Chinese stir fried vegetables with chili infused honey

Stir fried vegetables with chili induced honey(image copyrighted to sunith shyam)

Stirred fried veggies is a universal dish found in almost  cuisines. I like the Chinese version for the sweet and sour flavors that the soya and oyster sauce offers.

Ingredients

 Carrots, and string beans – 2 cups (julienne)

Soya sauce – 1tbsp

Garlic – 2 cloves (thinly sliced and crush)

Ginger – 1 inch piece (julienne cut)

Salt

Freshly ground pepper.

Method

1.  Heat oil in a wok
2. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for a minute until the smells wafers through.
3. Now add the veggies and stir at high flame for around 3-4 minutes approximately. Make sure the veggies arent overcooked. It should remain crunchy.
4. Add the soya sauce and salt. You can also add 1tbsp oyster sauce.
5. Finish it off with a bit of pepper. (optional)
6. Serve it along with some red chillis infused in honey.

Onam sadhya

 

Onam Sadhya (image copyrighted to Sunith Shyam)

This is the first time that I have prepared an onam sadhya in Bangalore.  It is a herculean task for a couple of bachelors who are used to cooking simple dishes.  My flate mate John Britto deserves equal credit for preparing this feast which lasted for almost 4 meals.

Sambar

 

 

sambar (image copyrighted to Sunith Shyam)

The main dish in this feast.   A great sambar can make you eat until your stomach bursts.

Ingredients

Toor dal – 1 cup

Vegetables – around 3-4 cups (Carrots,potatos,drumsticks,beans,pearl onions. chopped into large cubes)

pearl onions – 2-3 chopped finely

Tamarind- lime size ball ( soaked in warm water and juices extracted)

green chillis- 3 ( slit lengthwise)

tumeric powder – 1/2 tsp

red chilly powder – 1 tsp

Sambar powder – 3 tbsp

Asafoetida – 3 pinches

curry leaves – 3 stems

mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

dry red chillies – 3

salt

Method

1.  Cook the dal in a pressure cooker with 1/4 tumeric powder and water.
2.  add the cut vegetables, green chillies, curry leaves with water, and salt and cook the vegetables.
3.  Now add the tamrind juice and stir it in.
4.  In a different vessel heat oil and add mustard seeds. Once the seeds splutters add the dry red chillis, sliced pearl onions and saute them until brown. Now add the curry leaves.
5.  Add the sambar powder, asafoetida and red chilly powder and mix well.
6.  Pour this tadka into the sambar and simmer for 5 minutes.

Pullissery

 

 

Pullissery(image copyrighted to Sunith Shyam)

The finisher. A light buttermilky concoction that will settle down all the rich food that you have just finished. We usually have pullissery at the end of the meal.

Ingredients

Curd – 2 cups

Green chillis – 2

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Chopped pearl onion – 2

Curry leaves – one stem

Salt to taste

Method

1. Beat the curds until smooth and stir in the turmeric powder.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil and add the mustard seeds and wait for it to splutter.
3. Now add the chopped shallots, curry leaves and green chilli.
4. Lower the heat to minimum and pour the curds in. Add water if required.
5. Heat with stirring, and take off heat before it comes to a boil.

Vendakka Pachadi

 

Vendakka Pachadi (image copyrighted to Sunith Shyam)

I am beginning to like Okra more and more each day. It used to be in the most hated veggie list along with carrots and beetroots.  I realized that frying them to a crisp retains the taste but gets ride of the slime that I so hate.  This pachadi is a bit different from the usual sweet pineapple pachadis.

Ingredients

Vendakka/ okra – 10 (chopped into small peices)

coconut – half cup grated.

cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp

Green chillies – 5-6 chopped fine

Yoghurt – 1/4 – 1/2 cup

Curry leaves – 1 stem

pearl onions 3-4

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Dry red chillis – 3

Oil – 2-3 tsp

Salt – To taste

Method

1.  Heat oil in a pan and add the okra with the pearl onion and green chillis and saute until the okra is crisp and slightly browned.
2.  Once its cool, add it to the yogurt.
3.  Now grind the coconut with the cumin seeds and then add it to the yohurt mixture.
4.  Lastly, temper it by heating mustard seeds in oil and then adding dry red chillis and curry leaves.
5.  Add this tadka to the yoghurt mix.

Cabbage Thoran

 

Cabbage Thoran (image copyrighted to Sunith Shyam)

 

A very simple dish but loaded with taste and flavor.

Ingredients

Cabbage – 250 gms

Onion – 1 small, chopped fine

Grated coconut – 3/4 cup

Green chillies – 4 chopped fine

Curry leaves – 1 stem

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Dry red chillies – 3

Salt – To taste

Method

1.  Heat some oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds and brown the dry red chillies.
2.  Add the cabbage, onion, green chillies,curry leaves,grated coconut,salt and tumeric powder
3.  cover and cook on low flame. Stir occasionally until cooked.

Avial

 

Avial (image copyrighted to Sunith Shyam)

The star of any Onam sadhya, this dish brings out that sweet sour flavor that is typical of kerala vegetarian food. The grated coconut, curd and the coconut oil makes this a winner.

