Sweet Potato Masala Roast

A perfect roast as a side for sambar rice. Sweet potatoes are very healthy and if you don't like to eat just boiled like back at home, prepare this roast for weekday lunches and you will be hooked for sure. With our variety of spices, you never have to eat anything bland. These days sweet potatoes are a staple at my home. And here goes the recipe,

Ingredients:

2 medium Sweet Potatoes

1 medium Red Onion (finely chopped)

6-8 Green Chili (slit)

3 Garlic pods

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

1 tbsp Urad dal

3 dry red chili

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

2 tsp Chili powder/Sambar powder

Cilantro chopped

Salt

1 tbsp Oil

How to:

• Boil the sweet potatoes and chop'em to bite size pieces with or without skin. Crush the garlic and cumin seeds.

• Heat oil in a skillet, add mustard seeds, dry red chili and urad dal.

• Add the onions and green chili, saute for a min and now add the crushed garlic-cumin seeds.

• Add the turmeric powder and sambar powder, mix well.

• Add the sweet potatoes along with salt and cook for 5 mins in a medium heat. (Don't salt'em as you would for white/red potatoes, use sparingly.)

• Switch off and garnish with cilantro.

Spicy Rice Kichadi

One pot meal and a comfort food, perfect for those lazy days. Kichadi is prepared using rice or semolina or even cracked wheat mixed with lentils and a variety of spices and vegetables. You can also add roasted peanuts or cashew nuts for a little crunch. This recipe can easily be doubled when you have company over. With just a few ingredients from your pantry and easy to cook vegetables, this kichadi will be perfect for lunch boxes too. Hope you will enjoy the dish just like i did. And here goes the recipe, 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Rice

1/4 cup Toor dal

! 1/2 cups Water

1/4 cup Peas

1/4 cup Carrot (chopped)

1/2 Onion (finely chopped)

2-3 Green Chili (Finely chopped)

1 1/2 tsp Garlic (minced)

1 1/2 tsp Ginger (minced)

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Chili powder

1/4 tsp Cumin seeds

1/4 tsp Black peppercorns

1/2" Cinnamon stick

1 Clove

1 pinch Asafoetida

1 tbsp Oil

Salt

 How to:

• Wash the rice and toor dal together, pour the water and soak for 20 mins.

• In a pressure cooker, heat oil, add cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, clove, peppercorns, asafoetida and turmeric powder.

• Add the onions, saute for a min. Then add the ginger, garlic and green chilies and saute for a couple of mins.

• Add the carrots, peas along with chili powder and salt.

• Now add the soaked rice and dal along with the water, check salt and pressure cook for 1 whistle.

• Switch off, fluff the rice gently and garnish with cilantro.

• Serve warm with potato fry or chips.

Murungakkai Kara Kuzhambu (Hot Drumsticks Gravy)

After years of using frozen drumsticks, I laid my hands on fresh ones at the Indian store yesterday.  Immediately, i planned on cooking kara kuzhambu which i normally prepare with Indian eggplants (brinjal). It is a south indian dish served with cooked rice. This spicy and tangy kuzhambu is a variation from your usual sambar or rasam. So, go ahead and give this kuzhambu a try, i am sure you will love it. Here goes the recipe, 

Ingredients:

2 Drumsticks (14-16 pieces)

14-16 Red Pearl Onions

2 small Tomatoes

10-12 Garlic pods

6-8 Curry leaves

1 1/2 tbsp dried Tamarind

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1/2 tsp Urad dal

1 pinch Fenugreek seeds

2 tbsp Sesame oil

Salt, to taste

 To grind:

2 tbsp shredded Coconut (frozen & thawed)

1 tbsp Sambar powder

2 tsp Coriander powder

1 tsp Fennel seeds

How to:

• Chop the drumsticks to 3" pieces and mince the tomatoes and onions.

• Soak the tamarind in a cup of water and keep the juice aside.
• Grind the 'to grind' ingredients with 1/4 cup water and keep aside.

• Heat oil in a deep pan, add mustard seeds, urad dal, fenugreek seeds and turmeric powder.

• Add the onions, little salt and saute until it turns translucent.

• Then add the tomatoes and cook with lid closed for 4-5 mins.

• Now add the drumsticks, garlic and curry leaves, mix well and cook for a min.

• Pour 1 1/2 cups of water along with tamarind juice and cook with lid closed until the drumsticks cook.

• Add the ground coconut mixture and cook until desired consistency. 

• Check salt for taste and switch off.

• Serve hot with rice.