Gongura Pachadi

 Gongura pachadi /gongura leaves chutney /pulicha keerai chutney is a spicy and little sour sorrel leaves chutney made with sorrel leaves mix with freshly ground spice masala powder goes well with dosa, idli and also with hot steamed rice. Gongura leaves also known as sorrel leaves /pulicha keerai in tamil is a little sour in taste green leafy vegetable and a good source of iron and vitamins.Gongura pachadi recipe is given below with photos.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Gongura Pachadi.

Ingredients:-

Gongura leaves. - 1 bunch
Salt.                    - to taste

For grinding Spice Masala Powder:-

Coriander seeds. - 2 tsp
Dry red chillies.  - 12
Cumin seeds.       - 1tsp
Methi seeds.         - 1/4 tsp
Oil.                       -1tsp

For Seasoning:-

Urad dal.            - 1tsp
Mustard seeds.   - 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds.     - 1/2tsp
Dry red chillies. - 2 broken into halves.
Garlic crushed.  - 6 cloves
Oil.                     - 2 tbsp +1tsp

Instructions:-

1). Heat 1tsp oil in a kadai and roast coriander seeds, dry red chillies, methi seeds and cumin seeds on medium low flame until light brown in colour. Allow the above roasted ingredients to cool. Once cooled grind the roasted ingredients together to a smooth powder. Keep aside the ground spice masala powder.

2). Cut and remove the stems of gongura leaves and wash well. Keep the leaves in a colander to drain water completely from the leaves. Roughly chop the gongura leaves and keep aside.

 Method:-

1). Heat 2tbsp oil in a pan and add urad dal and saute well. When urad dal starts to change its colour splutter mustard seeds and cumin seeds and saute well. Add crushed garlic and saute well. Add broken dry red chilly halves into the pan and fry in oil for a second. Add roughly chopped gongura leaves into the pan and saute well till the leaves wilt.

2). Add required salt into the pan and mix well. Cook on low flame till the leaves shrink and become soft and mushy.

3). Add freshly ground spice masala powder into the pan and mix with the cooked gongura leaves.

4). Add 1tsp oil into the pan stir the spicy gongura leaves masala mixture continuously for 5 minutes on low flame.Once the gongura masala mixture leaves the sides of the pan and oil seperates. Switch off the flame and allow the gongura pachadi to cool.

5). Gongura pachadi /gongura chutney is ready to serve. You can store the gongura pachadi in the refrigerator and it stays good for a couple of days.

Serve and enjoy the tasty and delicious gongura pachadi with idli, dosa and also with hot steamed rice.

Tomato Biryani

 Tomato Biryani is a delicious one pot rice dish made with basmati rice, onion, tomato and spices.Tomato biryani recipe is given below with step by step method and photos.

 

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Tomato Biryani.

Ingredients:-

Basmati rice.         -1 and 1/4 cup
Tomato.                 - 4
Onion.                   - 2 +1
Green chilly.          -1
Dry Red chillies.    - 2
Ginger.                   - a small piece
Garlic.                    - 4 cloves
Coriander powder. -1tsp
Turmeric powder.  -1/4 tsp
Red chilli powder. - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala.      -1/2 tsp
Mint leaves.           - 1/4 cup
Coriander leaves.   - 1/4 cup
Bay leaf.                 - 2
Cinnamon.              -1' stick
Cloves.                    - 4
Cardamom.             - 3
Star anise.               -1
Cashew nuts.           - few
Raisins.                   - few
Salt.                         - to taste
Ghee.                       - 3 tbsp

Instructions:-

1). Chop onion into thin slices, chop tomatoes into small pieces, slit  one green chilly into halves, chop ginger and garlic into small pieces, finely chop mint leaves and coriander leaves.

2). Grind one chopped onion, chopped ginger, garlic, slit green chilly, dry red chillies, few chopped mint leaves and few coriander leaves into a smooth paste.Keep aside the ground paste.

3). Wash and soak basmati rice in water for 20 minutes.Drain water completely and keep aside the soaked basmati rice.

Method:-

1). Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a pressure cooker and add cashew nuts, raisins, bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, star anise and saute well.Add 2 chopped onion and a pinch of salt into the cooker and saute well till onion becomes translucent.

2). Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chilly powder and garam masala into the cooker and saute well.Add chopped tomato pieces into the cooker and saute well till tomato becomes soft.Add few chopped mint leaves and few chopped coriander leaves into the cooker and saute well.Add ground paste and 1/4 cup of water into the cooker. Mix well and boil for a minute

3). Add soaked basmati rice, 2 and 1/4 cup of water and required salt into the cooker and mix well.

4). Boil the basmati rice mixture in the cooker.

5). Cover the cooker with its lid and cook the basmati rice for 1 whistle and switch off the flame.When the pressure releases open the cooker lid.

6). Allow the tomato biryani to cool for a minute.Gently stir the tomato biryani with a fork without breaking the rice.

7). Transfer the tomato biryani to a serving plate.

A very tasty tomato biryani is ready to serve with onion curd raita or any side dish of your choice.

Watermelon Rind Cutlet

Watermelon rind cutlet is a deep fried tea time snack made with white part of the watermelon rind.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Watermelon Rind Cutlet.

Ingredients:-

Watermelon Rind.  - 1 cup chopped (white part)
Gram flour/Besan.  - 3 tbsp
Onion.                     -1
Green chillies.        - 3
Ginger garlic paste.- 1/2tsp
Chilly powder.        - 1/2tsp
Garam masala.        -1tsp
Chat masala.           - 1/2tsp
Coriander powder.  -1/2tsp
Coriander leaves.    - few
Curry leaves.           -1spring
Salt.                         - to taste

Instructions:-

1). Remove the green outer skin of the watermelon rind and wash the white part of the rind. Grate the white part of the rind and keep aside.

