EGGPLANT/BAINGAN BHARTA WITH RED PEPPER TWIST

I learnt baingan bharta only a few years ago. I always made it in a slightly different style with tamarind. When I made Bharta first time my son loved it, so it became a regular dish along with the traditional recipe in my home. I add roasted red peppers in baingan bharta. I like the color and taste of red peppers.  Red peppers, tomatoes and egg plant belong to the same family and they complement each other well.  I don't like other ingredients dominating the unique flavor of eggplant. So, I add less amounts of red peppers in proportion to baingan. You can adjust the amounts of tomato and red pepper according to your taste. If you want more of egg plant taste you can reduce tomato even further.

Nutrition:

They say baingan is a mispronounced word for be-gun meaning, lacking in any good qualities. Well, baingan is not the healthiest vegetable you can choose, but it does have a few nutrients. It is a good source of fiber, Vitamin K and Vitamin B6, Vitamin  and manganese. It is also high in anti-oxidants and free-radicals. They are good for heart. But it is also high in sodium, which is not good for high blood pressure. It is also a sweet vegetable with a bit high amounts of sugars. It is one of the few vegetables with Oxalates. So, better to be avoided by people with kidney or gall bladder problems.

Ingredients:

1 Eggplant/Baingan                              
1 red pepper
4 green chillies chopped
3 red chillies
1/2 onion chopped finely
1 Tomato chopped finely
1 inch long ginger finely chopped
1/4 cup Coriander chopped finely
1 tbsp Coriander(Dhania) powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
1/2 tsp red chilly powder
3 tsp oil
4 curry leaves
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek/menthi seeds
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
A pinch of Hing
Salt

Method:

1. Grill Eggplant(vankaya) directly on stove or you can broil it in the oven or just roast it in the oven. I prefer
    it on the stove. I just take a sheet of aluminium foil and use it as a liner around the stove burner by making
    a hole in the foil for the burner. Makes it easy to clean as the egg plant leave a little water when grilled.
    Once grilled, peel and mash it and keep it aside
2. Grill red pepper in the oven at 450 F for about 15 minutes or till it becomes soft and starts to leave water.
    Once done, chop it and keep aside
3. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, when they start to splutter, add cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, red
    chillies, hing and curry leaves, green chillies and ginger. stir for a minute.
4. Add onions, stir for a two minutes and add tomato pieces and salt. cover and cook till tomatoes become
    verysoft. Add red chilly powder, turmeric , dhania powder or coriander powder and garam masala.
5. Add mashed baingan, red pepper peices and coriander and let it cook for a couple of minutes.
6. Serve hot with chapti or hot rice. I like it with curd rice too.

KUNDRU/TINDORA/IVY GOURD FRY - DONDAKAYA VEPUDU

This yummy vegetable is easy to cook. It is delicious whether you cook it just as a simple fry or stuffed or with some podi seasonings or even with just coconut gratings. This wasn't my favorite dish in my childhood but I enjoy it now. My mom usually made it as a fry. It is a quick recipe.

Nutrition:

Tindora is considered medicinal. It is supposedly good for people with diabetes. This vegetable/fruit is rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin B1 and B2.

Ingredients:

1lb Tindora/దొండకాయ  cut into 1 inch long pieces

2tbsp oil                                                                       4 curry leaves                                                      
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek/menthi seeds
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
A pinch of Hing
2 red chillies
1tsp red chiily powder
Salt

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, when they  
   start to spurt, add cumin seeds, fenugreek
   seeds, redchillies, hing and curry leaves
2. Add Kundru (దొండకాయ) pieces and salt and cook it in covered pan on medium flame. Stir  almost
    occasionally to avoid burning and cover it again. You may have to stir at least 3 times. When they are
    cooked, remove cover, let the pices fry nicely and turn brown.
3.When they turn brown and crisp, turn the flame
    low and add turmeric and red chilly powder. This will absorb any excess moisture or oil. Let stand for a
    minute on low flame
4. Serve hot with hot rice or chapati.

POTATO/ALU/ BANGALA DUMPA(ALUGADDA) MASALA KURA/ CURRY

Potato is liked by most and is cooked in many ways. My mom used onions very rarely in her preparartions. This was one of the 4 recipes in which she used onions. I used to love eating this with hot chapatis. We rarely ate chaptis in my childhood. When chapatis were made for lunch or dinner, this was served with it. You will definitely love this recipe for it's sweet, sour and spicy combination.

Nutrition:

Potatoes are high in energy and starch. Not a very highly recommended vegetable for people with diabetes. But is good for kids or athletes. it is a decent source of Vitamin C and Potassium.

