Turai Gosht

Turai/Ridge gourd is a versatile vegetable with silky soft texture and watery in content. Ridge gourd is low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Ridge gourd is high in dietary fiber, Vitamin C, Riboflavin, Zinc, Thiamin, Iron, Magnesium and Manganese. When this nature’s delight is mixed and cooked with tender lamb meat, the end dish is delectable. Lamb meat is much used in combo with many vegetables. The robust flavours coming from vegetables when gets combined with tender meat and spiced up with some aromatic Indian spices the result is completely delish. Turai Gosht/Ridge gourd lamb meat recipe is easy to cook and calls for simple ingredients too.

INGREDIENTS:

• ½ kg Ridge gourd, peeled and cut into pieces
• 300 gm Lamb Meat, cleaned and washed
• 1 Onion, peeled and sliced
• 1 Green chili slit lengthwise and deseeded
• 1 tbsp Red chili powder
• ¼ tbsp Turmeric powder
• 2-3 springs fresh Coriander leaves, chopped
• Salt
• Oil

PREPERATION:

• In a heavy bottom cooking vessel/kadai add all the ingredients except coriander leaves and cook covered on a low flame.
• As turai/ridge gourd release lot of water upon cooking, mutton pieces get easily cooked in this water. Cook till all the water gets absorbed, ridge gourd gets tender and mutton pieces get completely cooked.
• Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot with hot streamed rice and khatti dal.
• Last but not least add your 'love' to make the dish 'YUMMY'.

NOTE: If mutton is very hard then pressure cook till half and mix with the remaining ingredients and cook till done.

Potato Chips - My Style

When I say comfort food......I mean a hot bowl of steamed white rice with a drop of ghee along with dal and a spicy fry. As there are many variations in dal so in fries. According to me a simple potato fry and mango dal is deadly combination. I love the flavour of raw mango in dal and that too when that dal flavours the hot white rice with ghee and to add more simple potato chips....hmmm makes a drool worthy combo....Hmmm is it mouth watering......? Potato is a versatile vegetable.....a simple fry to spicy khorma are the much liked delicacies in almost every Indian family. Potato chips are crunchiest, spiciest and yummiest chips loved my many across the globe. This is my version of potato chips which goes hand in hand with Indian recipes. I love potato chips when fresh and lil hot. I never like to store them. I will fry them whenever Iam in a mood to indulge or when Iam bit bored by the routine potato fry.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 Potatoes, peeled, washed, sliced and soaked in enough water
• 1 tbsp Red chilli powder
• 1/4 tbsp Turmeric powder
• Salt
• Oil

PREPERATION:

• Using a sieve, drain the water from the sliced potatoes. Using a kitchen towel/kitchen tissue, wipe the pieces to dry.
• For deep frying, heat oil in a kadai or heavy bottom cooking vessel with turmeric powder.
• Once the oil is ready for frying drop in required amount of sliced potato pieces and fry till crisp and nice golden in color.
• Take out on a kitchen tissue/towel and sprinkle red chilli powder and salt.
• Serve hot with hot bowl of rice and dal or else you can either have it as a snack.
• Last but not least add your 'love' to make the dish 'YUMMY'.

Above potato chips are going to participate in BSI - Potatoes currently hosted by ChezWhat? and also to WYF - Fried Snack by Simple Indian Food. The below picture is going to participate in Show Me Your Breakfast! by Divya of Dilse.....

Idli Dosa Vada Poha

Clicking on the recipe name's takes to you to the particular recipe page.

Shamiya - Delectable Flat Meat Balls

Shami (singular)/Shamiya( plural) is yet another tender lamb meat delicacy. This recipe can be prepared by using minced meat or small boneless mutton pieces. This recipe is a combination of mild flavoured chana dal, fresh and tender meat, flavourful spices and aromatic herbs. Chana dal not only enhances the flavour of the recipe but also helps in binding the mixture. The juicy, tender and fully cooked lamb meat gives a luscious taste combing with aromatic and flavourful herbs and spices. This shamiya or you can say deep fried flattened meat ball is best eaten when clubbed with steamed hot bowl of white rice and khatti dal. Back home my mom always pack a box full for these delectable shamiya for my return journey.

