Potato Mezhukkupuratty ( Spicy pan-fried potatoes); Meatless Monday

Years ago when I lived in a hostel, I had a roommate who was from Kerala. I learnt quite a lot about their cuisine. One of her favorite, easy, go-to dish for lunch/ dinner was this one. It has so few ingredients in it, yet tastes absolutely delicious! My husband who is a die-hard potato fan just loves it! Here is the simple recipe that is perfect for weeknight dinners. It can be eaten during fasting too as there is no onion-garlic in it.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

Potatoes: 4 medium
Coconut oil: 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves: 1 sprig ( optional)
Haldi ( turmeric powder): 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder: 1 tsp ( adjust based on your spice level)
Salt: to taste

Method:

Peel the potatoes and chop them lengthwise into pieces that are approximately 1. 5 inch in length and 1 cm thick. Keep aside.

Heat oil in a frying pan/ sauté pan. Add mustard seeds. When the seeds splutter, add the curry leaves and turmeric powder. Sauté for a few seconds.

Now add the potatoes and the salt in and mix well. Lower the flame to the lowest possible, cover the pan and cook until the potatoes are 3/4 cooked. Make sure you open the pan frequently in between and turn the potatoes over or else they will burn.

When the potatoes are almost cooked, add the chilli powder and mix well. Cover and cook until the potatoes reach your desired level of tenderness.

Serve hot with steamed rice / flat bread / roti/regular bread.

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy:

Chopped potatoes discolor when left open to air. You can prevent this by soaking it in water with a pinch of salt in it.

Tip for healthy living:

Exfoliating your skin often results in shiny, healthy looking skin. You can make an exfoliating scrub by mixing 2 tbsp quick oats with 1/2 tsp honey and 1 tbsp milk. Mix well to a paste. Rub the skin with it and rinse with cold water.

Food for thought:

Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you. Frank Lloyd wright

Crunchy Aloo Gobhi for Vrat ( Potato-cauliflower stir fry)

This post was meant to be posted on Friday, 3rd October.That was my last day of fasting and after work, we rushed to the temple for Saraswathi pooja for the kids, came back home, did the laundry and when I actually sat to post this, I fell asleep on the laptop!!! Well, I did not want to not post this. So here it is!

Today is Vijaydashami. Vijaydashami marks the end of Navrathri. Vijay means victory and Dashami means ten. This day is also known as Dusshera. Dasha Hara is a Sanskrit word which means removal of ten bad qualities within you.These being:
Kama vasana (Lust)
Krodha (Anger)
Moha (Attachment)
Lobha (Greed)
Mada (Over Pride)
Matsara (Jealousy)
Swartha (Selfishness)
Anyaaya (Injustice)
Amanavta (Cruelty)
Ahankara (Ego)

 So on the 10th day of Navrathri, we end the fasting and celebrate the victory of good over evil. We have cleansed ourselves physically with the fasting and mentally by praying.

On this auspicious day, I present to you a nice, tasty easy to make cauliflower-potato stir fry that can be eaten when fasting ( vrat) as it does not have onions and garlic. For me, this is a perfect marriage between cauliflower and potatoes. Also I can achieve several objectives with just one dish. It is not to spicy so the kids are happy( of course, you can make it spicy if you wish to!). My husband loves the potatoes and I love cauliflower. I give all the potatoes to him and take mainly the cauliflower for myself. I love the roasted cauliflowers in this dish!Mmmm

I am bringing this dish to Fiesta Friday to Angie, Selma and Elaine who are co-hosting this week and all the wonderful gals out there.  I am sure they will love it!

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

Cauliflower florets: 3 cups
Potatoes: 2 medium, peeled and sliced into thin wedges.
Coconut oil: 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder: 1 tsp
Haldi ( turmeric powder): 1/2 tsp
Red chilli  powder: 1/2 tsp ( adjust based on your spice level).
Garam masala powder: a pinch ( optional)
Salt: to taste

Method:

In a sauté pan or frying pan, heat oil. Add cumin seeds, sauté for 10 seconds.

Add haldi,coriander  and chilli powder.

Now add the cauliflower florets and sauté on medium heat until three-quarters tender. It should turn slightly brown and crisp. 

Now add the potato slices , salt and sauté for a minute. Cover and cook on low until the potatoes are tender. 

Add a pinch of garam masala powder, mix well.

Serve hot with steamed rice/ flat bread/bread.

Yummy!!

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy:

If you are in a rush and want the cauliflowers to be cooked quickly, just put it in an oven-safe bowl and cook it in the microwave for 2-3 minutes before sautéing it in the pan. This significantly reduces the cooking time.

Tip for healthy living:

If you have an insect bite, make a paste of cornstarch with water, apply it to the area for 1 hour. The bite should feel significantly better.

Food for thought:

Romance is everything. Gertrude Stein

Tamde bhajji Upkari ( Red Amarnath leaves /Red Swiss chard Stir fry): fasting food too.

It is interesting how human beings evolve as they grow up. It is also I interesting how our brain dictates everything that we do. Growing up, I used to hate stir-fried greens ( bhajji upkari). Now, everyday I need to eat atleast one serving of some kind of greens! Amazing isn't it?? I have therefore invented several ways to make stir-fries using not only the Indian greens like Amarnath and spinach, I also cook Swiss chard, kale and collards. I have Indianized these western greens! Funnily enough, I love them all! Today I am going to share with you all the simplest of all stir-fries without onion/ garlic. Simple, easy, quick and absolutely delicious! This is a good option for Navrathri fasting too.

