Oyster mushroom fry / Sippi kaalaan varuval

 

When rainy season comes and when there are a few days of thunder and lightning, these beautiful delicacies grow on plantain stems. In my village, our neighborhood boys go to the plantain farms early in the morning and collect these mushrooms for us. As I have already said, naturally growing oyster mushrooms (Sippi kaalaan) are several times tastier than the store bought, commercially grown ones. Here in Germany, I get them rarely in supermarkets like Edeka or Tegut. They are a bit costly but I buy them whenever I see them because once you get hooked up in their taste its hard to give up. Select mushrooms with stems intact as the crunchy stem gives this fry a wonderful taste. Aren"t you tempted by the way this fry looks? Just try it you will love it and they are very healthy too. This simple fry I learned from my mom and I am happy to share this recipe with you all.

 

Ingredients :

Oyster mushrooms (Sippi kaalaan)- 250 gms

Onion- 1 no or 6 shallots (use shallots if possible for a better taste)

Green chillies- 5 nos

Curry leaves- handful

Turmeric powder- a pinch

Chilli powder- 1 tspn or any garam masala

Mustard and urid dhal- 1/2 tspn (for tempering)

Salt to taste

Oil- 3 tbspns

Method :

Wash and tear mushrooms into small pieces using your hand. Do not discard the stem. Heat oil in a pan. When the oil is hot do the tempering using mustard and uri dhal. When the mustard seeds splutter and the urid dhal turns brown add the sliced onions, cut green chillies, curry leaves, a pinch of turmeric and enough salt. Saute well until the onions acquire a golden colour. At this stage add chilli powder  or garam masala and  oyster mushrooms. Saute them well.  Do not add water. Oyster mushrooms have enough water content. Simmer the flame and fry until they become golden and crispy. A very attractive, tasty fry will be ready in minutes. 

Taste enhancing tips for this recipe : Make it as simple as possible to relish the real mushroom taste. If you have chicken 65 masala you can use it for getting that unique colour, taste and flavour, you can also name it as mushroom 65 :). Happy cooking !!!

Milagu Vendakkai / Black pepper stuffed ladies finger or okra

 

This easy recipe was given by my dad to me. I think he read it in some magazine. My dad was the first person to encourage my cooking expeditions :). Whatever dish I prepare he just loved it. I am not sure whether he liked the dish or the fact that it was prepared by his daughter. Sometimes when my mom says  to him that I prepared a particular dish (eventhough I haven't ) he appreciated it whole-heartedly and vice versa :). So I am sure that the love for his daughter made him appreciate the dishes prepared by me. But those appreciation s helped me to grow better and better :). I would love to dedicate this blog to my loving and caring dad. Try this recipe. It is very simple, very tasty and very healthy way to enjoy ladies finger.

Ingredients :

Vendakkai / ladies finger / okra- 6 nos  (select fresh, green and tender ones) 

Freshly ground black pepper powder- 1 tspn

Salt- 1/4 tspn

Oil- 3 tspns

Method :

Make a longitudinal slit in vendakkai as shown in picture. Mix black pepper powder and salt. Apply a thin coating of the above said mixture inside the slitted ladies finger. Heat 3 teaspoons of oil in a pan. When the oil gets hot simmer the flame and place the vendakkai on hot oil. Turn ladies finger more often until they get brown tints all over their outer skin. The pepper stuffed vendakkai will be ready to be relished.

Taste enhancing tips for this recipe :  Instead of cooking them in a pan you can grill them. Before grilling spray a thin coating of oil. This pepper stuffed vendakkai will be loved by everyone in your grill party. Happy cooking !!!

This entry goes to Tasty apetite's I love my dad event. Thank you Jay for hosting this lovely event.

Era varuval / Prawn fry

This is a very simple prawn fry. We just loved it. Hope you will also like it. Here we get big variety,  frozen prawns but nothing can be compared to the small variety, fresh prawns which I ate when I am young.  Might be the above statement is true or might be its just the age that matters :). My mom used to deep fry the prawns and I still have that taste in my tongue, a bit sweet yet spicy and crispy hmmm...:).

