Raw Papaya Salad

Raw Papaya Salad is one of my favourite salad. First time we tasted this salad in Ahmedabad Restaurant and we all like it much. A traditional Gujarat warm salad made from raw papaya served as side dish along with Guajarati main course. They called it kacha Papaya sambharo. A sambharo is typically made by quickly stir frying the main ingredient in a little oil along with some spices. Though this salad is normally served with Gujarati snacks, it goes well with rotis and parathas too, as a side dish. It is healthy, tasty, and also easy to make, with low-calorie, and very nutritious salad.

Ingredients:

Raw papaya-  1 cup grated

Green chili-  1chili
Oil-1 tsp  Mustard seeds -1 tsp

Asafoetida -pinch

Turmeric powder -1/4 tsp

Salt-  1 tsp

Sugar-1/4 tsp

Method:

1.Peel off the raw papaya.  Grate the papaya and cut the green chilies into 1 inch pieces.

2.Heat the oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds and let them crackle then add the asafoetida.

3.Now, add the grated papaya and the slit green chillies. Let it cook on a high flame for a couple of minutes..

4.Add the turmeric powder ,salt and sugar Mix well.Cook until the papaya becomes tender.  5.Delicious raw papaya salad/sambharo is ready to serve.

Chane Jaisalmer Ke

Yesterday while watching food channel  in the topic of Rajasthan cusines "Chane Jaisalmer Ke" this recipe was prepared by one of the famous chef.  I got hooked to this quick, easy and delicious dish and immediately I note down  this dish and prepared it for dinner along with rotis,It turns out super delicious and my family loved it!

Chane Ke Jaisalmer also called "Chane Jaisalmer Ke", is a traditional dish made in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. This dish is very easy to prepare and use with available ingredients, the curds and besan mixture. In this curry, the chick peas are cooked in a yogurt based gravy. The flavors of this gravy is mildly enhanced by the use of some fragrant spices.The yogurt and the besan two complement each other well in flavour and gives mild tanginess and also gives  a velvety texture to the curry.

INGREDIENTS:

Black Bengal gram (kala chana) - 1 1/2 cups

Yogurt - 1 1/2 cups

Cinnamon Stick -1 inch piece

Bay Leaf -2

Grated Ginger =               1 tsp

Gram flour (besan) - 2tbsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1tsp

Coriander powder - 1tsp

Garam masala powder - 1 tsp

cumin powder-1tsp

Green chillies, chopped - 3-4

Pure ghee - 1 tbsp

Asafoetida - a pinch

Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon

redchilli-2

Salt as per taste.

Fresh coriander leaves, chopped - 2 tablespoons

Method:

1.Soak kale chane over night and pressure cook them with 4cups of water and salt for about 30 minutes.

2.  Once the steam dies down, open the cooker and mash half the chane roughly.

3.Heat oil in a wok. Add cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, 2 whole chillies. Once the jeera crackles, add grated ginger.

4.In a separate bowl mix yogurt, gram flour, turmeric powder, salt, red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and whisk well so that no lumps form.

5.Add the yogurt mixture to the wok and stir constantly till it starts to boil.

6.Add the boiled chane, mashed chane and the water from chanas. Cook for a few minutes. Add water as required. Bring it to a boil and cook for five minutes.

7. Heat ghee in a pan. Add asafoetida, cumin seeds and whole chilli. When the seeds crackle, Pour in the yogurt mixture and stir well.

8.Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Pattinam Pakoda

Pattinam pakoda is a very popular street side savory snack in Tamil Nadu. . Unlike ordinary pakoda it is made with Roasted gram flour . It lends to its unique flavor to this Pakoda that is extremely delicious to taste, crispy outside and soft inside. This yummy savory snack is an ideal to be served during tea time especially during rainy season.

Ingredients:

Roasted gram flour/Potukadali mavu – 1 cup

Rice flour – 1/2 cup

Baking soda     –       ¼ tsp

Chilli powder     –       1 tsp

Ghee     –       1 tbsp

Green chillies, chopped   –  3 nos

Ginger, chopped     –   ½ tsp

Garlic – 1pod

Onion – 1

Curry leaves – 2sprigs

Salt – as per your taste

Oil – to deep fry

Cashew nuts - 25gms

 

Method:

1. Chop ginger, green chillies, garlic, curry leaves & onion finely.

2.Mix the ghee and baking soda in the mixing bowl and rub them nicely till turns frothy.

