Elephant Yam fry

Ingredients:

Karunai kizhangu- medium size
Garlic- 8 pods
Ginger- 1"
Red chillies- 4 (as needed)
Curry leaves- 10 leaves
Corriander leaves- small fistful
Saunf - 1 1/2 tsp
Salt- as reqd

Method:

Dry grind everything except the vegetable. 
Cook the vegetable with some salt and turmeric until 1/2 done. 
Heat oil in a kadai and add the cooled vegetable. Then add the spice powder and mix well. Keep it on a medium low flame and fry it until the vegetable gets roasted well. 

Serve this dish with hot rice and sambar. You can't beat this combo!!!

Gobi 65

This is a simple side dish that makes any meal special. It goes well with fried rice, veg biryani or any other variety rice. There are many different ways to do this. If you have already been doing this, try it this way for a change. Actually, this is my grandmom's recipe. When she put in the ingredients I did not get a chance to measure it. So I just eye balled it. After that I just followed her instructions. I have not used egg  and it turned out perfectly fine.

Ingredients:
 
Cauliflower-1 (medium size)
Onion- 1
Green chillies- 3
Garlic- 1
Corriander leaves-few

For marination:
Turmeric- 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder- 2 tsps
Salt-as required
Color powder- optional
Cornflour- 1 tbsp
Maidha- 2 tbsp
Curd- 2 tsp
Tomato sauce- 2 tsp

Procedure:
Cut cauliflower into bite size florets and put it in hot salted water for 2 to 3 mins. Drain and put all the ingredients under 'marinade'. Mix everything well without adding water. Keep it aside for 5 to 10 minutes. Heat oil and deep-fry the florets.

In a kadai, heat little oil and saute onion, green chillies, garlic and salt. Remove when onions are cooked but still crunchy. Add some pepper and corriander leaves. Keep this aside. After draining the cauliflower florets add it to the onion mixture. Mix well and serve with ketchup.

Sepankizhangu Fry

It might not be that healthy as it is fried. But, once in a while it is ok to have these. This dish is a great accompaniment for sambar rice, rasam rice or curd rice. The preparation work can be done ahead and refrigerated even the previous day. When you are ready to eat, you can just fry 'em up. It is great evening snack too. Try it for yourself. You will LOVE it !!

Ingredients:Sepankizhangu- 6
Onion- 1 (sliced)
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder- 1 1/2 tsp
Besan powder- 2 1/2 tbsp
Rice flour- 1/2 tbsp
Rava- 2 tsp
Curry leaves- few
Salt- as required

Method:

Pressure cook sepankizhangu for 1 whistle. Cool and peel off the outer skin. Cut into two or bite size pieces. Add the rest of the ingredients. Blend well. Keep adding water little by little until the besan coats the taro root completely. Check for seasonings and deep fry in hot oil. :)

Kovakkai Kadalai Curry - surpisingly Yummy !!

Ingredients:
 
Kovakkai/Tindora- 20 (cut lengthwise) (half steamed)
Kadalaikkai/Boiled peanuts- 1 cup
Onion- 1 (finely chopped)
Cashewnut paste- 3 tbsp
Elachi-2
Cloves- 2
Cinnamon- 1" piece
Chilli powder- 1 tsp (original recipe called for 2 tsp. But 1 is ok for me)
Turmeric- 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves- 1 twig (finely chopped)
Salt- as required
Garam masala- 1/2 tsp

Procedure:
Heat pan until it's very hot. Then add the spices and saute them .Remember .....NO OIL. The cardamom will plump up a bit due to heat. Now add onions and some salt. Saute until it is light brown in color. You have to keep on sauteing every now and then as it does not have any oil and it might stick to the pan after a while.Now add curry leaves,ginger garlic paste and turmeric. Saute for a min. Then add chilli powder and saute for 2 more mins. Now add 1/2 a cup of water and mix well. Close and cook for 5 mins. After that the gravy will be a little thick. Now add kovakkai , peanuts and salt. Add another cup of water and boil for 5 more minutes. Finally add garam masala and cashew paste. Mix well and boil to desired consistency.

This gravy goes very good with white rice, dosa and rotis.