Ingredients :

Prawns- 250 gms

Onion- 1 no

Tomato- 1 no

Garlic- 2 pods

Ginger- a 1/2 inch piece

Green chillies- 4 nos

Black pepper corns- 20 nos

Red chilli powder- 2 tspns

Coriander powder- 1 tbspn

Cuury leaves- 20 leaflets

Coconut scrappings- 1 tbspn

Cinnamon- 1 inch pice

Cloves-4 nos

Fennel seeds- 1/2 tspn (optional)

Salt to taste

Oil- 3 tbspns

Method :

Cut onions, ginger, garlic, tomato into pieces. Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a pan. Fry onions, green chillies, ginger and garlic until they become brown. Now add tomatoes and saute well until they turn soft. Add pepper corns and coconut scrappings to the above mixture and saute for 30 seconds. Remove from fire. Allow the mixture to cool and grind them into a paste in food processor. Wash prawns and keep aside. Now heat a pan with 3 tablespoons of oil. When the oil gets heated add cloves and cinnamon. When they emit a nice aroma add the ground paste. Saute well for few second and to this add red chilli powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder. Add enough salt to this mixture. Fry for a few seconds and then add prawns to it. Add half-a-cup of water and allow the mixture to boil well. Simmer the mixture until all the water content is gone. Remove from fire and garnish with coriander leaves. When serving squeeze lemon juice on the dish.

Taste enhancing tips for this recipe : The taste is much better if you fry the onions until it turns brown. Do not cook the prawn in high heat for a long time. They become rubbery. You can add fennel seeds when grinding the masala. It enhances the flavour of the dish. Add lots of curry leaves when making any sea food, that makes a lot of difference. Happy cooking !!!

Broccoli-Seasame stir-fry

When I am very young I read about broccoli in English story books.  Most children,  in the books I read,  hate to eat broccoli  and their parents made sure they eat broccoli because it is very good for health. I used to wonder how that vegetable would look !!  I saw broccoli for the first time after I came to Germany. A green coloured cauliflower !!! I tasted it for the first time in mensa (canteen). In canteen they used to serve a cup of boiled broccoli. To tell the truth I hated it on my first encounter itself. Rajender loves this vegetable (thats very strange !!!). He has read that broccoli has many anti-cancer compounds and I am sure that is the reason for his broccoli love :).

 

The scientific name of broccoli is Brassica aleracea. It is rich in cancer fighting phytochemicals and anti-oxidants. Broccoli is high in Vitamin C, K and A. It is also a rich source of dietary fiber. It is also shown to have anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties.

I hated broccoli until I found this recipe. Whenever I came across broccoli in grocery shop I felt a sense of guilt running deep inside me.  The first reason for this is,  Rajender loves it and I am not ready to cook it for him and the second reason is,  I am avoiding such a nutritious veggie.  I was sure that Indian way of cooking cannot make this veggie any better. More and more you cook this veggie,  worser it becomes. So I tried to find a non-Indian recipe version for this vegetable (in internet, sorry I do not remember the source) and  here it is for you :

Ingredients :

Broccoli- 1 no

Lime- 1 no

Seasame- 2 tbspns

Red chilli flakes- 1 tspns

Jeera seeds- 1 tspn

Garlic- 2 cloves

Olive oil- 2 tbspns

Method :

Cut broccoli into bite sized pieces as shown in picture. Make thin slices of garlic. Squeeze out the juice from half lime piece. First, steam the broccoli until it is cooked but it should retain its firm texture. The steaming process takes approximately 5-8 minutes. Now heat a pan. Add olive oil. When the oil gets heated add seasame, jeera and sliced garlic. Fry for a few seconds until the seeds splutter and the garlic browns. Add steamed broccoli to this mixture. Simmer the flame and mix everything well. Remove from fire after 3 minutes. Sprinkle lime juice and chilli flakes on it.  Add salt to taste. Broccoli stir-fry will be ready to be served.

