Red, White and Green Poriyal

Green Cabbage is a good source of fiber and folic acid. It is also low in Sodium and is considered a negative calorie food. It has always been one of my favourite veggies so mom never had trouble getting them inside my system. Lucky me, hubby dearest is a big cabbage lover too. Surprisingly enough, both of us like it in the same cooked but crunchy consistency. This recipe just provides that. Also, I added some carrots and peas to the recipe since those are the least used veggies in our home and I am always in the verge of somehow incorporating it in our regular subjis.

Ingredients:

Cabbage - Cut into thin strips (3 cups)
Carrots - Cubed (1 cup)
Peas - 1/2 cup (thawed, if using fresh boil them to half consistency)
Oil - 1 tbsp

Seasoning:

Mustard - 2 tsps
Urad Dal - 1 tbsp
Curry leaves
Salt to taste
Turmeric & Hing
Sambar Powder - 1/2 tbsp

Note: If u don't have sambar powder available mix 1/2 tsp jeera powder, 1 tsp dania powder, 1/2 tsp red chilli powder, 1/4 tsp finely ground black pepper powder.

Method:

• Heat oil in Kadai and add mustard seeds. When they pop add Urad Dal, Turmeric, Hing and Curry leaves.
• When Urad dal turns light brownish, add Cabbage. Saute for a minute. Now add carrots and peas and saute for another minute.
• Add about 1/2 cup of water to the veggies. Cover the lid and reduce the flame to low, allowing veggies to cook (this maintains the crunchiness unlike boiling them in microwave). This should take about 5. Overcooking might make them soggy.
• When the veggies are cooked and half crunchy open the lid and stir them to evaporate the last bit of water.
• Now add sambar powder and salt and cook for another 3 minutes stirring once or twice.
• Enjoy with rice.
  

Madras Pakoras

The pakoras made in Madras (Chennai), TN has a very different taste to them. One can normally find them stacked up in tin boxes at virtually any street corner. We love it so much that we always expect dad to bring this home at the beggining of every month when its salary day. Given the fact that mom didn't allow us to eat much of store bought snacks, it used to be a treat for our palates. This is one truly delicious snack that is cheap, fresh and easy to make. Although this recipe doesn't exactly replicate the one we get at our street corner Tea shop, its almost close. After trying too many variations, I got this one from "Samaithu Par" book by Meenakshi Ammal, first published in the year 1972.

Ingredients

Besan flour - 2 cups
Rice flour - 1/2 cup
Onions (slit into thin long pieces) - 1 cup
Green Chillies - 8 -10 nos. finely chopped
Ginger - 1 inch bit, finely chopped
Cashews - 1/4th of a cup
Baking Soda - 1 tsp
Ghee - 1 tsp
Curry leaves
Coriander
Salt to taste
Oil to deep fry

Method


Mix onions, cashews, ginger, green chillies, curry leaves and coriander. Top it with the ghee and mix them using hand.
Mix seperately besan flour, rice flour, baking soda and salt.
Add the flour mix to the onion mix and make it into a dough by adding water little at a time. The dough should fall into seperate small lumpts and should not form into one hig mass.
Head oil in a kadai. Take a handful of dough at a time and pinch them into small bits directly into the oil. Fry them well on both sides.
Take them out when they are brown all around and drain in a paper towel.
Serve with coffee for an evening snack or as an appetizer.