A minimum of 12 hour bus drive from my native to Bangalore, not only make me tired but also leave me with no energy and the work upon return is much more tiresome.....so by just boiling out rice and cooking up some hot delectable dal and simply warming up these shami's......a palatable and filling meal is ready for indulgence! A meal which not only satisfies your hunger, not only energieses you but also give you the taste of mom's love.....Scroll down for the recipe.....

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup Chana dal, wash and soak dal for 1 hour
• 2 cup raw boneless Mutton pieces + 3 raw Mutton pieces *
• 1 Onion, peeled and sliced
• 1 Green chilli, deseeded and chopped
• 1 tbsp Garam Masala **
• 2 tbsp Red chilli powder
• 1/2 tbsp Turmeric powder
• 3 tbsp dry Coconut powder
• 1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic paste
• 3-4 springs fresh Coriander leaves, chopped
• 5-6 fresh Mint leaves, chopped
• Salt
• Oil

PREPERATION:

• Pressure cook chana dal, raw mutton pieces, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coconut powder, green chilli, ginger-garlic paste, sliced onions, garam masala and dry coconut powder with half cup of water till dal is cooked and mutton pieces are soft and tender.
• If water is still remaining then on a medium flame, by stirring cook till water evaporates. The mixture should be very dry. Leave the mixture to cool.
• Now grind the mixture to soft by adding the raw mutton pieces which are kept aside and salt.
• Apply oil to your palms and take a small lemon sized ball from the mixture and flat it with fingers and set aside. Continue to do this with the remaining mixture till done.
• Now heat oil in a heavy bottom cooking vessel and deep fry by placing one after the other until nice golden brown in color.
• You can also shallow fry on a non-stick pan with little oil until golden brown in color.
• Garinsh with coriander leaves and serve with piping hot white rice and khatti dal.
• Last but not least add your 'love' to make the dish 'YUMMY'.

NOTE: * Raw mutton pieces are used in grinding with the pressure cooked mixture to bind the mixture.

** For garam masala, make a smooth powder of 2 cardamoms, 2 cloves and 2 1" inch pieces of cinnamon. If the powder is remaining store in air-tight container or zip lock bag.

UPDATE : This Idli-Sambar is going to participate in FIC - Delectable Combinations hosted by Kamalika, event by Sunshinemom of Tongue Ticklers.

Capsicum Chana Dal Curry

Green Capsicum commonly known as Shimla Mirchi is one of the easily available variety of capsicum in Indian vegetable market. Bright color of capsicum signifies the best nutrients along with vitamin A and C. Green capsicum has fresh raw flavour as it is the least mature type of capsicum among the orange and red. Red Capsicum is fully matured or you can say ripened form of green capsicum. Orange/yellow capsicum comes in between green and red capsicums. Two powerful antioxidents carotenoids and beta-carotene work together to neutralize free radicals, which can travel through the body causing huge amounts of damage to cells. When this gorgeous green capsicum gets mixed with mild flavoured chana dal/split chickpeas, the result is luscious.

A hot bowl of steamed white rice, along with chaaru and this capsicum chana dal curry makes a simple, comfort and filling meal. This curry is going to participate in MLLA - Twelfth Helping hosted by Apu ofAnnarasa, event by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook, JFI-Chilli hosted by Vysh's Cardamom, JFI is by Indira of Mahanandi and also to AFAM - Bell Peppers hosted by Priya of Priya's Easy And Tasty Recipes. AFAM event by Mashewari of Beyond The Usual.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Capsicum, deseeded and chopped into 2'' pieces
• 1/2 cup Chana dal, washed and soaked for 1/2 hour
• 1 Onion, peeled and sliced
• 1 Green chilli, slit length-wise, deseeded
• 1 tbsp Red chilli powder
• 1/4 tbsp Turmeric powder
• 2-3 tbsp dry Coconut powder
• 2-3 springs fresh Coriander leaves, chopped
• Salt
• Oil

