Kathirikai kadasal (brinjal curry)

This is a recipe of my grandmother and it can be made very quickly
i tend to make when i run out of time and want to fix a quick lunch/dinner.
here goes the recipe


Ingredients

Brinjal - 3 nos
Onion - 1 medium
Tomato - 2 (small)
Dry red chilli - 1
mustard seeds - 1/4 tspn
curry leaves- 2 stalks
salt- according to taste
turmeric powder- 1/4 tspn
oil- 1 tspn


Method

• cube the brinjal and boil them in sufficient water along with turmeric for 7 mins and then drain the brinjal and keep aside
  
• heat oil in a pan and add the dry red chilli and and then the dized onions and saute for a while and then add the cubed tomatoes and saute until it is softened
• let the mixture cool and then add this along with brinjal in a mixie and grind for 2 mins
• season it along with mustard and curry leaves and enjoy with rice
  

Pakoras (Onion,Corn&beans)

This weekend was raining and i wanted to eat something hot ...after much thinking zeroed on Pakoras being the easiest... i wanted to add something different and tried with corn and beans
and it came out well..here goes the recipe

Ingredients

Onion- 1 medium sized
Corn- 3 tspns
Beans - 2 tspns
Gram flour(besan/kadalai maavu) - 1/2 cup
rice flour- 1 tbspn
water - 3/4 cup(approx)
salt - according to taste
Asafoetida(hing) - a pinch
turmeric powder - 1/4 tspn
chilli powder- 1 tspn
garam masala - 1/4 tspn(optional)

Ingredients

• cut the onions lengthwise and finely chop the beans and keep in a bowl
• to this add corn( i have used the tinned corn which is little sweet)
• add the turmeric ,hing, chilli powder, garam masala and salt and mix well
• to this add the besan and rice flour and mix well such that the veggies are coated uniformly
• now add water little by little to form a batter neither loose nor stiff
• heat oil and fry these in batches ..
• serve with chutney or ketchup

Samosa

Samosas have always been a hit in all my dinner parties !
I'm dedicating this post to my dearest Em who has always been a great fan of my samosa
Thanx Em

Ingredients for the filling

Potatoes - 4 to 5
Onion - 1 medium sized
Carrots - 1/2 cup
Frozen Peas - 3/4 cup
Coriander leaves - 6 stalks
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tspn
Cumin - 1 tspn
Chaat masala- 1 tspn
Chilli powder - 1 tspn
Garam masala - 1/4 tspn
Salt -according to taste
Oil- for deep frying

Method

• Boil the potaotes until soft and when done cool and mash the potaotes and keep aside
• Cube the carrots and boil them until soft and set aside
• Heat 1 tbspn of oil in a wok and add the cumin and then add finely chopped onions
• Saute them for a while and when golden brown add the potatoes and saute for few mins and then add the carrots and peas followed by chilli powder, chaat masala ,garam masala,turmeric powder ,salt and saute them until the masala is well mixed then add the lemon juice and coriander leaves and switch off from flame
• Nuts of your choice such as groundnuts,cashew nuts can be roasted separately and add to this mixture.. i have not used any nuts in this recipe due to taste preferences
  
• Let this misture cool mean while the dough can be prepared

Preparing the dough

Ingredients

maida - 1 1/2 cups
salt - 1/4 tspn
baking soda - 1/4 tspn(optional)
oil - 1 tspn
water - for kneading

• mix the above mentioned ingredients to form a soft pliable dough

Method for samosa

• take dough to the size of lemon and gently roll into a circle
• now cut the circle into half as shown below
• now take one half of the circle(semicircle) and gently seal the edge using water to form a small cone( refer pics below)
• hold the cone using your fingers and palm and place 1 tbspn of the filling into it and seal the edges using water
• when done with the desired number of samosas
• deep fry them in hot oil with the sealed side facing up and when brown turn them
• and when done serve them with the chutney of your choice.

Gobi Manchurian(dry)

This has been my all time favorite !

Ingredients

Cauliflower florets(medium sized) - 30
Milk - 1 tbspn
Maida/all purpose flour - 1 cup
Corn flour - 3 tbspn
Ginger garlic paste - 3 tspn
Soy sauce(thick)- 2 tspn
Hot red chilli sauce - 1 1/2 tbspn
Tomato ketchup - 1 1/2 tbspn
Red chilli powder- 1 tspn
Spring Onions - 5 stalks
Onion - 1 medium sized
Capsicum - 1 medium sized
Salt - according to taste
Water - for boiling the florets
Water - 1 cup (approx)
Oil - for deep frying
Oil - 2 tbspn
Red color powder - 1 pinch (optional)

Method

• Clean the cauliflower florets and boil them in water along with 1 tbspn of milk for 5 mins and leave it closed mean while get the other things ready.
• In a bowl mix together the maida, corn flour, 1 1/2 tspn ginger garlic paste, 1 tspn of soy sauce,chilli powder, 1/4 tspn of salt and now add 1 cup water (approx) and mix together to form a thin batter
• drain the floretts and pat them dry. dip the boiled florets in the better one by one and deep fry in hot oil and set aside.
• heat 2 tbspn of oil in a wok and add the chopped onions and saute them for few mins and then add the chopped spring onions and cubed capsicum
• fry them for a while and add 1 1/2 tspn of ginger garlic paste and fry for 2 mins
• dissolve the red color powder(optional) in 1 tbspn of water and add at this stage
• add the deep fried florets and saute for few seconds and then add 1 tspn of soy sauce and the hot red chilli sauce and the tomato ketchup and salt
• you can adjust the amount of red chilli sauce and tomato ketchup according to taste
• Enjoy with rotis !

This post stands dedicated to my friend Ms. Indu Nair