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February 28, 2015

Palakura Pappu | Andhra Palak Dal Recipe in Pressure cooker

Palakura-pappu-recipe

Palakura pappu/Spinach dal is an Andhra based, simple and easy one pot recipe. It can be made under 15 minutes and its a super healthy dish packed with the nutrition of dal & palak leaves. I had tasted this once in Jayanagar, Nagarjuna restaurant. Long back, I shared this Palakoora pappu recipe tried from Sailu’s food in my Andhra Lunch Menu post. 

This time I tried it by getting the recipe from my friend Megha & I modified it slightly as per our taste. As her in-laws belong to Andhra, she makes this palak dal very often. Nowadays I make this for Sendhil’s lunch box whenever I don’t have enough time to prepare in busy mornings. Its a great recipe for Bachelors and working women. You can prepare this recipe at least once in a week and have a simple and healthy lunch. 

My friend made it spicy but I had reduced the chillies as per my family’s taste. Also Megha told me to add little tamarind extract at the end but I used tomato here. But I read in readers comments in Vahchef's site that palak & tomato should be not be used together. I don't know the actual reason for it. So I am planning to use tamarind extract or lemon juice in place of tomato from next time. Please enlighten me if you know the correct reason. Try this easy palak dal recipe for rice and enjoy !




Palakura pappu recipe

Palakura pappu recipe


Palakura pappu recipe Andhra style dal palak - Palakura pappu
Cuisine: Indian
Category: Lunch
Serves: Serves 4
Prep time: 5 Minutes
Cook time: 10 Minutes
Total time: 15 Minutes


INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 250ml
  • Palak/Spinach - 2 cups ( 1 big bunch)
  • Toor dal - 1/2 cup
  • Tamarind or Tomato OR lemon juice  - Berry size or 1 no (Do not chop the tomato)/ few drops
  • Salt & water - as needed
  • Big onion - 1 no
  • Green chillies – 4 nos ( I used 2)
  • Ginger - 1 inch (finely chopped)
  • Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
  • Sugar – a pinch
  • Oil - a drop
To temper
  • Cooking oil or ghee - 1 tbsp
  • Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
  • Urad dal - 1 tsp
  • Garlic cloves - 5 nos ( crushed with skin)
  • Red chillies - 2 nos ( I used guntur chilli)
  • Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
  • Curry leaves - few
  • Hing/Asafetida - a big pinch
METHOD

  • Wash and chop the palak leaves finely.In a pressure cooker base, take the toor dal and add 1.5 to 2 cups of water. Add turmeric powder,roughly chopped big onion, one full tomato(optional) slitted green chillies ginger, ,salt, sugar and chopped palak leaves.{Here I used one tomato.But I read its not good to add palak & tomato together. So If uou don’t want to use tomato, use 1 tsp tamarind extract after cooking the dal and boil well}
  • Let it pressure cook in low flame for one whistle.After the steam is released,open the cooker and mash everything well using a thick ladle or whisk. Boil it to bring its right consistency.( If you don’t want to use tomato, add tamarind extract after opening the cooker now and boil the mixture  for a minute)
Palakura pappu
  • In a kadai, heat ghee or oil and splutter mustard seeds, urad dal,  cumin seeds, red chilli and crushed garlic cloves. Saute well for a minute and add them to the boiling dal.
  • Add tamarind extract if uing. Boil for a minute. After the dal becomes slightly thick and pourable, remove it and serve hot with rice adding a drop of ghee. Enjoy ! (Note : You can also add few drops of lemon juice instead of tomato or tamarind).
Palakura pappu


Note
  • I read in Vahchef’s site by readers that palak & tomato should not be cooked together. I am not sure about the reason. So if you want to skip tomato, add thick tamarind extract only after cooking the dal palak mixture. You can also use lemon juice instead of tomato or tamarind. 
  • If using tomato, do not chop it and add to dal. Dal won’t be cooked well n mushy. So add it as whole tomato.
  • Make sure the dal is mashed well after cooking else the mixture will look watery and separate.
  • You can replace toor dal with moong dal too.
  • This palakura pappu can be done in another way.ie. Heat oil in a cooker. Temper all the spices given above and then add onions, green chillies, ginger. Saute them for a while and now add the moong dal and washed palak leaves.  Add required water and salt. Pressure cook everything for one whistle in low flame.

