Vatha Kulambu

Ingredients:

Towar dal

Tamarind pulp (lemon sized tamarind, soaked in hot water and squeezed the pulp)

Turmeric

Salt

For tempering:

Ghee

Mustard seeds

Curry leaves

Grated coconut

Marthangali vathal (optional)

Method:

Pressure cook the towar dal. Take a pan, add tamarind pulp and salt and turmeric and let it boil and thicken nicely. Once cooked, add boiled towar dal and boil till it is all mixed well. Now take some ghee in a pan, add mustard seeds, once it splutters add curry leaves and power over the dal. In the same pan add grated coconut and roast it till slightly brown. Add this to the dal. In the same pan add some ghee and fry the marthangali vathal and add it to the dal.

Beans and carrot Poduthuval (stir fry)

Flat beans (Avarakkai) poduthuval. 

Beetroot poduthuval

Ingredients:

Green beans

Carrot

Grated fresh coconut

Mustard seeds

Asafetida powder (optional)

Urad dal (optional)

Chana dal (optional)

Salt

Turmeric powder

Method:

Dice the green beans and carrot into small pieces. Take a pan, add oil, add asafetida powder if you like, add mustard seeds, when it splutters add urad dal and chana dal if you like. Let it roast a little. Now add turmeric powder and the green beans and carrot. Cover and cook till desired softness.  Add salt, mix well. Add grated coconut. If you like it spicy you can add green chillies.

Goes well with Sambhar or Rasam.

You can use the same method to make cabbage, long beans, flat beans, only carrot or only beans or beetroot poduthuval.

Olan (Red pumpkin, white pumpkin, black eyed peas)

Ingredients:

Red pumpkin

White pumpkin

Black eyed peas

Salt

Coconut milk

Coconut oil

Green chilli slit in between

Jaggery (optional)

Method:

Cut thin slices of red pumpkin and white pumpkin. Mix it in a pan and add some water. Add black eyed pea in another pan with some water. Pressure cook the pumpkin and black eyed pea. Drain out water. Take a pan, mix the boiled pumpkin and black eyed peas together, add salt, add green chilli, add coconut milk. Add little jaggery if you like sweet. Mix well and boil slightly. Add little coconut oil. 

Goes well with sambhar or any curry with tamarind in it.

Enchilada

 Ingredients:

4 tortilla

Black bean 1 can

1 onion chopped length wise

1 green pepper chopped length wise

Taco seasoning

Shredded Mexican cheese

Oil

Red or green enchilada sauce

Salt

For decoration:

1 avacado diced

jalopenos (optional)

chopped cilantro

Method:

Take some oil in a pan. Saute onions till slightly brown. Now add peppers and saute it. Add taco seasoning and salt. Keep it aside. Take the water our of the canned black bean, wash it and add it to the pan. Mush it with spatula, add taco seasoning and salt and saute for 2 minutes. NTake a tortilla, spread enchilada sauce, add some beans, add the veggies, add cheese, wrap the tortilla. Prepare the remaining tortilla the same way. Now take a baking pan, spray with oil. Spread the layer of enchilada sauce, add the prepared tortilla wrap side by side, layer it with enchilada sauce and cheese. Bake it at 350 loosely covered with foil for 20 minutes. Add additional 5 minutes uncovered. Decorate it with diced avacado, cilantro and jalapeno's.

Malai kofta

Ingredients:

For Kofta

1 pack paneer

2 boiled potatoes

1tsp crushed black pepper

Cilantro chopped

Corn flour 

Salt

For Gravy:

1tsp jeera

1piece cinnamon

tej patta - 2-3

3-4 green cardamom

1 black cardamom

3-4 cloves

2-4 garlic

1/2 inch ginger

2 green chilli

 onion 1 big or 2 small, roughly chopped

4-5 small tomatoes roughly chopped

Salt

Cashews 1/2 cup

Whipped cream 2-4 tbsp 

Ghee - 2tsp

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

1tsp haldi

1tsp garam masala

1tsp coriander powder

1tsp sugar

Method:

Kofta:

Grate paneer, grate boiled potato’s, add crushed black pepper, cilantro, salt, corn flour..mix everything make balls..air fryer spray 350 for 4 minutes, 400 for 4–8 minutes ..turning every 2 minutes until golden brown

Alternatively you can deep fry, try 1, if it brakes in oil add more corn flour for binding.

Gravy:

Take oil, add jeera, cinnamon, tej patta,3-4 green cardamom, 1 black cardamom, 3-4 cloves, garlic, ginger, green chilli, sauté for a minute, now add roughly chopped onion 1 big or 2 small, sauté till it is slightly brown. Add 4-5 small tomatoes roughly chopped, add salt and cook till tomatoes are cooked. Let the mixture cool. Remove all the whole spices and discard it. Soak cashews in water. Grind the mixture to paste. Keep it aside. Once we use it, add water to jar and then Grind cashews to paste. 1/2 tsp red chilli powder, 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder, 1tsp haldi, 1tsp garam masala, 1tsp coriander powder. Take ghee in the same pan, add the dry masala powder, sauté and add 1/2 cup water so it doesn’t burn. Now add the ground masala paste, add water in jar. Grind cashews and add it. Add some more water. Add kasturi methi. Let it cook for 8 minutes. Now add chopped cilantro. Add whipped cream and cook for 2 minutes. Adjust salt accordingly. If you like sweet taste add some sugar. Gravy is ready. Add the kofta to the gravy just before serving.

Parapu thogayal (Moong dal chutney)

 This is one of the best combination with any curry that has tamarind.

Ingredients:

Moong dal - 1/2 cup

Grated coconut (fresh or frozen) - 1/2 cup

Green chillies - 2

Salt

Coconut oil - 1tsp

Method:

Dry roast moong dal. Soak it in water for 1 hour. Drain water and grind moong dal, coconut (if frozen just microwave for 30 secs), green chilli and salt to smooth texture by adding very little water if required for grinding. Add coconut oil and mix. Thogayal is ready to eat.

Palak Paneer

Ingredients:

Spinach

Onion -1

Tomato -3

Ginger 

Garlic

Green chillies 

Kasturi methi - 1tbsp

Salt

Turmeric powder

Jeera

Jeera powder

Dhania powder 

Dalchini powder

Star anise - 1

Garam masala

Mulati powder

Cilantro fresh - 1/4 cup

Paneer

Milk - 1/4 cup

Butter

Red chilli powder

Kashmiri chilli powder

Method:

Boil spinach in water, add little salt, little sugar. Transfer to ice cold water. Let it cool and blend it in blender. Take a pan, add some butter, add 1tbsp kasturi methi, add chopped cilantro, add paneer pieces (keep some paneer to grate it and garnish on top) and roast it on high flame till slight golden brown, sprinkle some salt. In the same pan add chopped onion, fry it till golden brown, add ginger garlic paste, green chilli paste, add 1 tomato purée and mix it until the butter leaves the side. Keep it aside. Chop 2 tomatoes. Take little butter, add jeera and let it splutter, add star anise, add chopped tomatoes and cook it nicely, add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, Kashmiri chilli powder, jeera powder, dhania powder, garam masala, dalchini powder, mulati powder. Sauté for 2 minutes, add onion Tomato masala, sauté for 2 minutes, add blended spinach. Add salt as per taste. Let it boil. Add milk, sim the gas and turn it off when mixed. Garnish with grated paneer.

Add some khoya and coconut powder if you want it more rich in flavor.