Recipe world: Side dishes

Showing posts with label Side dishes. Show all posts

Just like every year, our summer veggie patch is on full bloom this year too. When there are so much home grown veggies, its very hard to choose the veggies for your cooking, when you don't want anything go waste! We are making a good use of home grown veggies in our daily cooking, sharing some with friends and also, preserving some in the freezer for the winter months.

A few of our white radish plants grew up taller, they didn't produce any bulbs, but we could see big bunches of radish beans on the plant. Then, I got to know from one of my friends that, radish beans are good for cooking curries and stir fries. I tried my hands on making 2 - 3 varieties of stir fry (Palya), and here is the one which was liked by all..

Preparation time: 25 - 30 minutes
Difficulty level: Medium
Serves - 5

Ingredients:

Radish / Muli beans - about 3 cups
Salt - to taste
Sugar - 1 tsp
Amchur powder - 3/4 tsp

- For Seasoning: cooking oil - 3 tbsp, Urid dal - 1 tsp, Mustard seeds - 1 tsp, Turmeric - a pinch

- For the Masala Powder:

Cooking oil - 2 tsp
Cinnamon - 1/2 inch piece
Clove - 1
Dry red chillies - 3
Chana dal (split chana) - 3 tbsp
Urid dal - 1 tsp
Methi seeds - 1/4 tsp
Coriander seeds - 1 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Hing / asafoetida - a pinch
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Dry grated coconut / Shredded coconut - 3 to 4 tbsp

Recipe Instructions:

Wash the beans in water, take off the stem and the pointy ends of the beans. Chop them roughly or just break each of them into 2 - 3 pieces using your hand. I had around 2 cups of chopped beans after cleaning and taking off the stem and pointy ends.
Next step is to prepare the Masala powder; Heat 2 tsp of oil in a heavy bottom pan. Add cinnamon piece, red chilli pieces and split chana dal, toast them for 1 - 2 minutes. Then add urid dal, methi seeds and clove. Stir it for half a minute and add coriander seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds and a pinch of hing. Toast them all till the mustard seeds start crackling. Finally add 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder and turn off the flame.

Transfer the toasted spices into the mixie jar after they cool down a bit. Run the mixie a few times on whip / pulse mode to make a course powder. Let it be like semolina, not too course. Add the shredded coconut at the end and pulse it for a few more seconds to make everything evenly course.
Heat 3 tbsp of oil in the sam heavy bottom pan for the seasoning. Add urid dal, mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds start crackling, add a pinch of turmeric powder and chopped radish beans. Give it a good mix and sauté the mixture for 2 minutes. Then, close the lid and allow it to cook on medium flame.
When the mixture is half - way cooked, add salt to taste, 1 tsp sugar and 3/4 tsp of amchur powder. Combine it well, and close the lid to cook further. Keep mixing it every few minutes. No need to add any extra water, as the water content in the beans would be sufficient to cook them.
It would take around 12 - 15 minutes to cook the beans mixture. Once its cooked well, add the prepared masala powder and combine everything well Cook it for 2 - 3 minutes more and turn off the flame.
Serve this tasty Palya along with rice or chapathi!

Balekai or plantain is one of our family favourite vegetables. We get raw banana or plantains once in a while in the Indian grocery stores here. We love different dishes made using plantains in our native style.

I had brought raw bananas after a long time during my recent grocery shopping. My daughter requested to prepare Banana chips since its her all time favourite. Hence, I had to make some Banana / Plantain Chips for her. One dish we never want to miss is Plantain Palya / Poriyal / Fry / Thoran.

Here is the recipe of Havyaka Style Balekayi / Plantain Palya for you all!

Preparation time: 20 -25 minutes
Difficulty level: Medium
Serves: 4 - 5

Ingredients:

Medium sized plantains - 3
Grated coconut - 3 tbsp (fresh / frozen or desiccated coconut)
Green chilli - 1 (according to taste)
Salt - to taste
Sugar - big pinch
Lime squeeze - 2 tbsp or to taste
Curry leaves - 1 string
Dry red chilli - 1 inch piece
Urid dal - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 3/4 tsp
Hing / Asafoetida - generous pinch
Turmeric powder - 3/4 tsp
Cooking oil - 2 1/2 tbsp (use Coconut oil for authentic Havyaka taste)
Water - 4 to 5 cups (to cook the bananas)

Recipe Instructions:

Heat 4 - 5 cups of water in a pan. Add 2 - 3 drops of oil to avoid stickiness. Once the water is hot enough, add the whole plantains and cook for 8 - 10 minutes or till they are nearly cooked, but still firm. Once cooked, their skin will turn darker brown and plantains will be a bit soft than before.
Take out the cooked plantains and allow them to cool.
Peel the skin and grate the plantains using a grater.
Take the grated plantains in a mixing bowl. Add grated coconut, salt, sugar and lime juice for taste.
Heat 2 1/2 tbsp oil in a heavy bottom pan for seasoning. Once the oil is hot, add red chilli, urid dal, mustard seeds and hing. When mustard seeds start spluttering, add turmeric powder, slit green chillies and curry leaves. Sauté it for half a minute.
Add grated plantain to the seasoning and mix it well. Close the lid half way and cook it for 5 more minutes.
Serve it as a side dish with Rice, Sambar and Curd.