Easy, healthy Palakura Pappu is ready to relish with hot rice n ghee !
Palakura pappu

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February 27, 2015

Mysore Rasam Recipe - Arachuvitta Rasam - Rasam Varieties

Mysore rasam recipe

Mysore rasam is one of the most popular rasam varieties. In tamil, we can call it as “Arachuvitta rasam”.  In most of the South Indian houses, rasam recipe makes it presence almost everyday for lunch. We love to make varieties of rasam recipes. Me too not an exception in this. So I keep trying some new, interesting rasam recipes in my kitchen. This mysore rasam recipe was in my bookmarked list for long time.I never thought this would taste soo good, refreshing and flavourful.

When I tried it last week for the first time, I felt its taste was very close to the rasam I had tasted in hotels and brahmin marriage feast here in Bangalore. My Kannadiga friends make a similar rasam using saaru pudi/ rasam powder and they call it as “Bele saaru”. I am not sure whether this is the authentic mysore rasam recipe but it tasted really good. So I made it again for my in-laws.This recipe became an instant hit among my friends and family. 

Unlike our usual rasam, mysore rasam has a slightly thick consistency and it tastes spicy too. Its the freshly roasted and ground rasam powder that makes the difference. For this recipe, I watched Vahchef’s video and some more websites too. Also I made few changes in the quantity of ingredients based on my family’s taste. I just loved this rasam and I can even drink this as a soup. I’ll be surely making it very often.You too give a try and share your feedback. Lets see how to make this super flavorful and the most popular Mysore Rasam Recipe.

Check out my easy rasam recipe using Instant rasam powder !

Mysore rasam recipe

Mysore rasam recipe


Mysore rasam recipe How to make flavorful, spicy mysore rasam for rice
Cuisine: Indian
Category: Lunch
Serves: 3
Prep time: 10 Minutes
Cook time: 15 Minutes
Total time: 25 Minutes


INGREDIENTS


  • Tamarind - Medium gooseberry size
  • Tomato - 1 no (big)
  • Sambar powder - 1 tsp
  • Green chillies - 1 or 2 nos (adjust)
  • Water - 2-3 cups
  • Cooked toor dal - 2 tbsp ( dilute it)
  • Grated jaggery - 1 tsp
  • Salt & turmeric powder - as needed

To roast n grind


  • Cooking oil - 1/2 tsp
  • Chana dal - 1 tsp
  • Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
  • Curry leaves – 5 nos ( I din’t add)
  • Dhania/Coriander seeds - 2 tsp
  • Red chilli - 1 no
  • Pepper corns - 1/2 tsp
  • Cumin seeds/Jeera - 1/2 tsp
  • Grated coconut - 1.5 tbsp
  • Hing/Asafetida- a pinch

To temper


  • Ghee - 1 tsp
  • Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
  • Curry leaves - few
  • Coriander leaves - to garnish
  • Grated coconut - very little ( to garnish, completely optional)

METHOD - HOW TO MAKE MYSORE RASAM


  • Reserve 2 tbsp of cooked toor dal. Mash it well by adding 1/4 cup of water. Grind tomato to a smooth paste using little water & keep aside.

  • In a wide bowl, take the tamarind extract adding 2 cups of water. To this add tomato puree, sambar powder, slitted green chillies, turmeric powder, salt & hing. Let it boil for 5 minutes.
Mysore rasam recipe
  • Heat little oil in a kadai and when it gets heated, roast & grind all the items given under”to roast n grind”. Add the grated coconut at the end of roasting. Mix well & let it cool. Grind everything to a smooth paste adding enough water.
Mysore rasam powder
  • Add this paste & cooked toor dal to the rasam. Add little jaggery and allow it to boil well. It will give a nice smell & becomes slightly thicker than usual rasam. Switch off the flame & garnish with coriander leaves.
Mysore rasam recipe
  • Temper the mustard, cumin seeds in ghee and add to the rasam. Mix well and close it with a lid to retain the aroma.
  • Give a standing time of at least 30 minutes to one hour before serving. It helps to infuse all the taste. If you want to serve it hot, you can reheat it at the time of serving. Mix it with plain rice in a bowl adding a drop of ghee. Tastes divine !
Mysore rasam

Enjoy !





