Pepper rasam

 

Ingredients:
- 1 tomato (optional)
- 4 cups tamarind extract (from a big lemon size tamarind)
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric

To grind:
- 1 tsp Jeera
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tblspn toor dhal
- few curry leaves

Seasoning:
- 1/4 tsp ghee
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- Sprig of curry leaves

Method:
1. In a pan dry roast jeera and pepper. Grind this with toor dhal and curry leaves to form a coarse powder.
2. In a vessel add ghee and all the seasoning ingredients. Once the mustard seeds splutters add the powder and mix it for a few seconds. Then add tomatoes (if using), turmeric powder, salt and boil it with the tamarind extract for 5 minutes. Rasam is done when the raw smell of tamarind evaporates.

Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with rice and Parupu thogayal

Vegetable dhal

Ingredients:
- 1 cup yellow moong dhal boiled
- 3-4 cups chopped mixed vegetable
(I used beans, carrot cauliflower, potatoes, tomatoes, brocoli)
- 2-3 green chillies finely chopped
- 1 inch grated ginger
- 1 tblspn Curry podi
- 1 tspn cumin powder
- pinch of turmeric
- salt to taste
- 1 tspn besan powder (optional)
- cilantro to garnish

Seasoning ingredients:
- 1 tsp jeera (Roast it in a dry pan)

Method:
1. Boil all the vegetables, green chilies and ginger in salt and turmeric till they become soft.
2. Add the curry powder and after a couple of minutes add the cooked moong dhal.
3. If you want to thicken the dhal then mix the besan powder with water in a seperate bowl and add it to the dhal. Cook it for 3-4 minutes.
4. Garnish it with roasted jeera and cilantro.

This recipie can be done just with cabbage and beans. Tastes well with roti or rice.

I am sending this recipe to my love with Legume.. This is Susan's event host lineup page

Kathrikai urgai

Ingredients:
- 1 big eggplant or 3 long eggplant chopped into small cubes
- 5 medium sized tomatoes chopped into small cubes
- 2 cup tamarind extract
- 1/4 tspn hing powder
- 2 tblspn curry powder
- salt to taste
- pinch of turmeric
- 1 tspn jaggary
- 1/4 cup cooking oil

Seasoning:
- 1/2 tspn mustard seeds
- 1/2 tspn methi seeds
- few curry leaves

Method:
1. In a heavy vessel add the oil and all the seasoning. Once the mustard seeds start to crackle add the hing powder and turmeric.
2. Add the eggplant and saute for a few minutes. Add tomatoes and pour the tamarind extract.
3. Let it boil for few more minutes. Add the curry powder and boil till it thickens.

Serve hot with idli or roti.

Pavakai pullita kootu - Bittergourd tamarind kootu

Ingredients:
- 2 bittergourd
- 1 cup tamarind extract
- 1 tspn black pepper
- salt to taste
- pinch of turmeric
- 1 tspn jaggary
- 1/2 cup boiled toor dhal
- 1/4 cup coconut (optional)

Seasoning:
- 1/2 tspn mustard seeds
- 1/2 tspn uraddhal
- 1 tspn channa dhal
- 1 tspn peanuts
- few curry leaves

Method:
1. Chop the bitter gourd to bite size pieces and soak it in salt water for 30 minutes. This will decrease the bitterness.
2. Wash the bitter gourd thoroughly. Pressure cook the bitter gourd with a little bit of salt and turmeric. Drain all the water. Wash it one more time.
3. Add the tamarind extract, pepper powder and boil for 5 minutes. Finally add toor dhal and jaggary. Let it boil for few more minutes.
4. If using coconut fry it in a little bit of oil with the seasoning and add it to the kootu. Let it boil till it thickens.

Serve hot with rice.

Pasta Salad

Ingredients

- 1 cup boiled Pasta
- 1 Tomato
- 1 small onion
- 1 cucumber
- 3-4 mini sweet bell pepper
- handful walnuts
- grated ginger
- juice of half lemon
- salt and pepper to taste

Method

1.Cut the vegetables in bite size pieces
2.Toss the vegetables, pasta and walnuts
3.Grate ginger, squeeze lemon juice and add salt and pepper
4. Toss everything together

Ron's Toffee

Ingredients:
- 1 lb butter
- 3 C brown sugar
- 1/4 C water
- 3 C chopped roasted almonds (from Winco bulk foods)

Method:
1. Spread a thin layer of butter on a cookie sheet.
2. In a sauce pan, bring the butter, brown sugar, and water to a boil on medium heat, stirring constantly.
3. Pour the solution into a different sauce pan - copper plated is nice but not necessary (copper keeps heat even, helps prevent scorching)
4.Using a clean spoon, boil the mixture in the new pan on medium heat about 10 minutes. If you di vide the recipe, the time may be shorter. The candy is done when the mixture reaches 285 degrees. If you don't have a food thermometer, drop some candy in ice water and bite it after it cools. It's done when it's crunchy without being chewy. You can tell when the mixture is almost done. It starts giving off puffs of smoke.
5. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
6. Stir in the almonds.
7. Spread the mixture on the buttered cookie sheet. You'll need to push it with a spoon to make it level.
8. While it is still hot, score it with a sharp knife. Butter the edge of the knife to keep it from sticking.
9. After it is cooled, separate the pieces by inserting a dull knife where you scored it.
10. Dip the pieces in melted chocolate and drop on wax paper. Tongs work nicely. (This step is optional)

Black Eye and Black bean dhal

Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup black eye pea
- 1/2 cup black beans
- 1 tomato
- 1 onion
- 2-3 green chillies
- 1 inch ginger grated
- 2 tsp gujarati spice mix
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp chili powder

Seasoning:
- 1 tsp jeera
- 1 tsp oil
- few cloves

Method:
1. Cook both the dhals till they become tender. I used slow cooker for this. Took me about 4 hours in high heat.
2. In a heavy bottom vessel add oil and all the seasoning ingredients. Once the jeera starts to crackle add the chopped onion, green chillies, ginger, tomato, turmeric and fry till they are cooked. Add the dry spice, chili powder and cumin powder and saute for a few minutes. Once they are all mixed together add the dhal and salt and let it all boil together for a 5 minutes.

Serve this hot with roti