Brinjal Curry with Peanut Sauce Recipe

I dont even remember how I started liking brinjals, its only a year since I've started liking this veggie. This curry with the flavour of peanuts and sesame tastes soo good and goes well with rice and rotis. Do give a try for yourself!

Brinjal Curry with Peanut Sauce Recipe - Ingredients
Serves 2

• Brinjals - 7
• Onion - 1 medium sized
• Tomato - 1 medium sized
• Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Sambar powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt- as required
• Oil - 1 to 2 tsp

To temper :

• Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Curry leaves - few

To dry roast and grind to a fine paste:

• Peanuts - 2 tbsp
• Chana dal - 1/2 tbsp
• Urad dal - 1 tsp
• Sesame seeds - 1 tsp
• Grated coconut - 3 tbsp
• Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
• Red chillies - 2

Method:

1. Heat oil, add mustards seeds and curry leaves- allow it to splutter. Then add onions , fry until slightly browned. Then add tomatoes fry until mushy and raw smell leaves.Add sambar powder.
2. Add the brinjals and fry until it shrinks, add water till immersing level and cook covered until the brinjals turn soft and the water evaporates completely.Dont make it mushy just cook until the brinjals are soft yet crunchy.
3. Now add the ground paste, add chilli powder , required salt.Fry until nicely roasted say 3-5mins. Switch off.Serve with sambar rice or any variety rice.

My Notes:

• I saw this recipe once in a cookery show and sesame was mentioned optional but I added it as I luv the flavour.
• You can also add jeera and curry leaves while tempering but I didnt add it though.
• You can also make it a bit more gravy kind and serve it as a sidedish for rotis.

Murungakkai Masala

Murungakkai Masala is my all time favorite...even when I was a fuzzy eater I like drumstick and potato very much.This recipe is mostly the same as how I made cabbage curry but I wanted to post it as many of you'all asked me for the recipe when I posted mango sambar where the drumstick curry was at the side :) Being this veggie lover, I am surprised to see that this is the 2nd drumstick recipe I am posting...have to look out for more drumstick recipes to post here :)

Drumstick Curry Recipe

Preparation Time:15 mins | Cooking Time : 20 mins | Serves:2
Recipe Category: Sidedish | Recipe Cuisine: Indian

Drumstick - 5
Garlic - 5 halved
Big Onion - 1 finely chopped
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Water - as required
Salt - to taste

To grind to a paste:

Coconut - 1/3 cup
Fennel Seeds - 1/2 tsp

To temper:

Oil - 2 tsp
Cinnamon - 1/2 inch piece two
Cloves - 2
Cardamom - 2
Curry leaves - few

Method:

1. Wash drumstick and trim the ends. Cut it into1.5 inches long,Set aside.Heat oil - add the items listed under 'to temper' let it splutter then add garlic and onions, fry till golden brown.
   
2. Add drumstick,red chilli powder, required water and let it boil.
   
3. Cover and cook for few mins until the drumstick turns tender.Meanwhile grind coconut,fennel seeds along with little water to a semi fine paste.
   
4. Once the color of the veggie changes and is cooked to soft, add required salt,coconut paste.Add 1/2 cup water
   
5. Let it cook till it becomes semi dry.Switch it off.
   

Serve with rice and sambar/rasam.

My Notes:

• If you dont like the spices flavour then here is an alternate : for tempering add mustard seeds and urad dal and for grinding grind coconut with jeera.You can replace red chilli powder with sambar powder.
• The consistency is purely your choice.You can even cook for few more mins to make it nicely roasted till dry or switch off earlier with gravy.I made it semi dry for mixing with rice.
• Choose tender drumstick.
• You can even add 1 tomato while sauteing onion.

Tasty Godhuma Rava payasam South Indian Recipe

godhuma rava payasam

I have received requests to post recipes for festivals like Maha Shivaratri, Navratri, Ganesh Chaturthi. Tomorrow is Maha Shivaratri (17th February, 2015) and am fasting. Down South we eat grains during fasts unlike in North India. I usually like to make recipes that are subtly spiced, not too sweet and with minimal ingredients. Godhuma rava payasam is a fairly simple prasadam, a breeze to make and not to mention, comforting.
The main ingredients in this particular payasam are cracked wheat aka broken wheat and jaggery. Cracked wheat goes by the name godhuma rava in telugu, daliya in hindi, gothumai ravai in tamil and gothambu rava in malayalam. Sweetener of choice is jaggery but sugar can also be used or a combination of both. Vegans can use almond milk or coconut milk. If you have any left over payasam, refrigerate. At the time of serving, add some warm milk, mix over low flame and its as good the day it was prepared. But keep in mind, milk based desserts do not have a long shelf life and its best to refrigerate and eat within 2-3 days of preparation. There are a few variations to cracked wheat kheer. I will also blog another version which calls for the addition of yellow moong dal and coconut milk.
If you are looking for festival food items or prasadam to offer God, godhuma rava payasam fits the bill.

Godhuma rava payasam Recipe

Prep time: 10 min

Cook time: 50 min

Serves: 5

Main Ingredients: cracked wheat jaggery

Ingredients

• Cracked wheat - 1/2 cup (broken wheat/godhuma rava/daliya)
• Water - 3 1/2 cups
• Milk - 1/2 cup, boiled, full fat - optional (if not using milk, increase water quantity by 1/2 cup)
• Jaggery - 1 3/4 cups, grated
• Cashew nuts - 7-8, break into small pieces
• Raisins - 12-15
• Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Method

1. Put the milk to boil. While the milk is boiling, grate the jaggery and set aside.
2. Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed vessel and fry cashew nuts pieces till golden brown. Remove to a plate and add raisins to the vessel and saute till they swell and turn slightly dark. Remove them to the plate that you had transferred the roasted cashew nuts. Set aside them aside.
3. To the same ghee, add the broken wheat aka godhuma rava and fry on low to medium flame till the raw smell disappears and it changes to deep red color. This could take 7-8 mts.
4. Add 3 1/2 cups of water and place lid. Cook on medium flame, stirring once in a while. The rava will absorb the water and swell and cook till soft. This could take approx 18-20 mts.
5. Add grated jaggery and cardamom powder and mix. The jaggery will begin to melt and the payasam will become watery. Cook without lid on medium flame till the payasam thickens. This could take approx 15-20 mts.
6. Turn off flame, add cardamom powder and slowly add the milk and keep mixing till well combined. Remove to a serving bowl and garnish with roasted nuts and raisins.

Tips

• Milk can be substituted with 3 1/2 cups of thin coconut milk and 1/2 cup of thick coconut milk. I will also blog this version of wheat rava payasam.
• The payasam can also be cooked in milk instead of water for a rich flavor.
• Milk can be substituted with water. In that case, you will need 4 cups of water.
• Skimmed milk can also be used. Full fat milk gives a richer flavor.
• You can use upto 2 cups grated jaggery.
• Sugar can be used in place of jaggery. Or you can use both sugar and jaggery i.e 1 cup jaggery and 3/4 sugar.
• If you want a payasam which is not too thick, increase water or milk quantity.