Note


  • I used one big Bangalore tomato. Please use 2 nos if your tomato is small. Make sure it is ripe.
  • Adjust the quantity of sambar powder as per your taste. U can also skip adding sambar powder & add more chillies & dhania while roasting.
  • Adding jaggery gives a mild sweet taste to this rasam and also helps to balance the tanginess. So don’t avoid it.
  • This rasam would be slightly thicker than our usual rasam. So boil it well. Hope you can find it in the next picture.

Mysore rasam recipe

A bowl of hot rice with rasam accompanied by a papad is a divine lunch me!! What say friends?? 


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February 25, 2015

Parotta Recipe - How To Make Kerala Malabar Parotta Without Egg

How to make parotta
Every South Indian especially people in Tamilnadu and Kerala loves Parotta. But most of us stay away from eating as well as making parotta at home just by thinking about maida and the quantity of oil used in it.Even Iam a big lover of parotta right from my childhood. Be it Kerala Malabar parotta or Tamil nadu road side parota, I just love it like anything. 

Before marriage, my dad used to buy this with salna (The most popular side dish for parotta) at least twice in a month from a small hotel nearby my house. On those days, I never mind about calories, oil etc etc and I was looking lean in spite of eating all these junk stuffs. But now, after marriage the tables turned. I have become much more health conscious & became a picky eater too. Even then I put on so much of weight which is still a mystery. So I keep restricting myself from buying frozen parottas as well as trying at home. 

My friends and readers who had tried my vegetable salna recipe have asked me several times whether I have a parotta recipe in my blog. Whenever I get a query like this, I really feel bad to say “No”. So I was thinking to make this parotta post somehow without worrying about oil. But to my rescue, I found this awesome recipe in Asiya’s blog”Samaithu asathalam”. I was super excited when she made it with less oil when compared to the other recipes I had come across. Thanks to Asiya omar for sharing this wonderful recipe with a clear video in Tamil. 

The best things about this recipe is it is eggless, dough doesn’t need much soaking time. All it needs is just 15 minutes & moreover there is no need to give oil bath to your parotta. Oil is used only for greasing. It comes out super flaky and tastes absolutely soft when eaten hot. It also stays good n soft for an hour. So this recipe is a perfect choice for people who are calorie conscious but craving to eat parotta at home. It is much much better than store bought hydrogenated frozen ones. You can make it easily for weekend breakfast. Give a try and let me know friends.

With the help of my MIL, I have uploaded a video on “How to roll parotta”. Hope you all find it useful !

Parotta recipe
Once you make this parotta successfully, you can try many varieties like kothu parotta, chilli parotta, Muttai parotta/Egg parotta etc. Ok, Lets see how to make this flaky parotta at home.

Check out the super hit recipe of my blog, vegetable salna – The best side dish for parotta !

Parotta salna

Parotta recipe/Kerala parotta recipe


Parotta recipe/Kerala parotta recipe How to make kerala parota recipe at home with less oil
Cuisine: Indian
Category: Breakfast/Dinner
Serves: 3 nos
Prep time: 20 Minutes
Cook time: 3 Minutes
Total time: 23 Minutes


INGREDIENTS
1 cup = 250 ml
  • All purpose flour/Maida - 1 cup
  • Salt - as needed
  • Sugar - 1/4 tsp
  • Cooking oil - 1 tbsp + 1 tbsp ( for greasing)
  • Water - nearly 1/2 cup ( 1-2 tbsp lesser)
METHOD – HOW TO MAKE PAROTTA

