Flat beans Kuzhambu.

This flat beans Kuzhambu from the Tamilnadu cuisine goes well with both rice or roti. You can adjust the consistency as per preference. I normally enjoy it as an accompaniment to curd rice. This is a medium spicy preparation.

Ingredients:

250 gms flat beans

1 tbsp ghee

1 tsp mustard seeds

2 sprigs curry leaves

A pinch of turmeric powder

7 tbsps grated coconut

2 heaped tbsps Sambhar powder

1 tbsp Kashmiri chilly powder

1 level tbsp tamarind paste or as per preference

100 gms toor dal pressure cooked and mashed

Salt.

Method:

String the flat beans, open them and place aside the mature seeds if any.  Wash and chop the flat beans. 

Grind the grated coconut , sambhar powder, chilly powder and tamarind to a smooth paste. Keep aside.

Heat the ghee in a pan. Add the mustard seeds. After they splutter, drop in the curry leaves. Add the chopped flat beans, turmeric powder, salt and saute for a couple of minutes. Add half a glass of water and bring to a boil. Lower heat and add the ground masala and cooked toor dal.

Adjust consistency by adding enough water as per requirement. Bring to a roaring boil, lower heat and allow to simmer for five minutes till all the aromas are infused. Remove from heat and serve hot.

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Gooseberry/Amla Rasam.

A delicious Rasam which can be served over rice or had as an appetizer, the Gooseberry Rasam is a change from the usual tomato and lemon Rasam. Fresh or brined Gooseberry may be used .

Ingredients:

5 gooseberries

4 tomatoes

1 sprig curry leaves

2 green chillies

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp pepper corns

1 tsp coriander seeds

Salt

A tsp of jaggery

Coriander leaves for garnish

100 gms Arhar dal pressure cooked and churned.

For the tempering:

1 tbsp ghee

1 tsp oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 sprigs curry leaves

1 dry red chilly

A pinch of asafoetida and turmeric powder.

Method:

Slice the gooseberries and tip them into the mixer. Chop the tomatoes and add them too along with the pepper, cumin seeds, coriander seeds green chillies and curry leaves. Grind to a fine paste. Heat the Ghee and oil mixture in a pan. Add the mustard and cumin seeds and once they crackle add the red chilly, asafoetida and turmeric powder. Toss. Add the curry leaves and then tip in the ground paste. Pour in a litre of water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for fifteen minutes. Add the cooked dal, salt and jaggery. Bring to a roaring boil. Switch off and garnish with coriander leaves.

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Dondakaya Stir-fry

A number of preparations of Dondakaya or Ivygourd are prepared all over India. The recipes differ from region to region. The spices used as well as the oil too differs. That is what makes every dish in India unique. Posting a Dondakaya Stir-fry the way it is made in Andhra Pradesh today.

Ingredients:

250 gms Dondakaya

Two bsps oil of choice

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp chilly powder

1/3 tsp turmeric powder

2 sprigs curry leaves

4 tbsps of grated coconut

Salt

Method:

Wash the Dondakaya. Snip off the ends and slice into roundels. Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds and once they splutter add the curry leaves. Drop in the sliced Dondakaya, salt, turmeric and chilly powder and saute on a low flame for three minutes till the spices coat the vegetable. Add half a cup of boiling water, cover and cook till done. Garnish with grated coconut and roasted for a couple of minutes on an open flame. Serve hot with rice or chapati.

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Dondakaya Vepudu.

Dondakaya is the Telugu name for Ivygourd / Tindora. Here is a recipe which goes well with Dal rice or even with Chapati. I normally pair it with a Rasam and onion raita.

Ingredients:


250 gms Dondakaya


100 gms peanuts roasted and powdered.


2 tsps Red Chilli Powder


3 sprigs curry leaves


Salt


Oil

Coriander leaves for garnish.

Method:

Wash and chop the Dondakaya length wise.
Heat oil in a pan. Drop in the Dondakaya and shallow fry till done Drain it on a paper towel. Roast the curry leaves in a tablespoon of oil and drop them onto the Dondakaya. Tip in the roasted groundnut powder, salt and chilly powder. Mix thoroughly.  Garnish with coriander leaves.  Serve with rice and dal.

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Donne Mensinkayi/ Capsicum Gojju.

