Peanut Brinjal Chutney

Peanuts brinjal chutney is a simple tasty chutney made by grinding the cooked brinjal and tomato to a fine thick paste. The addition of peanuts makes it have a taste similar to that of peanut chutney. It tastes best with steaming rice and hot ghee. Avaa used to make this and this always reminds me of her ..

What you will need to make this :

• 1 cup brinjal/ eggplant/ aubergine - cubed
• 1/2 cup tomatoes - cubed
• 2 tbs peanuts
• 1/2 cup ridge gourd (optional)
• 3 tsp coriander seeds
• 3-4 green chillies - chopped
• 5-6 - garlic cloves
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp oil
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 cup water

How to make this yummy chutney:

• Heat oil in a kadai. Once hot, throw in cumin seeds, garlic cloves, green chillies , coriander seeds, brinjal, tomatoes and ridge gourd.
• Cook covered for 10- 15minutes on a low flame. Once done, let this cool.
• Simultaneously heat another kadai and dry fry the peanuts for 3-5 minutes on a medium flame with constant sauteing. Once done, remove and let cool.
• Grind them all to a fine thick paste with little salt and little water. Adjust salt before serving.

Serve the yummy brinjal pachadi with rice topped with a generous spoonful of ghee and spicy crispy pappad. This can also be had with idly/ dosa/pongal and if you are as crazy as I am , with phulkas too.

Tomato Bath/ Tomato Khichidi

I don't feel like cooking today ... only because its not fun cooking for just one person.. So, I decided to cook something fast and yummy and something that would make me want to eat :) For those who hate the normal Upma, this is a good variation and is a hit with the kids as well.

What you will need :

• Sooji ½ cup
• Chopped tomatoes 2
• Chopped onion 1 small
• Green peas ¼ cup (optional)
• Grated carrot ¼ cup (optional)
• Curry leaves 6 to 8
• Finely chopped coriander 1 tbsp
• Bay leaf 1
• Cinnamon 1 inch
• Cardamom 3
• Cloves 2
• Ginger garlic paste
• Water one and a half cups
• Oil 1 to 2 tsp
• A pinch of turmeric
• Salt to taste

How to make it :

• Dry roast the sooji till a nice aroma comes out.
• Heat oil in a kadai and add bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamoms, and cloves.
• Add chopped onion and curry leaves. Fry till onions turn translucent.
• Add chopped tomatoes. and cook till tomatoes are done.
• Add turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste, green peas, and grated carrot. Fry for a minute or two.
• Add water and salt to taste, and bring to a boil.
• Add sooji slowly stirring continually to avoid formation of lumps. Cover and cook on a slow fire stirring occasionally till done.
• Serve hot garnished with chopped coriander and a dash of ghee.

It goes well with curd/ potato chips/ coconut chutney or eat it as it is :)

Tomato Kadi

Tangy, tasty and so simple to make, Tomato Kadhi goes really well with plain boiled rice. It's also full of veggies, so it's good for you too.

Ingredients:

• 15 large tomatoes
• 3 tbsps vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil
• 2 green chillies slit lengthwise
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 10 curry leaves
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• Salt to taste
• 3 cups mixed vegetables - cauliflower, carrot, green beans, baby okra
• Fresh chopped coriander leaves to garnish

Preparation:

• Cut the tomatoes into quarters and boil in 3 cups of water till soft. Mash well and strain through a soup sieve to make purée. Add enough water to this to get a thin soup consistency. Put back on the stove and bring to a boil.
• While the tomato purée is boiling, heat the oil in a small pan on a medium flame. Add the mustard, fenugreek and cumin seeds, green chillies and curry leaves to the oil and fry till the spluttering stops.
• Immediately add this mix to the tomato purée and mix well. Add the red chilli powder, salt and the mixed vegetables and stir. Simmer and cook till vegetables are done.
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve with hot plain boiled rice.

TOMATO RICE (THAKALI SADHAM)

INGREDIENTS:
 2 Cups Long Grained/Basmathi Rice
4 medium sized Tomatoes
1 Big Onion sliced
2 Garlic Cloves
1/2 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
2 tsp MTR Pulav Masala
1 Tbsp Butter
Salt as per tastes
Coriander Leaves for garnishing

METHOD:

• Wash and cook rice adding enough salt and let it cool completely.
• Heat the butter and add sliced onion and fry till transparent. Then add garlic and fry until transparent.
• Now add chopped tomatoes along with all the rest of the masala ingredients and keep frying until the tomatoes are properly cooked and become mushy.
• Mix the above with rice and garnish with coriander leaves.
• Serve hot with chilled raitha and enjoy!!!

Tomato Pulav

This is the simplest of any pulavs. It gets different names as per the region that prepares it. Most people I know make the tomato paste seperately and then mix with plain rice. But I prefer to do one pot dishes and save some time. Moreover, this way I use less oil and the grains stand apart well in the pressure cooker method.

Ingredients:
 
Rice- 2 cups
pattai - 1"
cloves- 3 elachi-3
sombu-1tsp
star anise-1
onion-1(sliced)
ginger garlic paste- 1 tsp
tomato-2(chopped)
mint leaves- 10
chilli powder- 3/4 tsp
water- 4 cups

Method:
 
Heat oil in cooker and fry all the spices. Now add onion, ginger garlic paste and turmeric powder. Then add mint leaves and tomato. When the tomato becomes soft put chilli powder and saute for few more minutes. Add washed rice and water. close cooker. When the steam comes consistently from the nozzle of the cooker put the vent and keep the gas in medium. Switch off after 10 mins. wait until pressure subsides. open cooker and sprinkle coriander leaves. Serve with raitha.