  • In a wide bowl,take the maida, salt, sugar and 1tbsp of oil. Mix well to spread the oil in the flour. Now add water little by little and make a slightly sticky dough ( Not too sticky). Knead well for 5 minutes. Grease your hands with a drop of oil while kneading. Apply 1.5 tsp of oil all over the dough and keep it covered for 15 minutes.
Parotta recipe
  • After 15 minutes, dough would be soft and non-sticky. Take the dough and make 3 golf sized balls.
Parotta recipe
  • Take one ball and flatten it as much as possible using a rolling pin on a greased wide board or kitchen counter. The dough should be elastic and spread it as thin & transparent as possible. Apply little oil all over the parotta while rolling. Do it whenever needed. ( Never use maida for dusting. Only oil should be used)
Parotta recipe
  • Now pull one edge, move slightly forward and fold it. Do it like saree pleats. Please refer video for folding the parotta. After making pleats, just stretch it & roll them. If you find it difficult to do this, you can cut the rolled parotta into thin strips and place it one over the other. Roll it and make parotta.
Parotta recipe
  • After rolling and folding, give a resting time of 5 minutes. In the mean time, you can fold the other two balls. Now take the rolled ball, grease it with oil and roll it using a rolling pin. Do not use your hands to flatten it. Layers may suppress. Do not roll it too thin. Grease with oil whenever needed. Roll it thick like stuffed paratha because thick parotta tastes soft. Thin ones will become crispy while cooking.
Parotta recipe
  • Heat an iron dosa pan ( It works the best) and put the parotta. When you put it, the parotta may shrink. So spread it using your hands on the tawa carefully. Now drizzle 1/2 tsp of oil around the parotta. Keep the flame medium. Keep flipping and pressing the parotta with dosa flipper on both sides till you see the golden brown spots. Take care, flame should be medium and parotta should cook slowly.
Parotta recipe
  • Remove the parotta to the kitchen counter or the rolling board and using your hands, just press the sides forcefully when the parottas are hot. Do it like clapping the hands by keeping the parottas in between. This is the most important step to make it flaky. It helps to bring the layers out and make it soft. Stack the cooked parotta in a hot box/casserole. Serve hot with Parotta kurma or salna.
Parotta recipe


Enjoy !
Check out my vegetable salna and chilli parotta recipes




Note
  • While making the dough, add water carefully. Do not make a too sticky dough because you may need to use more oil while rolling.
  • Resting time of 15 minutes is needed for the dough.
  • U should roll and stretch the dough as much as possible to make soft parotta else it will turn hard.
  • After rolling and folding, give a resting time of 5 minutes. In the mean time, you can fold the other two balls.
  • Cook the parotta only in medium flame and not in high flame. Cook it patiently by drizzling some oil around the parotta.

Please check the video below :))

How to roll parotta

I served this yummy, flaky parota with veg salna. It was delicious !!
parotta recipe without egg
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February 23, 2015

Varagu Idli Recipe/Kodo Millet Idli Dosa-Millet Recipes

Varagu idli recipe

Varagu idli is a healthy millet idli recipe. Each and every millet has its own taste and health benefits. But I love varagu/Kodo millet(Kodra/Koden in Hindi, Harka in Kannada,Koovaragu in Malayalam and Arikelu in Telugu) among all because it helps to lose weight, controls diabetes,reduces joint pains and much more. So I keep trying one or the other varagu recipes in my kitchen at least once in a week.

After making thinai idli& Ragi idli successfully, I wanted to try some more idli,dosa recipes using millets. I tried kuthiravali idli but it was an utter flop. Idli was flat, sticky and too soft. I should make some improvements in the recipe and try again. So this time I prepared Varagu idli following my mixie idli recipe. It came out very well. This varagu idli is prepared without rice. Still my idlis were firm, soft, spongy and dosas were crispy as well. So this is completely a rice-free idli. The flavor of dosas were awesome. I just loved it. My in-laws are here with me. They too liked this varagarisi idli, dosa very much and my MIL told that she will be making it very often after going to salem. I was very happy to hear this feedback from them.

Friends,try this healthy millet idli and include it in your routine breakfast/dinner. Its sure a very healthy replacement for our regular rice idli.Very soon,i will share easy varagu upma recipe.

Check out my collection of 12 idli recipes and enjoy making varieties of idli for breakfast/dinner !

