Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Brinjal roast

Brinjal roast is another favorite for us. I made this last year using our fresh homegrown eggplant. Try and enjoy this easy side dish.





Ingredients:
Eggplant - 1
turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
red chilly powder - 1 tsp
curry masala powder - 1 tsp
salt - to taste
oil - 1 tbsp per batch

Method:
Slice the eggplant into 1/2 inch thick circles or semi circles.
Keep it in a large mixing bowl.
In a  small bowl mix all ingredients except oil.
Add the masala mixture to the brinjal slices and shake to coat thoroughly.
Keep marinated for 10 minutes.
In a frying pan , heat 1 tbsp oil, then fry a small batch of brinjal slices both sides (almost 1 minute per side).
Take out, repeat and fry all the slices.
Pan roasted brinjal fry is ready!

Serving suggestion:
Serve as side dish with sambar rice or curd rice.

Note:
Deep frying these brinjal slices will taste incredible good, but pan roasting is easier.

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Senai kilangu paruppu koottu (Suran dal)

Senai kizhangu paruppu koottu / Elephant yam subzi.
I learned this dal curry with senai kilangu through one of the nice lady I met. Packiam amma used to cook lunch and dinner in our house for quite a long time then.  My parents' kitchen is very large and I used to keep a cute little place for my study table there till I finished college. So whenever I want a relaxation or change of mood from my studies on weekends, I would help and learn in kitchen too :) That's how this dal curry entered my recipe collection from one of the sweetest cook Packiam amma.
Before that we used to make a fried senai kilangu  only, but I like this recipe also very much.


Frozen suran

Senai kilangu paruppu koottu / Suran dal curry

A simple lunch: Puli kulambu, suran dal curry, curd, pappad, rice.
Ingredients:
Suran / elephant yam / senai kizhangu - 200 gm
oil - 2 tsp
mustard - 1  tsp
channa dal - 1 tbsp
curry leaf - 1 sprig
onion (chopped) - 2 tbsp
Tuvaram paruppu (Toor dal) - 1/2 cup
turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
hing - 1/8 tsp
salt - to taste

To grind:
Coconut - 3 tbsp
cumin - 1/2 tsp
green chilly - 4

Method: 
1.Wash the dal. Add turmeric powder, hing, 2 cups water. Cook it in pressure cooker till one whistle , reduce heat and cook in medium heat for 10 minutes. Keep aside.
2. In a wok heat 2 tsp oil, add mustard seeds, channa dal and let the mustard crack. Then add chopped onion, curry leaves. Saute till onion turns soft. Cut the yam into small cubes (1 inch size) and add to wok. Pour 1/2 cup water and cook covered.
3. Grind coconut, green chilly, cumin to a coarse paste. After the yam gets cooked (10 minutes), add the masala paste, salt, cooked dal and being to a boil. If desired garnish with finely chopped cilantro and switch off.
Senai kizhangu paruppu koottu is ready!

Serving suggestion:
Serve as side dish with rice.

Other ways to cook senai kizhangu:
Senai kilangu stir fry
Erissery
Pongal puli curry

Aval Pazham

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