JHATPAT CHATPAT- FOR QUICK, EASY AND TASTY RECIPES

Prerequisite: Mixer /blender

Suran/ amorphophallus/ elephant's foot is a tasty vegetable. Mamatha, a hands-on mom and a wonderful cook shares an interesting recipe with all of us.

Ingredients Used:

For koftas:
3 fistfuls of Suran/amorphophallus
3 fistfuls of carrots
3 tsp of besan/Bengal gram flour
2 tsp rice flour
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

For Gravy:
1 fistful grated coconut
2-3 fried chillies
3-4 green chillies
1 fistful coriander leaves
2-3 cinnamon sticks
3 clove buds
1 cardamom
1 onion
1/2 inch ginger
4-5 garlic cloves
1 1/2 tomatoes
Salt as per requirement.

How to Prepare:

Grate to 3 fistfuls of suran  and 3 fistful carrots, optimum amount of salt, 3 spoons bengal gram flour, 2 tsp rice flour. Make small marble sized balls without adding water. Deep fry. While frying them, prepare the gravy alongside.

For the gravy, take  1 fistful of grated coconut, 2-3 fried chillies, 3- 4 green chillies, 1 fistful coriander leaves,  2-3 cinnamon sticks (small ones),  3 clovebuds, 1 cardamom, one onion, 1/2 inch ginger,  4-5 cloves garlic, 1 and a 1/2 tomato- Put all of these in a mixer and grind them well.

Then,  in a kadai or cooking pan,  pour this ground masala with required amount of salt and water and bring it to a boil. Add the fried koftas ( veggie balls) into the curry mix well.. The fried balls should soak up some of the curry. Cover the container with a lid and cook on low flame till the koftas swell up a little in size and indicate that the curry has been absorbed.
Serve with fresh rotis or chapatis.

Prerequisite: Mixer blender

Pineapple soup is one of the tastiest soups I've had till date. This spicy-tangy-sweetish item is a perfect appetizer for the palate. Thanks Nanda for this wonderful recipe.

Ingredients Used:
1 pineapple
1 green chilly
1-2 tsp sugar( or depending on requirement)
1/2 bunch finely chopped coriander leaves
Salt to taste


Grind peeled pineapple cubes and green chilly.
Filter the pulp. Keep it to boil in a cooking pot. Add salt and freshly ground pepper.
If the fruit is sweet, you do not need to add sugar. Otherwise, use your discretion and add sugar. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves before serving.

We have heard of okra curry, okra sabzi and okra sambar but okra rasam is a new dish in my culinary vocabulary. Suma shares this interesting looking item with us all. This dish is from Andhra Pradesh section of India.

Ingredients:

10-15 ladies finger
1 tsp redchilli powder
A fistful of moongdal

For seasoning:
1-2 tsp ghee or clarified butter
Two green chillies
3 garlic pods crushed
1 teaspoon of mustard and jeera(cumin seeds)
 1 sprig of curry leaves

How to make:

Cook moongdal. Add more water to it to get a considerable amount of stock.  Use only the stock to obtain good flavour of the rasam. You could use the thick part of cooked moongdal to prepare another curry called pappu.
Heat oil, add mustard seeds(make them sputter), jeera seeds, curry leaves, redchilli and crushed garlic. Fry little. Add slit green chillies and little turmeric powder. Then add okra(chopped to half an inch length).  Fry till cooked. No water is to be used after okra is cooked. Add moongdal, required amount of water, salt and rasam powder. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with plain white rice.

For moongdal pappu
To the cooked moongdal add half chopped onion,one small tomato

Prerequisite: Pressure cooker

Cabbage- mushroom rice is a rare rice variety which is liked by all in our masterchef Suma's family. Do prepare it and let us know how you found  it.

