VEGETABLE CURRIES FOR RICE AND ROTIS

CURRY LEAVES

WHITE PUMPKIN CURRY


INGREDIENTS :
White pumpkin - 1/2 Kg
Scraped coconut - 4 Tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 Tsp
Garlic - 2 pods
Green chilly - 4
Bengal gram - 3 Tbsp (soaked in water for 1/2 hour )
Onion - 1 medium sized (finely chopped )
For Tempering :
Oil - 1 Tbsp
mustard seeds - 1 Tsp
Split Gram - 2 Tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
METHOD :
Cut white pumpkin into medium sized cubes. Take a pan and add oil for tempering, when it becomes hot add mustard seeds and when it starts to splutter add the split gram and when it becomes golden add chopped onions and curry leaves and saute till onions become transparent. Now add the chopped pumpkin and saute for 5 minutes and then add the soaked Bengal gram and cover the pan with a lid and let it cook till the pumpkins turn soft. Meanwhile in a mixer make a paste of coconut, garlic, green chillies and cumin seeds with 1/4 Tsp of turmeric powder (optional) by adding little water. Now open the lid and check if the pumpkin is well cooked, then add the coconut paste to the pumpkin and add salt to taste and let it boil for 10 minutes and you can smell the aroma of garlic. The pumpkin curry is now ready and turn off the stove and serve hot with rice or chapatis.

TIP : If you feel the curry is little watery mix a Tbsp of cornflour or rice flour to 1/4 cup of water and add it to the pumpkin curry and let it boil for 5 minutes till the curry becomes thick.


LADIES FINGER DRY CURRY
INGREDIENTS :
Ladies finger - 1/2 kg
Tomato - 3 ( cut into finger length strips )
Onion - 4 ( cut into finger length strips )
Coriander powder - 2 Tbsp
Chilly powder - 2- 3 Tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 Tsp
Salt - 11/2 Tsp or as per taste
Oil - 4 Tbsp
METHOD :
Cut the tip of ladies finger on both sides and make a slit in the middle till the centre. Take a non stick pan and add oil to it and when the oil becomes hot add a Tsp of cumin seeds to it and when it slightly changes colour add the ladies finger and saute for 2 minutes. Now reduce the flame of the stove to Sim and let it cook till the ladies finger becomes soft and slightly crisp. Saute the ladies finger every 3-4 minutes till it becomes soft. Now add the onions and saute it for a minute and leave it till the onions become transparent, now add the tomatoes mix well and add coriander powder, chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt , mix well and let it cook for another 5-8 minutes till the masala gets coated to the vegetables. Now the dish is ready and serve it with chapatis or rice.
TIP : Keep the flame of the gas stove in Sim throughout cooking, so as the vegetable does not get burnt.

BOTTLE GUARD CURRY ( KOOTU )

INGREDIENTS :

Bottle guard 1/2 kg

Onion 1 small size ( chopped finely )

Coconut (scraped) 3 Tbsp

Red chilly powder 2 Tsp

Cumin seeds 2Tsp

Split green gram 1/4 cup

Salt as per taste

TEMPERING

Oil 3Tsp

Mustard seeds 1 Tsp

White split lentils 2 Tsp

Curry leaves 1 sprig

Chopped onion 4 Tbsp

METHOD :

Peel the skin and cut bottle guard into medium sized cubes. Take a pressure pan and put the bottle guard pieces along with split green gram, add little water and pressure cook till it gives one whistle . Make a paste of coconut, cumin seeds, onion and red chilly powder and keep aside. In a pan pour oil for tempering and add mustard seeds and when it starts spluttering add the white lentils, when it becomes golden add curry leaves and chopped onions and saute till transparent. Open the pressure pan and add the coconut paste and the tempering to the bottle guard and add salt and bring it to boil, add a little water if required, the curry should neither very thick and nor very dry, it should be in medium consistency. Let it boil for 5-7 minutes and now remove the bottle guard curry from flame and serve hot with rice or chapatis.