I have already posted a Bell pepper curry popular in North Karnataka. Here is another. Called Gojju or Menskai in the local parlance, the Gojju is normally mixed with rice or also served as a side dish with Jolada rotti or chapati. Various other vegetables too can be substituted for Bell pepper. The most popular is the one made with pines.

Ingredients:

2 medium sized Bell peppers cut into bits.

4 tsps white sesame

1 tsp black sesame

6 tbsps grated coconut

5 roasted Byadgi chillies

4 roasted Guntur chillies

1 heaped tbsp tamarind paste

6 tbsps jaggery powder or a small piece of jaggery

1 tbsp black gram/ urad dal

1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds

A kidney bean sized piece of asafoetida

A pinch of turmeric powder

Salt

4 tbsps coconut oil.

For the tempering:

1 tbsp oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 dry red chilly

2 sprigs curry leaves.

Method:

Dry roast the sesame seeds till they splutter and turn a golden brown. Roast the chillies in a tbsp of oil. Remove. Add the urad dal, fenugreek seeds and asafoetida. Roast till the urad dal turns light brown in colour. Remove from flame and allow to cool. Grind the roasted items, coconut and roasted sesame seeds to a fine paste with enough water. Heat two tbsps oil in a pan. Drop in the chopped Bell pepper, turmeric and salt. Saute for a couple of minutes. Add the tamarind paste and jaggery. Add a glass of water and bring to a boil. Simmer till the bell pepper is seventy five percent done. Pour in the ground paste , cover and cook till done. Heat one tbsp oil. Add the mustard. After it splitters add the dry red chilly and curry leaves. Pour the seasoning into the Gojju. Mix well and serve hot.

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Donne Mensinkayi Pallya/ Bell pepper curry.

Donne Mensinkayi/ Shimla Mirch or Capsicum is normally used in the preparation of this delicious North Karnataka dish. I had half each of the coloured peppers so decided to use them instead.

Ingredients:

Half of each of red, green and yellow Bell pepper chopped into chunks

3 tbsps peanuts

2 tbsps sesame seeds

5 green chillies

5 tbsps grated coconut

7 cloves of garlic

1 tsp coriander seeds

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

5 pepper corns

1 inch stick of cinnamon

3 cloves

2 pods cardamom

1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

2 onions finely chopped

1 large onion roughly chopped

A small bunch of coriander leaves

4 tbsps oil

Salt

2 tsps jaggery

2 sprigs curry leaves.

Method:

Tip the peanuts, sesame seeds, mustard seeds, grated coconut, green chillies and garlic into a pan. Roast it for four minutes. Allow to cool. Grind it to a paste with the roughly chopped onions, chilly powder, jaggery, salt, 4 tbsps coriander leaves, coriander seeds, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, pepper and cardamom. Keep aside. Heat the oil in a pan . Add the finely chopped onions and curry leaves. Roast to a golden brown. Add the ground paste and saute for a couple of minutes. Add two glasses of water and bring it to a boil. Allow it to simmer for a couple of minutes. Drop in the chopped Bell pepper. Cover and cook till done. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with Jolada rotti, chapati or rice.

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Pinto beans masala curry.

There’s something so comforting scooping up the Pinto beans masala curry with some hot chapati or a soft kulcha. It’s a treat to the taste buds.. Accompanied by a raw salad and a glass of buttermilk, it is the ultimate of meals!

Ingredients:

100 gms Pinto beans

2 potatoes

3 medium sized onions

2 tomatoes

6 green chillies

A small bunch of coriander leaves

7 cloves of medium sized garlic

1 inch piece of ginger

3 tbsps of grated coconut

1 heaped tsp Chole masala

A pinch of turmeric powder

1 heaped tbsp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin seeds

3 tbsps oil

2 tsps Ghee

Salt

Method:

Soak the Pinto beans overnight. Pressure cook till done. Normally they get cooked within fifteen minutes after the first whistle. Pressure cook potatoes. Peel and cut into large pieces..Tip the onions, tomatoes, green chillies, coriander leaves, garlic, ginger and coconut into a mixer jar. Grind to a smooth paste. Heat the Ghee and oil into a pan. Add the cumin seeds and after they splutter add the ground paste. Roast on a slow flame till the oil starts separating. Add the chole masala, coriander and turmeric powders and roast for a couple of minutes . Tip in half a litre of water and bring to a boil. Add the cooked Pinto beans, salt and potatoes and mix thoroughly. Allow to simmer covered for ten minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot .

