Capsicum Rice/Capsicum Bhath

Ingredients:
11/2 Cups Basmati Rice
2 Medium sized Capsicums/Bell peppers
2 Tbsps Vangibath powder (I have used MTR vangibath powder)
1/2 Tsp turmeric
Juice of 1 small lemon
Curry Leaves
1Tsp Mustard Seeds
1/2 Tsp Urad dal
1/2 Tsp Channa dal
2 Dry Red chilli
2 Tbsp Oil
Salt

Method:
Cook the rice with 3 glasses of water and cool it completely.I cook the rice in rice cooker so that it dosen't get mushy.Cut the capsicum/bell peppers into small cubes.
Heat oil in a kadai, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter.then add the dry red chillies,urad dal and channa dal.then add the curry leaves and add the capsicum pieces and turmeric and saute it for about 3-4 minutes.I don't let the capsicum turn very soft.Add the vangibhath powder,salt and cook it for about 2-3 minutes.Switch off the heat and add the rice,lemon juice and salt if needed and mix it well.
Serve the rice with potato chips or raita.

Okra Subzi/Bhindi Subzi

Okra or Bhindi subzi goes well with rotis/chapatis.This can be paired with onions and tomatoes or even okra and potatoes go very well.Today I prepared okra with onions and tomatoes.

Ingredients:

Okra/Bhindi-25-30

1/2 of 1 big onion or 1 small onion

2 Tomatoes

2 1/2 Tsps coriander powder

4 Green chillies

1/2 Tsp Turmeric

Salt as needed

2 Tbsp Oil

1/2 Tsp Mustard seeds

1/2 Tsp Cumin seeds (jeera)

1/2 Tsp Garam masala

Cilantro

Method:

Chop the okra/bhindi into any shape desired.I have cut them in diagonals.

Heat oil in a kadai, add the cumin and mustard seeds and allow it to splutter.Add the onions and green chillies and saute for about a minute or two.Add the okra/bhindi, tomatoes, coriander powder,turmeric and salt.Cover and cook until the stickiness goes off.Add the garam masala and cook it for about a minute.Switch off the heat and garnish it with cilantro.

Cabbage Subzi with Surti lilva

Surti lilva or Avarekayi pairs well with many dishes.Frozen lilva beans are available in Indian stores.I have combined these beans with cabbage and tomato.This dish goes well with chapatis.

Ingredients:
2 Cups Cabbage chopped
1/2 Cup Surti lilva (avarekayi)
1 Tomato
1/2 Onion (finely chopped)
4 Green chillies
1/2 Tsp mustard seeds
1/2 Tsp Cumin Seeds(Jeera)
1/2 Tsp Turmeric
Salt as per taste
2 Tbsp Oil
A pinch of asefoetida

Method:
Pressure cook the lilva beans for about 2 whistles. Heat oil in a kadai.Add the cumin and mustard seeds and wait for it to splutter.Add the asefoetida and onion and saute for a minute.Add the green chillies, cabbage, tomato, salt, turmeric and allow it to cook until tender without adding any water.After about 15 minutes when the cabbage is tender add the lilva beans and saute it for about 2-3 minutes.Serve it hot with chapatis.

Vegetable Saagu

Vegetable saagu is popular in Karnataka.To make vegetable saagu different varieties of vegetables are used, the most common being beans, carrots, potatoes. green peas, tomato and onion.Saagu goes well with poori, chapathi and dosa.

Ingredients:

1 cup of vegetables( Beans, carrot,avarekaalu i.e surti lilva)

1 Potato

1/2 Onion

1 Tomato

1/2 Cup grated coconut

3 Tbsps Dalia

4 Green chillies

2 Small sticks of cinnamon

A little cilantro

1/2 tsp Turmeric

Salt

Water

2 Tsp Oil

1/2 Tsp Mustard seeds

1/2 Tsp Urad dal

Method:

Pressure cook the vegetables for about 2 whistles with little salt and turmeric.See to it that that the vegetables do not get mushy.Grind the coconut, dalia, green chillis,cinnamon and cilantro to a fine paste.

