MIXED VEGETABLE RICE RECIPE / KAAI SADHAM RECIPE

Mixed vegetable rice is a tasty and easy to make lunch box recipe

INGREDIENTS:

Cooked rice - 2 cups
Beans, carrot, potato, peas - 1 cup (cut into cubes)
Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

(OR) sambar powder -1 tsp.

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp.

Hing

Ghee - 1 tsp.
Garam masala -1/2 tsp.
Oil -2 tsp.
Salt - to taste

METHOD:

Wash and cut the vegetables into cubes. You can add any vegetable of your choice. I used Beans, carrot, fresh peas, potato and capsicum.

In a kadai, heat oil. Add cumin seeds and then chopped vegetables. Now, add turmeric powder, hing, salt and sambar powder. Mix well, sprinkle some water and cover with a lid and cook. When done, open the lid, add garam masala and sauté for 2 minutes. Add coriander leaves. 

Now, add the cooked rice, little salt for the rice, ghee and mix well without breaking the rice. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with any raita of your choice.

Variation: With onion. Sauté onion until translucent before adding vegetables.

Pavakkai vadakkal recipe/ Bittergourd fry recipe

 

INGREDIENTS:

Bittergourd (midhi pavakkai variety) - 1/2 kg.
Salt - as per taste
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp.
Urad dhal - 1 tsp.
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp.

(OR) sambar powder- 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
Oil - 2 tablespoons

METHOD:

Select tender bitter gourd. Wash well and finely chop them. Discard the seeds. 

In a kadai, heat oil, add mustard seeds and urad dhal and when golden brown, add the chopped bittergourd salt and sambar powder OR chilli powder and fry until it is cooked and crisp.

NOTE: To avoid bitterness, you can marinate bittergourd with salt and turmeric powder for 10 minutes, and squeeze the water. But the bitterness is healthy and I do not prefer to marinate and squeeze.

APPALA KUZHAMBU RECIPE / APPALAM KUZHAMBU RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:

Appalam bits fried in oil - few
Tamarind - a lemon sized ball
Sambar powder - 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Asafoetida (hing)
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp.
Urad dhal - 1/2 tsp.
Methi seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Oil - 2 tablespoons

Salt - to taste
Curry leaves - few

METHOD:

Soak tamarind in water and extract pulp. Add salt. Keep aside.

Break appalam to bits and fry in oil/ Keep aside.

In a kadai, heat oil and add mustard seeds, urad dhal, methi seeds, cumin seeds, and curry leaves. When golden brown, add hing, turmeric powder, sambar powder and quickly sauté it, being careful not to burn it. Pour in the tamarind extract add salt mixture. Allow it to boil until raw smell diffuses. Add fried appalam. Boil until thick. Finally, add a spoon of raw gingelly oil, mix well.

Appala kozhambu is ready to serve with hot rice. 

NOTE: Appalam can also be fried/added during tempering.