Cauliflower Stir Fry

We need

1 small cauliflower cut into florets

1 onion thinly sliced

1 tomato finely chopped

Little ginger finely chopped

Half tsp chilli powder 

Pinch of turmeric powder

Boil two cups of water with a teaspoon of salt and pinch of turmeric. Add florets and boil for two minutes. Cool and drain. Keep it aside. (Blanching)

Heat a tbsp oil, add ginger. In a minute add onions. Saute till they are tender. 

Add tomato. Increase heat, add chilli powder, salt and turmeric. Saute till tomatoes get soft.

Now add drained cauliflower. Mix slowly taking care not to break the florets.

Sprinkle lemon juice, check the taste. Turn off heat. 

As cauliflower is pre-cooked no need to boil much. If necessary sprinkle little water. Cauliflower doesn't taste good if over cooked. 

Sprouts & Ridgegourd Stir Fry

 

We need

A cup of sprouted greengram

A cup of  ridgegourd peeled and cut into small pieces

1 medium onion sliced

One green chilli cut in to small pieces

Little grated coconut (optional)

Let's begin

Heat a tsp of oil in a pan, add mustard, curry leaves and chilli one by one giving a gap of 30 seconds.

Add sliced onion, saute for a minute and add ridge gourd. Cook for 5 minutes on low heat stirring once in between. Add a teaspoon of water or two in between if need be.

Add sprouted green gram and salt. Mix well.  Cook for 2-3 minutes, add coconut. Check the taste and adjust salt and chilli. Add coriander leaves if available. turn off heat. Let it cook on its for a few more minutes. Serve with rice or roti.

Pepper Chicken Dhaba Style

 

Quick to cook without much preparation this dish tastes good with fried curry leaves, garlic and onion. Serves as a side dish as well as starter.

We need

1/2 kg chicken

2 sprigs of curry leaves

15 cloves of garlic 

1 big onion 

1 small tomato

2 green chillies

1 tbsp pepper powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp lemon juice

Clean and drain the chicken. Cut garlic, onion, tomato and chillies finely.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a nonstick pan. Add curry leaves. 

One by one add green chillies, garlic, onion and tomato. After 2 minutes add chicken, 1 tsp of rock salt  and turmeric powder,  give a good mix, close the lid. Let the chicken simmer in its own juice. After five minutes or so, add a few tbsps of water if needed and add half tbsp pepper powder. 

Let the chicken cook till the gravy dries up. Stir in between to avoid burning. Once the chicken is cooked well and water is dried, raise the heat. Keep stirring till the chicken browns lightly. Put off the heat, check the taste. If need need add powdered salt. Squeeze half a lime and 1/2 tbsp pepper powder. Mix well. Serve.

Note: Increase or decrease the pepper as per your taste. Freshly ground pepper always tastes good.

Seemebadane Sukka/Chow Chow/Chayote

Seemebadane Sukka/Chow Chow/Chayote

May be seemebadane kai is the most disliked/undercooked vegetable. It is called chow chow in some parts of Karnataka and Chayote in English which hardy anybody uses. The tender seemebadane cooked into a simple dish actually tastes soooo good. Just poke your nail at the bottom of the seemebadane to check whether it is tender before buying.

You need

1-2 tender seemebadane (medium size)

1 onion sliced thinly

1-2 green chillies slit

1 tbsp or more grated coconut

Little mustard and curry leaves

Salt to taste

·     Wash the seemebadane, trim the head and tail,  slit into two, discard the seed and slice the seemebadane into small pieces.

·     Heat oil in a thick bottomed/nonstick pan. When hot, add mustard, when they splutter add curry leaves, add sliced onions, fry for a minute, add slit chillies.

·     After a minute add sliced seemebadane. Add salt and coconut. Mix well. Cook for 3-4 minutes closing the lid. If needed add 2-3 tbsp water.

·     If the seemebadane is tender it cooks within 4-5 minutes.

·     Check the taste after 4 minutes, add lime and chopped coriander if you wish. Put off the stove and serve with chapathi or rice.

Capsicum Sukka

Capsicum Sukka

Easiest and fastest way to cook capsicum with only three things that are readily available in the kitchen. Goes well with the chapathi. Increase or decrease the number of capsicums, it just tastes the same.

You need

2-3 capsicums sliced thinly

1 onion sliced thinly

1-2 green chillies slit

Salt to taste

·     Wash the capsicums, slit into two, discard the seeds and slice the capsicums into thin slices.

·     Heat oil in a thick bottomed/nonstick pan. When hot, add sliced onions, fry for a minute, add slit chillies.

·     After a minute add sliced capsicums and salt. Mix well. Close the lid and let it cook in slow fire.

·     Check the taste after 4 minutes, add lime and chopped coriander if you wish. Put off the stove when capsicum is still a bit crunchy which tastes good.

·     Serve with chapathi or rice.