Wednesday, June 10, 2020

Bellpepper Raitha

I always have a 'thing' for raitha. For some people it is the 'rasam' that gives the zing, but for me it is the raitha ЁЯШАЁЯШАЁЯША. So I make it quite often. Some raitha like onion raitha are very simple, just chop onion and mix with yogurt and salt, you got it ! (We can jazz it up with some more steps too). Still I love ЁЯТХ it anyways !

For people who may not know what a raitha is ? Raitha is an Indian yogurt based side dish, accompanied with rice or roti.

Raithas tastes better when made using, thick whole milk Indian plain yogurt, aka curd (родропிро░்). But I use a fat free milk only to prepare curd.  This bell pepper raitha needs a tempering and some cooking time along with fresh ground masala too. So it's a special one in my dictionary.
We can use any bell pepper for this. For more Indian flavor use a green one. A tiny capsicum is more than enough to give that punch. I have used orange capsicum, as I had that from that colorful big pack of peppers from Costco Instacart that week. I was finding all possible ways to incorporate them in my cooking ЁЯША. So feel free to use any variety you get. It will surely taste great. Bell pepper and Capsicum are same (as far as I know, ЁЯСЛ I am not a botanist, still in love with Botany ЁЯШН). 
I am typing this in Tamil too, as per some of my friend's request.  There may be many versions for this, but this is recipe is my creation.
Capsicum raitha

Capsicum raitha, chicken koftha, chapathi 

Ingredients:
Any color Bellpepper (capsicum роХுроЯைрооிро│роХாроп் ) - 1
onion -(роиро▒ுроХ்роХிроп ро╡ெроЩ்роХாропроо் ) - 2 tbsp
Indian yogurt (родропிро░்) - 1 cup
salt - to taste
To grind:
shredded coconut (родுро░ுро╡ிроп родேроЩ்роХாроп் )- 2 tbsp
cumin (роЪீро░роХроо்)- 1/2 tsp
ginger (роЗроЮ்роЪி)- 1/2 inch
green chili (рокроЪ்роЪைрооிро│роХாроп் )- 1
turmeric powder (роороЮ்роЪро│் родூро│் ) - 1/4 tsp
To temper:
coconut oil / any oil (родேроЩ்роХாроп்роОрог்рогெроп் ) - 1 tbsp
mustard , urid dal (роХроЯுроХு, роЙро│ுрои்родроо்рокро░ுрок்рокு  ) - each 1 tsp
hing (asafetida) - a pinch
curry leaf (роХро▒ிро╡ேрок்рокிро▓ை)- few
cilantro (рооро▓்ро▓ிрод்родро┤ை)- few

Method:
Chop the onion, bell pepper into 1/4 inch cubes (tiny). Keep aside.
Heat oil in wok. Add mustard, urid dal and let mustard splutter.
Then add hing, Curry leaf, cilantro and then add the chopped capsicum, onion and cook closed with a lid on , till it gets half cooked.
Let it cool a bit. Keep it in a serving bowl.
Grind together everything said above.
Mix with the saut├йed items and add salt, plain yogurt. Mix well.
Keep refrigerated or serve immediately.
Garnish with karaboondhi (роХாро░ாрокூрои்родி ) , if desired.

Serving suggestions:
Serve along with any chapathi or rice.
--------------------------------------------------
роЪெроп்рооுро▒ை:
ро╡ெроЩ்роХாропроо் , роХுроЯைрооிро│роХாропை рокொроЯிропாроХ роиро▒ுроХ்роХро╡ுроо்.
ро╡ாрогро▓ிропை роЪூроЯாроХ்роХி, роОрог்рогெроп் роХроЯுроХு , роЙро│ுрои்родроо்рокро░ுрок்рокு роЪேро░்роХ்роХро╡ுроо் .
роХроЯுроХு рокொро░ிрои்родро╡ுроЯрой் роХро▒ிро╡ேрок்рокிро▓ை , рооро▓்ро▓ி родро┤ை, роиро▒ுроХ்роХிроп ро╡ெроЩ்роХாропроо், роХுроЯைрооிро│роХாроп் роЪேро░்род்родு ро╡родроХ்роХро╡ுроо்.
рооூроЯி рокோроЯ்роЯு роЪிро▒ிродு ро╡ேроХ ро╡ிроЯро╡ுроо். роЕро░ைрок்рокродроо் ро╡ெрои்родாро▓் рокோродுроо்.
родீропை роЕрогைрод்родு, ро╡родроХ்роХிропро╡ро▒்ро▒ை роТро░ு рокро░ிрооாро▒ுроо் роХிрог்рогрод்родிро▓் рооாро▒்ро▒ி ро╡ைроХ்роХро╡ுроо்.
роЕро░ைроХ்роХ ро╡ேрог்роЯிропро╡ро▒்ро▒ை роЕро░ைрод்родு роЪேро░்роХ்роХро╡ுроо்.
родропிро░், роЙрок்рокு роЪேро░்род்родு рокро░ிрооாро▒ро╡ுроо்
ро╡ிро░ுрок்рокрок்рокроЯ்роЯாро▓் роХாро░рокூрои்родி ропை родூро╡ி роЕро▓роЩ்роХро░ிрод்родு рокро░ிрооாро▒ро╡ுроо்.
роЗрои்род роХுроЯைрооிро│роХாроп் ро░ாроп்родா,  роЪрок்рокாрод்родி, роЪாродроо் роЙроЯрой் рокொро░ுрод்родрооாроХ роЗро░ுроХ்роХுроо்.