Taste enhancing tips for this recipe : Make sure you do not over-cook this vegetable. It must be cooked but should retain its firmness. Steaming is the best option because boiling in water leads to the loss of cancer- protective phytochemicals. Try to retain its bright green colour. If you cook it too much it becomes light green in colour and doesn't look or taste appetizing. Follow the exact recipe. This veggie never mingles well with our Indian spices (my personal opinion), so avoid them. Never discard broccoli stem,  thats the tastiest part.  Happy cooking !!!

Dondakaya vepudu / kovakkai varuval / Tindora or Indian Ivy-gourd stir-fry

 

 

Rajender prepares this dish wonderfully. Only after marriage I got to taste kovakkai (raw tindora). When I am young I used to eat kovapazham (ripe tindora) which grew near our home. The colour of the fruit is so attractive children will immediately love them. The tindora fruit is also a favourite of parakeets. In tamil literature, tindora fruit colour is compared to the lip colour of women :D.

A dish with raw kovakkai is very new to me and I loved watching Rajender prepare it. He made it so well this veggie immediately became my favourite. When my mom and her sister came here, Rajender prepared this for them too. My amma and periyamma were all in praise for this dish.

The scientific name for Indian ivy gourd is  Coccinia grandis. Young leaves, long slender stem tops,  raw and ripe fruits of this plant are consumed in many parts of  Asia. The root and leaf extract of this plant are used in the treatment of diabetes due to their hypoglycemic properties When I write this I remember what Rajender tells me when I eat the raw ivy gourd '' do not eat it you will get 'mathi marapu' ''. 'Mathi marapu' means disturbances in your memory. Now  I understand the reason behind it. If you become hypoglycemic naturally your memory power goes off  :). The fruit is a very rich source of many micronutrients including vitamin A and C.  Like any other vegetable this tindora is also rich in fiber.

 

Ingredients :

Kovakkai / Timdora / Ivy gourd- 1/4 kg

Onion- 1 no

Green chillies- 4 nos

Curry leaves- handful

Channa dhal and urid dhal- 1/2 tspn

Mustard, jeera seeds- 1/2 tspn

Chilli powder- 1/2 tspn 

Turmeric powder- a pinch

Oil- 2tbspns

Salt to taste

Method :

Wash and make thin slices of kovakkai as shown in picture. Cut onions and green chillies into small pieces. Take oil in a pan. When the oil gets heated add channa dhal and urid dhal. When they become brown and emit a nice aroma add mustrd and jeera seeds. After they splutter add onions, green chillies, curry leaves, a pinch of turmeric and salt to taste. Saute well until the onions turn translucent. Now add the thinly sliced kovakkai pieces. Simmer the flame and saute the entire mixture on a low flame. Constantly stir the mixture.  Add the red chilli powder prior to removing them from fire. Remove from fire when kovakkai browns a bit and turns crispy. A very delicious stir-fry will be ready to be savoured. This dish makes an excellent companion for chappathis or for hot rice.

Taste enhancing tips for this recipe : If you need a crispy fry make thin slices. Use only the raw ivy gourds. Discard them if they have a reddish tinge inside. When you slice them they must have a firm texture. Curry leaves add lots of flavour to this dish. If you like you can also add thinly sliced garlic when sauting onions. Happy cooking !!!

Pachai karamani poriyal / Achinga payaru thoran / Yard long beans stir fry

   

Another beans recipe!! I am fond of this long, green veggie too. This is called as achinga payaru in malayalam and in tamil they call it as karamani. I have never seen this in Madurai. But after coming to Germany I saw them in a grocery shop and explained its physical characteristics to my mom. She only told me that this is achinga payaru and gave me a recipe to prepare it. They taste very yummy and full of nutrients too. Try it you will love it.