Ingredients

Vegetables – 3 cups ( Plantain, elephant yam,carrot,drumsticks,beans)

Green Chillies – 4 slit

Cumin seeds – 1/2 – 3/4 tsp

Chilli powder – 1 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Grated coconut – 1 cup

Pearl onions – 6

Curry leaves – 3 stems

Salt – To taste

curd

Method

1.  Cut the vegetables into long thin pieces. Cover and cook the vegetables, slit green chilies, curry leaves, chilli powder, turmeric powder, and enough salt in enough water. Make sure you dont over cook the vegetables. Avial shouldnt be mushy.
2.  Grind the grated coconut adding pearl onions and cumin seeds. When the vegetables are done, bring down the heat and add the crushed coconut mixture and cover it up with the cooked vegetables and cook on simmer for couple of minutes.
3.  Now add 1/4 cup curd and switch off the gas.
4.  Temper with coconut oil and curry leaves.

Puli Inji

 

 

Puli Inji (image copyrighted to Sunith Shyam)

This dish takes a lot of time on the stove. Dont think of skipping it though, it lifts up the meal with a sharp tang.

Ingredients

Ginger – 1/2 cup, finely chopped

Tamarind- large lemon-sized ball. (soaked in warm water and juices extracted)

Green chillies – 5 – 6, sliced to rounds

Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

Chilly powder – 1/2 tsp

Jaggery – 4 cubes or to taste

Salt – To taste

Mustard seeds – 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves – 1

Method.

1. Heat oil in a pan and splutter the mustard seeds in it.
2.  Now add the ginger,green chillis and curry leaves and saute for a while.
3.  Add the tumeric powder,chilli powder, tamarind juice, salt and jaggery.
4.  Now cook it on simmer until you get a real thick pasty consistency.

Parippu Pradhaman

 

 

Parippu Pradhaman (image copyrighted to Sunith Shyam)

My favorite part of the meal, the dessert/payasam. Ghee, jaggery and cashewnuts how can you resist that combination!

Ingredients

Mung dal – 1 cup

Jaggery – 1 cup or to taste

Medium-thick coconut milk – 2 cups

Thick coconut milk – 1/2 cup

Cardamom powder – 1/2 tsp

Cashew nuts – 10

Coconut bits -4 tbsp

Ghee – 1 tbsp

Method

1. Heat the ghee in a pressure cooker.
2. Add cashew nuts and fry them until golden brown. Take them out and drain them.
3. Now add the coconut bits and fry until brown. Take them out and drain them.
4. Add the mung dal and fry for 2-3 minutes until they turn a little golden brown. Now add 2 cups of water and pressure cook for 3 whistle.
5. Melt the jaggery in 1 cup water in a heavy-bottomed pan, at medium heat. Stir until it reaches a light syrupy consistency.
6. Mash the mung dal really well with the back of a spoon and add it to the jaggery syrup. Cook for a few minutes at medium heat. Add 2 cups of coconut milk. Mix well and cook at medium-low heat, stirring continuously, until it thickens. Do not boil the coconut milk, boiling will result in separated coconut milk.
7. Add the thick coconut milk. Cook for a minute at low heat and turn off the gas. Now add the cardamom powder. Mix well. Finally add the fried cashews, coconut bits and 1/2 tsp ghee

Credits

1. John Britto for sharing the burden of cooking this massive feast.

2. My mother for the recipes and tips.

3. The reference blogs:

yummyoyummy

Delightful Cooking

curd rice with snake gourd kootu

snake gourd kootu with curd rice (image copyrighted to sunith shyam)

snake gourd kootu with curd rice (image copyrighted to sunith shyam)

 

A simple and homely dish typical of tamil cuisine.

Snake gourd kootu

Ingredients

Dal – 1 cup

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Snake gourd – 1 medium sized one.

Salt – As reqd

Cumin seeds – 1 tbsp

Green chillies – 4 nos

Small onions – 5 nos

Garlic pods – 4 nos

Grated coconut – 3 tbsp

For seasoning

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Curry leaves – 10 nos

Dry red chilli – 1 no

Method

1. Soak dal for 1 hour.
2. Cook it with turmeric powder and salt.
3. When the dal is half cooked, add the snake gourd pieces.
4. Cook, until the dal and snake gourd is fully cooked.
5. Heat oil in a pan or a kadai.
6. Fry cumin seeds, green chillies, small onions, garlic and coconut, till it turns brown.
7. Grind them nicely with a bit of water.
8. Add the above paste into the dal mixture and cook for another 3 mins.
9. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan.
10. Splutter mustard seeds.
11. Add curry leaves and red chilli and saute for a while.
12. Add it to the dal and snake gourd mixture and stir it in.

 

 

 

 

 

Curd Rice

Ingredients

oil – 3 teaspoon

Rice – 1 cup

Salt to taste

Curd – 1 cup

Curry leaves – 4-5

mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Dry red chillies – 3

Coriander leaves to garnish

Method:

1. Wash the rice well and put in a pressure cooker with the water. Cook till done – cook first on a high flame till you hear the first whistle, then simmer and allow 1 more whistle. Keep aside for an hour or two.
2. Mix the yogurt in the rice and add salt to taste.
3. Heat the oil in a small pan and add the mustard seeds, curry leaves and dry red chillies. Cook till the chillies are almost black.
4. Add this mix to the rice and stir well.

Eggs Three ways

Eggs three ways- scramble, sunny side up, omelette

My favorite breakfast; eggs on toast.  I decided to go the full distance with this one and made three variations of eggs to go along with my toast.

Sunny side up

There is something about the gooey deliciousness of a sunny side up yolk that makes you feel that everything is alright with the world.  🙂

Scrambled eggs

A simple scrambled eggs recipe with finely chopped onions and freshly ground black pepper.

Omelette

A folded tomato omelette with black pepper and onions.