Tips:

While cooking, if the plantains became softer than required, wash them in cold water immediately. This will avoid them from becoming smoother again.
Lime squeeze can be replaced with Aamchur powder / Hulipudi.

ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿ ಓದಲು ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಕ್ಲಿಕ್ ಮಾಡಿ

As a South Indian family, we love rice for our daily lunch. Hubby loves Roti / Chapathi and hence, I prepare Roti / Chapathi for our dinner. To ease the the cooking time, I plan to make any one side dish or sambar or dal to be suitable for both rice and roti! This reduces my time in the kitchen a bit.

Here is one such Palya / curry which goes well with rice, roti / chapathi, dosa and poori. Do try this healthy and delicious Cabbage - Sprouted Green Gram Palya / Thoran / Masala Dry Curry and let me hear your feedback :)

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Difficulty level: Medium

Serves: 3

Ingredients:

Finely shredded cabbage - 3 cups
Sprouted green gram / mung bean - 1/2 cup (can use more also)
Salt - to taste
Amchur powder / hulipudi - 3/4 tsp
Sugar - 1/3 tsp
Pav Bhaji Masala powder - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/4 tsp (adjust according to spiciness)

- For Seasoning:

Oil - 1 1/2 tbsp
Dry red chilli - 1 inch piece
Urid dal - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/3 tsp
Green chilli - 1 slit
Curry leaves - 5 to 6

Recipe Instructions:

Keep all the ingredients ready.
Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan for seasoning. Add red chilli piece, urid dal and mustard seeds. Toast it till mustard seeds start crackling.
Add turmeric powder, slit green chilli and curry leaves.
Sauté it once and add shredded cabbage and sprouted green gram.
Mix everything well, close the lid and cook it on low to medium flame.
Keep mixing it every now and then to avoid burning. If the mixture looks too dry, a few tablespoons of water can be added. I have not added and water here.
When the mixture is nearly cooked, add salt, sugar, amchur powder, pav bhaji masala powder and red chilli powder. Mix it well and cook covered till done.
Serve this delicious Palya along with rice, chapathi, dosa or poori.

Tips:

You can skip using green chillies by adding little more chilli powder.
Adding sugar is purely optional.
Pav bhaji masala powder can be replaced with sambar powder or any other masala powder.

ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿ ಓದಲು ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಕ್ಲಿಕ್ ಮಾಡಿ

This year, we had planted some snow pea plants in our little backyard. Snow peas are easy to grow, they won't need much care and the yield is also pretty quick. Now, the winter has started and still we are getting enough crop to serve our little family. As they have a sweet taste, my kids love to pick the snow peas fresh from the garden and eat them as it is.

Here is the recipe of a side dish which my family loves to eat often. I use potato, snow peas, capsicum and green peas for this Subzi. But it should be ok if you skip capsicum and / or green peas.

Preparation time: 25 minutes

Difficulty level: Medium

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Potatoes (big) - 2
Snow peas - 8 to 10
Capsicum chopped - 3/4 cup
Green peas - 3/4 cup (I have used frozen peas)
Kasuri methi - 1 tbsp
Cumin coriander powder - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Pepper powder - 1 tsp or for taste

- For seasoning:

Oil - 2 tbsp
Fenugreek / Methi seeds - 1/4 tsp

Method:

Wash all the vegetables thoroughly in clean water.
Chop the snow peas and capsicum into medium size pieces.
Peel and chop the potatoes into small pieces lengthwise.
Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan. Add the fenugreek seeds and toast till aromatic.
Add the potato pieces, mix well and close the lid for cooking.
Keep mixing it frequently to avoid potatoes sticking to the bottom.
When the potatoes are half-cooked, add chopped snow peas, capsicum, green peas and kasuri methi. Close the lid and continue cooking. Keep mixing them regularly.
When potato pieces are almost cooked, add salt, pepper powder, cumin - coriander powder and cook for 3 - 4 minutes or till done.
Serve this delicious side dish along with rice, chapathi or pooris.

ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿ ಓದಲು ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಕ್ಲಿಕ್ ಮಾಡಿ.

Eggplant is one of those vegetables which is available throughout the year. Although its not so good in nutritional values, it adds more taste to various dishes and curries. There are different varieties of brinjal available in the market. Varieties of curries and other dishes can be prepared depending on each variety of eggplant. For instance, I prepare Baingan Barta (Badanekayi Hindi / Gojju) when we get the bigger eggplants.

My sister is a huge fan of Badanekayi Hindi / Baingan Barta. If there is Baingan Barta for lunch / dinner, her dinner / lunch will start with this curry and also ends with this curry! As she likes Badanekayi Hindi, she may have tasted it 'n' times. Today, I am sharing with you all the recipe of Baingan Barta which I learnt from my sister.

