Palak Dal/ Palakoora Pappu

Prep & Cooking Time: 20-25 mins
Serves: 4-5 persons

Ingredients

Arhar Dal/ Kandi Pappu/ Toor Dal/ Split red gram- 1 cup

Spinach- 2 cups, finely chopped

Green Chillies- 3-4, slit & cut

Tamarind- 1 small lemon size tamarind pulp

Garlic cloves- 4-5, peeled & crushed coarsely

Mustard seeds/ Aavalu- ½ tsp

Cumin seeds/ Jeera- ½ tsp

Dry Red Chillies- 2

Red Chilli pwd- 1 tsp

Turmeric- ¼ tsp

Curry leaves- 1 stalk

Salt to taste

Cooking oil- 2 tbsp

Method

• Pressure cook the dal with 3 cups of water along with turmeric pwd, tamarind concentrate and chillies. Do not over cook the dal as it seems to taste better if the dal is just done and not mushed.
• Now add chilli pwd, salt and 1-2 cups of water to the boiled dal and allow it to come to a boil.
• Heat oil in a skillet add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dry red chillies and curry leaves saute well and then add chopped spinach and cook for 4-5mins until the spinach becomes tender. Now add the crushed garlic and cook for 1min.
• Add these contents to the boiled dal and mix well. Cover and keep aside for 5 minutes.
• Serve Palakoora Pappu with hot rice and ghee.

Karam Pulusu

Prep and Cooking Time: 45-50mins

Serves: 4-5 persons

Ingredients

Onions- 1 ½ large, chopped (keep aside 2 tbsp chopped onion for gram flour batter and seasoning)

Green Chillies- 2, slit and cut

Tomatoes- 2-3, medium, chopped

Coriander Leaves- 2 tbsp

Tamarind- 1 big lemon size tamarind pulp

Ginger- ½ inch size, chopped

Ginger Garlic Paste- ½ tsp

Gram Flour/Besan- 2 cups

Baking Soda- 1 pinch

Dry Red Chillies- 2

Cumin Seeds/ Jeera- 1 tsp

Peppercorns /Miryalu- 1tsp

Sesame Seeds/ Nuvvulu- 1 tsp

Coriander Seeds/ Dhaniya- 1 tsp

Fenugreek Seeds/ Methi- ¼ tsp

Dry Coconut Powder-1 tsp

Turmeric pwd- ½ tsp

Red chilli pwd- 2 tsp

Salt to taste

Cooking Oil- 2 cups for frying the bhajjis

-1 tbsp for the seasoning

Method

• Take the chopped onion, green chillies, ginger, peppercorns, cumin seeds, sesame seeds and coriander seeds and blend into a fine paste by adding sufficient water and ¼ tsp salt.
• Squeeze the tamarind juice out of the tamarind pulp and add about 3-4 cups water and add turmeric pwd, red chilli pwd and salt to taste and keep aside.
• Take the gram flour, 1 tbsp finely chopped onions, coriander leaves, 1 tsp red chilli pwd, ginger garlic paste, baking soda, and salt to taste and add water to make a thick batter.
• Heat oil in a pan and make small rounds (about 1 ½ inch in size) out of the batter and deep fry them until they turn golden brown and keep them aside.
• Add the onion masala paste and dry coconut pwd to the tamarind juice and allow it to boil on a medium flame for about 6-8mins.
• Seasoning: Heat oil in a pan and add fenugreek seeds, dry red chillies and once they splutter add 1 tbsp chopped onions and fry until the onions turn transparent then add tomatoes and cook until they become tender. Add the seasoning to the tamarind juice.
• Finally add the gram flour bhajjis to the Karam Pulusu and allow the bhajjis to soak in the pulusu for atleast 20-30mins.
• Karam Pulusu tastes appealingly delicious when served with hot rice.

Tomato Pachadi/Pickle

Prep and Cooking Time: 25-30mins

Serves: 4-5 persons

Ingredients

Tomatoes- 6-8, medium, finely chopped

Garlic Cloves-6, finely chopped

Mustard Seeds/Aavalu- ½ tsp

Cumin Seeds/ Jeera- ½ tsp

Fenugreek Seeds/Methi Seeds- ¼ tsp

Red Chilli pwd- 2 tsp

Salt to taste

Cooking Oil- 3 tbsp

Method

• Heat oil in a pan add mustard, cumin and fenugreek seeds once they start spluttering add the finely diced tomato pieces and cook for 10-12 mins until the tomatoes become soft and tender and then mash the tomato pieces.
• Keep mixing at regular intervals to avoid burning of the tomato mixture.
• Now add chopped garlic, red chilli pwd, salt to taste and cook for another 5-6 mins on a low flame until a layer of oil floats over the tomato mixture.
• Serve Tomato Pachadi with hot rice and appadams.

