Vegetable curry with coconut milk

I was watching a Madhur Jaffrey show once where she made a simple shrimp curry. She just boiled tamarind water, added some spices and coconut milk, and cooked the shrimp in that sauce. This is a modified version of that recipe. I forgot what spices she used but I flavored the curry with just two spices - cumin and coriander powder.   

Vegetable Curry with Coconut Milk

1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 potato, peeled and diced
1 capsicum, cut into cubes
1 onion, sliced
1/4 cup peas
1/2 cup coconut milk (I used 4 tbsps maggi coconut powder mixed in 1 cup water)
1 sprig curry leaves
1/4 tsp tamarind paste
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
chilli powder, to taste
salt
oil

Boil potato, carrot and peas until just tender, drain and keep aside. Heat oil. Add curry leaves and onions and fry the onions till transparent. Add 2 cups water and boil. Add tamarind paste, cumin powder, coriander powder and chilli powder and let it simmer till liquid reduces in half. Add capsicum and once capsicum is cooked, add rest of the boiled vegetables and coconut milk. Simmer for few minutes. Serve hot with rice.

Stuffed Bhindi

Another recipe with no measurements which is most unlike how I cook usually. I got this recipe from my aunt when I lived with her in Mumbai.

Mix dhania pwdr, jeera pwdr, salt, turmeric pwdr, red chilli pwdr, amchur and a little pepper. Slit the bhindi such that they are still attached at the bottom. Stuff and saute.

Karela subzi

I got this recipe from my mom-in-law. I don't have any measurements for it - all by andaaz:-)) It usually comes out very well. Unfortunately, no pics.

Cut karela into half and then slice them. Rub some salt into the karela and leave for a couple of hours. Squeeze hard to remove water. Slice one large onion long and fine. Heat oil in a pan, then add the onion. Once the onion browns, add the karela and cook on slow fire until the karela browns/cooks. Then add dhania pwdr, jeera pwdr, red chilli pwdr and anardana pwdr. Can substitute amchur if anardana powder is not available (very important to add something sour) - it comes out better with the anardana. Add more salt if necessary. Can also saute potato fingers separately and add them at the end (I usually do). Sprinkle garam masala on top.

Rasam (without dal)

This is Mom's favorite rasam now. It is very easy and simple to make. V used to make a similar kind of rasam with a can of diced tomatoes. Here, the tomatoes are ground with a few other ingredients and then boiled.

Rasam (without dal)

 3 fresh tomatoes
1 tsp cumin seeds
handful of coriander leaves
1 sprig curry leaves
3-4 whole black pepper
ghee
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
salt

Grind first 5 ingredients. Heat ghee in a pan. Burst mustard seeds. Add the ground tomato paste and 1-2 cups water, salt and allow to boil well. Serve hot with rice. Had this for lunch today with roasted baby potatoes.

Pasta in quick mushroom sauce

I had this packet of mushroom soup lying around for quite some time. Since it is so hot here we did not feel like having hot soup. Instead, used it as a sauce for pasta and dinner was ready in a jiffy. 

Pasta in quick mushroom sauce

2 1/2 cups pasta, any shape
1 packet cream of mushroom soup (I used Maggi)

Boil the pasta al dente and keep aside. Make the soup according to the instructions in the packet. Stir in the pasta. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. That's it! Meal is ready. You can also saute some vegetables and add to the pasta.

Neer Dosai

I first had Neer Dosai at Kanua restaurant in Bangalore. It was so good that we could not have enough of it. Kept ordering plate after plate of Neer dosais. I tried making it at home the other day and it turned out ok. It was not as thin as the restaurant ones but still very tasty. And it is very simple to make.

Neer Dosai (makes approx 15 dosais)

1 cup raw rice, soaked
salt to taste
oil

Soak rice for atleast 2 hours. Drain and grind to make a very smooth batter. Add salt and water to make a very thin batter. Heat tava (I used my cast iron tava). Grease the tava with a little oil and pour a ladleful of batter. Do not spread the batter with a spoon. Make it like rawa dosai. You need to cook on one side only but if you want, you can flip the dosai and cook on both sides. But be careful not to brown the dosai. Fold it twice to make a quarter circle. Serve hot with chutney or stew.

Sri Lankan Egg Curry

This recipe is adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian. At the end of this book, there are some recipes for spice mixtures including the Sri Lankan curry powder. This is the first time I am making this curry powder and I loved it. I used it in this egg curry and the sauce was wonderful.  Instead of eggs, vegetables like potatoes, mushrooms, or okra can be cooked in it.

Sri Lankan Curry Powder

2 tbsps coriander seeds
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1 1/2 tbsps cumin seeds
1 tbsp fenugreek seeds
3 sprigs fresh curry leaves
1 tbsp dessicated coconut
1  1/2 tsps raw rice
1/2 tsp brown mustard seeds (I used black)

Spread the seasonings on a pan and roast lightly on medium flame till the spices are a shade darker. Cool and grind to a fine powder. Store in a tightly lidded jar.

Sri Lankan Egg Curry

 3 hard-boiled eggs
1 big onion, sliced
2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 cup coconut milk
1 sprig curry leaves
1 tbsp Sri Lankan curry powder
salt, to taste
turmeric powder, pinch
red chili powder, to taste
oil
coriander leaves for garnishing

Heat oil in a pan. Saute sliced onions and curry leaves. Add salt, curry powder, turmeric powder and red chili powder and fry for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, and coconut milk and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Meanwhile, peel the eggs and make 4 lengthwise slits in the eggs without cutting them fully. Slip the eggs into the gravy, and carefully spoon the sauce over the eggs. Serve hot with rice.

