Tantalising Pachadis & Salads for the weight-watchers

This bittergourd is known as " mithi pavakkai " in tamil. It is just 2 cms in size.

Small bittergourd - ¼ kg

Amchur powder - 2 tsp

Tamarind paste - 2 tsp

Salt

Jaggery - to taste

Grind together:

Tomato - 1 ( deskin)

Grated coconut - 2 tbsp

Green chillies - 3-4

To temper:

Ghee + oil - 4 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Green chillies - 3,4

If the bitter gourds are small, use them whole, or cut into two.

Cut the ends & slit into two.

Smear salt, haldi & amchur powder.

Add little water & soak for 15 mts.

Then remove & squeeze them.

Heat oil & ghee, temper & add the bittergourds & shallow fry till brown.

Add tamarind paste, salt, haldi & 1 cup water.

Allow to boil.

When the vegetable becomes soft, add the ground paste & jaggery.

Simmer everything together for a few mts.

This is served in weddings & functions as sweet pachadi.

Beetroot gives it a very attractive colour.

Medium beetroot - 1

Ripe tomatoes - 2

Sugar - 1 cup

Salt - a pinch

Edible camphor ( pachai karpuram) - 2 granules

Boil beetroot whole, peel the skin & cut into small cubes.

Deskin tomatoes & chop.

Mix ¼ cup water with sugar & heat on a low flame to melt it completely.

When it just becomes sticky, remove & cool.

Add both vegetables , a pinch of salt & edible camphor ( pachai karpuram) .

If you like, sugar can be decreased & honey added.
beetroot pachadi.jpg

Ripe bananas - 3,4

Sauce:

Tamarind - 80 gms

Ripe tomatoes - 2

Raisins - 1 tbsp

Crushed jaggery - 3 tbsp ( more is optional)

Dried mint leaves, crushed - 1 tsp

Salt

Red chilli powder - to taste

Lightly roast & grind:

Jeera - 1 tsp

Dry ginger powder - 1 tsp

Black salt - ½ tsp

Hing - ¼ tsp

Soak tamarind in 3 cups of water for 1 hr.

Squeeze well & strain.

Clean & soak raisins in water & drain.

Deskin tomatoes & puree.

Add all ingredients to tamarind water & boil till sauce consistency.

Cool.

Peel bananas & float on the sauce.

Serve with puris.

The following chutneys can be used as an accompaniment to any dish of your choice.

They are ideally served with samosa, kachori, Thayir Vadai, Bhel puri etc.

Date Chutney:

Chopped dates - 1 cup ( 100 gm packet)

Tamarind - lemon size

Powdered jaggery - ½ cup

Chilli powder - 2 tsp

Roasted jeera powder - 2 tsp

Salt

Soak dates in just enough water overnight.

In the morning add cleaned tamarind & jaggery.

Liquidise till smooth.

Add salt, red chilli powder & jeera powder.

If you prefer it thick, simmer to desired consitency.

Tamarind – Jaggery chutney:

Tamarind - 100 gms

Jaggery - 200 gms

Black salt - 1 tbsp

White salt - 1 tbsp

Roasted & powdered jeera - 1 tbsp

Chilli powder - 1 tbsp

Soak tamarind in warm water till soft.

Mash & strain.

Add all ingredients & mix till smooth.

Sonth sauce:

Tamarind - 80 gms

Salt

Red chilli powder - 2-3 tsp ( or to taste)

Mint leaves, crushed - few

Jaggery powder - 3 tbsp

Jeera - 1 tsp (lightly roast & powder)

dry ginger powder

Black salt - ½ tsp

Hing - 1 tsp

Soak tamarind in 3 cups of water for 2 hrs.

Strain, add all ingredients & boil it, stirring.

Reduce to 1 cup.

The spice level of this dish can be increased or decreased according to one’s preference.

It can be kept in the refrigerator & used for 4-5 days.