PREPERATION:

• Pressure cook chana dal with a drop of oil until it is tender (it should not become mushy) and set aside.
• Heat oil in a heavy bottom cooking vessel/kadai. To this add sliced onions and cook till they are transuculent.
• Now add chopped capsicum, green chilli, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt.
• When capsicum pieces turn soft add pressure cooked chana dal and mix well.
• Now add dry coconut powder with little water and cook till the raw smell of coconut go away.
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with hot rice and chaaru.
• Last but not least add your 'love' to make the dish 'YUMMY'.

Vada/Garelu - A South Indian Lentil Doughnut

Vada/Garelu is yet another South Indian lentil based recipe. There are many variations in this recipe. A simple vada/garae is prepared by soaking urad dal for 5-6 hours then grinding by adding sliced onions and salt, then deep frying till golden. I always make it a point to prepare a simple and easy breakfast during the week days. As I have to cook and pack lunch also. But on weekends entirely a different story. A weekend is a time to relish upon some dainty breakfast delicacies may be some heavy breakfast which will turn into brunch at times.

When I say cooking is one and the most efficient form of stress buster, cooking together is much more fun and weekend is perfect time to do this. Call your loved ones and cook something with their involvement (may be little)....this will fill the air with not only the aroma of food but also with the joy, fun and laughter.

Cooking together not only distresses but also gives you a quantity and quality time to spend together. Hmm isn't it? So, get ready and plan a crazy rocking weekend. Be careful and never forget that you are in kitchen (hehehehe). Now coming to the recipe. Vada(s) or Garelu (telugu) can vary in shape and size, usually look like doughnut. Even though they are deep fried the, finished product will not be too oily as the steam build-up within the vada pushes all the oil away from within the vada.

The above picture is going to participate in Click:Stacks, event by Jai and Bee of Jugalbandi. To check the updated entries ofr Click:Stakes click here.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups Urad dal/black gram
• 2 tbsp raw Rice
• 1 tbsp Chana dal
• 1 Onion, peeled and fienly chopped
• 1 tbsp Jeera/cumin seeds
• 6-9 fresh Curry leaves
• 2 Green chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
• Salt
• Oil for frying

PREPERATION:

• Combine urad dal, raw rice and chana dal. Wash throughly for 2-3 times and soak for 5-6 hours.
• Using a colander strain all the water from the dal and grind it to paste by just sprinkling drops of water if needed.
• In a bowl mix chopped onions, green chillies, jeera, curry leaves and salt. Mix well by adding above ground paste.
• Pour enough oil in a kadai or heavy bottom cooking vessel for deep frying. Slowly heat up the oil, but not too hot.
• Wet your hands with oil or water and take a lemon sized ball from the batter and flatten it on a greased plastic sheet or plantain leaf to form a circle, put a hole on the center with your finger.
• Slowly and carefully drop it into the hot oil and fry on both the sides on a medium flame, till the vada is nice golden in color.
• Once the vada's are completely cooked take them out on a kitchen tissue/kitchen towel and repeat the process till the batter is completed.
• Serve hot with coconut chutney/ peanut chutney/ sambar/ karivepaaku karam podi.
• Last but not least add your 'love' to make the dish 'YUMMY'.

A generous drop of ghee on a hot golden vada with little spicy karivepaaku karam podi and fresh flavoured just grounded coconut chutney is all you need to seduce your taste buds.

TIPS:

• Do not over heat the oil; this may burn the vada's.
• Do not overload the kadai or cooking vessel with too many vada's, this may result in uncooked vada's.

The above recipe is going to participate in MLLA - Twelfth Helping hosted by Apu of Annarasa, event by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook.

Happy Father's Day