Ingredients:

A handful of coriander leaves
3 green chillies
A little oil and ghee- 2-3 tsp
1/2 tsp cumin/jeera seeds
3 clove buds
1 cardamom
One big onion chopped
1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
1/4 tsp red chilly powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
1 cup each of chopped cabbage and mushroom
1 big cup rice
2 big cups water
Salt to taste/as per requirement

How to make:

Grind a handful of coriander leaves and 3 green chillies. Heat oil and little ghee add half spoon of jeera, 3 cloves, one cardamom , one sliced big onion, ginger garlic paste. Fry. Then add two chopped tomatoes and saute for a minute.  Add very little red chilli powder, as we have used green chillies,half teaspoon of turmeric powder and garam masala.  Add chopped cabbage, mushroom and add water (1: 2 proportion of rice and water). I took one cup rice and added little less water since mushroom has water content in it already. Cook the rice up to two whistles in a pressure cooker. Serve fresh with raita of your choice.

Prerequisite: Pressure cooker

Moongdal pappu is a Telugu dish. We use green gram dal in it. Thanks Suma for the recipe.

Ingredients Used:

1/2 cup moongdal/greengram dal
1/2 chopped onion
1 tomato
4 green chillies
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Tamarind- about the size of half a lemon(made into paste using little water)
1/2 tsp mustard seed s
1/2 tsp cumin/jeera seeds
2 tsp ghee/ oil or clarified butter
1 sprig curry leaves
6 skinned and crushed garlic cloves
1/2 cup finely chopped coriander leaves
Salt and water as per requirement

How to make:

Take moongdal. Clean it well. To this, add half a chopped onion, one small tomato, four green chillies cut cylindrically into small pieces, turmeric powder and small piece of tamarind. Cook upto three whistles in a pressure cooker and when cool, mash it nicely with a ladle.
Heat oil in a cooking pot. Add mustard seeds, jeera seeds and curry leaves. Wait till they crackle. Then add six crushed garlic pods and onion which is chopped lengthwise. Fry till brown. Next, add chopped coriander leaves and then the dal to it. Use required amount of salt. Cook to a boil. Moongdal pappu is ready to be eaten with plain rice or fresh rotis.

Tomato gojju is a tangy chutney sort of a preparation which goes well with dosa, chapati, appams etc. Prepared and shared by Suma.

Ingredients:
3 medium sized tomatoes
4 big onions
3 green chillies
2 tsp oil
1 tsp ghee or clarified butter
3 skinned and crushed garlic cloves
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp red chilly powder
Salt to taste
Water as per requirement

How to make:

Chop 3 medium sized tomatoes, 4 big onions and 3 green chillies. Heat oil. add one spoon of ghee for flavour. Add 3 crushed garlic cloves(skin peeled), chopped onions and fry till pink. Then add tomatoes till mushy. Now add red chilli powder as per your spice requirement nd 1  big spoon of dhaniya or coriander powder. Use required amount of salt and little sugar if tomatoes are sour. If you require gravy consistency, add water. Tomato  gojju is ready.

Prerequisite: Chakkuli/Semiya moulds

Idiyappam is Kerala style vermicelli made using rice flour. It could be eaten plain with curry of your choice or seasoned and eaten as masala idiyappam. Recipe contributed by Suma.

Ingredients :
2 cups roasted/unroasted rice flour
4 cups water
1 tsp cooking oil
Salt

How to make:

Take 2 cups of roasted rice flour and four cups of water or as needed. Boil water with one teaspoon of oil. Add it to the flour along with salt. Make a soft dough. Apply 2 drops of oil each to the idli moulds. Put the dough in semiya(chakkuli) mould, press small idiyappams on the idli stand and steam for 7 min. Don't overcook as  it turns out to be rubbery.

For masala idiyappam:

Heat 1 teaspoon of oil, mustard seeds, urad dal, 2 chopped onions,5 green chillies. Fry. Add two tomatoes and required amount of salt only to the mixture. Add the idiyappam to it. You could also add some sugar if required. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.

P:S- If you do not have roasted rice flour, use normal rice flour

Prerequisite: 5 hours of fermentation and pressure cooker/vessel for steaming.