Cauliflower Peas Curry

Cauliflower and other cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli and cabbage contain compounds that may help prevent cancer. Three florets of cauliflower a day will provide you with 67% of your daily vitamin C requirement. Cauliflower also contains vitamin C and folate. Folate helps the blood work more efficiently and is often recommended for preventing anemia. Vitamin C is considered an antioxidant which is required to keep your immune system strong. When purchasing cauliflower, make sure the tops are white.

Prep & Cooking Time: 20-25 mins

Serves: 4-5 persons

Ingredients

Cauliflower- 1, cut into florets

Onion- 1 medium, chopped

Tomatoes- ½ cup, diced

Green Chillies- 3, slit and cut

Green Peas- ½ cup

Ginger Garlic Paste- ¼ tsp

Red Chilli pwd- ¾ tsp

Turmeric pwd- ¼ tsp

Dhaniya pwd- ¾ tsp

Salt to taste

Ketchup- 1-2 tbsp

Cooking Oil- 2 tbsp

Method

• Heat oil in a vessel, add green chillies and onion and cook until the onions turn transparent.
• Add turmeric pwd, ginger garlic paste and sauté the contents.
• Now add the cauliflower florets and green peas and cook for about 10-12 mins until the florets become tender.
• Add red chilli pwd, dhaniya pwd, ketchup and salt to taste and mix well.
• Cauliflower Peas Curry is ready to be served with hot Rice or Roti.

Vegetable Kurma

Prep & Cooking Time: 20-25 mins

Serves: 4-5 persons

Ingredients

Onion- 2 cups, chopped

Potato- 1 medium, boiled and diced

Carrot- ¼ cup, chopped

Green Chillies- 2-3, slit and cut

Green Peas- ¼ cup

Green Beans- ¼ cup

Cashew/ Kaju pwd- 1 ½ tsp

Ginger garlic paste – ½ tsp

Dhaniya pwd- 1 tsp

Sugar- ½ tsp

Chilli pwd- ½ tsp

Turmeric pwd- ¼ tsp

Salt to taste

Cooking Oil/Clarified butter- 3 tbsp

Method

• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan, add 1 ½ cup chopped onions and fry until it turns transparent.
  
• Blend this onion mixture into a fine paste by adding ½ cup water and keep it aside.
  
• Now heat 2 tbsp oil/clarified butter in a cooking vessel and add the remaining ½ cup chopped onion, green chillies and fry for 2-3 mins, followed by turmeric pwd, ginger garlic paste and salt as needed.
  
• Add potato, beans, carrot, peas and any other vegetables of your choice and cook for 5-7 mins until the veggies become tender.
  
• Now add the onion paste and sauté the contents, add 1-2 cups water based on the consistency of the gravy.
  
• Then add chilli pwd, dhaniya pwd, cashew pwd and sugar and stir the contents, allow it to cook for 2-3 mins.
  

Vegetable Kurma is ready!!! Serve it with Pulao or Roti.

Stuffed Capsicum

This recipe goes out for all those vegetarian lovers. A sea change for those who dislike the taste of capsicum try this recipe and you are bound to love the extra ordinary taste of capsicum stuffed with mashed potato, tamarind and coconut.

Prep & Cooking Time: 25-30 mins

Serves: 4-5 persons

Capsicum stuffed with the mashed potato and onion mixture

Stuffed Capsicum ready to be served

Ingredients

Green Capsicum/ Bell Pepper – 3

Onion- 1 cup, chopped

Potato- 2 large

Chilli pwd- 1 ½ tsp

Turmeric pwd- ¼ tsp

Dhaniya pwd- ¾ tsp

Ginger garlic paste – ½ tsp

Besan/ Gram Flour/ Senega Pindi - 2 tbsp

Tamarind - 1 small lemon size tamarind pulp

Coconut Powder- 1-2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Cooking Oil- 3 tbsp

Method

• Boil the potatoes, peel off the skin and mash them and keep aside
  
• Heat 1tbsp oil in a vessel and add onions, turmeric and salt to taste, sauté until the onions turn transparent and then add ginger garlic paste.
  
• Pre-heat a skillet and roast the besan/ gram flour to get rid of the raw smell
  
• Now add the mashed potatoes, tamarind concentrate to the onions and mix well. Cook on medium flame for 3-5mins.
  