Ingredients:

3 POTATOES(బంగాళా దుంప a.k.a ఆలుగడ్డ)

6 medium size onions                                                  
6 green chillies                                                          
1 1/2 inch ginger
4 cloves
4 cardamom
1 inch cinnomon
1 tsp red chilly powder
1 tbsp sambar powder
1/2 tsp methi powder
3 tsp oil
4 curry leaves

1 tsp urad dal(మినప  పప్పు)

1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek/menthi seeds
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
A pinch of Hing
3 red chillies
Salt

Method:

1. Grind ginger and green chillies together. Chop onions into large pieces and then put half the pieces in food
    processor to chop very fine, then add remaining pieces and chop coarsely. Grind Cloves, cadmom and  
    cinnomon to make masala paste. Pressure cook potatoes.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, when they start to splutter, add cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, red
    chillies, hing and curry leaves
3. Add ground ginger and green chillie mix and stir for a couple of minutes. Add onion, salt, cover and cook.
    When onion is almost cooked, add Tamarind, methi powder and masala paste and cook further.
4. When the onion is well cooked, cut boiled potatoes into medium pieces and add. Cook for a few minutes,
    then add sambar powder and let it stand for a couple of minutes.
5. Serve hot with hot chapatis or hot rice.

PALAK(SPINACH) DAL / PALAKURA PAPPU

Palak dal (పాలకూర  పప్పు) is my daughter's favorite. She loves eating it with either hot rice or chapati. She calls it lot of leaves dal. I like eating dal with papads, odiyam (ఒడియాలు) and uppu mirapakaya (ఉప్పు మిరపకాయ) or even some pickle. In childhood, My mom used to insist on eating dals always with ghee. She believes that makes the dish equivalant of any meat dish as far as nutrition goes and also it is believed that ghee aids in digestion of dal. She used to say if I eat without ghee, I will get stomach pain. I don't know about digestion but it tastes best with ghee. Even now I like adding a few drops of ghee. Today, I am having it with BROWN RICE.

                                                     

Nutrition:

It is a very healthy accompaniment. Spinach, high in fiber, Iron and Vitamin A, K and B9. It is also a good source of manganese, magnesium, calcium and Omega-3 and Omega-6 fats. Toor dal (కంది పప్పు)is a lentil and is high in protein(fat free unlike the meat). Iron is essential to make blood in the body and Vitamin A is good for eyes.  It is a vegetable that is recommended to be consumed regularly as it is good for bones, eyes, weight control, diabetes, constipation and high blood pressure. It advisable to get kids used to this early. Cook it in variety of ways and also  mix it with other vegetables.

Ingredients:

                                                                                 

1 cup cooked toor dal                                    
2 cups chopped spinach                        
3/4 big tomato chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp red chilly powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
5 curry leaves
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek/menthi seeds
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
A pinch of Hing
2 red chillies
Salt
1 1/2 tsp oil

Method:

1. Heat oil in a vessel, add mustard seeds, when they start to spurt, add cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, red
    chillies, hing and curry leaves
2. Add chopped spinach and tomato pieces. Add salt just enough for these vegetable peices, cover and
    cook for about 7 minutes or till the palak and tomato get cooked on medium flame.
3. Add cooked dal, turmeric, red chilly powder, lemon juice and remaining salt and let it cook for a couple
    of minutes.
4. Serve hot with hot rice or chapatis

PEANUT/SHENGA/PALLILA/VERUSENAGA CHUTNEY PODI/POWDER

Peanut podi/ Powder is another item, I got introduced to after marriage. In north Karnataka, it is a quick fix or a tasty add-on to any dry subji to be eaten along with chapati. Spread a few drops of oil and sprinkle the peanut podi generously and roll the chapati, you have a healthy and easy to eat snack for travel. We also use it as a bread spread for breakfast. It goes well with Idlies and dosas too. It is a great sugarless alternative to Peanut butter for those like me who don't have a sweet tooth. It is flavorful and nutty in texture.

NUTRITION:
a few peanut a day can lower bad cholesterol(LDL). They are also a good source of anti-oxidants(resveratrol), which are known to reduce risk of heart diseases and cancer. They are also a good source of protein, Vitamin B3 and Manganese. It is also recommended for people with diabetes as it's complex carbohydrates make sugars take long to enter blood.

INGREDIENTS:                                       

1 cup of peanuts
1 Tbsp Jeera
2 Tbsp Sesame seeds
1 Tbsp Dry shredded coconut
1 Tbsp Red chilly powder
1 Tsp Turmeric
10 curry leaves
Salt

METHOD:

1. Dry roast peants in a pan on medium flame. Stir continuously to avoid burning. Transfer them to a plate
2. Add sesame seeds. When they splutter well, transfer them to the plate
3. Reduce flame and roast dry coconut lghtly, then add jeera and roast. Transfer them to plate and add curry leaves and let them become crisp, becareful to not burn. They should retain their color.
4. Let them cool. Grind them all together coarsely.
5. Store in a dry container. It can be stored for a few weeks
6. Serve with hot chapatis. My kids enjoy it with Idlies and Dosas too.