While we all know dhoklas as a regularly prepared item in the Indian cuisine, oats besan dhokla is an innovation and healthier version of the original dish. This breakfast/snack item could be eaten along with coriander- tamarind-jaggery chutney ( mix of spicy coriander chutney and sweet+tangy tamarind chutney). Deepa has shared this recipe with us. Deepa loves cooking and trying out/experimenting with recipes.


Ingredients used :

1 cup bengal gram flour/ besan (slightly roasted)
1 teapoon sugar
1 green chilly
A pinch of turmeric
Salt as per requirement
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

For the seasoning:
 2 tsp cooking oil
 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
 1 sprig curry leaves
 2-3 pinches hing/ asafoetida
 2 -3 table spoons sugar in 2 cups of water
 Lemon juice as per requirement
 1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves

How to make:

Dry fry oats and powder in a mixer when it cools down. In a bowl, mix oats powder, besan along with curd to form a smooth batter without lumps. The texture of the batter could be adjusted later. (Allow it to ferment for 5 hours atleast if you do not want to use cooking soda)
After 5 hrs, to the above batter , add water, pinch of salt, 1 table spoon sugar, finely chopped green chilly (1 no.), half teaspoon baking soda and turmeric powder. The batter consistency should be like that of dosa batter.

Grease a plate. Pour the batter and  steam cook for 15 to 20 min in a pressure cooker like you would cook idlis.

For the seasoning :

 In a frying pan, add 1 tsp oil  and mustard seeds. Once mustard sputters, add curry leaves, slit green chilly and hing(asafoetida). Then, add 1 cup of water, sugar and lemon juice. Once water starts boiling, turn off the flame and gently pour half the amount of water plus seasoning uniformly over the cooked dhokla.
Garnish with washed and finely chopped coriander leaves.
Let the dhoklas soak up the water for 20 minutes.

 Cut the dhoklas into pieces and again, gently pour the remaining water, plus the seasoning. Tasty dhoklas are ready to eat.

Note: Pouring sugar water plus seasoning once dhokla pieces are cut, will improve the texture of the dhoklas as they will absorb the water from all sides.

This version of chicken curry is a simple yet tasty recipe. Thanks Suma for sharing it with all of us.


Ingredients:

For grinding:
 Copra or dry coconut -2 big spoons (don't add too much as it gives thickness)
 4 garlic cloves
1/4 inch ginger
2 cloves
 1/2 cup coriander leaves.

Grind and keep aside.

For frying:
3-4 tsp cooking oil.
1 chopped onion
1 chopped tomato
150g chicken cleaned and cut into required size
1 tsp red chilly powder
1 tsp coriander(dhaniya) powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coarsely ground pepper
1/2 cup coriander leaves to garnish

How to make:

 Heat oil in a kadai or cooking pan. Add one chopped onion and fry till pink. Add one chopped tomato and 150 grams chicken. Fry. Close the lid of the pan. Do not add water as it would already have enough water. Now, add red chilli powder, dhaniya powder and turmeric powder. Cook for sometime. Then, mix the ground masala. If you want gravy, add some more water, or else,  wait for all the water to evaporate and then add coarsely grounded pepper. Garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve with hot chapatis or rotis.

1/2 kg Okra (bhindi) washed, dried and cut thinly lengthwise.
1 tsp concentrated lemon  juice/ vinegar,
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp pepper powder
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp chat masala
1/4 tsp garam masala,
1/3 cup bengal gram flour to sprinkle

 Mix all of the above and deep fry in cooking oil of your choice.

 Then,  Dip these kurkures in 1/2 kg of thick curds, like how we make boondi raita. Instead of boondi, use bhindi kurkure. Then, add salt and 1-2 tsp sugar( depending on taste and requirement). Serve fresh, for, otherwise, the kurkures lose their crispiness.

Chicken kababs are excellent starters in any meal. Liked by old and young alike, these are healthier when we fry them using less oil/ grill them on skewers. To be relished with pudina coriander chutney or tomato ketchup. This recipe has been shared by Suma, who has magic in her hands.