• Add roasted gram flour, chilli pwd, dhaniya pwd and coconut pwd to this and sauté the contents.
  
• Take each capsicum and cut it into two halves and fill the halves with the mashed potato and onion stuffing.
  
• Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan, cook the capsicum halves with a covered lid on a low flame for about 8-12 mins or until the capsicum becomes tender.
  
• Periodically turn the pieces and cook on both the sides and ensure not to burn the capsicum. You can further cut the capsicum into quarters as it is easy to savor this way.
  
• Tasty Stuffed Capsicum is ready to be served with hot Rice or Roti.
  

Vegetable Noodles

Prep & Cooking Time: 30-35 mins

Serves: 4 persons

Ingredients

1 packet noodles

Onions- 1 cup, finely sliced

Green/ Red Capcicum- 1-2, finely sliced

Beans, Carrots, Broccoli, Zuccini, Baby Corn - 1 cup

Garlic- 5-6 cloves- finely chopped

Red Chilli pwd- ½ tsp

Red Chilli flakes- ½ tsp

Pepper pwd- 1 tsp

Soy Sauce- 1tsp

Tomato Sauce- 2 tbsp

Cooking Oil- 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Method

• Boil the noodles in water with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp oil. Cook for 2 mins and drain the water. Allow the noodles to cool.
  
• Heat oil in a skillet, add onions and cook until they turn transparent.
  
• Now add all the vegetables except garlic and add ½ tsp salt to preserve the color of the veggies and cook for not more than 2-3mins.
  
• Add the noodles to the vegetables and sauté the contents.
  
• Add chopped garlic, red chilli pwd, red chilli flakes, pepper pwd, soy sauce, tomato sauce and salt to taste and toss on medium heat for 1 min.
  
• Serve hot with spicy vegetable sauce.
  

Tomato Dal

Prep and Cooking Time: 20- 25mins

Serves: 4-5 persons

Ingredients

Arhar Dal (Kandi Pappu/ Toor Dal/ Split red gram)- 1 cup

Tomatoes- 2-3 medium, finely chopped

Green Chillies- 3-4, slit and cut

Garlic cloves- 4-5, peeled, crushed coarsley

Mustard Seeds (aavalu)- ½ tsp

Cumin Seeds ( jeera)- ½ tsp

Chilli pwd- 1 ½ tsp

Turmeric- ½ tsp

Curry Leaves - 1 stalk

Cooking Oil- 1 ½ tbsp

Salt to taste

Method

• Pressure cook the dal with 3 cups of water along with turmeric pwd and chillies. Donot over cook the dal as it seems to taste better if the dal is just done and not mushed.
  
• Now add chilli pwd, salt and 1-2 cups of water to the boiled dal and allow it to come to a boil.
  
• Heat oil in a skillet add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and once they start popping add curry leaves and garlic, saute well and then add tomatoes and cook till the tomatoes are tender and mush them.
  
• Add these contents to the dal and mix well.
  
• Cover and keep aside for 5 minutes.
  
• Serve hot. Goes well with hot rice accompanied by a spicy mango pickle/pachadi.
  

Yellow Squash Curry w/t Garlic & Cashew

This recipe goes out to all those vegans out there, who might have come across yellow squash but had no idea how to cook it. Yellow squash is a good source of dietary fiber, calcium, iron and vitamin A & C as well. So the next time you go for groceries don’t forget to stuff your bag with yellow squash, you must definitely try this recipe.

Prep & Cooking Time: 20-25 mins

Serves: 4-5 persons

Garden Fresh Yellow Squash

Yellow Squash cooked with Garlic & Cashew

Ingredients

Yellow Squash- 3-4, peeled and diced

Onions- ½ medium, chopped

Green Chillies- 2-3, slit and cut

Garlic Cloves- 3-4, finely chopped

Cashew Nuts (Kaju)- 6-7, finely chopped or powdered

Chilli pwd- 1 ½ tsp

Turmeric pwd- ¼ tsp

Dhaniya pwd- ½ tsp

Coriander leaves- 2 tbsp, chopped

Salt to taste

Method

• Heat oil in a cooking vessel, add onions, chillies and turmeric and cook till the onions turn transparent.
  
• Add the yellow squash to this, mix well and add salt to taste. Don’t cook with with a covered lid, this makes the curry liquidy. It is supposed to be semi-dry.
  
• When the squash is soft and cooked, add chilli pwd, dhaniya pwd, cashew nut pwd and chopped garlic, mix the contents and cook for 1-2 minutes.
  
• Garnish with coriander leaves and Serve hot with white rice or roti.