Bitter Gourd Fry with Onion

Ingredients:

Bitter Gourd 3 – 4
Onion 1
Turmeric Powder a big pinch
Red Chilli Powder 1/2 – 1 tsp
Lemon Juice 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil 1 tbsp

Method of preparation:

Remove ends, peel and halve the onions.
Halve the onion again vertically and slice them thick.

Lightly scrape and wash the bitter gourd under water.
Remove ends, cut into halves and scoop out the seeds in each bitter gourd.
Now thinly slice the hollowed bitter gourd halves.
Apply a tsp or more of salt to the sliced bitter gourd and keep aside for an hour or two.
Later, wash the bitter gourd under running water and gently squeeze off the excess water.

Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and when they start to change color, add sliced bitter gourd.
Cook covered on medium low flame for 15 – 20 minutes or until bitter gourd becomes little soft.
Stir occasionally and make sure to add a tsp of oil if the bitter gourd tends to stick to bottom of pan.
Uncover, add sliced onion and fry on medium flame till onion turns light golden brown around the edges.
Then stir in red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt.
Remove from heat and add the lemon juice to the fried bitter gourd.
Serve bitter gourd fry with onion over plain steamed rice or over roti.

Snake Gourd Stew

Ingredients:

Snake Gourd 6 inch Long
Toor Dal 1/2 Cup
Onion 1 Small
Green Chile 2
Freshly Grated Coconut 2 tbsps
Coriander Seeds 1 tbsp
Black Peppercorns 3
Whole Red Chiles 2
Turmeric Powder a pinch
Salt to taste

Talimpu:

Urad Dal 1/4 tsp
Cumin Seeds 1/4 tsp
Mustard Seeds 1/4 tsp
Broken Red Chiles 3
Curry Leaves 6
Oil 2 tsps

Method of preparation:

Peel and finely chop the onion.
Remove stems, wash and slice the green chiles.
Remove stems, remove seeds and break red chiles into pieces.
Wash, remove ends, lightly peel and chop snake gourd into small pieces.
Wash toor dal thoroughly under water and boil in two cups of fresh water till just cooked.

Heat a tsp of oil in a pan, add coriander seeds and peppercorns.
Fry for few seconds and add broken red chiles and fresh coconut.
Fry for few seconds and remove from heat.
Once at room temperature, grind the fried ingredients into smooth paste adding enough water.

Heat oil in a pan, add all talimpu ingredients in order.
When urad dal changes color, add green chiles and onion.
Fry onion for a minute, add snake gourd pieces, ground masala paste, cooked toor dal and a cup of water. Add sufficient salt and boil till snake gourd is cooked soft but not mushy.
Serve snake gourd stew with steamed rice or with roti.

Malabar Spinach Potato Curry

Ingredients:

Malabar Spinach 2 Cups (Chopped)
Potato 1 Medium
Green Chiles 1 – 2
Salt to Taste

Talimpu:

Mustard Seeds 1/4 tsp
Cumin Seeds 1/4 tsp
Urad Dal 1/4 tsp
Broken Dried Red Chiles 3 – 4
Oil 2 tsps

Method of preparation:

Wash thoroughly and finely chop malabar spinach leaves.
Peel, wash and chop the potato into small pieces.
Remove stems, wash and slice the green chiles.

Heat oil in a pan, add all talimpu ingredients in order.
When mustard seeds start spluttering, add chopped potato and salt.
Fry for a minute or two or until potato starts to soften.
Add the green chiles, chopped malabar spinach and sallt (if necessary).
Cook covered on low flame for around 3 – 5 minutes.
Uncover and stir well and remove from heat if the spinach is cooked.
Serve malabar spinach potato curry with steamed rice or with roti.

Batata Vada

Ingredients:

Besan / Gram Flour 1 1/2 Cups
Soda bi Carb 1/8 tsp
Turmeric Powder a pinch
Red Chilli Powder a big pinch
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Potato Stuffing:

Potato 4 – 5 Medium
Onion 1
Green Chiles 3 – 5
Cumin Seeds 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida a pinch
Cilantro few Sprigs
Curry Leaves 4
Lemon Juice 1 – 1 1/2 tsps
Salt to taste
Oil 1 tbsp

Method of preparation:

Wash the potatoes and cut them into halves.
Bring few cups of water to boil in a sauce pot.
Add halved potatoes and boil them till cooked and just soft.
Cool the potatoes a bit and remove the peel.
Break the potatoes into crumbles with help of hands and lightly mash the crumbled potatoes.
Peel and finely chop the onion.
Remove stem, wash and finely chop the green chiles.

Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, curry leaves and asafoetida.
When cumin seeds start to change color, add chopped onion and green chiles.
Fry till onion turns translucent, add turmeric powder, cilantro and salt.
Remove from heat and stir in mashed potatoes and lemon juice.
Cool the potato mixture to room temperature.
Take a big scoop of the prepared potato mixture and form into soft round ball.
Repeat the same with remaining mixture and reserve all the potato balls for later use.

In a mixing bowl, mix together besan, soda bi carb, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt together with enough water to make thick and smooth batter.

Heat oil in a frying pan on medium heat.
With the help of a spoon, take each potato ball and dip into the thick besan mixture.
Immediately and carefully leave the dipped ball into hot oil.
Fry on both sides until it turns into light golden color.
Remove onto absorbent paper and repeat the same with remaining potato balls.
Finally deep fry the green chiles and sprinkle with some salt.
Serve batata vada with green chutney and deep fried green chiles.

Cabbage Fritters

Ingredients:

Cabbage 1/8 of Small Size
Rice Flour 1/4 Cup
Besan / Gram Flour 1/8 Cup
Red Chili Powder 1/2 tsp
Salt to Taste
Oil for deep Frying

Method of preparation:

Remove outer leaves, wash and thinly shred the cabbage (around 2 Cups)
In a mixing bowl, mix together rice flour, besan, red chili powder and salt.
Add the cabbage and sprinkle around 2 tablespoons of water.
Mix carefully to let the flour stick to the cabbage (don’t over use the water).
The cabbage shreds are still separate and keep it aside.

Heat oil in a deep frying pan on medium – low heat.
Carefully drop the cabbage mixture into hot oil.
Fry for around a minute or until cabbage turns light golden brown in color.
Remove the crispy fried cabbage onto absorbent paper.
Repeat the same with any remaining cabbage mixture.
Serve cabbage fritters as a snack or with steamed rice and dollop of ghee.

Cabbage Vada

Ingredients:

Urad dal 1 cup
Cabbage 1/2
Green Chillies 3
Ginger 2 inch piece
Cumin seeds 2 tsps
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Method of preparation:

Soak urad dal in water for an hour.
Grind the soaked urad dal into thick smooth paste adding minimum amount of water.

Chop cabbage roughly. Chop green chillies and ginger finely.

In a bowl, mix urad dal paste, chopped cabbage, green chillies, ginger, cumin seeds and salt thoroughly.

In a deep pan, heat oil on medium high.
Wash left palm and let it be wet all through the process.
Using right hand, make lemon sized ball with urad dal mixture.
Place in on left hand and flatten it.
Make a small hole in the middle and slowly leave in hot oil.
Fry on both sides until golden brown.
Serve hot.

Corn Vada

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Ingredients:

Fresh Corn 2
Onion 1 small
Corn Flour as required
Coriander Powder 1/2 tsp
Green Chiles 2
Cilantro few sprigs
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Method of preparation:

Remove the husk, silk and chop off the corn kernels into a bowl.
Mash them a little if they are soft else grind them a little without making into a paste.
Peel, wash and finely chop onion.
Remove stems, wash and finely chop green chiles.
Wash and roughly chop cilantro.

In a mixing bowl, combine mashed fresh corn kernels, chopped onion, green chiles, coriander powder, cilantro, a tsp of corn flour and salt into a somewhat tight paste. Add little more corn flour if required.
Take 2 inch sized ball out of above corn mixture and flatten it a little with the fingers.

Heat oil in a wok on medium high heat.
Slowly drop the flattened corn mixture balls into the hot oil until the wok is full.
Deep fry them until golden brown on both the sides.
Drain on absorbent paper and repeat the same with remaining mixture.
Serve hot with tamarind chutney.