Ingredients Used:

250 gms boneless chicken minced( in a mixer)
1 onion puree
One spoon ginger garlic paste
Finely chopped green chillies 4-5 as per your spice level
1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp garam masala powder
1/4 tsp pepper powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp  jeera or cumin powder
1 tsp lemon juice
Salt to taste
A handful of coriander leaves finely chopped
Oil for frying.

How to make:
Heat oil in a pan. Add onion puree, ginger-garlic paste and chopped green chillies. Fry for a minute. Add all the spice powders, salt, coriander leaves and then, one spoon lemon juice. After cooling it, mix it with the minced chicken. Make small balls of desired shape. They should not be too thick. You could shallow fry or deep fry them  in oil. I shallow fried these kababs
The other option would be to stick these in skewers and grill them.

Cluster beans chutney is a simple dish which goes very well with chapatis or rotis. The recipe has been shared by Suma. Thanks dearie!


Ingredients Used:

Tender cluster beans would be apt for this - 150 gms
Red chilli powder as per spice level required
Tamarind juice one spoon,
One spoon dry roasted chanadal
Three big spoons of grated coconut

Seasoning:
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1 sprig  curry leaves
2 pinches hing(asafoetida)

How to make:

Cook beans in one spoon of oil without using any water. Cover the pan and let it cook well. Grind chanadal coarsely. Keep it aside.  Grind all the other ingredients coarsely. Mix chanadal powder. Add the seasoning and fry for a minute. Clusterbeans chutney is ready.

Sandwich is a snack which most kids relish. It is one of the best ways in which we could sneak in veggies into kids' stomachs. Thanks to the Americans and Europeans who gave us this interesting item. We could make it healthier by using whole wheat/multigrain bread.

Ingredients Used:

For green chutney:
5 green chillies as per spice level
Half bunch coriander leaves
4 garlic cloves
Salt to taste and one spoon of lemon juice.
Grind the above to a smooth thick paste add very little water.

Sliced veggies used:
 Cucumber, carrot, capsicum, tomatoes and onions. Boiled and sliced eggs could be used(optional). You could also add fresh spinach and lettuce leaves for more fibre content in your sandwich.

How to make:

Take 2 slices of bread. Spread butter on both the sides using a butter knife. Then, spread the green chutney and place the veggies of your choice.  Grill the sandwich using a little ghee or butter  on the outer sides of the bread slice on a skillet/ rava or in a sandwich maker. Serve hot with/without tomato ketchup.

This is a dish inspired by Mexican cuisine. Serves as a good snack/ lunchbox item for kids.
Thanks Raksha for the recipe!


Ingredients for cutlet:

1 onion finely chopped
5-6 peeled and chopped garlic cloves
1/2 inch ginger grated
2-3 medium sized potatoes boiled and mashed
Chopped Beans, carrot and peas 1 bowl
1 bowl chopped spinach,methi(fenugreek) leaves
1 cup cooked rajma
2 cups oats(I used Quaker oats)
1/2 bowl chopped coriander leaves
Oil
Salt

 Powders used:

1/2tsp turmeric
2tsp chilly powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder

How to make:

Fry all the ingredients in oil, one after the other, except potatoes and chopped coriander leaves, until they are soft enough to eat. Now, add  the powders. Then, mix one cup oats out of two cups. Next, add mashed potatoes and coriander leaves. Switch off the gas and let it cool down to normal temperature.
Make bun sized patties out of the mixture.  Take the remaining oats on a plate. Dip the patties in the oat flakes and shallow fry both sides in a pan.

For the tortilla:

Ingredients:

Wheat flour, optimum water and salt to taste- for dough
Mayonnaise/Cheese spread
Grated Cheese

How to make:

Make a dough using wheat flour. Make lemon size balls and flatten them as you would for a chapathi. Now, roll it as in a veggie roll. Then,  make a spiral design using the rolling pin and flatten it. Fry both sides on the tava(this is the same method which we adopt for making lachcha paratha)

Now you could smear some mayo/ cheese spread/grated cheese on the tortilla. Keep the prepared cutlets. Microwave for aminute.
Wrap the tortilla around the cutlet. Serve hot with tomato ketchup.

