Kids Special – Potato Gravy

This is a little modified verison of poori kizhanghu we make it for Pooris in hotels.                
It goes well with Chappati kind of dishes, sometimes If I mix this gravy with rice too. A different taste.            

Ingredients               

Potato ---------------------> 2, Cooked & Peeled, cut into small cubes
Onions ---------------------> ½ cup
Tomato --------------------> ½ cup
Green Chilli ----------------> ¼ inch
Carrot ----------------------> 1 chopped fine
Zucchini --------------------> 1 chopped fine
Salt -------------------------> A2Y Taste

Seasoning                  

Mustard Seeds -------------> 1 tsp
Turmeric --------------------> ½ tsp
Curry leaves powder -------> ½ tsp
Methi Powder ---------------> ¼ tsp
Hing -------------------------> ¼ tsp

Procedure                   

v  In a pan, do the seasoning followed by onions, Chillies & Tomato.                 

v  Add 1.5 cups of water. Remove chilli piece to avoid extra spiciness for the kids; but optional           

v  Add tomatoes, Carrot & Zucchini + Salt.                     

v  Bring it to boil and close with the lid.              

v  Leave it in medium for few minutes and remove from heat               

v  Serve it with Chappati, Puri or Dosa.               

Palak Paneer

I am catching up again with my cooking marathon after my India visit. Last weekend I made 6 dishes for us and 2 for DD. I have to share this, my DH is now home and taking a break b4 starting on a new project. He is taking care of DD & Dishwasher loading J. When I go home I don't have much work apart from feeding her & packing lunch. I feel soooooo relaxed now. Piravi palanai adaintha mathiri irukku, athai naan konjam maathi, Kalyana panna palanai adiatha mathiru irukku yenakku.. avlo santhoshama irukku...             

Here I go with my list of dishes I made this weekend  

Sweet Potato Vatha Kuzhambhu                     

Mango, Kale & Zucchini Dhal               

Purple Cabbage Curry              

Cauliflower Poriyal                   

Tomato Subzi              

Palak Paneer                

DD's Veggie curry                   

DD's Poori Kizhangu                

                       

So this whole week I din't cook, happily I enjoyed watching my missed out serialsJ.                       

I'll share the Palak Paneer Recipe                    

                       

Ingredients:                

Paneer -------------------> 500 gms, diced into small cubes

Onion ---------------------> 1 cup Chopped fine

Tomato -------------------> 1 cup chopped fine

Chilli powder -------------> 2 tsp

Corriander Powder ------> 3 tsp

Turmeric -----------------> 1 tsp

Salt -----------------------> A2Y taste                       

                       

To Grind                      

Spinach * ----------------> 1 box, I used Earth bound Organic from Costco

Green Chillies ------------> 2

Ginger --------------------> ½ inch

Garlic- --------------------> 4 cloves

* Wash & Cook the Spinach in a pan with Garlic & Salt            

Seasoning                   

Mustard seeds -----------> 1 tsp

Jeera ---------------------> 2 tsp

Procedure                   

v  Shallow fry the Paneer cubes until lightly browned stirring occasionally, add them to the Water with Salt, Chilli Powder. Marinate them for at least 1/2 hour but it is optional            

v  In a Sauce Pan, do the seasoning with 5 tsp oil                      

v  Add Ginger Garlic Paste, Onions, Tomato, Green Chillies and fry until the oil comes out.

v  Make a fine paste with the items in "To Grind" Section. Add water if needed             

v  In a pan do the seasoning; add Onions, Tomatoes and fry for few minutes               

v  Add Chilli powder, Corriander Powder              

v  Add the Spinach paste and water necessary.             

v  Once it starts boiling then add fried cheese cubes                 

v  Close it with the lid; leave it in medium                      

v  Ready to serve with Chappati.             

                    

Zucchini - Turnip - Kohlrabi Gravy

Yesterday's dinner was chappati and I wanted to try something different with all the veggies I had. I had Broccoli, two kinds of Zucchini (one is long, dark green & other is short, light green), Turnip, Kohlrabi, Purple Cabbage. I got all those veggies from local Farm stand.             

                       

Ingredients:              

Onion ---------------------> 1 cup Chopped fine

Tomato -------------------> 1 cup chopped fine

Green Chillies ------------> 2 chopped fine

Ginger Garlic Paste ------> 1 tsp

Broccoli ------------------> 1 crown into small florets

Bell Pepper --------------> 1, chopped into cubes

Zucchini ------------------> 1 Chopped into cubes

Turnip --------------------> 1 Chopped into cubes

Kohlrabi ------------------> 1 Chopped into cubes

Carrot --------------------> 1 Chopped into cubes

Purple Cabbage ---------> ½ cup sliced thin

Chilli powder -------------> 2 tsp

Dhania Powder ----------> 3 tsp

Turmeric -----------------> 1 tsp

Salt -----------------------> A2Y taste

                       

Seasoning                  

Mustard seeds ------------> 1 tsp

Jeera ----------------------> 2 tsp

                       

                       

Procedure                  

v  In a Sauce Pan, do the seasoning with 5 tsp. oil                     

v  Add Ginger Garlic Paste, Onions, Tomato, Green Chillies and fry until the oil comes out. Because of Ginger garlic paste, the mixture will be sticky at the bottom and easily burnt.

v  Add the veggies - Carrot, Turnip, Kohlrabi , Turnip & bell Pepper                    

v  Add Chilli powder, Coriander Powder & Salt. Mix well.              

v  Once it start boiling then add Broccoli, Zucchini, & Cabbage               

v  Close it with the lid; leave it in medium until the veggies are cooked            

v  Garnish with cilantro               

v  Ready to serve with Chappati.             

