , let it simmer for 1,2 mts , then add thick curds , churned well. Switch off gas & mix

thoroughly. The avial is thick & creamy. In the second method , if the curds are sour , you

don’t need tamarind paste . Otherwise the method is the same. The main thing is using

very little water when cooking vegs(anyway we will include watery vegs which in turn will

give away some water ), using the water to grind the paste. The curd has to be thick &

churned well. I think avial becomes watery because we do not want to use lot of coconut &

the paste is thinner than how it should be. Once curd is added , switch off the stove

immediately. Because a little coc: oil is added in the beginning , , it gives enough flavour

& so at the end it is enough if you add curry leaves(the traditional method is to dip curry

leaves in coc: oil & add !). All that is one’s choice.
For cutting veges, please go to
New Thread - Chitvish Recipes - Post your Comments here
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Masal Mochai:

Now that mochai season is starting, try this dish.

Delicious is the only word for this mildly spicy vegetable.

Mochai paruppu (fresh ) - 1 cup

Besan - ½ cup

Chopped small onions - ½ cup

Oil - ½ cup

Chopped garlic - 1 tbsp

Chopped green chillies & ginger - 2 tbsp

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Saunf - 1 tsp (or little less )

Salt, haldi, curry leaves, chopped coriander leaves

Boil the mochai paruppu with little salt & drain.

Heat ¼ cup oil, temper mustard seeds, saunf &then add onions, garlic, green

chillies,&ginger fry well.

Mix besan, salt, haldi , chilli powder & ¼ cup oil to a bread crumb consistency.

Add this mixture & the boiled mochai to the fried ingredients..

Lower the flame, cover & cook for 5 mts.

Besan will get cooked in oil.

Open, mix thoroughly all the contents.

Add chopped curry leaves &coriander leaves.

The same dish tastes excellant with potatoes as well.

This dry dish goes very well with any rice.

The masal-potato called masal kizangu photo is posted below.

Navaratna Paruppusili – A colourful combination of 5 vegetables & 4 lentils.

I always felt thst my paruppusili was not as soft as the one served in functions. Hence I asked the head cook in a wedding, the reason. He disclosed that they pour quite a good amount of oil when breaking the steamed dhal mixture. That is their secret! So, though not so much, I have included 2tsp oil to the dhal mixture before & after steaming & cut down the amount used in tempering to 1 tsp.

Ingredients:

Mixed chopped vegetables 2 cups

(mixture of beans, peas, carrots,

cauliflower, capsicum )

Udad dhal 1 ½ tbsp

Tur dhal 1 ½ tbsp

Bengal gram dhal 1 ½ tbsp

Moong dhal 1 ½ tbsp

Red chillies 3

Green chillies 3

Salt,haldi, hing , curry leaves

Oil - 4 tsp

To temper:

Oil 1 tsp

Mustard seeds 1 tsp

Udad dhal 1 tsp



Soak dhals with red chillies for 4 hrs.

Drain, add green chillies, hing & curry leaves.

Grind with mincer blade of food processor or in a mixie to a coarse paste without adding water.

Add haldi, 2 tsp oil & spread on a plate & steam for 5 mts.

Take out, cool, add 2 tsp oil and with oiled hands break into granules.

In the meanwhile parboil vegetables with haldi and drain.

Keep a pan on stove, add oil, temper, add vegetables & dhal.

Sprinkle salt for both together and cook for a few mts on low fire.


navratna p usili.JPG

Hello Madam Chitvish,

Navratna paruppu usli was a hit at my home. We like paruppu usli a lot and I used to often make beans paruppu usli, kothavarangai paruppu usli and snake gourd paruppu usli. This idea of navratna (combination of vegs & lentils) usli sounded great and I tried it. We liked it. Thanks a lot.

Also, I added 'seeragam' (cumin seeds) along with soaked dhals + chillies for grinding. That gives a good flavor and I have heard cumin seeds tend to reduce body heat. Just thought of sharing this info.

Love,
Rathi

Hi Rathi, Thanks for the feedback. Jeerakam gives a nice flavour. In fact, for paruppusili, some add saunf when grinding. Since I find that flavour strong, I don't use it.
Regards,
Chithra.
I like Sneha a lot & it is nice to see her picture near your name! Do you look like her?

Small round tender brinjals - ½ kg

Medium onions - 2

Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp

Tamarind paste - 1 tbsp

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Salt, haldi

Oil - 2 tbsp

Jeera - ½ tsp

Curry leaves - few

To roast dry:

Seasame seeds - 4 tsp

Groundnuts - 4 tsp

Grated copra - 4 tsp

Dry in ¼ tsp oil:

Dhaniya - 2 tsp

Jeera - 1 tsp
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Wash, cut the stem & slit the brinjals vertically upto ¾ of the length into a criss cross, leaving in tact at the other end.

Keep them in water to prevent discolouration.

Holding the onions with a pair of tongs(or piercing with a knife or fork) roast them over a medium flame till the skin turns black.

Cool, peel & chop.

The above step is given because roasting over flame gives a nice flavour. Otherwise, you can chop & fry them in ½ tsp oil till pink.

Roast all ingredients as given above.

Powder them first, then add chopped onion, ginger-garlic paste, red chilli powder & grind fine adding just enough water.

Add little salt to the above masala & stuff the brinjals with this.

If a little masala is left over, it can be added later.

Heat oil in a pressurepan, temper ½ tsp jeera, few curry leaves & add the stuffed brinjals.
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Turn them over carefully a few times without breaking them, just to coat them uniformly with oil.

Now add tamarind paste mixed with 1 cup of water, haldi & rest of the salt.
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Any residual paste, can be added at this stage.

Adding little jaggery at this stage is optional.

Close the pan, keep the weight & cook for one whistle.
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Cool, open & garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Besides, parathas, this dish goes very well with jeera rice & vegetagle pulao.
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Originally Posted by chitvish

Hi Rathi, Thanks for the feedback. Jeerakam gives a nice flavour. In fact, for paruppusili, some add saunf when grinding. Since I find that flavour strong, I don't use it.
Regards,
Chithra.
I like Sneha a lot & it is nice to see her picture near your name! Do you look like her?

Hello Madam Chithra,

You are right...saunf would give out a very strong flavor and I too would not prefer saunf, for it would then change usli into a spicy masala, may be.

Coming to Sneha's picture...I too like her a lot. Off-late, she was the only good tamil speaking, homely looking (like a girl next door) heroine who got introduced in tamil.

My parents named me 'Rathi' (may be I look like Rathi for their eyes ), though I am not that beautiful to match up that name, I always used to think that name would have suited Sneha aptly. I like her and have her picture.

Thanks for asking...I just got a chance to share my thoughts.

Bitter gourd - 2 medium

Cashews split into 2 - 10

Raisins - 1 tbsp

Onion - 1 big (slice thin )

Green chillies - 2 (slit )

Chopped coriander - To garnish

Slice the vegetable round & very thin.Deep fry it to brown.

Remove on to a tissue to absorb excess oil.

Deep fry cashews & raisins.

Just before serving add thinly sliced big onion, slit green chillies, chopped coriander, salt .

.Sprinkle sugar on top.(Remember there are raisins already!).

You can use red chilli powder instead of green chillies.

This more like a salad.

Even those who do not like bitter gourd will love this dish!