Aloo Podi Koora (Potato Fry)

Ingredients:

Potatoes - 3 Medium

Onion - 1 Medium

Oil – 2 Tbsp

Urad Dal – 1 Tbsp

Chana Dal – 1 Tbsp

Mustard Seeds – 1Tsp

Jeera - 1 Tsp

Turmeric Powder - ¼ Tsp

Green chillies – 6-8 no.

Curry Leaves – 2 springs

Salt to Taste.

Preparation:

• Wash, boil, peel and mash the potatoes.
• Cut the onions into thin slices lengthwise. Also slit the green chillies lengthwise.
• Heat oil in a frying pan, once hot add mustard, jeera, urad dal, chana dal.
• Once they start to splutter add curry leaves, onions, green chillies, turmeric and fry till the onions are translucent.
• Add the mashed potatoes, salt, mix well and fry for about 2min and then remove from heat.
• Serve hot with rice, poori or Chapathi.
• This can be also used as filling for many other dishes such as Aloo Bonda, Masala Dosa and Vegetable puffs.

Aloo Matar/ Potato-Green Peas Curry

Here is one more delicious dish, which is easy to prepare.This can be prepared easily for any number of people and it goes well with Chapathi/Roti, Parathas, and also as a side dish for plain rice .

Ingredients:

Potatoes – 4 medium
Onions -1 large (Chopped finely)
Tomatoes - 2 medium( Chopped finely)

Green chillies – 4

Ginger & Garlic paste – 1 tsp
Red Chilly powder - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
Salt - To taste
Oil -  2-3 tbsp

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Garam Masala – ½ tsp
Green peas – ½ cup

Chopped Coriander leaves – 1 tbsp

Preparation:

Wash, peel and cut the potatoes into one inch cubes and boil them till the y are cooked but still crunchy (not too soft) .

Remove  them from hot water and let them cool.

If you are using Fresh Green peas, then soak them for 2 hrs and cook them for atleast 1 or 2 whistles in a pressure cooker till done. If  you are using forzen or cooked peas, you can use them directly.

In a pan, add oil, then add the cumin seeds,  chopped green chillies, onions and fry till golden brown.

Add the ginger-garlic paste & turmeric powder and fry till the  raw flavor  is gone.

Then add the tomatoes and fry till they are cooked and mushy.

Add in the  chilly powder, coriander powder and salt and fry well

Then add the cooked potatoes to the pan and mix well together

Sprinkle or add very little water and mix carefully so that the potatoes are not mashed.

Cook for few mins and add the green peas. Mix well and cook for about 5 min. on low heat.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with roti or rice. Bon Appetite!!!

Coriander Mushroom

Coriander Mushroom

After a long break, I am back with yet another simple & tasty recipe which goes well with rice and roti.  

Ingredients:

Fresh Mushrooms- 250g

Onions- 1 medium sliced

Green chillies- 8 slit

Cumin seeds- 1 tsp

Mustard seeds- ½ tsp

Coriander powder- 1 ½ tbsp

Turmeric powder- ¼ tsp

Salt to taste

Oil – 2 tbsp

Coriander leaves – ¼ bunch

Curry leaves- 2 springs

Method:

Clean the mushrooms wiping with a paper towel and cut them into quarters.

Heat oil in a wide skillet and add the cumin and mustard seeds to the hot oil.

Once the mustard seeds start to crackle, add green chillies, curry leaves and onion slices and fry till onions turn transparent. Add turmeric powder and mix and cook for 30 secs.

Now add the mushroom pieces, stir and close the lid and cook for about 4-5 min stirring it occasionally.

Add the coriander powder & salt to taste, mix well and cook it closed for another 5 min. As the mushrooms give out water, no need to add extra water to the dish.

Once the mushrooms are cooked, add finely chopped coriander leaves, mix well and remove the curry from heat. Serve hot with rice or roti.

Ridge Gourd Curry (Beerakaya Koora)

Ingredients:

Ridge gourd – 3 medium

Onion – 1 medium

Green chillies – 2

Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp

Cumin seeds – ½ tsp

Red chillies – 3

Dhania powder – 1 tsp

Chilli powder – ½ tsp

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Curry leaves – 2 strands

Salt to taste

Oil – 2 tsp

Ingredients:

Wash, peel and cut the ridge gourd into bite size pieces.

Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard and cumin seeds till the mustard seeds start to crackle and add the diced onions and fry till transparent.

Add the red and green chillies, curry leaves and fry for a minute.

Add the turmeric powder and mix.

Add the ridge gourd pieces, mix and cook on a medium heat closed for 5 min.

Add the dhania powder, chilli powder and salt to the curry and mix till the pieces are coated by the masalas.

Add about ¼ cup of water, mix and cook closed for 5 minutes or till the ridge gourd pieces are completely cooked.

Serve hot with rice or roti.

Mushroom Masala

Mushrooms are a rich source of protein, high in fiber and provide vitamins such as thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, biotin, cobalamins, and ascorbic acid.  Mushrooms are also a source of some minerals, including selenium, potassium and phosphorus.

Today I went to Rewe supermarket and then came across these fresh mushrooms. Without a second thought, I bought these and thought of preparing this mushroom masala for dinner before Siva came from Frankfurt after a long journey.  I always prefer fresh mushrooms to the canned ones available in the supermarkets. Usually, back home in India, we never buy cultured mushrooms but we pick them in the fields in the monsoon season. They taste really great and even if I remember now, my mouth waters. Really I miss the real taste of mushrooms!!!

Serves-2

Ingredients:

Fresh Mushrooms- 400gms

Onion- 1 Medium

Green chillies- 4

Tomato- 1 medium

Cumin- 1 Tsp

Mustard seeds- ½ Tsp

Turmeric- a pinch

Dhania Powder- 2 Tsp

Chilli Powder- to taste

Salt – to taste

Oil- 2 Tsp

Curry leaves

Coriander leaves

Preparation:

First cube the onions, slit the green chillies and slice the mushrooms (Don’t wash the mushrooms with water. To clean them, just wipe them with a paper towel). Heat oil in a wide skillet and add the cumin and mustard seeds. One they start spluttering, add the green chillies, onions and curry leaves and fry till the onion becomes transparent. Now add the sliced mushrooms, close the lid and let them simmer in their own water. We do not need to add water to the mushrooms, as they have a lot of water in it. Let them cook for about 5 min and now add the tomatoes, turmeric, dhania powder, chilli powder, mix and close the lid again and let it simmer for 5 more min. I did not add any extra water to the dish and you don’t need to when you have fresh mushrooms. Once the mushrooms are cooked, now add salt to taste, curry leaves and coriander leaves and close the lid and leave it to cook for 2 more minutes. That’s it!!! Mushroom masala is ready to be served with roti or hot rice. Today, we had it roti.