Servings: 3-4

Ingredients:

Red Amarnath leaves or red Swiss chard: washed, and finely chopped.
Coconut oil: 1 tsp ( any cooking oil can be used).
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Dry Red chillies: 2-3
Salt: to taste
Brown Sugar: 1/2 tsp

Method:

Heat 1 tsp coconut oil in a frying pan/ wok. Add mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds splutter, add red chilli bits. 

Then add the washed Swiss chard/ red Amarnath leaves, salt and brown sugar. Let it cook on medium flame for 10-15 mins until the Swiss chard/ Amarnath leaves have cooked. 

You can leave the remaining fluid alone or increase the flame and dry it up. 

Garnish with freshly grated coconut.

Serve with rice or roti or can eat it alone!

Cooking made easy:

The best way to clean greens is to soak it in cold water with a spoonful of vinegar for 10-15 mins and then wash it and cook it. Soaking makes all the dirt settle at the bottom of the water.

Tip for healthy living:

Instead of using a myriad of kitchen cleaners to clean your kitchen counter, just use a little bit of  undiluted vinegar.Vinegar is non-toxic, eco-friendly and you can prevent the ill-effects of the chemicals in the cleaners on your family.

Food for thought:

Nature does nothing in vain. Aristotle

Garlic Sautéed Beets With Leaves.

I have to have some greens everyday.  While I was familiar with the greens available in India , and often cooked it,here availability is a issue as these are only available in Indian grocery stores.During winter,my trips to the Indian store are rather infrequent. This got me on an adventure experimenting with the greens available in the vicinity.We have a  farmer's market nearby which I often frequent and came across fresh beets with its leaves. 

Back home we use the beets alone and throw the leaves. I decided to try and use the leaves. It came out yum. 

Here's the recipe:

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

Beets with its leaves: 4 nos
Coconut oil: 1 tbsp
Garlic: 4 cloves, chopped and lightly crushed
Dried Red chillis: 4 nos
Salt to taste

Method:

Soak the beets with leaves in cold water for 5 minutes. This allows the sand / mud settle at the bottom. Separate the leaves and stem from the beets. Now chop the beet leaves and keep aside. Peel the beets,dice them and keep aside.

Heat oil in a sauté pan/ wok on medium heat. Add crushed chopped garlic, sauté  until you smell the aroma of garlic. 

Add red chillies/ chilli pepper flakes.Add the diced beets and the chopped stems, lower the flame, cover and cook for 5 -7 mins. 

Now add the chopped leaves, salt  and cook on low flame until done without covering, approximately for another 10-15 minutes.

Serve hot with rice/ bread/ baked chicken/ baked fish.

Cooking made easy:

The above recipe can also be made with other greens like spinach, broccoli rabe. The only additional ingredient to be added is 1/2 tsp jaggery/sugar. This combats the bitterness of the greens. Beets being naturally sweet, does not require additional sugar/jaggery to be added.

Tip for healthy living:

Beets are great for good health. They are supposed to support anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and detoxification effects in the body.Beet is a liver-protective food and apparently helps reduce blood-pressure.Beet is a favorite part of raw-food diet and beet juice is very popular.

Food for thought:

An idle mind is a Devil's workshop.(H.G.Bohn)

Butternut squash upkari/stir-fry

My kids have liked butternut squash since babies. I used to generally boil them with salt and give it to them with a little butter. To add a little more flavor and to get them into mainstream eating and reduced cooking for me, :) ) I often make upkaris ( stir-fry ) for them. I decided to make butternut squash the way they make pumpkin upkari back home. And it came out delicious! The kids loved it!

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

Butternut Squash :1 medium
Mustard: 1/4 tsp
Chana dal : 1/2 tsp(optional)
Green chili: 1
Asofoetida ( hing): pinch
Coconut oil: 1 tsp. ( you can use any cooking oil of your preference, I use coconut oil in mine).
Jaggery(molasses)/ sugar:1 tsp
Salt to taste.
Fresh grated coconut: 1 tbsp ( optional).

Method:

Peel the butternut squash and dice it into 2 cm cubes and keep aside. Slit the green chillies and keep aside.

Heat a sauté pan/ wok on medium heat,add 1 tsp coconut oil. Now add the mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds splutter, add the chana dal, then the slit green chillies. Sauté for a minute until the chana dal turns a little golden color.Now add the diced butternut squash & sauté.Add asofoetida( hing), a little bit of salt and 1tsp sugar. Reduce the flame to low, cover the pan and cook until the vegetable is soft enough to eat. Generally takes about 15 minutes. Ensure that you check in between to see if it is cooked. You do not want it to turn into mush!

Garnish with freshly grated coconut. Serve with rice & rasam or dal. You can eat it just like that too.

Cooking made easy:

• This upkari ( stir-fry) can also be made with other types of squash like Acorn or Calabash. 
• The easiest way to cut squash is to first peel it with a regular peeler. The outside skin is tough but the inside is soft and easy to cut.

Tip for healthy living:

Incorporate colors and variety in your diet. Every single day try to eat at least 4-6 different colors of fruits and vegetables. This will automatically ensure that you get the adequate amount of the daily requirement of your vitamins and minerals NATURALLY! 

Food for thought:

Rome was not built in a day ( John Heywood).