Beetroot Sambar

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

Content	Quantity	Comment
Beetroot	2 medium
Tomato	1 medium
Toor dal	3-4 tbsp
Water / vegetable stock	As required
Tamarind paste	1 tsp
Salt	To taste
Jaggery	1 tsp
Mustard seeds	1 tsp
Oil	1 tbsp
Curry leaves	1 sprig
Hing	1 pinch
Sambar Powder	2-3 tsp

Method:

Pressure cook toor dal and tomato together. Pressure cook beetroot. Cool toor dal and tomato mixture and blend it with sambar powder, salt, jaggery, curry leaves and tamarind paste in a blender. Mix this masala mixture with cooked beetroot, add water making sure the mixture is not too thin and boil it.

Heat oil in a small pan, add mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds start spluttering add hing and turn off the heat. Pour this to the sambar prepared and mix. Serve hot with rice.

Note:

1. If you do not have already made tamarind paste, soak a lemon size tamarind in warm water for 5-10 mins and strain.

2. If you are using market available tamarind paste, add a bit less salt as the market available tamarind paste already contains salt.

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Vegetable Stock

Servings: 1 

Ingredients:

Content	Quantity	Comment
Vegetable peels	2-3 cups	Onions, beans, potato, carrot, radish, cabbage, cauliflower, spring onion
Cinnamon	A small piece
Cloves	2-3
Bay leaf	1
Jeera	1 tsp
Water	As required

Method:

Pressure cook all ingredients with water to just cover the peels for 2-3 whistles. Once the pressure releases strain the water. Cool it and store it in refrigerator.

Note:

1. Do not use beetroot peels for this.

2. For a clear stock use only cauliflower and cabbage peels without the spices.

3. This can be used in soups, rasam and sambar recipes.

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Bisibele bath

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

Content	Quantity	Comment
Vegetables	1 big cup	Beans, carrot, sweet corn, green peas, cauliflower, cooked with little extra water
Spring onion	1-2 tsp	Optional
Tomato	1 medium
Coriander leaves	¼ cup	For garnishing
	¼ cup	For masala
Peanuts	2 tsp
Cashewnuts	7-8
Raisins	1 tbsp	Optional
Salt	To taste
Jaggery	1 tsp
Sambar powder	3 tsp
Coconut	3-4 tbsp	Desiccated
Oil	2-3 tbsp
Mustard seeds	1 tsp
Cumin seeds	1 tsp
Toor dal	3-4 tbsp	Cooked
Rice	1 cup	Cooked or leftover rice
Curry leaves	1 sprig
Turmeric	A pinch
Ghee	4-5 tsp

For raita:

Content	Quantity	Comment
Cucumber	1	Chopped
Salt	To taste
Curd	2 cups	Whisked
Jeera powder	1 tsp

Method:

Grind coconut, salt, jaggery, coriander leaves, sambar powder, tomato and onion to a fine paste.
Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves. Add peanuts and roast a bit. Add onion , turmeric and spring onion and saute a bit. Add the ground masala to this mixture. Cover and cook till the raw smell of masala disappears. Add the cooked dal and cook covered for 2 mins. Add the cooked vegetables and bring to a boil. Add the cooked rice and mix. Cover and simmer for 2mins. Heat ghee in a small pan and add cashewnuts. Once it turns a little brown, add raisins and turn off the heat. Pour this to the ready rice mixture. Add coriander leaves and mix. Serve hot with cucumber raita or khara boondi.

Raita Preparation:

Mix all the ingredients and serve.

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Palak Gojju / Palak Curry

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

Content	Quantity	Comment
Palak leaves	1 bunch
Green chilies	4-5 large
Cumin seeds	2 tsp
Tamarind	A lemon size
Oil	3 tsp
Salt	To taste
Coconut	5-6 tbsp	desiccated

Method:

Add 2 tsp of oil to a pan and once hot, add 1 tsp cumin seeds. Once it starts spluttering, add palak leaves and green chilies. Saute. Add tamarind, salt and saute. Cover and cook till soft. Once done, cool the mixture, add coconut and grind to a fine paste. Take 1 tsp of oil, heat and add 1 tsp cumin seeds. Once it starts spluttering, add this to the blended mixture. Serve it hot with rice.

Tip:

You can cool and store in refrigerator up to a week.

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Badanekai Yennegai / Brinjal Curry

Servings: 2 - 3

Ingredients:

Content	Quantity	Comment
Brinjals	4 small size	Round variety, slit into four halves keeping the stem intact
Turmeric	A pinch
Salt	To taste
Coconut	1 cup	Desiccated
Sambar powder	3 tsp
Coriander leaves	2-3 tsp	Chopped
Jaggery	1 tsp
Tomato	1 medium
Oil	1 cup
Jeera	1 tsp
Mustard seeds	1 tsp
Curry leaves	1 sprig

Method:

Take a kadai and add 1/2 cup oil. Once hot add jeera and mustard seeds. Once they start spluttering, add curry leaves. Now add the slit brinjals, a pinch of turmeric and a pinch of salt. Mix well taking care not to break the brinjals. Cover and cook till soft.

Blend coconut, coriander, sambar powder and tomato in a grinder. Add this mixture to the cooked brinjals. Add jaggery and salt. Mix well without breaking the brinjals. Add the remaining oil and stir. Cover and bring it to a boil.

Serve hot with rice, rotis or chapatis.

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