Finely chopped ginger - 2 tbsp

Finely chopped green chillies - 2 tbsp

Tamarind paste - 4 tsp

Salt, haldi

To temper:

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - ½ tsp

Red chillies - 2, 3

Methi seeds - ½ tsp

Hing - 1 tsp

Roast dry, powder & add: ( however, this is optional)

Seasame seeds - 1 tbsp

To garnish:

Finely choppped ginger - 2 tsp

Mix tamarind paste with 1 cup of water.

In a kadai, heat oil & temper as given.

Finally add chopped ginger & green chillies & fry well.

Add tamarind water, salt & haldi.

Boil & then simmer till it reduces a little.

Add the powdered seasame seeds, just before removing.

Remove & add very little raw ginger as a garnish.

This is also optional.

This pulikachal is not at all thick, in fact, thinner than sauce.

This is a tasty salad.

Yellow moong dhal - 2 tbsp

Cucumber - 1, medium

Grated fresh coconut - 1 tbsp

Green chillies - 2

Lime juice - 1 – 2 tsp

Hing - ¼ tsp

Salt

To temper:

Oil - ½ tsp

Mustard seeds - ½ tsp

To garnish:

Chopped coriander leaves - few

Wash & soak dhal for 2 hrs & drain well.

Peel & chop cucumber fine.

Chop green chillies.

Mix drained dhal, cucumber, green chillies & coconut lightly.

Temper as given.

Add salt just before serving.Garnish as given.

Serve chilled.

This is sour, hot, sweet and bitter.

Do not select very sour mango.

Medium sour mango, peeled & chopped to ½” cubes - 1 cup

Green chillies - 2, 3 – slit into two

Powdered jaggery - ½ cup ( more or less is your option)

Neem flowers - 2 tbsp

Ghee - 1 tsp

Salt, haldi

To temper:

Oil - 2 tsp

Red chillies - 2

Mustard seeds - ½ tsp

Methi seeds - ¼ tsp

Hing - ¼ tsp

Curry leaves - few

In a kadai, heat 2 tsp oil & temper as given.

Finally add the chopped mangoes, green chillies & saute a little.

Add 1 cup of water, salt & haldi.

Cook on a medium flame till the mangoes are soft.

In another stove, add 2 tbsp of water to jaggery in a vessel& dissolve on a low fire.

Allow to boil till it reaches honey consistency.

Strain & add to the mangoes.

Let everything simmer together for 3, 4 mts.

The consistency should be like sauce.

Fry the neem flowers in ghee till crisp & add.

Fresh karaboondi - 1 cup

Pomegranate seeds - 1 cup

Very fresh curds - 2 cups

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

Salt, sugar

Chopped coriander leaves - to decorate

Beat curds with salt, sugar & chilli powder.

Gently mix karaboondi & pomegranate seeds.

Chill & serve, garnished with coriander leaves.

Finely chopped spinach - 3 cups

Paneer, chopped into small cubes - ½ cup

Chopped tomato - ½ cup

Minced green chilli - 1 tsp

Tomato sauce - 1 tbsp

Lime juice - 1 tsp

Salt & sugar

In a dry kadai, sauté the spinach without adding oil till it dries up well.

Mix all ingredients together.

Serve chilled.

For Chinese cooking, always make sure the sprouts have grown for atleast 3 days, so that they are sufficiently long.

Bean Sprouts - 1 ½ cups

Shredded cabbage - 2 tbsp

Shredded carrot - 2 tbsp

Tomato, sliced into rings - 1

Soya sauce - 1 tsp

Vinegar - 1 tsp

Sugar - 1 tsp

Oil - 1 tsp

Salt

Boil 1 cup of water, add the sprouts & ½ tsp salt.

Cook, uncovered for 1 mte.

Drain & cool.

Mix sprouts, cabbage & carrot.

Pile on to a plate & chill.

Mix together in a bowl, soya sauce, vinegar, Sugar, oil & a pinch of salt.

Pour over the pile just before serving & garnish with tomato rings.