Varagu dosa

Varagu arisi idli,dosa recipe


Varagu arisi idli,dosa recipe Idli,dosa recipe using varagu/Kodo millet- Healthy breakfast/dinner recipe
Cuisine: Indian
Category: Millet recipes
Serves: 15-20 nos
Prep time: 4 Hours
Cook time: 10 Minutes
Total time: 4H10Min


INGREDIENTS
1 cup = 250ml
  • Varagu/Kodo millet - 1 cup
  • Round urad dal - 1/4 cup
  • Aval/thick Poha - 2 tbsp
  • Methi seeds/Venthayam - 1/4 tsp
  • Salt and water - as needed
HOW TO MAKE VARAGU IDLI DOSA - METHOD
  • Take all the ingredients given above except salt and wash them twice in water to remove the debris. Soak it together for 4 hours.

  • Take a big mixie jar and grind them in two batches adding enough salt & water. Please do not add more water because they can be easily ground in less water. So use water only when needed. The consistency of batter should be like our regular idli batter.If the batter is too watery, you cannot make idlis. Idli will be flat n sticky. If you add very less water, idli will be hard. So take care while adding water.
Varagarisi idli
  • Ferment it overnight or minimum 16 hours ( if it is winter). The next morning, batter would have raised in volume but not doubled.
  • Stir the batter well with a ladle and make idlis. Steam it in an idli pot for 10 minutes. Check with a back of spoon or using fingers dipped in water. If it comes out clean, idli is cooked. Remove with a spoon and serve hot with chutney !
Varagu idli

    Enjoy !
Note
  • No need to add rice in this recipe.
  • Do not add more water while grinding.
  • Idlis come out soft for varagu and dal in 5 :1 ratio. If you want even more softness, use 4:1 ratio based on the quality of dal.
  • Adding methi seeds & aval/poha is for softness. Don’t skip it.
  • Ferment the batter for minimum 12 hours. During summer 8 hours is enough.
  • Use same cup for measuring all the ingredients.


Steaming hot Varagu Idli !
Varagu idli

Enjoy this varagarisi idli, dosa with your favourite chutney or sambar. Stay healthy !
Varagu idli dosa recipe

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February 22, 2015

Bitter Gourd Biryani Recipe-Pavakkai Sadam-Sunday Lunch Recipes-7

Bitter gourd biryani recipe
Bitter gourd biryani/Pavakkai masala rice -Yeah, you heard it right. Its an easy, yummy biryani recipe using bitter gourd. If you love bitter gourd like me, you must try this rice. It tastes super flavorful with mild bitter taste. When I was looking for this week’s Sunday Biryani Recipes, my MIL suggested me to try this biryani by reading this recipe from a Tamil Magazine.

Initially I was hesitant to try this worrying about its bitter taste but she also told suggested me a method to remove its bitterness. So I tried it confidently & the result was unbelievably great with a very mild bitter taste only in pavakkai pieces and not in rice at all. Raksha took two servings of this rice without knowing it had pavakkai. 

U can make it very easily in busy morning hours as it has no grinding job and pack it for your lunch box too. But soak the bitter gourd pieces in curd+salt mixture and refrigerate it overnight so that you can prepare this biryani instantly in the morning. You can also use vinegar as suggested in the original recipe. But squeeze and rinse the bitter gourd thoroughly to remove vinegar smell.

Bachelors & working women can try this biryani if you love bitter gourd recipes. Try and share your feedack with me. Lets see how to make this yummy bitter gourd biryani.

Pavakkai rice recipe

Bitter gourd biryani recipe


Bitter gourd biryani recipe Bitter gourd biryani/Pavakkai Masala rice- Easy n delicious rice variety
Cuisine: Indian
Category: Lunch
Serves: 2
Prep time: 30 Minutes
Cook time: 15 Minutes
Total time: 45 Minutes