Prerequisite: Mixer.

Kokum is a native fruit of Goa and regions around it. Being apt for the weather there, the localites consume it in various forms, kaDi being one of them. Suma has shared two versions of kokum kaDi with us here. It is to be mixed with plain white rice and eaten or relished as a refreshing appetizing drink.

Version 1:

I cup buttermilk
5 green chillies
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder,
 A handful of chopped coriander leaves,
 2 big spoons of kokum powder/juice as per taste
1 tsp cooking oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 sprig curry leaves
1/2 tsp cumin seeds/ jeera
2 byadgi chillies( wrinkled long red chilly variety)

Grind green chillies and coriander leaves. Mix buttermilk, salt and turmeric powder. Heat oil. Sputter mustard seeds in it. Then add jeera,  byadgi chillies and curry leaves. Saute for a few seconds. Mix the seasoning with the buttermilk. Check for salt and dilution as per taste.
You could add chopped onions if you plan to enjoy it with rice.



Version 2:

 Kokum kaDi  without buttermilk:

In one big glass of water, add kokum powder or juice as per taste and requirement. Grind 2 green chillies and half a cup of coriander leaves along with salt. Add a pinch of hing as well. You could add chopped onion if you want to(optional). In case you are preparing it for  drinking it, avoid onions and coriander leaves/ run the kaDi through a sieve prior to consumption.

Note: A little bit of jaggery (1-2 tsp) is also added to these preparations by some people of West Coast origin. 

 
This is a nutritious recipe which goes well with chapati/roti and rice( when diluted and prepared like a gravy). Thanks to Raksha for sharing this recipe with us.


Ingredients used:
1 cup lentil of your choice
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 inch grated ginger
8-10 garlic cloves
2 chopped onions
1 medium sized tomato
1 cup chopped methi (fenugreek leaves)
1/4 cup grated coconut
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilly powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin/ jeera powder
2 tsp sambar powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
Salt as per requirement
3-4 tsp cooking oil
Water as per requirement

How to prepare:

 Boil any lentil (like black eyes bean, cow peas or green gram) with minimal water. Ensure that it is not overcooked/mashed. Add some salt and bring to boil. Drain water and use it to prepare saaru if there is too much water remaining.  Set the salted lentils aside.

      Fry cumin seeds in oil. Add 1 inch grated ginger,  5-6 crushed garlic cloves and 2 chopped onions. Add 1 medium sized tomato (finely chopped). Then, add chopped methi leaves and fry.  Do not add water. Fry well in oil. Prepare a coarse masala out of 1/4 cup grated coconut, 4-5 raw garlic cloves, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1tsp red chilly powder, 1tsp coriander powder, 1tsp zeera/cumin powder, 2 tsp sambar powder, 1/2 tsp garam masala powder.
When the methi is almost fried, add the masala and fry for a minute. Mix the boiled lentil. Add salt and bring to boil. You could add little water to make a thick gravy. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Serve hot with chapathi.

This recipe goes well with jeera rice, ghee rice biryani. It is basically the gravy which is served with these rice items in some restaurants. This recipe has been tried and tested by Suma and tasted by her lucky family :)

Ingredients:
3-4 tsp cooking oil
One large onion chopped
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
2 green chillies
3 small tomatoes
2 tsp grated coconut
2 clovebuds
1/4 inch cinnamon stick
 1 cardamom
1/2 tsp cumin/jeera seeds
1/4 tsp red chilly powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
2 tsp curds
Salt to taste
1/2 cup vegetable/ chicken stock( optional)

Heat 2 tsp oil in a cooking vessel. Add one big chopped onion, one teaspoon ginger-garlic paste and fry. Add two green chillies and then three small tomatoes. Cook till mushy. Then, add two spoons of grated coconut and fry a bit. If you want it to be thick, add more coconut. Once cool, grind it.
Heat 2 tsp oil in another pan.  Add 2 cloves, one cardamom, half a tsp cumin/jeera seeds and 1/2 inch cinnamon stick. Now, add the ground mixture and two cups of water or any vegetable/chicken stock if available. Then, add a small amount of red chilly powder( 1/4 tsp),  1/2 tsp turmeric powder and 1/2 tsp garam masala powder, salt and cook. Then, add 2 tsp curds and bring to boil. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve with ghee rice/jeera rice or biryani.