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Difficulty level: Medium

Servings: 3

Ingredients:

Eggplant / Brinjal (medium sized) - 1
Salt - to taste
Aamchur powder - 1 tsp or to taste
Sugar / jaggery - generous pinch
Onion (small) - 1
Grated coconut (optional) - 2 to 3 tbsp

- For seasoning:

Oil - 1 1/2 tbsp
Dry red chilli - 1
Urid dal - 1 tsp
Asafoetida / hing - generous pinch
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - a small pinch
Green chilli - 1
Curry leaves - 5 to 6 leaves

Method:

Cook the brinjal on direct flame on low heat. This process takes around 15 minutes.
Once the fire roasted brinjal is cool enough to handle, take off the dark, outer skin carefully. Keep a bowl of water handy and dip your hands frequently, it helps to avoid the brinjal skin mixing with its flesh.
Mash the flesh of brinjal using a ladle using cut and mix method.
Heat the oil in a wok for seasoning. Add red chilli pieces, urid dal, hing and mustard seeds.
Once mustard seeds start crackling, add a pinch of turmeric powder followed by green chilli pieces and curry leaves.
Turn off the flame after a minute of cooking. Add this seasoning to mashed brinjal.
Crush the red chillies and green chillies to enhance the taste.
Add salt, amchur powder and a pinch of sugar / jaggery for taste.
Just before serving, chop the onion finely and add it to the brinjal mixture.
Some people add fresh grated coconut for this curry. I personally like it without coconut.

Tips:

If you have prepared this Gojju for more than one time serving, keep the excess part aside and add chopped onion only to that portion which is ready to serve.

ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿ ಓದಲು ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಕ್ಲಿಕ್ ಮಾಡಿ

As everyone is restricted from going outside due to COVID - 19, its a bit hard to manage the kids at home all day. And, more household work like cooking, cleaning vessels, cleaning and the like. I am trying to involve kids in doing the household chores a bit. Here is a recipe which can be done involving the kids. Potato Podi or shallow fried potato slices are always on demand in our home.

Preparation time: 20 -25 minutes

Difficulty level: Medium

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Potato (big ones) - 2
Sooji rava (Course Semolina) - 3 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Red chilli powder - 3/4 tsp or to taste
Oil - for cooking

Method:

Peel off the skin of potatoes and cut them into thin slices.
Mix together sooji rava, salt and red chilli powder in a small bowl.
Coat the potato slices with the rava mixture by dipping them in the mixture.
Cook them on the hot tawa by drizzling a few drops of oil. Flip them a few times to ensure even cooking.

How to cook in the oven:

Pre-heat the oven to 175C.
Line the baking tray with baking sheet and arrange the semolina coated potato slices side by side.
Drizzle 4 - 5 drops of oil on each potato slice.
Cook them in the pre-heated oven for 15 minutes or till done.
Take out the tray after 5 minutes and serve the hot Potato Podi as snacks or as a side dish with lunch or dinner.

ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿ ಓದಲು ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಕ್ಲಿಕ್ ಮಾಡಿ

When it comes to the habit of healthy eating, eating more vegetables is always recommended. Being born and brought up in South India, we prefer Rice for our lunch and dinner most of the time. So, I try to include salads, veg stir fries, lentil based curries and yogurt in our daily food to make sure we won't miss the required nutrients.

I try to mix and match the vegetables for my curries and stir fries just to make it attractive for my daughter to eat! Beans is one of those vegetables which goes well with most other vegetables to make delicious dishes. I am sharing with you all a healthy and delicious stir fry using Beans and Lilva Beans. For this recipe, you can use either fresh or frozen Lilva Beans. I have used the frozen ones here..

Preparation time: 20 - 25 minutes

Serves - 3

Difficulty level: Medium

Ingredients:

Fresh beans - 200 gm
Silva Beans / Hitikida Avarekalu (Fresh or frozen) - 1/2 cup (can add more if you like)
Salt to taste
Amchur powder - 2/3 tsp or to taste
Grated coconut (optional) - 2 tbsp)

For Seasoning:

Cooking oil - 2 tbsp
Dry red chilli - quarter piece
Urid dal - 1 tsp
Asafoetida / Hing - a big pinch
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Green chilli - 1 (according to spiciness needed)
Curry leaves - 8 to 10 leaves

Method:

Wash the beans thoroughly in water, remove the stem and fibre, if any. Chop the beans into as thin roundels as possible.
Heat oil in a heavy pan. Add red chilli piece, urid dal, asafoetida and mustard seeds. When mustard seeds start crackling, add turmeric powder, slit green chilli and curry leaves. Saute for a minute.
Add the chopped beans to the seasoning and mix it well. Close the lid tightly and cook it for 5 - 6 minutes. Sauté it once in between to ensure even cooking.
Mix in the Lilva Beans along with the half cooked beans and cook for 5 more minutes.
Add grated coconut, salt and amchur powder for taste. Mix everything well and cook for 5 minutes or till done.
Serve this delicious stir fry as a side dish with rice.

Tips:

Don't add any water while cooking. Water content in the beans will be sufficient for cooking them.

ಕನ್ನಡ ಆವೃತ್ತಿ

Eggplant is used in preparing wide variety of Indian dishes. We too love this vegetable in our cooking. Varieties of side dishes and stir fries can be made using this vegetable. Today, I am sharing a unique Stir fry (Palya) recipe from my native place.

As per my observation, most of the eggplant recipes tastes good only when onion or garlic is added. But this Stir fry tastes delicious without adding garlic and onion. Try this simple yet delicious Stir Fry and let me know your feedback!