3. Take a wide bowl & mix all above ingredients together. Add a tsp of ghee & sprinkle water little by little & start mixing till you can make a dough.  Make small tight balls & keep it ready.

 

4.. Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan & deep fry them in medium flame till golden brown on all sides.

5.Serve it with any chutney. Remains crisp for a long time.

Ven pongal with Kathrikkai Gothsu

Ven Pongal

Ven Pongal is one of the traditional South Indian dish . It is the traditional neivedhyam in temple and at home.My family is not great fan of this dish. But for me  it is one of my favourite breakfast! The flavour of ghee with pepper is the unique taste of pongal. I  always have pongal with sambar / chutney or with Gothsu. But brinjal  Gothsu  is perfect side dish for Venpongal.

Ingredients:

Raw rice - 1 cup

yellow moong dal (pasi paruppu) -1/4 cup

Cashew nuts -few

Salt- as per taste 

Water-4 cups

 For the seasoning

 Ghee - 1 1/2 tbsp

Ginger finely chopped - 1 tsp
Cumin/ Jeera  - 1 tsp 
 Whole black pepper - 1 tsp 
 Curry leaves - few

Method:

1.Heat the cooker on medium heat, add a tablespoon of ghee. Add the washed moong dal and roast the dal in the ghee for about a minute.

2.Once the dal is roasted, add the rice, salt and 4 cups of water. Cover the pressure cooker, place the weight on and cook till one or two whistle. Switch off the flame and let the steam release.

3.Heat the pan, add 1 teaspoon on ghee and add the broken cashews and fry till they turn golden brown color. Take this out and keep it aside in a plate.

4.Heat ghee, add finely chopped ginger, saute for 2-3 seconds, then add pepper, jeera seeds (you can pound pepper and jeera slightly for more flavor), curry leaves and pour it over the rice dal mix.

5.Add salt in the cooked rice-dal mixture and roasted  cashews to the cooked pongal.  Mix everything to combine. Remove off heat. 

6.Finally add  1 tbsp of ghee,mix well and serve immediately.

Serve hot with chutney /sambhar or with  gothsu.

Kathrikkai Gothsu:

 

Brinjal gotsu /Kathirikkai Gotsu  is prepared Traditionally by roasting brinjal in a direct flame. It gives a unique smoky taste and flavour to the dish. A perfect accompaniment for Pongal is the sweet spicy tanginess in the Gothsu compensates for the peppery niceness of the Pongal. . This combination always works as tasty side for Pongal/Dosa and Idli.

Ingredients:

Big brinjal/ Eggplant-1

Onion – 1

Tomato – 2

Green chilli – 2 nos

Tamarind – small gooseberry sized ball

Sambar powder – 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Chana daal-1tsp

Urad daal-1tsp

Salt – 1 tsp or as reqd

Hing - pinch

Curry leaves – few sprigs

Red chilly-1

Oil – 1 tbsp

gratedJaggery-1tsp        

Method:

1.Wash the brinjal and dry it. then apply some oil in the outer part of brinjal .

2.Roast the brinjal in the direct flame (keep the flame low) till the brinjal slightly shrinks.  3.Prick some holes in the brinjal for cooking the inside part evenly.

4.Once cooked cool it down and peel off the skin. mash the flesh part and keep it aside

5.Add tamarind in one cup water for 15 minutes, extract the juice and discard the pulp.

6.Heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds once it splutters, add curry leaves, hing. Add onion, green ,redchillies saute until it turns crunchy, add turmeric powder, sambar powder, salt saute well and cook it covered with a lid.

7.Then add the brinjal and sauté lightly. Add the salt and add tomatoes and cook until they soften. Now add tamarind water and cook until raw smell leaves.finally add jaggery and

Remove from heat and Serve this kathirikai ghotsu with ven pongal.