INGREDIENTS

  • Basmati rice - 1 cup
  • Milk - 1 cup
  • Water - 0.75 cups
  • Salt - as needed
  • Oil - 1 drop
To soak for 30 minutes ( helps to remove bitterness)
  • Bittergourd – 1 no ( medium size)
  • Sour curd – 1/2 cup
  • Salt – little(u can use vinegar in place of curd)
  • To saute
  • Cooking oil - 1.5 tbsp
  • Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
  • Cloves - 3nos
  • Biryani leaf- 1 no
  • Kalpasi/Black stone flower - 1 no
  • Big onion - 1 no ( sliced)
  • Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
  • Red chilli powder - 1 tsp ( use more for extra spicy taste)
  • Mint & coriander leaves - a fistful
  • Ginger & Garlic paste - 1/2 tbsp ( Grind 2 inch ginger & 7 cloves garlic)
  • Ghee - 1/2 tbsp
  • Lemon juice – 2 tsp
HOW TO MAKE BITTER GOURD BIRYANI - METHOD

  • Wash and slice the bitter gourd pieces thinly as possible. Remove the seeds if any OR If you like the crunchy taste of seeds,retain it. Take half cup of sour curd. Add some salt, mix well and soak bittergourd for 30 minutes. Similarly wash and soak the basmati rice in water for minimum 30 minutes. Chop the onions,coriander & mint leaves and set aside.
Pavakkai rice
  • After 30 minutes, squeeze the bitter gourd pieces very well using your hands and discard the curd mixture. Take the bitter gourd pieces alone in a plate.
Pavakkai rice
  • Heat oil in a pressure cooker base and put the cinnamon, cloves, biryani leaf, kalpasi. Add onions and saute for a minute and then add the ginger, garlic paste.
Pavakkai rice
  • Mix well for few seconds and add the mint+coriander leaves. Mix it. Now add the turmeric powder & red chilli powder, salt. Lastly add the squeezed bitter gourd pieces and saute well for a minute till it shrinks a bit. Add little more oil if needed.
Pavakkai sadam
  • Now add the soaked basmati rice without water. Add 1 cup of milk and 0.75 cups of water. Add 1/2 tbsp of ghee & 2 tsp of lemon juice in water. Check for salt & spiciness. 
  • Pressure cook in low flame till one whistle. It takes 8-10 minutes. Remove & fluff with a fork after the steam is released. Serve it hot with onion raita.
Pavakkai sadam

Enjoy !


Note

  • Add more chilli powder if you want extra spicy taste.The quantity I have mentioned here would be just right.
  • U can also add 1/2 tsp of biryani masala powder or garam masala powder for more spicy flavor.
  • I have used milk + Water. U can also use coconut milk for more richness.
  • Do not skip mint & coriander leaves as they lend a special fragrance.
  • I din’t use biryani leaf here. 
  • I used freshly ground ginger, garlic paste. U can use store bought too.
  • Soak basmati rice for minimum 30 minutes to get lengthy rice after cooking.


Try this unique and healthy bitter gourd biryani. It tastes yum with simple onion raita !
Pavakkai sadam

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February 21, 2015

Tamilnadu Style Mixed Vegetable Sambar Recipe in Pressure cooker - Bachelors Recipes

Kadamba sambar recipe
Mixed vegetable sambar recipe updated with video !
I am planning to share a collection of recipes for Indian bachelors. But before that, I wanted to share some easy one pot sambar, rasam & more kuzhambu recipes in Tamilnadu style. So I am posting this easy and quick tamil style mixed vegetable sambar recipe in pressure cooker for bachelors, spinsters, working women and for husbands who are alone in abroad leaving your family in India . Not only for these people but also for housewives who want to finish cooking quickly during busy morning hours. 

Generally in Tamil nadu, Iyers & Iyengars make Kadamba sambar by adding freshly ground masala powder. They call it as Arachuvitta sambar. But this is a quicker version using sambar powder. This recipe can be done under 15 minutes using a pressure cooker and a small container. Some people have the habit of cooking & storing the dal for a week in refrigerator. For those people, making this sambar is even more easy. I was very happy with the outcome and I had a satisfaction of eating many vegetables in one gravy. 

My daughter Raksha had this sambar along with vegetables without complaining anything as the veggies were cooked really soft n mushy. So this sambar is a good choice for making our kids to eat vegetables. I have used carrot, beans, brinjal & Lady’s finger along with onions. U can use a combination of Radish or drumstick, chayote/chow chow, potato and knol knol too. The taste & flavor of this sambar may slightly vary as per the vegetables you add but the procedure remains the same. Try this quick sambar recipe for rice and pack it for your lunch box. It tastes yum !Lets see how to make this easy sambar recipe for rice.