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Soaking time: 15 minutes

Serves: 4

Difficulty level: Medium

Ingredients:

Eggplant (Finely chopped) - 1 large
Oil - 5 to 6 tbsp
Dry red chilli (optional) - 1 small piece
Urid dal - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Asafoetida / Hing - big pinch
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Green chillies - 2 (add according to spiciness needed)
Curry leaves - 1 strand
Salt to taste
Amchur powder - 1 1/2 tsp or to taste
Grated coconut - 4 tbsp

Method:

Take the finely chopped eggplant in a bowl. Add 1 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp amchur powder. Mix it well and leave it for 15 minutes.
Squeeze off the water content from the eggplant mixture and discard the water.
Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan. Add red chilli, urid dal, mustard seeds, hing and turmeric.
Once the mustard seeds start crackling, add slit green chillies and curry leaves. Saute the mixture for a minute.
Add the squeezed eggplant chunks to the seasoning and mix it once. Check the taste and add salt and amchur powder accordingly.
Cook this mixture on low flame without closing the lid for 8 - 10 minutes or till done.
When its cooked half-way, add the grated coconut. Stir the mixture frequently to ensure even cooking.
Turn off the flame when the eggplant chunks become soft and cooked nicely.
Serve this delicious stir fry as a side dish along with rice.
If cooked nicely, this stir fry stays good for 2 - 3 days at room temperature.

Tips:

If you would like to add onion, add chopped onion while adding the grated coconut.
This stir fry tastes better when eggplant is chopped very finely.

ಕನ್ನಡ ಆವೃತ್ತಿ

Here is a simple stir fry recipe from my kitchen. It can be prepared quickly using the common ingredients in the pantry. We
Many people dislike okra because of its slime. But you won't feel it when its cooked with proper care. Okra is a good source of fibre which is needed for our body.
Try this Okra Stir Fry and I hope you like it!

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Serves: 2
Difficulty level: Medium

Ingredients:

Medium size Okra - 15 nos
Amchur powder - 3/4 tsp or for taste
Salt to taste
Fresh grated coconut - 2 to 3 tbsp
For seasoning:

Oil - 2 tbsp,
Dry red chilli - half piece,
Urid dal - 1 tsp,
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp,
Asafoetida / Hing - a pinch,
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp,
Curry leaves - 7 or 8 leaves,
Green chilli - 1 (adjust according to spiciness)

Method:

Wash the Okra in water and drain the water using a cotton cloth or paper towel. Slice them into very thin rounds.
Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan. Add dry red chilli, urid dal followed by mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds splutter, add pinch of hing, turmeric powder, slit green chilli and curry leaves. Saute them for a minute.
Add the Okra slices to the seasoning and mix it once. Add salt and Amchur powder for taste.
Cook the mixture without putting the lid and give it a stir regularly to avoid burning. It won't take much time to cook since we have sliced the Okra very thinly.
Once the mixture is almost cooked, add the fresh grated coconut and cook it till done.
Serve this delicious Stir Fry / Palya along with rice or chapathi.

Tips:

This Stir Fry tastes really good when Okra is slices into very thin roundels.
Do not over mix the stir fry while cooking, otherwise it becomes mushy.
Adding onion will give a different taste for this recipe. Chopped onion can be added along with grated coconut.

ಕನ್ನಡ ಆವೃತ್ತಿ

Different kinds of leafy vegetables are part of our healthy diet. They are good source of various nutrients and taste delicious as well. One among those leaves is Amaranth Leaves. We buy it often from the vegetable market. Amaranth leaves are a good source of calcium, iron and vitamins. They are good for preparing stir fry, sambar, hashi, saasive and other side dishes.

Below is the recipe of Amaranth Leaves Stir Fry / Harive Soppina Palya..

Preparation Time: 20 - 25 minutes

Serves: 2

Difficulty level: Medium

Ingredients:

Amaranth leaves / Harive soppu - 1 bunch
Dry red chillies - 2 or 3 (adjust according to taste)
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Asafoetida / Hing - a pinch
Turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp
Cooking oil - 3 tbsp
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Amchur powder - for taste
Jaggery / sugar - 1/4 tsp or according to taste (see Tips)
Onion (optional) - 1

Method:

Wash the amaranth leaves in clean water thoroughly. Chop them finely. Include the tender stems also while chopping.
Heat the oil a heavy bottom pan. Add broken red chillies, urid dal and roast them for a minute. When the urid dal turns into light brown color, add mustard seeds and asafoetida.
When the mustard seeds start crackling, add the turmeric powder and saute it once. Now add the chopped amaranth leaves and mix it well. Quickly find the broken red chillies in them which are crunchy after frying, powder them coarsely using your fingers or with the help of laddle. Add the powdered chillied back to the seasoned mixture.
Cover the lid and allow the mixture to cook on medium flame. No need to add any water, since the water content in the leaves will be enough for cooking them.
Stir the mixture regularly. Once the leaves are almost cooked, add salt, amchur powder and jaggery / sugar for taste.
Add grated coconut after 2 - 3 minutes. Also add the chopped onion, if using. I have added onion here.
Cook it for 5 more minutes and turn off the flame.
This stir fry tastes delicious with rice, chapathi or poori.

Tips:

Add only 1/4 tsp of jaggery / sugar for this stir fry if you don't want to make it sweet. If you like sweet taste, add more jaggery / sugar according to taste. And if making it sweet in taste, don't add onion.

ಕನ್ನಡ ಆವೃತ್ತಿ

Palak Paneer, is a famous side dish from North Indian cuisine. Paneer cubes are dipped in Spinach gravy with added spices, which tastes delicious with Chapathi, Roti and Poori.

