Curry In Kadai ~ An Indian Cooking Blog

Last weekend, I got my dosa batter and potato curry ready for the breakfast but to my surprise i found that i didn't have a coconut for the chutney... Hmmm what to do, just called mom for her spicy fresh onion chutney. ( Thank god, i atleast had some sweet vidalia onions on hand ). Yep fresh sweet onion chutney with green chillies, tamarind, cilantro and curry leaves is so easy to make and tastes so yummm!! This chutney goes very well with dosa and idly, i never had it with rice. Mom asked me to make this only if the onions do not have strong flavor and too much water. Best option would be either shallots or red onions and Sweet onions would be the next option. Usually mom prefers mortar and pestle for this chutney instead of regular mixer/blender. One tip from mom, run the blender under pulse mode to get chunky texture you get from using mortar and pestle.

P.S. Everyone has a unique taste palette, so please adjust the ingredients according to your taste.

Bottlegourd( Sorakaya/Anapakaya) aka Lauki is a very simple vegetable yet very versatile. Sorakaya tastes very subtle, mild and easily absorbs any flavors or spices its cooked with like a sponge. I have recently learnt that Bottle gourd aids in weight management, when taken either as raw( juice ) or cooked form. Since its full of water grandma says its very good in bringing down the body heat. Mom made this for me when i was pregnant since it brings down body heat and made sure i eat this veggie regularly ( In telugu, vantiki chalava chesthundi ). One simple sumptuous way to have this vegetable is to cook with Moong Dal( Pesara Pappu ). This Bottle gourd with Moong Dal tempered with Cumin Seeds in very little ghee and curry leaves is very subtle in taste, and i promise you can finish the whole bowl as is and it tastes so good like a soup , or along with steaming hot rice or fresh chapathis. It will be even satisfying as a complete meal when taken as soup along with some fresh Papads. Dont forget to add Cumin seeds as they add earthiness to the comforting Lauki / Sorakaya Pesara Pappu.

I have to agree that Simplicity is the Best! And it is very true when coming to my Spicy Tomato Soup flavored with Coriander and Mint. You can happily enjoy this for your lunch or dinner along with some salad and toast. This is one such recipe that boasts of simplicity, flavor, comfort, nutrition and deliciousness. Once you taste this fresh homemade soup, i am sure you will not go for any canned or powdered soups!!

Ingredients:

• 2 large / 3 medium vine ripe tomatoes
• 2 green chillies
• 1 tsp MTR sambar powder
• 1 tsp cumin seeds / jeera / jeela karra
• 1 tbsp oil/ghee/butter
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
• cilantro
• mint leaves

Preparation:

• Make slits( like cross ) at the top and bottom of the tomatoes, place in a bowl with very little water and microwave for 3-4 minutes. So that we can easily peel off the skin.
• Alternatively, you can pressure cook or boil these tomatoes as whole
• Once the tomatoes are cooled, remove the peel and run them in the blender and keep aside
• If you are concerned about the seeds, you can strain the juice
• In a sauce pan now do the tadka/seasoning, first add oil /ghee followed by cumin seeds, ginger, coriander seeds and curry leaves.
• Once the garlic is golden brown add the tomato puree/juice, turmeric, sambar powder, mint leaves, slit green chillies and simmer it over medium heat.
• Add salt to taste.
  
• Once the soup starts to bubble, turn off the heat and finish with chopped cilantro.
  

Serve this fresh homemade simple bubbling hot tomato soup with a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper and papads or garlic croutons.

My simple Mint and Cilantro flavored Tomato soup is on its way to Monthly Mingle - Soups hosted by Meeta

This is an appeal on behalf of a group of food bloggers who are friends of Briana Brownlow @ Figs With Bri. Bri was diagnosed with breast cancer two and half years ago. A mastectomy, chemotherapy and two years of relatively good health later, the cancer is back. It has metastasized to other parts of her body. At the age of 15, Bri lost her 41-year old mother to the disease. Now, she’s waging her own war against breast cancer. More about it here.
She is going through intensive chemo and other treatments and needs to focus single-mindedly on healing and finding what treatment works best for her. Her health insurance, unfortunately, does not cover holistic alternatives which she would like to try. Bri and her husband Marc have enough on their plates right now in addition to worrying about her medical bills.
The team organising the JUNE edition of CLICK at Jugalbandi has organised a fundraiser to help Bri and her family meet her out-of-pocket medical costs for ONE YEAR. CLICK is a monthly theme-based photography contest hosted by Jugalbandi. This month’s theme is: YELLOW for Bri .. Yellow is the colour of hope. Through the work of the LiveStrong Foundation, it has also come to signify the fight against cancer. The entries can be viewed HERE. The deadline for entries is June 30, 2008. The fundraiser will extend until July 15, 2008.
The target amount is 12,000 U.S. dollars. We appeal to our fellow bloggers and readers to help us achieve this. Bri deserves a chance to explore all options, even if her insurance company thinks otherwise. There’s a raffle with exciting prizes on offer. After viewing the list, you may make your donation HERE or at the Chip-In button on any participating site. Your donation can be made securely through credit card or Pay Pal and goes directly to Bri’s account. This month’s photo contest also has some prizes. Details HERE. You can support this campaign by donating to the fundraiser, by participating in CLICK: the photo event, and by publicising this campaign.

I'm here with my Healthy Buttermilk and Rice Flour Soup aka Majjiga Pindi in Telugu, a recipe that cools down your body temperature in these hot summers... This recipe is from my Pinni( moms sister ) and it didn't take long for it to become an instant hit and i remember she once served this majjiga pindi / rice flour soup in a dried half coconut shell( sagam kobbari chippa ) and it was so much fun! The tangy buttermilk compliments the spice from the green chillies... I promise this is a very simple, quick and hearty recipe quenching those salty cravings any time of the day!! This recipe is also on its way to Frozen Yogurt hosted by Siri of Siris Corner

Ingredients you need:

• 3-4 cups sour light buttermilk / Churned thin yogurt
• 1 cup sifted rice flour
• 4-6 green chillies cut lengthwise( please adjust the spice )
• 6 - 10 curry leaves chopped coriander( cilantro/kothimeera )
• 2 tsp urad dal
• 2 tsp chana dal
• 1 tsp mustard seeds( aavalu )
• 1 tsp cumin seeds ( jeera )
• a pinch of turmeric
• 2 tbsp oil salt to taste
  

Procedure:

• Sift the rice flour and churn the buttermilk well( it shouldn't be thick ), and mix in rice flour with buttermilk and make sure no lumps are formed.
• Add salt to the mixture and set aside
• In a kadai or thick bottomed saucepan, do the tadka with oil, mustard seeds, cumin, urad dal and chana dal, once they start to dance around, add curry leaves, green chillies and turmeric
• Stop the flame and add the rice flour butter milk mixture stirring slowly .
• Now put on the flame and bring this mixture to boil stirring continuously, when it gets together check for if its done remove from flame
• Adjust salt to your taste and add chopped coriander.
  

Guys, i added less buttermilk( approx 2 - 2.5 cups ) for a thicker soup, should have added 3 - 3.5 cups. Please do adjust the quantity of buttermilk since i have churned homemade yogurt into buttermilk!!

NOTE:: Do relish this sour and spicy buttermilk soup when it is steaming hot...

Tags: Pindi, Majjiga Pindi, Challa Pindi, Healthy Buttermilk and Rice Flour Soup, Perugu Pindi, Yogurt Soup

Recipe Source: Pinni( Moms sister )