Vegetable Korma

These days I seem to be making lot of dishes from one hot stove. I like this site a lot. Recipes are simple, measurements exact, and everything comes out well. Also, I love reading Nupur's posts. I liked this vegetable korma because it does not have coconut or cream in it (I usually do not have these ingredients at home). You do need to add cashews and poppy seeds for the richness though. I had all the ingredients at home except poppy seeds and paneer so I made the korma without these two ingredients. Still tasted good.

Vegetable Korma
(adapted from one hot stove)

1 large onion, cut into cubes
2 tomatoes cut into cubes
1 pepper, 1 carrot, 1 potato, cut into cubes
1/2 cup green peas
1 cup tomato puree
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
salt to taste
oil
1/4 cup cashews
1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves
1 tsp garam masala ( I used store bought garam masala)

Roast the cashews and 1 tbsp poppy seeds (if using) until lighlty brown. Grind to a paste. Keep aside. Heat oil in a pan and fry the onions until it starts to brown. Add the green pepper and fry for 2 minutes. Now add the ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder, red chili powder and salt. Stir for couple of minutes. Add all the vegetables, tomato, tomato puree, and cashew paste. I wanted lot of gravy, so I added more than 2 cups of water. Simmer on low heat until vegetables are cooked, about 15 minutes. Add dried fenugreek leaves and garam masala, give it one stir and turn off the heat.

Mixed vegetable curry (Chow Chow)

Made this recipe called Chow Chow from one hot stove. Just a medley of veggies with mustard masala paste. Was yummylicious!!! Here's the link http://onehotstove.blogspot.com/2010/03/singing-chefs-in-my-kitchen.html

Beetroot Curry

Ma had this beetroot curry at some restaurant. She liked it a lot and tried to make it the same way at home. 

Beetroot Curry

 
4 beetroots, peeled, cut into small pieces and boiled (add salt when boiling)
1 tsp urad dal
1/2 tsp mustrad seeds
1 sprig curry leaves
2 tsps coconut
1 tbsp roasted peanuts, crushed coarsely (use rolling pin to crush)
oil
salt

Heat oil and add mustard seeds and urad dal. When mustard seeds splutter, add curry leaves and coconut and fry for 1-2 minutes on medium flame. Add betroot and stir fry for couple of minutes. Add peanuts and mix well. Serve hot with rice.

Mysore Rasam

Ma made jeera rasam and mysore rasam specially for K when he was sick. I got to taste the mysore rasam and it was yummy!

Mysore Rasam

 

2 tbsps toor dal, pressure cooked

lime size tamarind

turmeric powder pinch

salt

1 tbsp coconut

1 tsp bengal gram dal

1/2 cumin seeds

1/2 tsp coriander seeds

1/4 tsp whole black pepper

1-2 red chilies

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

1 sprig curry leaves

ghee

Dry roast bengal gram dal, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, red chilies and pepper. When bengal gram dal is slightly brown, add coconut and fry till coconut is lightly roasted. Cool and grind to a coarse powder. Meanwhile, heat oil in a kadai, burst mustard seeds. Add curry leaves. Add 2 cups tamarind water, turmeric water, salt and let it come to a boil. Add powder and simmer for about 10 minutes. Now add the boiled toor dal and simmer for 5 more minutes. Serve hot with rice.

Baingan Achaari

Another recipe from Nita Mehta's zero oil cookbook.

Baingan Achaari

7 eggplants (I used the long, thin purple eggplant)
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
2 sprigs curry leaves
5 ripe tomatoes, chopped finely
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
salt, to taste
1/2 tsp garam masala

Tempering
pinch of hing
1 tsp fennel
1/2 tsp onion seeds (kalonji)
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds

Cut eggplant into half lengthwise and then cut each piece diagonally into two pieces. Sprinkle salt and keep aside for 15 minutes. Wash.
Heat a pan. Add all the tempering ingredients and stir till fenugreek seeds turns brown. Add ginger garlic paste. Stir for a second. Add curry leaves and the chopped tomatoes. Fry till tomatoes are almost dry. Add all the powders and salt. Mix well and then add the eggplants. Cook covered for 15 minutes on medium flame till soft. Serve hot.

Coconut chutney

I made coconut chutney for lunch for K and everyone at his work loved it. He took it with idlis. When I make idlis it always comes out hard. I have tried everything - adding fenugreek seeds, poha, boiled rice but nothing works. Each time, I  gave some excuse or the other - too cold so batter is not fermenting well or boiled rice is not good etc. but I would never admit that I just cannot make soft idlis. K asked me to give up trying but D loves mini idlis so I keep making idlis hoping each time that "this time" the idlis will be perfect. Have not been successful so far. This time I asked Ma to make the batter (secretly hoping that the idlis will turn out hard so my excuses are valid) but what do you know, the idlis came out soft and fluffy! Hmmm, maybe K is right.....

Coconut chutney

1 cup coconut gratings
1-2 green chilis (depending on how spicy you want it)
1" piece ginger
3 tbsps curd
1 sprig curry leaves
mustard seeds
oil
salt, to taste

Grind the coconut, ginger and green chilis with little water to a smooth paste. Empty into a bowl, add curd and salt and mix well. In a small kadai, heat oil. Add mustard seeds. When it splutters, add curry leaves. Add this to the chutney.