Heat oil in a kadai, add the mustard seeds.Once it splutters add the urad dal.Add the pressure cooked vegetables ,ground paste, salt and adequate amount of water and allow the paste to blend into the vegetables.The gravy should not be too thick or too watery.serve hot with pooris or dosas or chapathi.I made this to go along with pooris.

Poori

Growing up Poori would be the breakfast on most of the weekends at home.Poori is made from wheat flour and deep fried in oil.It can also be made with all purpose flour.This happens to be my son's favourite food.He can eat this for breakfast, lunch or dinner.Poori goes well with vegetable saagu, chole,potato gravy etc etc.Today I made poori with vegetable saagu.The ingredients to make poori:

Ingredients:

1 Cup Wheat flour

1/2 Tsp Salt

Water
Oil for deep frying

Method:

Combine Wheat flour and salt in a bowl.Add the required amount of water and make the dough not too soft or too hard.Let the dough rest for about 20 minutes.

Heat oil in a kadai.while the oil is heating, make small balls out of the dough and roll it.The rolled ball should not be too thick or too thin.Slide the rolled poori into hot oil and gently press it with the back of a slotted spoon.At this point the poori will puff up, then flip it over and cook till it turns golden brown.Drain the excess oil off the poori on a paper towel.Serve hot pooris with anything of your choice.I made vegetable saagu to go with this.

Ash Gourd Sambhar

Sambhar is the most loved dish among South Indians.There are many variations for preparing sambhar.I sometimes prepare sambhar using sambhar powder or grinding coconut along with sambhar powder.This is my method for preparing ash gourd sambhar.This goes well with rice, dosas.

Ingredients:

1 Cup of Tur Dal (pressure cooked for about 3 whistles with little turmeric and water)

2 Cups of cubed ash gourd pieces

2 Tsps Sambhar Powder

1 Tomato

Small lemon sized tamarind soaked in water

Handful of grated coconut

Small piece of Cinnamon

2 Cloves

1/4 Tsp Turmeric

1 Tsp Mustard seeds

Few curry Leaves

Salt

1 Tsp Sugar

1 Tbsp Oil

A pinch of Asafoetida

Method:

Grind to a fine paste coconut,sambhar powder,tomato,cinnamon and cloves.

Cook the ash gourd pieces in little water along with turmeric and little salt.After about 10 minutes add the ground paste, tamarind juice,pressure cooked tur dal along with required amount of water and salt and 1 tsp sugar.allow it to cook for 10-15 minutes on medium heat.

Heat oil in another pan add the mustard seeds.once it splutters add the asafoetida and curry leaves.Add this seasoning to the sambhar and mix well.

Black Eyed Beans Curry

Black eyed beans are rich in calcium, folate and vitamin A among other nutrients.These beans require no soaking time and can be cooked in the the pressure cooker for about 3 whistles.They have a smooth creamy texture when cooked.The black eye beans curry goes well with chapati's as well as rice.

Ingredients:

1 Cup of Black eye beans

1/2 Red onion
2 Tsp Tomato Paste(Diluted in 1/4 cup water)
1 Tsp minced ginger and garlic
2 Tbsp Oil
Salt as per taste
1Tsp Cumin seeds
11/2 Tsps coriander powder
1/2 Tsp Chilli powder
1/2 Tsp Garam masala powder
Cilantro for garnishing

Method:
Pressure cook the beans for about 3 whistles.Heat oil in a pan.Add the cumin seeds and allow it to crackle.Add the onions and saute until it turns pink and add the ginger and garlic.Then add the the beans, tomato paste and all the spice powders and salt and saute for a minute.Add adequate amount of water and allow it to cook for about 10-15 minutes on medium heat.Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with rice or chapatis.