Capsicum Porial

Usually capsicum does not go as side dish for rice varieties say, for dal rice or sambar rice or rasam rice. I tried preparing it like we prepare beans porial and it went well with dal rice for lunch.

Ingredients:

1. Capsicum -2

2. Oil - 1 tbsp

3. Mustard seeds- 1/4 tsp

4. Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp

5. Asafoetida - 1 pinch

6. Curry leaves - 5 or6

7. Gram flour - 2 tbsp

8. Chili powder - 1 tsp

9. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

10. Salt as per taste

Method:

Step 1: Cut the capsicum into long thin slices

Step 2: Heat oil in a pan, sprinkle mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida and then toss the capsicum in it. Cover and cook for a couple of  minutes.

Step 3: Open the lid, stir and then add turmeric powder, gram flour, salt, chili powder and mix well.

Step 4: Again close the lid and cook for 2 - 3 minutes by stirring once in between.

Step 5: Serve warm with hot steamed rive and dal/ sambar/ rasam.

Rava Idly

Rava idly is a favorite for many of us at restaurants but at home are we fans of rava idly? I had given few attempts in the past and they have come out ok and was not closer to what we get in restaurants, however this time it was closer to the one's we get in restaurants...

Ingredients:

1.     Sooji - 2 cups

2.     Thick curd - 2 cups

3.     Water - 1 cup

4.     Salt to taste

5.     Ghee - 1 tbsp

6.     Cashewnut - 1 tbsp

7.     Oil - 1 tbsp

8.     Asafoetida – 1 pinch

9.     Mustard seeds -1 tsp

10. Bengal gram - 1 tbsp

11. Urad dal – 1 tbsp

12. Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp

13. Pepper - 1/2 tbsp

14. Curry leaves - 1 spring

15. Green chilies - 3

16. Baking soda - 1 tsp

Method:

Step 1: Heat ghee and roast broken cashew nuts in it, drain the cashews and roast sooji in the same ghee until the flavor emanates. Let it cool for few minutes.
Step 2: Take the roasted sooji, Beaten curds, water, salt and mix well. Keep it aside for 30 minutes.

Step 3: Heat oil, crackle mustard seeds, cumin seeds, pepper, add bengal gram, urad dal, asafoetida, curry leaves, green chilies and fry until the dals get golden brown color.
Step 4: Keep the steamer or the idly cooker on heat; add the tempering, roasted cashews, baking soda to the sooji batter and mix well.

Step 5: Pour batter into idly plates and steam cook for 5-10 minutes. Check for proper cooking with a tooth pick or knife before taking out.

Step 6: Serve hot with coconut chutney.

TIPS:
* Usually grated coconut, carrot, ginger and chopped coriander are used in rava idlies. I did not use them as they de-color on steaming; also pepper and cumin have digestion properties and so i replaced ginger with those.

Horsegram Green porial

Horsegram was fed primarily to the horses, hence the name. However, this is so rich in nutrients that it is consumed by humans too for it also has lots of medicinal properties as per Siddha. Horsegram or kollu as it is known in tamil, takes a longer time to cook; so it is generally soaked overnight and then cooked, sprouting makes it more healthier. And, the water used for blanching the horsegram is healthy and flavorful which is not discarded but used to make rasam. 

Ingredients:

1. Horse gram - 1/2 cup
2. Amarnath greens (Mullai keerai) - 1 bunch
3. Green chilies - 2
4. Curry leaves - 1 sprig
5. Onion -1
6. Garlic - 5 cloves
7. Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
8. Asafoetida - 1 pinch
9. Oil - 1 tbsp

Method:

Step 1: Wash and soak the horsegram overnight. pressure cook them with some salt.

Step 2: Pick the leaves from the greens bunch, wash thoroughly, drain and chop them. Chop onion, peel and chop garlic.

Step 3: Heat oil in a kadai, splutter mustard, sprinkle asafoetida, saute onion & garlic, slit green chilies and add drained horse gram into it.

Step 4: Once the left over moisture evaporates, add chopped greens. Sprinkle some salt, mix and close with a lid.

Step 5: After 3 minutes, open and stir once. Cook it opened for another 2 minutes and turn off heat.
Step 6: Serve hot with rice and kollu rasam (Prepared in the usual way except that instead of dal stock, horsegram stock is used).