It is called as yard long bean, asparagus bean, snake bean or chinese long bean in English. Its scientific name is Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis. As all beans they are rich in fiber. They are also a good source of protein, vitamin A, thiamin, Iron, riboflavin, phosphorous, vitamin c, calcium and pottasium.

 

Ingredients :

Yard long beans- 1/2 kg

Onion - 1no or 10 shallots

Green chillies- 3 nos

Curry leaves- 10 leaflets

Coconut scrappings- 2 tbspns

Jeera powder- 1 tspn

Red chilli powder- 1 tspn

White seasame seeds- 2 tspns

Mustard, jeera and channa dhal- 1 tspn (for tempering)

Oil- 2 tbspns

Salt to taste

Method :

Cut beans into pieces as shown in picture. Cut onions and green chillies into small pieces. Heat oil in a pan. Add channa dhal, when it browns add seasame, mustard and jeera seeds. When they splutter add onions, green chillies, curry leaves and turmeric powder. Fry until the onions turn translucent. Now add the cut beans pieces and a handful of water. Fry well on low flame until the beans are cooked. Now add the coconut scrappings, jeera, redchilli powder and salt to taste. Mix everything well. Saute for another 3 minutes on a low flame and remove from fire. Tasty beans fry is ready which goes very well with chappathi and with hot rice.

Taste enhancing tips for this recipe : Make sure you do not overcook them. The beans should retain their colour and their crunchiness. Adding white seasame seeds imparts a very unique taste to this dish. Coconut scrappins give that extra aroma and rcih taste. Happy cooking !!!

Kothavarangai poriyal / Goru chikudukaya koora / Cluster beans stir-fry

I love this vegetable a lot. We call it as kothavarangai or cheeni avarakai. In telugu it is called as goru chikudukaya, matti kaya or gokarakaya. In hindi it is called as gavar. In english it is called as guar or cluster bean. When my mom makes it I am the one to finish it off by eating it just like a snack. Vatral made out of cheeni avarakai is another delicay which has a unique taste and flavour. I am very happy to see fresh cluster beans in grocery shop. I picked quite a lot and made it in a way I like most. So here is the recipe and the nutritional benefits of this wonderful veggie.

The scientific name of this annual legume is Cyamopsis tetragonolobus. It is high in fiber and proteinaceous too. But it lacks an essential amino acid called methionine. Whole-wheat flour is rich in methionine and when  this beans is eaten along with chappathi made with whole wheat flour, the combination is comparable to meat or egg because it is then a complete protein meal. Guar gum is primarily extracted from the endosperm of this bean. Guar gum is found to hinder with cholesterol absorption and thus helps in reducing serum LDL and triglycerides. It also increases glucose tolerance. So it is an excellent veggie for diabetics and for dieters.

Ingredients :

Kothavarangai or cluster beans- 250 gms

Onion- 1 no or 10 shallots

Green chillies- 5 nos (adjust according to your taste)

Curry leaves- a handful

Coconut scrappings- 3 tbspns

Jeera powder- 1 tspn

Pepper powder (coarsely ground)- 1 tspn

Turmeric powder- a pinch

Mustard, jeera and channa dhal- 1 tspn (for tadka)

Oil- 3 tbspns

Salt to taste

Method :

Wash and tear the beans into small pieces with your nails (I think this is the reason for the name goru (nail) chikudukaya). Mince onions and green chillies. Heat oil in a pan. When the oil is hot enough do the tempering by ading jeera, mustard and channa dhal. When the seeds splutter add onions, green chillies, a pinch of turmeric and curry leaves. Fry for sometime until the onions turn translucent. Now add the kothvarangai and sprinkle two handfuls of water. Saute until the water evaporates. Simmer and fry on low flame until the beans are done. Now add jeera powder, pepper powder and coconut scrapping. Mix well and saute for a few more minutes. Add salt to taste at the end of preparation. A very tasty kothavarangai poriyal will be ready. Serve with chappathi or rice.