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Malli poo/ Mallige idli

Malli poo refers to the beautiful, fragrant, white jasmine flower in Tamil and Mallige in Kannada. The idli gets it’s name because of the softness and it’s whiteness. Sago pearls and beaten rice are what make this idli soft and white.

Ingredients:

250 gms split black gram/ Urad dal

500 gms Idli rava/ rice rava

100 gms Sago pearls/ sabudana

100 gms beaten rice/ Poha

1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds/ Methi

Salt

Method:

Wash and soak the urad dal. Soak the methi seeds, sabudana and poha separately. All the three items are soaked for about four to five hours. Grind the urad dal to a smooth fluffy batter in the wet grinder for twenty minutes. If using the mixer ,cut down on the rice rava by half. Whisk well to incorporate air into the batter. The advantage of grinding in a wet grinder is that not only does the urad dal increase in volume but it also becomes extremely fluffy. Grind the sabudana, methi and poha in the mixer jar and tip it into the grinder. Grind for a further ten minutes so that the batter and the sago, poha ,methi mixture are mixed well. Tip the batter in a vessel. Wash the idli rava, drain, squeeze out the water and drop it into the batter. Add salt, mix well and allow to ferment for 12 hours. Mix the batter with a light hand. Grease the idli moulds with oil or ghee. Pour the batter into them and steam for ten minutes. Remove and allow to cool for five minutes. De mould and serve with chutney and sambhar. Recipe links to both Sambhar and chutney given below.

https://vinayasculinarydelights.com/coriander-leaves-chutney-2/

https://vinayasculinarydelights.com/mixed-vegetable-sambhar/

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Vermicelli Pulao

An easy to prepare, filling and delicious Pulao which can be served at breakfast or lunch. Ready in just fifteen minutes and is a real saviour when having guests. Link to the ‘All purpose chutney’ used in the pulao is given below.

https://vinayasculinarydelights.com/all-purpose-chutney-recipe/

Ingredients:

1 cup vermicelli

1.5 cups of boiling water

2 tsps ghee/ clarified butter for roasting the vermicelli

A mixture of 2tbsps ghee and 3tbsps oil for seasoning.

1 small capsicum chopped

1 small carrot chopped

1 large onion chopped fine

A fistful of peas

4 tbsps of all purpose chutney

2 inch piece of cinnamon

4 cloves

1 bay leaf

4 cardamom

1 tsp Biryani masala

1/2 tsp lemon juice

2tsps finely chopped coriander leaves

Salt

Method:

Roast the Vermecilli in ghee to a golden brown. Keep aside. Heat the ghee and oil mixture in a pan. Drop in the cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and bay leaf. After it splutters drop in the onions, carrots and peas. Add salt and saute till the onion turns translucent. Add the chopped capsicum and the ‘All purpose chutney’ and continue to saute for a couple of minutes. Add the Biryani masala and saute for a minute. Pour in the boiling water and bring the mixture to a boil. Drop the roasted Vermecilli and once it starts boiling lower heat cover and cook for around seven to eight minutes. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and lemon juice. Mix well and serve hot.

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Abu Bakar

The name is very deceptive, but this long forgotten Konkani recipe used to be extremely popular about seven decades ago. It was prepared when people fasted as it contains no cereals. It is normally accompanied by fresh home made butter.

Ingredients:

250 gms urad dal/ split black gram

8 green chillies

2 inch piece of ginger

A kidney bean sized piece of Hing/ asafoetida

Salt

Oil to roast.

Method:

Wash and soak the urad dal for five hours. Grind to a smooth and fluffy batter in the wet grinder. This may take about twenty five to thirty minutes. Tip the batter into a vessel, add salt, mix thoroughly and allow to ferment overnight…. The next morning crush the green chillies, ginger and asafoetida and add it to the batter. Mix well. Heat a tava/ skillet. Pour a ladleful of batter, drizzle with oil (preferably coconut oil) and cover and roast on a medium to low flame. Flip. Roast on the other side too. Serve hot with home made butter.

Note:

You can make Abu Bakar without fermenting the batter as well.. Just grind, add the chilly, ginger and asafoetida mixture and make them.

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