Cabbage Kofta Curry

This is an easy and simple side dish which can be done within half an hour if all the ingredients are handy in our kitchen. This can serve as a sidedish for Rice or Roti's and for party menu too....



Ingredients:

To make Koftas:

Cabbage Shredded- 2 cups
Besan flour (Kadalai maav) - 1 cup
Rice flour( Arisi maav)- 1tbsp
Chilli Powder- 1tbsp
Salt- to taste

For Gravy:
Onion 1 + Tomato1+ Greenchillis2+ Cashews-4nos.]- Grind to paste

For Sauteing:
Onion small- cut into small pieces- around 1 cup
Ginger and Garlic- Cut into tiny bits
Fennel seeds- 1tsp
Cinnamon- 1 pc
Oil

How to Make:

1) Mix cabbage, besan flou, rice flour, chilli powder and little salt with water and make little koftas.
2) Deep fry in oil until brown and remove excess of oil by patting with a paper towel.
3) Grind the mentioned ingredients.
4)In a pan, pour 2 tbsp of oil and saute cinnamon, fennel seeds, onions, ginger and garlic one by one until brown.
5) Once its done, pour the ground paste and add chilli powder, salt.
6) Let it cook for 5mins and when the oil seperates out put in the fried cabbage koftas into it.
7) Do not mix hard as the koftas will break and disfigure in shape.
8) Gently toss for every two minutes and when its done remove from flame and garnish with chopped coriander leaves or curry leaves.

Vazhathandu moor kootu

Ingredients:

Young plantain stem - medium size

Slight sour curd - 1 cup

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Salt - to taste

Redchillies - 2

Mustard - 1spn

Urad dal - 1spn

Oil

To grid:

Coconut scraps - 2tbspn

Redchillies - 3

Jeera - few

Black pepper - few

Raw Rice - 1 spoon

Grind smoothly all the ingrdients and using rice gives a thick consistency to the mixture.

How to make :

1) Cut the plantain stem into pieces according to ur choice, either big or small pieces.

2) Dissolve some yogurt in water and make it very watery and add this to stem the plantain, in order that the pieces will not turn black.

3) Add turmeric and half salt and cook until the vegetable is done.

4) After it becomes soften, add the ground mixture and boil it once more.

5) After this procedure is done add the yogurt and cook covered for few minutes adding the remaining salt.

6) Temper this with mustard, urad dal and curry leaves.

Note: Do not use very sour yogurt for this and also it should not be too watery.

Brinjal chops (gravy)

This side dish is for Non-veg Briyani, a traditional recipe of muslims. I had tasted this in few occasions during my friends wedding and get 'o' gethers. I got the recipe from one of my friend's mother and had tried many times which came out tasty with exact flavour. This is good with veg briyani, tomato rice and also with plain rice.

Ingredients:
Brinjal (Violet color) - 250gms
Tamarind pulp - 1 cup
Redchilli powder - 1 spoon
Onions - 1, chopped finely
Tomato - 1 big size
Venthayam - 1tspn
Jeera - 1tspn
Black pepper - 1tspn
Black Sesame - 1tspn
Roasted Groundnut - 1 tbspn
Curry leaves
Sesame oil (preferably adds taste and aroma)

To Powder:
Dry roast venthayam, Black sesame, Groundnut and powder coarsely and keep aside.

How to make:
1) In a pan add 1tbspn of sesame oil, after it gets heated, add jeera and black pepper.
2) To it add chopped onions, tomato and saute till it become soft.
3) Then add cut brinjals and saute well.
4) Pour the tamarind pulp, add chilli powder and salt.
5) Bring it to boil, during this add 3 tbspn of sesame oil.
6) Add the powdered ingredient to the boiling gravy and mix well to avoid lumps.
7) Add curry leaves and boil till the oil utilised comes seperately from the gravy.

Pachai thakkali kootu (Green tomato kootu)

Ingredients:-
Green tomatoes - 7 (medium sized)
Moong dhal - 1 medium sized cup
tumeric powder -1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil - 1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Urad dhal - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida powder - a pinch
Curry leaves - few
Channa dhal - 2 tsp
Urad dhal - 1 tsp
Red chillies - 1
Coconut - 2 tsp (optional)

How to make:

1) pressure cook moong dhal with a pinch of turmeric powder and keep it aside.

2) Wash the tomatoes and cut it into 4 pieces, if its too big then make it 8 pieces.

3) In a pan, put the tomatoes, add required amount of water, turmeric powder and salt and let the tomatoes cook.

4) Fry channa dhal, urad dhal, red chillies, to golden brown and let it cool and grind it into a fine paste.

5) when the tomato is half done, add the grounded paste and let it boil for another 3 to 5 mts.

6) Now add the cooked dhal to it and add water to adjust the consistency.

7) Let it boil for another 5 mts. By the time, tomatoes will be fully cooked. Make sure tomatoes are not mashed while doing these processes.

8) Now heat oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds then add urad dhal and asafoetida powder and coconut scrapes and fry it till golden brown.

9) Pour it on top of kootu. Garnish it with curry leaves and li'll coconut oil.

Broccoli, mixed vegetable gravy

Very simple, easy and rich dish with cashews and fresh cream. Note, i have not used garlic, and other masalas. I usually avoid garlic to the most though its has too many good values. The reason mainly hides behind my devotion to Srivaishnavam, and little bit from my orthodox family. Its gives more taste when using garlic and other dry masala ingredients(cinnamon stick, bay leaves, star anise, poppy seeds etc.,)

Ingredients:
100gms broccoli florets
1 cup mixed vegetables ( mashed potato, carrots cut into cubes, peas, corn)
3 slit green chillies
3 onions
1 inch sized ginger
1 unripen tomato
3 cloves
Half handful cashewnuts
1 tbspn curd
1 tbspn garam masala
1 tbspn red chilli powder
1 tbspn dhania powder
Coriander leaves
Fresh cream for garnishing
Salt for taste
Oil

How to make:

To grind:
Onions, green chillies, ginger, tomato, cashews to a smooth paste.

1) Boil all mentioned vegetables with li'll turmeric and a pinch of salt.
2) Heat oil in a pan and saute the onions.
3) Add the ground paste to the onions and garam masala, chilli powder, coriander powder.
4) Add boiled vegetables and mashed potato to it.
5) Add required salt, curd and let it cook for few minutes.
6) After it becomes a thick gravy remove from the flame and garnish with chopped coriander leaves and fresh cream.