Aloo Tamatar Subji

Potato is a favourite vegetable for most of us and may be some of us resist it for mythical health reasons. Potatoes are best to be had with skin on by baking or steaming or grilling while only deep frying them or spicing them up heavily can turn them terrible (for health). However, this tangy-flowy-dissolving subji with hot fulkas is just an irresistible combination.

Ingredients:

1. Potatoes - ½ kg boiled and cubed
2. Onions chopped - 2
3. Garlic minced - 2 cloves
4. Ginger minced - 1" piece
5. Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
6. Green chillies - 2
7.  Chilli powder - 1 tsp
8. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
9. Coriander powder - 1 tsp
10. Tomatoes - 3
11. Oil as required
12. Salt to taste
13. Coriander to garnish

Method:

Step 1: Heat tawa; add cumin seeds, slit green chillies, and add onion, garlic, ginger and sauté well.
Step 2: Now add all the dry masala; put tomatoes and sauté till they are mushy

Step 3: Add potatoes and cook for 4 min with lid and then 4 min without lid.
Step 4: Pour enough water and add salt; mix and bring to boil until desired consistency is obtained
Step 5: Serve with hot with rotis.

Pepper Rice

Pepper is hot in taste and is a coolant to the body; there is nothing that helps cough and cold pepper in any form. I’ve heard that in some temple they give pepper rice as prasadam; but even if you have it prepared at home it is so tasty.

Ingredients:

1. Black pepper - 2 tsp
2. Mustard seeds - ½ tsp
3. Cumin seeds - ½ tsp
4. Sesame seeds - 1 tsp
5. Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
6. Ghee - 2 tbsp
7. Cooked rice - 2 cups
8. Salt to taste






Method:

Step 1: Dry roast the curry leaves, pepper corns and sesame seeds until aroma emanates and grind them into coarse powder once cooled.
Step 2: Season mustard and cumin in a tawa with ghee and add cooked rice to that.

Step 3: Sprinkle enough salt and the ground powder and mix thoroughly to coat the rice evenly.

Step 4: Serve with appalam/ curds or plain rasam.

Jeera Rice

When I started packing lunch to my husband after marriage, I think every alternate day he took jeera rice whatever went for side with it. There are two reasons for this; it is easy-peasy and it remains non-sticky until afternoon (I was still learning the proportion of water for rice then). Once when my aunt was here I prepared jeera rice and ‘kollu thovial’ (a typical south Indian chutney); she liked the combination so much that she got them wedded, a proper north Indian and south Indian combo you’d have not heard of.

Ingredients:

1.       Cooked rice – 2 cups

2.       Ghee – 2 tbsp

3.       Onion – 1 (Optional)

4.       Cumin seeds – 1 ½ tsp

5.       Ghee roasted cashewnuts – 1 tbsp (Optional)

6.       Coriander leaves – 2 tbsp chopped

7.       Salt to taste.

Method:

Step 1: Cut the onion into halves and slice them thin.

Step 2: Heat ghee in a non-stick pan, splutter cumin, add onion and sauté in high heat until brown; then add coriander.

Step 3: Immediately add rice, sprinkle enough salt and toss well until they are mixed.

Step 4: Garnish with roasted cashews and serve with gravies or dal.