This is a dry sabzi which goes very well with chapati/roti. Was voted as one of the good recipes by all members of the family, which is a rare thing.
Learnt from Ramya, a dedicated homemaker and doting mother.

Ingredients:
250 g mushrooms
100 g boiled corn
1 medium sized capsicum chopped
2 medium sized onions chopped
1/4 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp red chilly powder
2 pinches chat masala
2 squeezes of lemon( or as per taste)
Tomato ketchup ( optional)
Egg (optional)
1 tsp butter
1 tsp oil
Salt to taste

How to make:

Chop mushrooms finely. Shallow fry in a little oil until they lose their rubberiness. Keep aside. Saute onions, capsicum and boiled corn in butter. Add the rest of the ingredients mentioned above. Cook covered until done. Serve with fresh chapatis/rotis.

This is a good lunchbox recipe when you have leftover rice at home. Recipe contribution by Suma.

Ingredients used:
1 Capsicum
2 onions- chopped
1/2 inch ginger
4-5 garlic cloves
1-2 tsp red chilly powder
1/2 tsp crushed cloves
1/2 inch cinnamon stick
2 tsp coriander powder
2 tsp cooking oil
Salt to taste

How to prepare:

Heat oil. Add one teaspoon cumin seeds, 2 chopped onions, 2 chopped green chillies, 1/2 inch grated ginger and 1/2 tsp garlic paste. Fry till the raw smell goes away. Add two finely chopped tomatoes. Fry till mushy. Add red chilli powder- 1/2 sp, 1 diced capsicum and fry. Cook with lid closed. Do not add water. Let it be a bit crunchy. Then, add 1/2 spoon of crushed cloves, 1 inch cinnamon and salt. Finally, add 2 big spoons of coriander powder, sauté for a minute or two and mix rice. You could add corn to it too. Serve hot.

Prerequisite: Mixer/blender

Majjige means buttermilk in kannada and huLi is a particular kind of preparation which is consumed along with rice. There are several versions of majjige huLi but my favourite is the one prepared by my mother. My kids love it too.

Ingredients used:
1/2 coconut grated
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 inch ginger
3-4 green chillies
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 inch tamarind
1 tumbler buttermilk or 1 tumber of sour curd diluted with water
2 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 sprig curry leaves
2 dry red chillies
1/2 bunch coriander leaves( optional)
Vegetable of your choice- Ash gourd/ Mangalore cucumber/ Seemebadanekai( chayote squash)
Salt to taste
Water to dilute

How to prepare:

Chop the vegetable of your choice into big chunks. Cook in a vessel with a little salt and appropriate amount of water until 3/4 th done. In the meanwhile, grind grated coconut, ginger, cumin seeds, green chillies, turmeric powder, salt and tamarind to a fine paste. Add this to the cooked vegetable and cook covered for 10 minutes on medium flame. Then, add whipped buttermilk or curds, appropriate amount of salt, water for dilution and bring to a boil. Turn off the stove( do not boil curd/ buttermilk for long)
Season with mustard seeds, curry leaves and red chillies. Serve with hot white rice.

Prerequisite: Cooked rice and rajma(kidney beans soaked overnight)

Rajma rice is a rice item made using kidney beans. It is very apt for lunch box menu. Thanks to Suma for sharing the recipe which she found during google search.


Pre requisite: Soak a fistful of rajma overnight.