Palak plants are easy to grow even in your balcony. One of my friends have gone for vacation last month and she had left her plants at my place. She gave me her spinach plants and shared a nice tip. Don't take out the whole plant when it is ready for plucking. Take out only the grown up leaves and leave the plant to grow again. This works nicely and the leaves are again ready for plucking within 3 weeks! I had planted some spinach plants in our backyard when we were in Adelaide, but I didn't knew about this. Hope this tip will be useful for you as well!

And, wish you all a very happy and prosperous new year!

Below is the recipe of Palak Paneer:

Time required: 30 minutes

Servings: 3

Difficulty level: Medium

Ingredients:

Spinach leaves - 1 big bunch
Tomato - 1
Onion - 1, medium sized
Grated ginger - 1 tsp
Grated garlic - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 1/4 tsp or according to taste
Salt to taste
Lime squeeze - 1 tsp or to taste
Paneer / Cottage cheese - 300 gm or as required
Cooking oil - 7 tbsp
Water - 3 cups approx

Method:

Chop the tomato finely. Grate the onion using a vegetable grater and keep ready.
Wash the spinach leaves thoroughly and cook them in 1 1/2 cups of water. Add more water if required.
Once the spinach is cooked, turn off the flame and allow to cool. Drain the remaining water and keep aside. Grind the spinach leaves into smooth paste.
Cut the paneer / cottage cheese into medium size cubes. Shallow fry them with little oil on hot tava till golden brown and keep aside.
Heat 5 - 6 tbsp of oil in a heavy bottom pan. Add cumin seeds and saute for a while. Then, add grated ginger and garlic. Saute them till the raw smell is gone.
To this, add grated onion and cook it till turns into light brown color.
Add finely chopped tomato and 1/4 tsp salt and mix well. Cook it covered.
Keep mixing it regularly and once tomato is cooked and the mixture starts leaving oil from the sides, add the spinach paste. Add water as required to make it gravy and salt to taste. You can use the drained water left after cooking the spinach.
Now add the coriander powder, garam masala powder and red chilli powder. Mix it nicely and allow the mixture to boil for 3 - 4 minutes.
After you turn off the flame, add lime juice for taste and mix it well.
Finally add the Paneer cubes and mix everything slowly.
Serve it hot with Chapathi, Roti or Poori.

Tips:

If you have the paneer at home, you can use the left over paneer water for this recipe instead of plain water.
Green chillies can be used instead of red chilli powder. If using green chillies, you can combine ginger, garlic and green chillies and make a fine paste for using here.

ಕನ್ನಡ ಆವೃತ್ತಿ

At many rural places like my native, various fruits and vegetables are grown in their own estate. Rarely they buy veggies from the markets. Home grown vegetables are always healthy, tasty and are free from harmful chemicals and pesticides.

Here in Australia, we will grow few veggies like fenugreek leaves, tomato, chillies, etc. in our balcony garden. I love to use various leafy vegetables in my cooking. Few days back, we had got a big bunch of drumstick leaves from the grocery store. I remembered my Mom's way of preparing the Stir Fry and tried the same. It was so tasty and I prepared it one more time! Some recipes like this are always a hit at my home.
Try out this recipe of Drumstick Leaves Stir Fry and enjoy with hot rice!

Preparation time: 25 - 30 minutes
Servings: 6 - 7
Difficulty level: Medium

Ingredients:

Drumstick leaves - 1 big bunch
Amchur powder - 3/4 tsp or to taste
Sugar - 1 1/2 tsp or to taste
Salt - for taste

- For Masala Powder:

Cinnamon stick - 1 inch
Cloves - 3 or 4
Dry red chillies - 7 (adjust according to taste)
Shredded coconut or fresh grated coconut - 3/4 cup
Chana dal (split) - 4 tbsp
Urad dal - 2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 3/4 tsp
Coriander seeds - 1 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 3/4 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida / hing - pinch
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 1 1/2 tsp

- For seasoning:

Oil - 3 tbsp
Urid dal - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - a pinch

Method:

Separate the drumstick leaves from the stems and wash them thoroughly.
Next thing is to prepare the Masala Powder. Roast all the ingredients under the heading Masala Powder except shredded coconut in oil. Powder them coarsely. Finally add the shredded coconut and run the mixie for few seconds to make it a course powder.
Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a heavy bottom pan. Do the seasoning with urid dal, mustard seeds and pinch of turmeric powder.
Addthe drumstick leaves to the seasoning and fry them on low flame for 8 - 10 minutes or till it gets cooked and changes the color.
Add the Masala Powder, salt, sugar and amchur powder and mix it well. Cook it on low flame till it gets nicely hot and switch off the flame.
Serve this stir fry as a side dish with Rice or Roti.

Tips:

Add chopped onion for this stir fry if you would like to. Add it to the stir fry along with Masala Powder and cook it till the raw smell is gone.
You can prepare Capsicum Stir Fry in the same way. Just replace the drumstick leaves with capsicum.
I have used shredded coconut for this stir fry. Fresh grated coconut also goes well for this recipe.

ಕನ್ನಡ ಆವೃತ್ತಿ

Beetroot is one of the nutritious vegetables which tastes awesome with its natural sweetness. This root vegetable is good for preparing delicious stir fry, sambar, salads and sweets. Beetroot Palya / Stir Fry and Sambar are my family favorites. My little one also loves to have it because of its nice red color!