Taste enhancing tips for this recipe : It is very important to retain the firmness of the beans. Do not cook until it becomes mashed and soft. My dad always said that vegetables taste best when they are half-cooked. That is very true and the half-cooked veggies are healthier too. Pepper adds a nice aroma to this dish. Coconut scrappings impart a nice taste and flavour. Happy cooking !!!

Vendakkai finger chips / Ladies finger chips / Bendakaya vepudu

 

A very simple recipe with the gorgeous ladies finger. It will suit people who dislike its gluey nature. Children will absolutely love it. I loved it the first time I made it and finished it within no time.

  

Ingredients :

Ladies finger / Vendakkai- 250gms

Gram flour / besan- 2 tbspns

Rice flour or corn flour- 2 tbspns

Red chilli powder- 1 tspn 

Jeera powder- 1 tspn

Pepper powder- 1 tspn

Salt to taste

Oil- 4 tbspns

Method :

Mix besan, rice or corn flour, red chilli powder, jeera powder and pepper powder with enough salt and make a thick paste using water. Now cut the vendakkai as shown in picture. Apply a thin coating of this flour mixture to vendakkai. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan and slowly roast the marinated ladies finger until they become crispy and golden brown in colour. It makes a tasty, fiber rich snack or it goes very will with dhal and rice.

Taste enhancing tips for this recipe : Make a thick paste with the ingredients. Do not make a thick coating  of batter on ladies finger. Make a very thin coating. Slow roast the ladies finger to get the desired consistency. If you do it on high flame the ladies finger for sure will get charred. Happy cooking !!!

Chenai kizhangu fry / Suran fry / Yam fry

 

A very simple fry, yet very tasty. It pairs excellent with sambhar saadham. A healthy alternative to potatoes. Try it. You will love it.

 

Ingredients :

Chenai kizhangu / suran / yam- 1/4 kg

Garlic- 10 pods, crushed with skin intact

Curry leaves- three fistfuls (its a lot but imparts a very nice flavour)

Red  chilli powder- 1 tspn

Turmeric- a pinch

Mustard, jeera and urid dhal- 1/2 tspn 

Salt to taste

Oil- 3 tbspns

Method :

Cut yam into small pieces as shown in picture. Crush the garlic with skin. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan. When the oil is hot add mustard, jeera and urid dhal. When urid dhal browns add the crushed garlic,curry leaves and a pinch of turmeric. Fry for a minute and then add the yam pieces. Now slow raost the entire mixture on a low flame until the yam is cooked and turns crispy. When the yam is done sprinkle salt and chilli powder. Mix well and serve with sambhar saadham (rice). 

Taste enhancing tips for this recipe : Most important part is the slow roasting. Keep the flame on sim and roast it slowly until done. This adds very nice crispiness without getting overcooked. The curry leaves and  garlic also tuirns very crispy and very yummy to eat. You can sprinkle a handfull of water if needed. Add salt and chilli powder only at the end of preparation. You should select a good variety yam and everything depends on yam quality. Happy cooking !!!

Keeri muttai/ Boiled egg with fried onions

 

One of our favourite dish. Very simple, aromatic and very tasty too. My mom used to make it often. The most funniest part of this dish is its name. We call it as 'keeri' muttai. There is also a small mammal called keeri pilla (mongoose). Ofcourse this is hen's egg and not from mongoose !!! :). Since this egg is cut open I guess they called it this way. It tamil the meaning of ' keeri' is to scratch or to cut. Whatever it is the taste will definitely conquer you. It is a dry preparation but you can mix those golden, crispy onions with rice and eat. They taste yummy!!! You will be surprised how onions, green chillies, curry leaves and turmeic powder could do the magic.

