Capsicum Ramen noodles

Fresh Capsicums show up in every local market during the summer and mild weather conditions here. I admire them for their gorgeous colors and shapes....the common green chillies, jalapenos, sweet red capsicum, perfectly shaped yellow, rare orange, economical green peppers, locally grown multi colored peppers, long hot varieties and many many varieties. Whenever we go to a farmer's market I will definitely buy one or two peppers. Though literally I don't know much recipes for these capsicums, I will buy as if I am seduced by these colors:) Then only I will think for ways to using them whenever I open the fridge. In this recipe I prepared a noodle dish with a single sachet of Ramen noodles and increased the meal quantity by adding lots of capsicum, so that it serves two.  Here is the flavorful spicy noodles version using Ramen noodles and capsicum.

Ingredients:
Ramen noodles - 1 pack
(Oriental flavor vegetarian noodles - 85 gm sachet - 400 k cal)
green Capsicum / bell pepper - 1/2
red capsicum - 1/2
onion - 1
fresh green peas - 1/2 cup
ginger - 1 inch
flavoring sachet in the noodles - 1 (or) 1/2
tomato puree - 2 tbsp
oil - 2 tsp

garnish:
spring onion - few tbsp
tomato ketchup - 1 tbsp
hot sauce - 1 tsp
chilly flakes - 1/2 tsp

Method:
Cook noodles with 2 cups water. Rinse in cold water and drain. Keep aside.
Saute the finely chopped ginger. Add chopped onion and saute till it wilts.

Then add the sliced capsicum and saute for a few seconds.
Add the tomato puree and cook for 1 minute.  Then  add the cooked noodles, tomato sauce / ketchup, hot sauce, flavoring mix given in noodles packet. Switch off.
Garnish with finely chopped spring onion and chilly flakes.

Capsicum noodles is ready!

Serving suggestion:
Serve hot as main course with any protein rich side dish.
Makes a good lunch pack too.

Kathirikkai kadalai paruppu koottu

Brinjal curry with channa dal masala, eggplant Bengal gram curry.

This curry made with mashed bengal gram (channa dal) and brinjal is quite common in Southern Tamilnadu weddings. This koottu can be prepared more like a dal or like a thick curry (as I have shown in photo) and both ways it tastes good.

Ingredients :
Brinjal - 200 gm
channa dal (kadalai paruppu) - 1/2 cup
tamarind - small amla size
coconut oil - 1 tsp
mustard - 1/2 tsp
hing - a pinch
curry leaf - 1 sprig
turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

To fry and grind:
coconut oil - 1 tsp
channa dal - 2 tbsp
coconut - 3 tbsp
cumin - 1 tsp
dry red chilly - 4
coriander seeds - 2 tbsp

Method:
Fry the items given one by one and let cool.
Grind to a  fine paste. Keep aside.

Take channa dal, chopped brinjal with turmeric powder, 2 cups water and cook completely (using pressure cooker or stove top).
Add the tamarind extract, salt,  masala paste prepared and bring to a boil. Cook till raw smell goes.

Heat 1 tsp coconut oil in a wok. Add mustard and after it crackles add curry leaves, hing and pour over the dhal. (Some times I add onion also while tempering, which is not common for this recipe). Switch off.

Brinjal dal curry is ready!

Serving suggestions:
Serve as side dish with rice or chapati.