Here is the recipe of Beetroot Palya / Poriyal. This tastes very good with rice, chapathi, roti and poori. Give it a try and let me know your feedback :)

Preparation time: 40 - 45 minutes

Servings: 5

Difficulty level: Medium

Ingredients:

Beetroot - 1 1/2 bulb
Dry red chilli - 1
Urid dal - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Asafoetida / hing - big pinch
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Green chilli - 1 (adjust according to taste)
Curry leaves - 4 to 5 leaves
Cooking oil - 3 tbsp
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Onion - half
Salt - for taste
Amchur powder - for taste
Sugar - 1 tsp or according to taste
Water - 1 1/4 cup or little more (as needed for cooking)

Method:

Wash the beetroot cleanly and peel off the skin. Chop them finely.
Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan. Add broken red chilli pieces, urid dal, asafoetida and then mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds start crackling, add turmeric powder, slit green chillies and curry leaves.
Saute it for a while and add finely chopped beetroot and mix it well.
Add 1 1/4th cup of water for cooking the mixture. Close the lid and cook it for 18 - 20 minutes. Stir the mixture occasionally. Add more water if needed.
When the mixture is almost cooked and water is evaporated, add salt, amchur powder and sugar and adjust the taste. Also add the chopped onion and grated coconut and mix well.
Cook it for 8 - 10 minutes more and turn off the flame.
Serve this Palya along with rice, chapathi or poori.

Tips:

Beetroot bulbs are bit hard. If you find it difficult to chop them finely, just cut them into 2 or 3 pieces and pressure cook till 2 whistles. Then, chop them finely and follow the above recipe. Only change you need to consider is no need to add water after doing the seasoning since the veggie will already be cooked.

ಕನ್ನಡ ಆವೃತ್ತಿ

Fenugreek / Methi seeds, even though used in very small quantities, are very much necessary for our day-to-day cooking. Without fenugreek seeds, preparing Dosa, Sambar Powder, Methi Powder, etc. will not be perfect. These seeds are having some health benefits as well. For all sorts of hair problems, fenugreek seeds works as a good remedy. Not only the seeds, fresh fenugreek leaves are also good for cooking. Roti, Paratha, Stir Fry and various rice items can be prepared using Fenugreek / Methi leaves.

Sometimes, I need fresh methi leaves for my cooking, but we get them very rarely in the convenience stores here. So, since the summer has started, I am growing the fenugreek leaves in our backyard and using the same for cooking. Every week, I will sow the seeds in 1 - 2 rows and within the next 3 weeks, it will be available for cooking.

Both fenugreek leaves and dill leaves can be interchanged for some variety of dishes. I had posted the Dill Leaves Stir Fry recipe long back. The same way, you can prepare the Fenugreek Leaves Stir Fry. Since fenugreek leaves are slightly bitter in taste, it tastes better if we add little more sugar to this stir fry.

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Servings: 2 - 3

Difficulty level: Easy

Ingredients:

Fenugreek leaves - 3 big bunch
Urid dal - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Sambar powder - 2 tsp or according to taste (see Tips)
Sugar - 1 tsp or to taste (see Tips)
Amchur powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Grated coconut - fistful
Oil - 4 tsp

Method:

Wash and clean the fenugreek leaves. Chop them finely including the tender stems.
Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan. Add urid dal, asafoetida and mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds start crackling, add the sambar powder followed by chopped fenugreek leaves.
Add salt, sugar and amchur powder according to your taste. Cook the mixture half covered.
Saute the mixture regularly. Cook it for around 7 - 8 minutes or till its dried out fully and looks too dark.
Add grated coconut and cook for 2 - 3 minutes more and switch off the flame.
Serve this delicious stir fry along with Roti, Chapathi or rice.

Tips:

Any type of sambar powder, saarina pudi or palyada pudi can be used for this recipe.
Since the fenugreek leaves are bitter in taste, I have made this stir fry slightly sweet in taste. Those who won't like sweet taste, can add less sugar for this recipe.

ಕನ್ನಡ ಆವೃತ್ತಿ

When its mango season, raw mangoes are generously used for cooking in most of the Indian homes. Raw mangoes are perfect for preparing tangy and spicy Indian side dishes like Chutney, Gojju, Appehuli, etc. Here in Australia, whenever we get raw mangoes, I will prepare these yummy dishes. These days, frozen raw mango cubes are available in Indian convenience stores and hence, we are able to enjoy raw mango dishes whenever we feel like.

During my last visit to native, I had got a nice tip from one of my relatives. She told that she will cut the raw mangoes into cubes in mango season and preserve them in the freezer. They will be good for months and when needed, they can be used for cooking. Hope this tip will be useful for you as well!

I had shared another version of Mango Chutney long back. That was using green chillies and, here is one more version of Mango Chutney. For this recipe, we use dry red chillies and it tastes delicious with the nice aroma of fenugreek and asafoetida. Try this Mango Red Chutney with rice and let me know how you liked it!

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Servings: 5 - 6

Difficulty level: Easy

Ingredients:

Raw mango, chopped into medium size cubes - 1 1/2 cup
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Dry red chillies - 2 or 3 (adjust according to taste)
Fenugreek seeds - 3/4 tsp
Asafoetida / Hing - big pinch
Cooking oil - 3/4 tsp
Sugar - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Water - 3/4 cup approx.

