from BEARDO's kitchen: Vegetable Kurma Curry

 Today we are going to look at Vegetable Kurma Curry.

The good thing is we can add any vegetable we like except for anything that is leafy. So for today's preparation I am looking at Carrots, Cauliflower, and Brinjal (aubergine aka eggplant). Other common vegetable used in this prep are potatoes and tomatoes.

Firstly place all the vegetable in a pot and boil it till it becomes tender. Some of you may prefer to use the pressure cooker. That's fine too. Remember not to overcook it.

Prepare a paste using coconut shaving, cashew nuts, garlic and cloves. Do not put too much of cloves otherwise your curry would be overly spicy.

Tampering item includes cumin seeds, star anise, cinnamon stick, cardamom, ginger, onion and green chilly.

As usual heat up wok or pot with coconut oil. Firstly add cumin seeds followed by cloves, cardamom and cinnamon stick. Once it's nicely roasted, add ginger followed by onion. 

When the onions turn slightly golden, add tumeric and corriander powder, stir till it blends well. 

Then add green chillies followed by the coconut paste and allow it to cook well. 

Add water at this juncture according to the level of gravy required and allow it to cook for about 5 to 7 minutes..

Then transfer the boiled vegetable, stir and allow it to cook for another 7 - 10 minutes. Don't forget to add salt to taste.

This is where you can add garam masala, and maybe a little kurma powder. You maybe wondering why I am leaving kurma powder as as optional item, its because the entire preparation in itself is already a kurma mixture😀

As a grand finale add a little bit of ghee. That will give an ump to your Vegetable Kurma. And Voila you have your dish ready. Can accompany bread, rice or idiyapam (string hoppers aka putumayam). 

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from BEARDO's kitchen :VAZHAKKAI PORIYAL

Vazhakkai Poriyal

(aka Plantain Dry Fry)

I have decided that hence forth I am going to park all my cooking on my official blog. Well it may also whet your reading appetite as I also write on other things too.

So today I am going to share with you how to prepare Vazhakkai Poriyal or Plantain Dry Fry. Its a typical South Indian dish that is simple to prepare.

Wash and deskin the plaintain. (You can cook it with the skin too, but the texture will be different). Then chop it up in small cubes and let it soak in water. ( Add a little yogurt in the water, to keep the plantain from turning dark due to oxidization.

Then drain out the water, add tumeric, chilly powder and salt, marinate for a short while. 

Tampering item includes, cumin seeds, fennel, fenugreek, dried chilly, urad dhal, and mustard seeds.

As usual, heat coconut oil, throw in the tampering item, always remember mustard seeds goes first. 

Then transfer the marinated plaintain and stir. 

Add a little water to allow the plaintain to cook. 

Then add chopped green chillies and stir. Btw also add a little hing to avoid flatulence. Plaintain is known too cause 'angin' (gas). 

Pour a little ghee to give it a flavour and the finale would be to sprinkle desiccated coconut, and let it blend well. 

and .... Viola you have your Vazhakkai Kootu. 

It will go well with rice and bread.

My Amma just mentioned that I should have squeezed some lime into it to give it an ump...Amma knows best. 

Try it out and let me know.

RaviVarmmanKKanniappan1253110520223.0567° N, 101.5851° E