VADACURRY

INGREDIENTS:

TO MAKE VADA:

Channa dal - 1 cup
Onion - 2 nos.
Fennel seeds - 1 tsp.
Red chilli - 4
A small piece of ginger
A sprig of curry leaves
Salt to taste
Oil to fry

 TO MAKE CURRY:

Onion - 3
Tomatoes - 3
Fennel seeds - 1 tsp.
Cloves - 4 nos.
Cinnamon stick - 1 small piece
Cashewnuts - 8 - 10 nos.
Green peas - 1/2 cup
A pinch of Turmeric powder
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp.
Finely chopped Ginger - 1 tsp.
Finely chopped Garlic - 8 -10
Green chillies - 2
Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp.
Coriander Powder - 2 tbsp.
Milk extracted from coconut - 1/2 cup (optional)
Coriander leaves for garnishing
Few Mint leaves
A sprig of curry leaves
Oil as required
salt to taste

PREPARATION METHOD:

Soak the Channa dal in water for 1 hour and then grind coarsely along with red chillies,fennel seeds and salt. Sprinkle water if required.

Add little amount of finely chopped onions, curry leaves to the above mixture and then prepare small vadas or you can also make small balls just like bondas and fry it in oil till you get a light brown colour. Always cook in medium flame if you use a high flame the vadas will become crisp outside but it would not have been cooked inside.

Heat oil in a kadai, fry the fennel seeds, cloves, cinnamom sticks, cashewsnuts. Add the chopped onions, ginger, garlic and  curry leaves and Saute this till the onions become light brown in colour.
Next add the chopped tomatoes, green chillies and saute well till it becomes juicy.
 Add the green peas and mint leaves. Saute well.
Now add all the masala powders one by one with the required amount of salt. Add 1 cup of water
and cook in a medium flame for 10 minutes. Close the kadai with a lid so that the vadacurry is cooked quickly.
 Now add the crushed vadas to the curry and stir well so that everything gets blended well.
 At this stage add the coconut milk and allow this to boil for 3 minutes in low flame.

Garnish this with coriander leaves and seve hot with idly and dosas.

VEG KURUMA

INGREDIENTS:

1 medium to large carrot, 80 to 90 gms
½ to ⅓ cup chopped french beans, 50 to 60 gms
½ cup peas/matar, fresh or frozen
1 medium to large potato, 80 to 100 gms
4 to 5 white button mushrooms
1 medium sized onion
1 medium sized tomato
¼ tsp turmeric powder/haldi
2 tbsp fresh full fat yogurt/curd/dahi (avoid using low fat or sour yogurt as the yogurt curdles when cooking)
1.5 cups water
2 to 3 tbsp oil
salt as required
few chopped coriander leaves for garnish

GRIND THE FOLLOWING:

5 to 6 tbsp fresh grated coconut or unsweetened desiccated coconut
5 to 6 whole cashews or ¾ to 1 tbsp chopped cashews
½ tbsp roasted chana dal/daria dal/dalia
½ tbsp coriander seeds/sabut dhania
3 to 4 medium sized garlic/lahsun, chopped
¾ inch ginger/adrak, chopped
3 dry red kashmiri chilies or byadgi chilies - broken and deseeded if your prefer. substitute with 1 to 2 green chilies or 1 to 2 dry red chilies of any other variety, depending on the hotness and pungency of the chilies.
¾ to 1 tsp fennel seeds
1 inch cinnamon stick/dal chini
2 cloves/lavang
1 green cardamom/hari elaichi
1 tsp poppy seeds (if not available then skip)
a small tiny piece of stone flower/dagad phool/kalpasi/patthar ke phool (skip if not available. stone flower is strongly aromatic and flavored. so use a very tiny piece.)
½ cup water for grinding.

PRELIMINARY PROCESS:

Take all the ingredients mentioned under the list "grind the following" in a grinder.

Add ½ cup water and grind to a smooth paste. keep the ground paste aside.

PREPARATION METHOD:

Rinse, peel and dice all the vegetables.
Heat oil in a pressure cooker or pan. add onions and curry leaves and saute till the onions become translucent.
Add chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder. stir and saute for 4 to 5 mins till the tomatoes soften.
Add the ground spice paste. stir and saute till oil starts to leave the sides of the paste. this takes about 4 to 5 mins on a low flame. stir often so that the masala or spice paste does not stick to the bottom of the cooker or pan.
Now add the diced vegetables and yogurt.
Saute on a low flame for 3 to 4 mins and then add 1.5 cups water. season with salt. stir very well.
 If using pressure cooker, cover with its lid and pressure cook for 2 to 3 whistles on medium to high flame.
 If using a pan, cover the pan and allow the vegetables to cook. if the curry looks thick while cooking in a pan, then add some hot water.
Once the vegetable are cooked well, then garnish with some coriander leaves and serve the vegetable korma with chapatis, parathas or pooris.











 

TOMATO KURUMA

INGREDIENTS:

Tomatoes - 3, red and ripe, finely chopped
Onion - 1 large, finely chopped
Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Cloves - 2
Cinnamon stick - 1/2"
Bay leaf - 1
Red chili powder - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - a sprig
Cooking oil - 1 tbsp

GRIND THE FOLLOWING:

Coconut - 1/4 cup, grated
Green chilies - 3
Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp (saunf/sompu)
Khus Khus - 1/2 tsp (poppy seeds/gasagasa)

PREPARATION METHOD:

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed cooking vessel. Add cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaf and curry leaves and allow to sizzle for a few seconds. Add the chopped onions and saute for 4 mts.

Add the ginger garlic paste and saute for 4 mts. Add turmeric powder, red chili powder and salt. Mix well.
Add chopped tomatoes and saute for 9-10 mts on low to medium flame with lid.  

Add the ground paste along with a cup of water and bring to a boil. Reduce flame and simmer till the gravy thickens. 
Turn off heat and serve warm with dosa ,idly.