For Seasoning: Oil - 1 tsp, Mustard seeds - 1 tsp, Pinch of asafoetida

Method:

Heat 3/4 tsp of oil in a small wok. Add broken red chillies and fenugreek seeds. Once they are roasted nicely, add big pinch of asafoetida and turn off the flame.
Grind the roasted ingredients along with grated coconut, mango cubes, salt and sugar into a fine paste. Add water as required while grinding. But don't make it too watery.
Check and adjust the taste of Chutney.
Heat 1 tsp of oil for seasoning. Add the mustard seeds and asafoetida. Once the mustard seeds start crackling, turn off the flame.
Add this seasoning to the Chutney. Serve with rice and see how delicious it is!

Tips:

Peel off the green skin of mango if it tastes bitter. If not bitter, no need to peel off the skin.

ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿ ಓದಲು ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಕ್ಲಿಕ್ ಮಾಡಿ.

There are some vegetables which have become part of our daily cooking, without which we can't do full pledged cooking. For eg: Tomato, Green beans, etc.. These veggies are easily available everywhere in all the seasons. Preparing the rice items like Pulao and some common daily dishes like Sambar, Palya (Stir fry) or Rasam will become really difficult without such veggies.

I always love to use green beans (also called as French beans) in my cooking. Delicious Sambar, Stir Fry, Pulav, Hashi (Rayita), etc. can be prepared using this beans along with other different vegetables. These days, my little one loves to eat fresh green beans. She enjoys eating all the dishes prepared using green beans. Because of her love towards green beans, we are buying this vegetable every time when we go for buying vegetables!

Below is the recipe of Green Beans Palya / Stir Fry. This simple and delicious Palya suits well with rice, roti and dosa.

Preparation Time: 20 - 25 minutes

Servings: 3

Difficulty level: Medium

Ingredients:

Fresh green beans - 300 gm
Dry red chilli - 1/2 piece
Green chilli - 1 (adjust according to taste)
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Pinch of asafoetida
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 strand
Salt to taste
Amchur powder - 1/2 tsp or to taste
Sugar - 3/4 tsp or to taste
Cooking oil - 2 tbsp
Grated coconut (optional) - 2 to 3 tbsp
Water - 1/2 cup or more

Method:

Wash and clean the green beans, chop them finely.
Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan. Add dry red chilli pieces, urad dal, mustard seeds, asafoetida and turmeric powder. Saute them on low flame. Once the mustard seeds start spluttering, add chopped green chillies and curry leaves.
Saute it for a while and add the chopped green beans. Add around 1/2 cup of water and cook it covered. If the beans is tender ones, this much water will be good enough for cooking. If its grown ones, you may have to add more water.
Saute the mixture occasionally. Once its half cooked, add salt, sugar and amchur powder for taste and mix it well.
If the beans is tender ones, it will get cooked by 10 - 12 minutes. Else, it may take more time.
Once its cooked completely, add the grated coconut and cook it for 5 more minutes.
Serve this healthy n delicious Palya / Poriyal along with rice, roti or dosa.

ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿ ಓದಲು ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಕ್ಲಿಕ್ ಮಾಡಿ.

Broccoli is one among those veggies which are very good for our health. This green colored veggie looks bit similar to cauliflower, but belongs to the family of cabbage! As read in Wiki, Broccoli is a good source of vitamin C and dietary fiber. It has got some other benefits such as anti-cancer properties. Due to its health benefits, I have made it a habit of using broccoli in my cooking on regular basis these days.

Broccoli is very good for preparing Indian dishes like Paratha, Stir Fry, Curry and so on. Broccoli Stir Fry is of our family favorite. I was thinking of sharing this recipe from quite a long time, but was not able to click the picks. These days, little one keeps an eye on my activities all the time. Whenever I prepare some dishes and arrange them for the photo shoot, her little hands will be there to rearrange everything! So, my clicking activities are restricted to week-ends most of the time, when she will be busy with her dad :)

Here is the recipe of Broccoli Stir Fry / Broccoli Palya. Simple yet delicious, I hope you will love it!

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Servings: 2

Difficulty Level: Easy

Ingredients:

Broccoli, slit into medium size florets - 3 cups
Onion - 1 small
Crushed ginger, garlic - 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp or to taste
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil - 1 tbsp

Method:

Chop the onion into medium size pieces.
Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan. Add the crushed ginger - garlic and saute for a while. Once it turns lightly brownish, add the chopped onion and fry till it looks transparent.
Add the broccoli florets and salt to taste. Cook it covered. Give it a stir occasionally.
Add red chilli powder and turmeric powder when the broccoli is almost done.
Cook it for 2 - 3 minutes more and turn off the flame.
Serve this delicious Broccoli Stir Fry with lunch or just have them as it is!

ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿ ಓದಲು ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಕ್ಲಿಕ್ ಮಾಡಿ.

This was one of the delicious jack fruit side dishes which I enjoyed during my last visit to native. 'Hadigadde', in Kannada means the soft, outer cover of raw jack fruit seed. For those who are well known with the jack fruit, every part of jack fruit is useful in one or the other way! We, human beings use jack fruit flesh, seeds and the Hadigadde (outer cover of raw jack fruit seed) for our cooking. Rest of the parts are used as food for the cows in rural areas.

Hadigadde Palya is a rare recipe which I learned from Mom recently. Usage of Hadigadde is not known to many people. This tastes so good and has become one of my seasonal favorites now! Normally, while preparing raw jack fruit chips or happala, we will collect and keep the Hadigadde aside and this delicious Palya will be the part of our lunch (or dinner) menu that day.