Check out my easy onion sambar & 30 kuzhambu recipes if interested.
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February 19, 2015

Big Brinjal Fry Recipe / Eggplant Roast For Rice - South Indian Kathirikai masala fry

Brinjal fry

Last week when I went to Reliance fresh to buy vegetables, I took a big sized brinjal / Kathirikai to try Baingan bharta recipe. But I couldn’t make it. I had completely forgotten about it. Yesterday I was running short of vegetables and all I had was this brinjal. As I had already tried ennai kathirikai poriyal , Bengali begun bhaja and some more curries, I wanted to try out something new. I googled for brinjal chops and I found this brinjal fry recipe in Nalini’s blog which was similar to my expectation. Basically I love the flavor of fennel seeds in masala. So I tried this recipe by making it little more spicy for myself as I am the only person who eats brinjal in my house. I had it with mysore rasam.It was a delectable combo and I took two servings of it. After a long time, I made a spicy lunch menu and ate it happily. If you are a brinjal and fennel seeds combo lover, then this recipe is for you. Check out mysore rasam recipe too. Friends, try this spicy, South Indian brinjal fry for Rasam or More kuzhambu. It takes very less time to prepare in busy mornings and you can pack it for your lunch box as well. I am sure your friends will ask the recipe. Lets see how to make this Tamil nadu style big brinjal masala fry recipe with step by step pictures.

Check out my Ennai Kathirikai poriyalBegun BhajaBrinjal Podi curryKathirikai poriyal recipes too.

Brinjal fry

Brinjal fry/Eggplant roast recipe


Brinjal fry/Eggplant roast recipe Spicy, hot eggplant fry/Kathirikai roast recipe-An yummy side dish for rice.
Cuisine: Indian
Category: Side dish
Serves: Serves 2
Prep time: 10 Minutes
Cook time: 15 Minutes
Total time: 25 Minutes


INGREDIENTS

  • Big brinjal - 3/4 no( Use 4 if medium size)
  • Salt & water - as needed
  • Cooking oil - 2 tbsp
To grind
  • Fennel seeds – 1.5 tsp
  • Red chillies - 5 nos
  • Garlic cloves - 5 nos
  • Turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp
  • Sambar powder - 1 tsp
  • Salt – as needed
To temper
  • Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
  • Urad dal – 1/2 tsp
  • Cumin seeds /Jeera – 1/4 tsp
  • Curry leaves – few
Lemon juice – few drops
Coriander leaves – to garnish
METHOD

  • Take all the ingredients given under “ to grind” in a mixie jar.First grind it to a powder. Then add the required water and grind it to a smooth paste. No problem if the mixture is slightly watery but it should be a smooth paste.
  • Wash and chop the brinjals into medium thick round slices. Do not slice very thinly because they will mash it up while cooking. If you use normal purple brinjal, just slit them into 4 pieces .Immerse in water till use to prevent discoloration.
Brinjal fry
  • Now heat oil in a kadai and splutter mustard, urad dal, jeera and curry leaves. Add the brinjal and saute for few minutes. Add salt & ground masala paste. Mix well and coat the brinjals.
Brinjal fry
  • Keep the flame medium and cover cook the brinjals for 4-5 minutes. Flip it once in the middle. Check whether they are cooked properly. Add some lemon juice. Garnish with coriander leaves.
Brinjal fry
Serve hot with sambar rice, rasam or simply with dal. Tastes yum!

Enjoy !


Note

  • The brinjal should be cooked in masala paste & oil. No need to add water. If you feel the mixture is too dry, you can sprinkle little water to cook the brinjals.
  • For proper cooking of brinjals, always keep the flame medium & cover it with a lid.
  • Please reduce the quantity of sambar powder as per your taste. The quantity I have mentioned here makes a spicy brinjal fry.
  • Adding lemon juice helps to balance the spicy taste as well as helps to absorb the iron content of brinjal in the body.


Enjoy this hot n spicy brinjal masala fry with rice.Tastes gr8 !

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