Egg Fried Rice

Ingredients:

Basmathi rice- 2 cups
Baby carrots- 8 (can use regular carrot )
Beans- 10
Capsicum- 1/2
Cabbage- 1/4 cup(shredded)
Spring onions- 2 stalks
Minced garlic- 2 tsp
Eggs- 2
Soy sauce- as required
Sesame oil- 1 tsp

Method:

Cook rice with 4 cups of water. Spread on a big plate and cool. All the grains should be seperate. Heat oil and sesame oil together in a wok. when the oil is smoky hot add finely chopped carrots, beans and garlic. cook for 3 mins. Then add capsicum. fry a minute. Move the vegetables to one side of the kadai and add eggs to the wok. Scramble them after adding some salt and pepper. when done mix with vegetables. Do not over cook vegetables . It has to be crisp. Add rice,salt, soy sauce and 1/4 tsp pepper. Toss everything well. You can add crushed red pepper if you want the rice to be spicy.

NOTE:  If you want Mushroom fried rice, reduce the amount of vegetables and add cooked,shredded Mushroom. To make schezwan fried rice , add some chilli paste and tomato sauce.

Peas Pulav

Ingredients:

Basmathi rice- 2 cups
Cloves- 3
Elachi-3
Pattai- 1" piece
Bay leaf- 1
Rose mokku- 1
Sombu / saunf- 1/2 tsp
Peas- 1 1/2 cups
Onion- 1/2 (sliced)
Ginger garlic paste- 1 tsp
Green chillies- 2 (chopped)
Salt
Water- 4 cups

Procedure:Heat equal parts of oil and ghee. Fry all the spices. Then add onions,ginger garlic paste and green chillies. When the onions gets cooked but does not change color add washed rice and fry for a few minutes. Then add peas, required water and salt. Close cooker and wait until vapor comes out of the cooker nozzle. Put vent on top,keep gas in medium and cook for 8 to 10 mins. Switch off gas. wait till done. open cooker, mix well and add chopped coriander leaves. Finally fry some cashews and add to rice. (I did not do it today , but adding cashews will make your rice look rich and definitely taste good).

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.

Cucumber Kosambari

Ingredients:

Cucumber- 1 (finely chopped)

Moong dal-1 1/2 tbsp(soaked for 30 mins)
Green chillies- 2
Corriander leaves- few
Coconut- 2 tbsp(grated)
Salt- as reqd
Lemon juice- (optional)

Procedure: 

Mix all the ingredients and season with mustard seeds, hing and curry leaves.  -  Yes, that's it ! :) Easy peasy , na?

Carrot Kosambari

Ingredients:

Carrots-2 ( finely grated)

Moong dal-1 1/2 tbsp(soaked for 30 mins)

Green chillies- 2

Corriander leaves- few

Coconut- 2 tbsp(grated)

Salt- as reqd

Lemon juice- (optional)

Method:

Mix all the ingredients and season with mustard seeds, hing and curry leaves.

Vaangi Bhaat

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups Rice, cooked and cooled
• 2-3 Long purple or green Eggplants cubed
• 1/4 Cup Tamarind Juice,
• Salt1/2 tbsp
• sesame Seeds (Til)1/2 tsp
• Fenugreek Seeds

Roast and Powder:

• 2 tbsp Dry Coconut
• 1 tbsp Coriander Seeds
• 1 tbsp Chana Dal
• 1 tbsp Urad Dal
• 2-3 Dry Red Chillies1/2 tsp Hing (asafoetida)

To season:

• 1 tbsp Oil and Ghee
• 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
• 1tsp Chana Dal
• 1 tsp Urad Dal
• Curry Leaves
• 1-2 Dry Red Chillies
• 1 tbsp Peanuts slightly crushed (optional)

Method:

Fry eggplants with little oil and salt until almost cooked. Keep aside. To the same oil, add seasoning. When peanuts are reddish add tamarind juice, cook until thick and add in ground masala. Simmer until oil floats on top and add eggplants. Add sugar and salt. Cover and cook until eggplants are tender, you have a nice pasty gravy with a shine! Cool slightly. Mix with rice gently as not to break the eggplants. Adjust the salt according to taste.