Tuesday, June 2, 2020

Peas potato masala

Having a pack of dry peas in the pantry can save your day :)  That's what comes to my mind whenever I see this grocery item. I have written this recipe with ingredients, that can be stored up in pantry (without much grocery shopping). But feel free to substitute with fresh ingredients (for example use freshly ground  coconut paste instead of coconut milk as I have suggested). 

A Basic Indian meals always include some dal (protein) and a carbohydrate (rice or wheat flour). Adding yogurt in the form of a raita (a vegetable with plain yogurt) makes it more scrumptious. One can prepare a complete homemade food using dry groceries with a few vegetables for a month or more.

So before this 'social distancing' started,  I started buying some bulk quantities (enough for 4 months or more) of dry groceries like rice for meals, idli rice, brown rice, whole wheat flour, besan flour,  toor dal, moong dal, channa dal, green dried peas, rajma, channa, urid dal, spices , appalam, fryums , various cooking oils and a lot more to write down here . LOL ! then we stocked them up along with other stuffs.
I found that Potatoes and onions could stay fresh in fridge (I have never tried it before) and used canned tomatoes and the homemade ginger garlic frozen paste.
So instead of regular weekly fresh vegetable haul,  I started cooking a dry bean curry along with chapati or rice and some raita and we could never tell a difference.  In fact we love that simple meals too as much as the fresh vegetables! Some days went with frozen chicken, cup noodles, egg curry , sambar rice, rasam rice etc. I started cooking every alternate days to reduce the onion consumption as I wanted my onions to stretch as far as possible ЁЯША (I used to cook everyday). One such curry, that can be made bulk is this peas potato curry.
Here is a peas curry with potato that tastes yummy too!



Peas potato curry and beetroot raita with chapati.

Ingredients:
Dry peas (whole) - 1 cup
tomato puree - 1/2 cup
onion - 1 cup (chopped)
coriander leaves - a handful.
mint leaves - few
curry leaves - few
coconut milk (from can)- 2 tbsp
cumin powder - 1 tsp
red chilli powder - 1 tsp
turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
coriander powder - 3 tsp
garam masala powder - 1 tsp
salt - to taste
cooking oil - 1 tbsp
Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
bay leaf - 1
ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Potato - 2 (200 gm)

Method:
Soak the whole dry peas in water overnight or in hot water for 1 hour. Click to know how to cook peas in instant pot.
Put it in a pressure cooker vessel and add enough water to immerse it (not above the peas). If the water level is above  will become mushy.
If the peas is under-soaked, then add water enough to cover the peas and it should stand 1 inch above the peas level.
Place potato with skin (after washing well) along with peas and pressure cook it. Pressure cook till we get one whistle reduce flame and keep in minimum for 5 minutes. Then switch off flame and open the lid after 10 minutes .The peas have the tendency to get over cooked if gone beyond one whistle.
Grind ginger 1 inch and garlic 5 pieces together. Keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan. Fry some fennel seeds and bay leaf.
Add the chopped onion, curry leaves, cilantro and mint leaves. After the onion turns golden brown , add ginger garlic paste and saute well.
Now add pureed tomato and saute till oil separates.
Add chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder , curry masala  powder , salt and stir well. Boil till the raw smell vanishes.
Add the coconut milk , 1 cup water and let it come to a boil.
Peel the potatoes and cut into big cubes.
Then add the potato, cooked peas along with the water.
Mix well , check for salt and let it boil for two minutes.
Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot.
Pattani urulaikilangu kuruma is ready!

Serving suggestions:
serve hot with rice ,chapathi or naan .
Makes 5 cups of pattani kuruma .


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