Ingredients :

Egg- 2 nos

Onion- 3 big red onions or some 20 shallots or pearl onions (If you use the big variety use only red onions)

Green chillies- 5 nos (adjust according to your taste)

Mustard seeds, jeera seeds and urid dhal- 1/2 tspn

Curry leaves- 20 leaflets

Turmeric powder- 1/4 tspn

Oil- 4 tbspns

Method :

Very simple. Cut onions into thin slices. Slit green chillies lengthwise and cut into two. Boil egg and cut them into two pieces as shown in picture. Now heat oil in a pan. When the oil is hot enough add urid dhal. When it browns add mustard and jeera seeds. When they splutter add the onions, green chillies, curry leaves and turmeric powder.  Add enough salt too at this stage and saute the mixture by keeping the fire on sim. Saute until the onions turn golden brown. Add the egg at this stage and allow them to brown a bit on both sides. A very delicous, simple dish will be ready to be savoured. Just mix the onions with hot rice and enjoy with the egg pieces.

Taste enhancing tips for this recipe : Make it simple. Do not add any additional ingredients. Onions, green chillies and turmeric are must ingredients. Make thin slices of onions so that they get the required consistency quicker. Use red onions or shallots. Use of lots of onion makes this dish tastier. Use only green chillies and not chilli powder. Take care not to burn the egg pieces. When cooking always stand near the pan and stir the ingredients frequently otherwise the bottom layer get charred quickly. Happy cooking  friends !!! and have a beautiful week end.

Carrot and potato fry

I love this dish because it is colouful, flavourful and very tasty. My mom makes this side dish more often with pappu. They together make a wonderful combination. I will be eagerly waiting to eat not only this dish but the by-product of this dish which sticks to the bottom of the pan . Golden and crispy remains of potato, hmm.... they tasted very good. I will be angry with my mom if she says that the dish didn't stick to the bottom . But now with the use of non-stick pan such simple joys are lost. Nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan and even if it does rarely, I become panicked beacuse I have to fight with the vessel  to make it clean and I have to also worry about the non-stick coating. For sure sophistication kills the simple joys in human life .

This shallow fry of potato and carrot is very unique in the way it is prepared. This recipe needs coriander leaves, green chillies, garlic and ginger for its preparation and I have never found any other potato and carrot fry recipe with these ingredients. One of my favourite recipe from my mom, it goes very well with rice and chappathi. Very simple to make and here comes the preparation :

Ingredients :

Potato- 3 nos

Carrot- 3 nos 

Onion- 1 no (big variety)

Green chillies- 5 nos

Coriander leaves- handful

Garlic- 3 pods

Ginger - 1/2 inch piece

Mustard, jeera and urid dhal- 1 tspn each

Turmeric- a pinch

Asafoetida- a pinch

Oil for shallow frying (some 4 tbspns)

Method :

Cut potatoes and carrots as shown in the picture. Cut onions, green chillies, ginger, garlic and coriander leaves into small pieces. Heat a pan (non-stick!!!). Add oil and when it is hot enough do the tempering with mustard, jeera and urid dhal. Add urid dhal first in oil and when it changes colour add mustard and jeera seeds. Let them splutter. Then add nicely minced onions, ginger, garlic, green chillies, coriander leaves, a pinch of turmeric and asafoetida. Saute them till the onions turn translucent. Then add the cut potato and carrot pieces. Fry them until they are cooked. Add salt to taste. Serve with hot rice and dhal. The smell of coriander, ginger and garlic along with potato and carrot makes this dish really superb!!!

Taste enhancing tips for this recipe : Use coriander leaves, ginger, garlic, green chillies and onion. Do not miss anything. Never use chilli powder. Make sure to use only green chillies for this recipe. Add coriander leaves when sauting onion. Do not add at the end as we always do. Adding coriander leaves in the beginning imparts a nice aroma. Mince ginger, garllic, coriander leaves and green chillies as small as possible. The most important thing is, do not add water when preparing. this dish. If there is an absolute necessary just sprinkle water. If you add water sometimes the potato becomes messy. They become overcooked. It spoils the taste of this recipe. Ofcourse you need good variety potatoes which do not become overcooked in a few minutes. Try not to use a non-stick pan and try using a sticky pan hehe. Even if you do not like to clean the mess, your children like me, will enjoy the golden, crispy potato remains sticking to the bottom of the pan . Try it and Happy cooking!!!