                       

Turnip & Kohlrabi really enhanced the flavor of the curry and it tasted yum yum yummy. When I went to India last month, I got home made Chilli Powder & Coriander Powder. I guess that is also another reason for the delicious taste.                       

                       

Ideas:            

ü  The Chappatis made with mashed Potato & Wheat flour are so soft and this gravy was exact combo.                      

Brussel Sprouts Poriyal

There were lots of vegetables new for me when I came to US. One among them is this baby Cabbages. I was wondering how to eat this vegetable and then I decided to make poriyal with it.      

Remove the outer two or three layers of Brussel Sprouts to make sure you don't see and black spots or yellow layers. Wash them & cut it into two halves and then slice it thinly.              

Ingredients:

Brussel Sprouts ---------------------> ½ lbs, Chopped thinly

Black eye beans --------------------> 1 cup, cooked; no need to soak, just pressure cook

Onions ------------------------------> 1 cup chopped

Salt ----------------------------------> A2Y taste

To Grind                      

Coconut -----------------------------> 1 cup

Green Chillies -----------------------> 4

Cilantro ------------------------------> 3 sprigs

Make a coarse mixture without water             

Preparation:              

v  Do the seasoning with Mustard seeds, followed by Onions                 

v  Once it is translucent, add brussels sprouts               

v  When it is cooked, add the cooked beans + Salt,   coconut mixture and fry for few minutes.                       

But yesterday I was out of Green Chilles, so I tried with the mixture of Red Chillies, Coconut & Jeera.  This version also turned out good and in fact it was very tasty with Snake Gourd Porichakuzhambhu.  

Ideas:            

ü  I cook Brussel Sprouts in the microwave by covering with lid and just add it directly to the seasoning. It saves lots of time.                

ü  Slowly I switched from Green Cabbage to purple cabbage. So I made the curry with Purple Cabbage also which is another variation of the curry.

ü  I'll either use red chillies or green chillies according to the gravy I have. Definitely for Pulikuzhambhu, Sambhar, Theeyal, Rasam Green Chillies will go fine; for Kootu, Porichakuzhambhu,  Morekuzhambhu(which is less spicier) Red chillies will be tasty.                     

ü  Adding few roasted split channa dhal(pottukadalai) in the grounded mixture makes the curry even more yummier. But it should be grounded into powder first. Then add the remaining items for grinding.

Vegetable Kurma

Kohlrabi is called as 'Noolkohl'  in TamilNadu. Without Kohlrabi I'll not make Kurma because it adds unique taste & flavor  to the dish. When buying Kohlrabi, look for smaller ones which is edible and fleshy. The bigger ones need to be peeled, and it is mostly woody, fibrous with inedible outer layer of skin.                          

Usually I find smaller ones in Top Foods & Winco Foods. I chop the stem & leaves and save it for making dhal. This is also my DM's receipe.

    

Ingredients:      

Kohlrabi---------------------> 2 cups, cubed

Carrot------------------------> 1 cup, cubed

Beans------------------------> 1 cup

Potato-----------------------> 1 cup

Cauliflower-----------------> 1.5 cups

Garbanzo Beans-----------> 1.5 cups Cooked

                               

For Grinding:                    

Poppy Seeds----------------> 3 tsp Soaked (if no time, dry roast it)
Cumin Seeds----------------> 1 tsp

Bay leaves------------------> 2

Cardamom------------------> 2

Cloves-----------------------> 2

Cinnamon-------------------> 1 stick

ü  Dry roast the above items.                         

Onion------------------------> ½ cup

Tomato----------------------> 1

Ginger-----------------------> 2 inch

Garlic------------------------> 3

Coconut---------------------> ½ cup

Green chillies--------------> 4

ü  Saute rest of the items in little oil and let it cool.                               

ü  Grind everything to make paste in mixie/food Processor                             

                               

Procedure                          

                               

·         Cook all the cut vegetables(except Cauliflower) with enough water, salt, Turmeric in a deep sauce pan and close it with lid.                               

·         Add the Cauliflower florets when other vegetables are half cooked                        

·         Stir in grinded masala paste & Garabanzo beans ; add water if needed.                 

·         When the vegetables are cooked(make sure it is not overcooked or mushy),keep it in low heat for 10 minutes stirring occasionally                        

·         Garnish with Cilantro if desired                 

·         Serve with hot rice or Chappati

                               

Ideas:                   

Instead of Green Chillies, Red chillies or Red chili powder can also be used. It will be a different version of Vegatable kurma.