So, don't forget to try this simple and tasty Palya when you get the raw jack fruit next time!

Preparation time: 15 - 20 minutes

Servings: 4

Difficulty level: Easy

Ingredients:

Cooking oil -8 tbsp
Hadigadde (Soft, outer cover of raw jack fruit seed), finely chopped - 3 1/2 cup
Urad dal - 1 1/2 tbsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp
Sambar powder - 2 tbsp or according to taste
Salt to taste
Amchur powder - for taste
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup

Method:

Heat around 8 tbsp of cooking oil in a heavy bottom pan. Add urad dal, asafoetida and then mustard seeds. Roast them till mustard seeds start crackling.
Add sambar powder to the seasoning and saute for a while. Then add the chopped Hadigadde and then salt, sugar and amchur powder according to taste.
Mix it nicely and cover with a lid. Cook it on medium flame for around 10 minutes or till done. Stir it occasionally.
Once its done, add the grated coconut and cook it for 3 - 4 minutes.
Serve this delicious Palya with rice or roti!

ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿ ಓದಲು ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಕ್ಲಿಕ್ ಮಾಡಿ.

Fruits and vegetables are part of our daily diet and of course, they are the main sources of nutrients needed for our body. Especially, green leaves like spinach, dill, etc. contain lot of iron, calcium and folic acid. Vegetarians has to depend on these leafy veggies which is the main source of folic acid for them. Regular usage of these leaves and vegetables is highly recommended for our well being.

I was not a big fan of Dill leaves till my pregnancy. During my postpartum period, my mom used to prepare various healthy and delicious dishes using dill leaves. She told me the benefits of using dill leaves as part of our food. I enjoyed eating them, and these recipes were added to my recipe book quickly!

Below is the recipe of Dill Leaves Stir Fry which is very quick and easy. Just try it and enjoy eating!

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 4 - 5

Difficulty level: Easy

Ingredients:

Dill leaves - 1 big bunch
Split urad dal - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 3/4 tsp
Pinch of asafoetida / hing
Grated coconut (optional) - 2 tbsp
Amchur powder - 1/4 tsp or to taste
Masala powder - 3 1/2 tsp or to taste (See Tips)
Sugar - 3/4 tbsp
Salt to taste
Cooking oil - 4 tbsp

Method:

Wash the dill leaves in running water and chop it finely.
Take a heavy bottom pan. Heat 4 tbsp of oil on medium flame. Add urad dal, asafoetida and mustard seeds.
Once you hear the crackling sound of mustard seeds, add the masala powder and chopped dill leaves. Add salt, sugar and amchur powder according to taste and mix it well. Keep the lid half closed and cook it for 5 minutes. Saute it occasionally.
Once it is cooked nicely, add 2 tbsp of grated coconut, if you wish. Saute it for 2 minutes and switch off the flame.
Try this yummy n healthy side dish with rice or chapathi.

Tips:

Any kind of Sambar Powder can be used for this recipe. Adjust the quantity of masala powder according to its spiciness.

ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿ ಓದಲು ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಕ್ಲಿಕ್ ಮಾಡಿ.

Happy new year to one and all! Hope you had a nice time and enjoyed long holidays. We were off to native for two weeks. All the vacation went on just like that with our family and relatives there. Grand parents were eager to see their little grand daughter. Little one enjoyed playing and roaming around with them. She was very happy to see cow and little calf, cat and dogs and trying to imitate their sounds. One more happiest thing is that, just few days before our trip, she started walking. Her steps are more firm now by the time we are back from trip to native.

Coming back to the recipe..capsicum is one of the vegetables which will be available during all the seasons and all the regions. I love to use it in sambar and side dishes to enhance the taste and aroma of the recipe. Stuffed capsicum is our all time favorite and it will be my choice of side dish many a times. Sometimes, I will prepare Capsicum Palya (Stir fry) in my mom's style. She will use home made masala powder for this Palya which will give a unique taste to this recipe!

Preparation time: 40 minutes

Servings: 4 - 5

Difficulty level : Medium

Ingredients:

Medium sized capsicum - 2 nos
Salt to taste
Amchur powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp

- For Masala Powder:

Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
Cloves - 4
Dry red chillies - 10 to 12
Desiccated coconut - 1 cup
Chana dal - 1 tbsp
Urad dal - 2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 3/4 tsp
Coriander seeds - 1 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 3/4 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Big pinch of asafoetida
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 1/2 tsp

- For tempering:

Oil - 4 tbsp
Urad dal - 1 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Procedure:

Cut the capsicum, separate the seeds part and dice it into medium size pieces.
Heat oil in a pan and roast all the ingredients for masala powder except desiccated coconut. Transfer them to mixie jar and make a course powder. Finally add desiccated coconut and run the mixie for 4 - 5 seconds. Take care that masala powder should not become a fine powder.
Heat 4 tbsp of oil in a heavy bottom pan and do the seasoning with urad dal, mustard seeds and turmeric. Once the mustard seeds start spluttering, add the diced capsicum. Add salt, sugar and amchur powder for taste and mix it nicely.
Cook it partially covered till done. Saute the mixture occasionally to ensure its cooked evenly.
Once the capsicum is cooked, add the prepared masala powder and mix it nicely. Switch off the flame and serve it with rice, roti or chapathi!