2). Wash and chop green chillies into very thin round pieces and keep aside.

3). Wash and finely chop coriander leaves and curry leaves and keep aside.

Method:-

1). In a mixing bowl add the grated white part of the watermelon rind, finely chopped onion, chopped green chilly pieces, finely chopped coriander leaves, finely chopped curry leaves, red chilly powder, coriander powder, garam masala and chat masala.

2). Sprinkle gram flour into the mixing bowl and gently mix with all the ingredients in the bowl using your hands.

3). Lastly add a pinch of salt and mix with the rind mixture.

4). Make small lemon size balls and slightly flatten the balls and make small patties.

5). Heat oil in a deep frying pan. Once the oil is hot, drop the flattened balls into hot oil and deep fry till golden brown on all sides.

6). Remove the deep fried cutlet from hot oil and transfer to a paper towel to absorb excess oil.

Watermelon Rind Cutlet is ready to serve with tomato sauce.

Chole Palak / Chickpea Palak Curry

 Chole Palak or Chickpea Palak Curry is a healthy chickpea spinach curry goes well with rice, chapathi, roti etc. Chole Palak / Palak Chickpea Curry recipe is given below with step by step method and photos.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Chole Palak / Chickpea Palak Curry.

Ingredients:-

Palak.                   -1 small bunch
Chickpea /Chole. - 1 cup
Onion.                  - 1 big
Garlic.                  - 3 (optional)
Tomato.                - 4
Turmeric powder. - 1/4tsp
Red chilli powder. - 1tsp
Coriander powder. - 2tsp
Garam masala.       - 1/2tsp
Cumin seeds.         - 1tsp
Salt.                        - to taste
Coconut oil.           - 4tsp

Instructions:-

1). Wash and soak white chickpeas /chole in water overnight and pressure cook till soft.

2). Wash palak leaves and steam cook until soft. Grind the steam cooked palak leaves to a puree.

3). Peel wash and finely chop onion and keep aside.

4). Peel and chop garlic into small round pieces (optional).

Method:-

1). Heat coconutl oil in a pan and splutter cumin seeds and saute well.

2). Add finely chopped onion into the pan and fry in oil till translucent. Now add chopped garlic and saute well (optional).

3). Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder and garam masala into the pan and mix well on low flame.

4). Add finely chopped tomato into the pan and saute well.

5). Add required salt and mix well. Cover and cook until tomato becomes soft. Saute well in between.

6). Add cooked chickpeas into the pan and mix well.

 7). Add 1/4 cup of water and mix the cooked chickpeas.Boil for 2 minutes on low flame and saute well in between.

 

8). Add palak puree into the pan and mix well.

 

9). Mix the chickpeas in palak puree.The curry will become thick as it cools. Add water according to the consistency and boil well. Switch off the flame.

 

 

10). Transfer the chickpea palak curry to a serving bowl.

A very tasty Chole palak /Palak Chickpea Curry is ready to serve with rice, roti, chapathi etc.

Banana Flower Masala Vada /Vazhapoo Masala Vada

 Banana flower masala vada / Vazhapoo masala vada is a deep fried tea time snack made with banana flower florets and split bengal gram/chana dal. Banana flower masala vada recipe is given below with step by step photos.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Banana Flower Masala Vada/Vazhapoo Masala Vada.

Ingredients:-

Banana flower florets. - 1cup chopped
Chana dal.                    - 1 cup
Onion.                          - 1 big
Green chillies.              - 3
Ginger.                          - 1 inch piece
Garlic.                           - 3
Curry leaves.                 - 1 spring
Fennel seeds.                 - 2tsp
Pepper corn.                   - 1tsp
Coriander leaves.            - few
Salt.                                 - to taste

Instructions:-

1). Wash and soak chana dal /split bengal gram in water for 2 hours. Then drain the soaked water completely from chana dal. Keep aside 1tsp soaked chana dal seperately from it.

2). Finely chop onion, coriander leaves and curry leaves, chop green chillies into small round pieces, chop ginger and garlic into small pieces and keep all the above ingredients on a plate.

3). In a mixer grinder add soaked chana dal, chopped ginger, chopped green chillies, chopped garlic, black pepper corns, fennel seeds and required salt.

4). Grind all the above ingredients together to a coarse paste without adding water and keep aside.

5). Peel and discard the outer red petals of the banana flower and collect the white banana flower florets attached to each red petals.Remove the match stick like pistil and plastic petal like calyx from each banana flower florets. Then finely chop the white banana flower florets and keep aside.Do this step just before adding it into the ground paste, to prevent it from blackening.

Method:-

1). In a mixing bowl add the coarsely ground chana dal mixture, finely chopped banana flower white florets, finely chopped onion, finely chopped curry leaves, finely chopped coriander leaves and 1tsp soaked chana dal. Mix well all the above ingredients in the mixing bowl using your hand.

2). Apply little oil or water on your palm.Take a small portion of the chana dal mixture and make a round ball shape and keep it on your palm. Gently press and flatten it on your palm using your fingers and make patties.Prepare similar patties with the remaining chana dal mixture and keep them on a plate.

3). Heat oil in a kadai for deep frying.Once the oil is hot drop the prepared patties in hot oil and deep fry them in batches until crisp and golden brown on all sides.

4). Remove the deep fried banana flower masala vadas from hot oil and transfer to a tissue paper to absorb excess oil, then to a serving plate.

A very tasty and crispy Banana Flower Masala Vada / Vazhapoo Masala Vada is ready to serve hot with a cup of hot tea or coffee.