Vegetable Kurma without Onion and Garlic

Ingredients:

Mixed vegetables - 2 cups
(Potatoes, Carrots, Peas, Cauliflower, Corn)
Plum Tomatoes - 2 (chopped into medium pieces)
Coconut Milk (Light or Regular) - 1 Can
Salt - to taste
Fresh Coriander - for garnish

To grind:
Poppy Seeds (Khus Khus) - 1 tsp
Fennel Seeds - 1 tsp
Cashews - 5
Cinnamon stick - 1/2 inch piece
Clove - 2
Cardamom - 1
Ginger - 1/2 inch piece
Green Chillies - 5
Fresh Coriander - 2 tsp

Method:

1. Soak Poppy Seeds and Cashews in hot water for 10 - 15 minutes.
2. Grind all the ingredients listed under the to grind list along with the soaked poppy seeds and cashews into a fine paste.
3. Cut Potatoes, Carrots and Cauliflower into small cubes and boil along with peas and Corn until tender.
4. Add the ground paste and salt to the boiled vegetables.
5. Let it boil for 7-8 minutes.
6. Now add the coconut milk and the chopped tomatoes and cook on a low flame for another 5 minutes.
7. Remove from the stove and garnish with fresh coriander.

Ellu Sadam / Sesame Seed Rice

Ingredients: 


To make Sesame Powder:
White Sesame Seeds - 3/4 cup
Black Sesame Seeds - 1/4 cup
Urad Dal - 1/2 cup
Red chillies - 8 to 10
Oil - 1/4 tsp

Method:
Heat oil in a non-stick pan and fry urad dal and red chillies until golden brown.  Transfer it to a plate and let it cool.
In the same pan, dry roast both the sesame seeds in a low flame until it turns light brown in color.
Let it cool completely.  Grind all the fried ingredients into a coarse powder.

To make Sesame Rice:
Cook rice and allow it to cool.  Do not over cook the rice.

For tempering:

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Urad Dal - 2 tsp

Salt - to taste

Asafetida - small pinch

Curry leaves

Sesame oil - 2 TBSP

Heat oil in pan and fry the tempering ingredients except salt.  

Add this to the rice along with salt and required amount of sesame powder and mix well.

Add more sesame oil if required.

Kathirikkai / Brinjal Kara Kuzhambhu

Ingredients:

Onions - 2 thinly sliced
Garlic - 5 sliced
Tomatoes - 2 chopped
Brinjal / Eggplant - 1 cup cut lengthwise
Green chilies - 3 sliced
Tamarind extract - 2 cups
Sambar powder - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1tsp
Salt - to taste
Sesame oil - 2 TBSP
Curry leaves

Grind together:
Grated fresh coconut - 1/4 cup
Poppy seeds - 2 tsp

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan and fry the mustard seeds.
2. Add the sliced onion, garlic and green chillies.  Fry till golden brown.
3. Add brinjal / eggplant and stir for 2 minutes.
4. Mix the chopped tomatoes and fry for another two minutes.
5. Add sambar powder, turmeric powder, curry leaves and salt.  Mix well.
6. Add the tamarind extract.  Let it cook for 10 minutes.
7. Add the ground coconut paste and cook for 1-2 minutes.
8. Serve hot with rice.

Adopted from Mrs. Mallika Badrinath's Classic Lunch Recipes Cook Book.