Ingredients Used:
A handful of Rajma/ Kidney beans
2-4 tsp oil
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
2 onions chopped
1 tsp cumin/jeera seeds
2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp dhaniya/ coriander powder
1/4 kg cooked rice

How to prepare:
Pressure cook Rajma for 10 whistles until soft. Heat 2tsp oil in a pan, one spoon of ginger- garlic paste and two onions chopped. Fry till pink and then add two chopped tomatoes. Fry a bit. Let it cool. Grind this mixture.

Heat 2 tsp oil in another pan add 1 tsp jeera(cumin seeds), half bunch cleaned and chopped palak/spinach leaves. You could add more spinach if you like the flavour. Allow to cool. Then add the ground mix., two tsp red chilli powder, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and 1tsp dhaniya/coriander powder. Now, add cooked rice and rajma. Mix well. Rajma rice is ready to serve.

Paruppu palya is a Tamilian recipe. Paruppu means dal in Tamil. This curry could be prepared using vegetables like French beans, cluster beans,
cabbage etc. The dal base for this curry could be prepared on the go or made beforehand and stored in freezer to be thawed and used when required. Learnt from Navarathna, who generously shared the paruppu base for today's palya.

Ingredients used:
Tuvar dal/ Urad dal/ Chana dal- 1 handful each
5-6 red chillies
2-3 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 sprig curry leaves
3-4 pinches of hing/ asafoetida
1 medium sized cabbage chopped finely
2-3 tsp grated coconut
Salt to taste

How to make:
Soak the dals  in warm water for 20 minutes so that they turn soft. Grind with the red chillies. Use it in your curry/ store it in the freezer for future use.
In a pan/ kadai, warm the oil. Add mustard seeds and curry leaves. Once they crackle, add hing and the paruppu base. Fry for a few minutes until the lentils cook. Then add the vegetable of your choice, salt and mix. Cover with a lid on small flame and cook on medium low flame till done.
Goes very well with chapati/ as a side dish with rice.

Prerequisite: This batter is to be prepared and kept overnight as it needs fermentation.

Appam is a Kerala variety of dosa. This is prepared in a special pan/ wok/ kadai meant for it but I've seen many moms use the regular nonstick kadai with curvature to prepare it too. Appam goes very well with kaDale curry/ Stew or any chicken curry.
Recipe has been contributed by Suma who tried this out by learning it from a fellow mom.

Soak 2 cups of appam/dosa rice and half a teaspoon of methi seeds for 5-6 hrs. Grind this along with 1 cup of grated coconut. Use less water. While some people use yeast for fermenting it, I haven't.
Pour the batter into any utensil(preferably steel).  Transfer the batter left in the mixer into another container by adding some water. This could be used for fermenting the rest of the batter . Take this water-batter mix. Heat it a bit. Keep stirring and it will thicken. Turn off the stove. After cooling, add it to the rest of the batter. Mix well and store in a warm place. Add one spoon of sugar too.

The following morning,  add salt and more water, if u feel the batter is thick. Use any nonstick pan which is a bit hollow. Pour the batter to the centre and turn the pan to spread the batter in the pan. Cover the pan with a lid  for about two minutes and appam is ready. Serve with chutney or curry of your choice. 

For khara(spicy) puri, grind 2 byadgi chillies and 2 guntur chillies, little tamarind, half an onion, 4-5 curry leaves, half teaspoon dhaniya/ coriander powder and jeera/ cumin seeds.  To this, add salt as per your requirement and water. Mix wheat flour and prepare the dough. Make small balls with this dough. Roll them out into round flat circles using a rolling pin and fry in oil flipping over both sides.

For cucumber chutney:
Grind cucumber (1/4 piece), 4 green chillies, half a coconut(grated) and tamarind (little- as cucumber is sour). For seasoning, add mustard, jeera/cumin seeds,  curry leaves, garlic, chanadal and uradal. Pour the chutney and fry till water evaporates. Add salt. Mix. Serve fresh.

Recipe shared by Suma, who loves trying different varieties of dishes for her family.