Okra Pepper Stir-fry / Vendaikai Milagu Varuval

Bhindi Subzi:

Ingredients:

Okra/lady's finger 15-20 sliced lengthwise
Salt
Turmeric 1 pinch
Urad dal 1 spoon
Garlic 5 minced
Pepper powder 1-2 teaspoons
Mustard seeds 1/4 spoon
Sesame oil few spoons
Curry leaves few.

Method:

Take a very wide, heavy bottomed skillet. Yeah, bit unusually!...for a small portion of vegetables, an extra large wok! This will ensure uniform heat to the pan...and we can bring forth 'not so mushy, sticky okras' as an end result. Isnt that exciting!

Well, now grease your pan. Add the mustard seeds and wait till it sputters. Then add the urid dal and wait till it get roasted to reddish color.

Add garlic and curry leaves. Once the raw odor of the garlic is gone, add the okras, salt and turmeric. Cover and cook for 2-4 minutes.

Then, remove the lid and add pepper powder and stir-fry over high heat for 5-7 minutes. Once the oil separates and okras turn crispy, its done.

Serve as a side dish ...I don't mind if you eat it right away:)

Kale Vepudu / Kale-Nilakadalai Poriyal

Kale Vepudu:

Somehow, I missed publishing this recipe, until a friend of mine (Preetha) reminded me! As I was going on and on, how I could relate Kale with that of Murungai Keerai(Native Indian Greens)...I realized that my long lying pictures, in the draft, were kind of blurry. I don't find them usually in the market here. Finally when I had a chance, fixed this recipe again:) This makes a good combination with South Indian meals.

Ingredients:

Kale 1 bunch
Raw peanuts - toasted 1 cup
Dry red chilies 3
Garlic 5 with skin-on crushed
Salt
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Olive oil few spoons.

Method:

Clean the greens thoroughly, and chop them down.

Coarsely grind the peanuts and red chilies together. Set aside.

Heat oil in a skillet, add mustard and garlic. Followed by greens. Further add salt, cover and cook briefly.

Once the greens wilt, remove the lid and stir-fry over high heat. Once the moisture evaporates, add powdered nuts. Stir-fry for 2 minutes and remove from heat.

There you go...this is how I treat exotic greens with that of native spices, hehe:)

Alu Do Pyaz / Potatoes n Onions Stir-fry - Old Fashioned Way:)

Urulai Kizhangu Varuval:

You know what? People ask me, why I keep cooking the basic recipes and more traditional ones on and on. I agree, as more and more fashion hits the kitchen, food fad as become a culture. Where, when we don't buff our knowledge about latest trends' they consider us, sluggish!! And food snobbery is not new!!! Well, I kind of like to be lagging behind the crowd and would love to enjoy the fun of classic cuisine for a while. As I have been deprived of good home cooking, most of life (I spent awful lot of my life in various hostels).

Sometimes, I feel its so ridiculous to decorate my plate with wild flowers, carve a tower out of food, spend time working on the garnishes and bringing the elegance. However, occasional fine-dinning wouldn't hurt. But, its always been easy to fix 20 minutes meals (yes, I am bit fast), simple fuzz-free...day after day, week after week! At least home-cooking concentrates on taste, rather than appearance...nourishes than make it yet-another-experience!!

Although I don't posses any great cook books on my own, but most of my recipes are in my gray cells, I remember every damn good detail...and recalling comforting recipes that Mommy whipped, back home is after all too easy:) So, when I do try new things occasionally, I generally stick to what I know. The thing I really love about old fashioned cooking is that it often uses food that might be actually wasted, or foods that still sit on the pantry shelf calmly. Yes, this recipe is a recycled one too...used up all the long lying vegetables.

Ingredients:

Potatoes 1/4 kilo
Onions large 2 - sliced
Coriander seeds 1/4 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/4 spoon
Salt
Turmeric 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Coriander powder 1 spoon
Cumin seeds powder 1/2 spoon
Garam masala 1/4 spoon
Oil few spoons.

Method:

Boil sliced potatoes, briefly...retain the skin or peel off, as per your wish.

Heat oil in a wok, add the whole spices followed by onions, saute them

Add the pototoes, and powdered spices...cover and cook for few minutes, remove lid and stir-fry over high heat...until fragrant.

Serve to go with chappathis or rotis.

Snow Peas Stir Fry - Cheating Myself With More Veggies!!

Snow Peas Poriyal:

I am finding it hard to drag myself to the kitchen! I am getting lazy and lethargic, due to weather. Waiting for the sunshine, desperately. Otherwise this winter was rather good and pretty fast too! One thing' I like about winter is...making that special trips to farmer's market to take look at the fresh produce.

That is how...when I first saw this veggie...I was thrilled and related it with our 'Indian Broad Beans'...later discovered its just 'young pea pods':( Anyhow, when I cooked it for the first time...it turned out very sweet and not-so-edible!! After that, never cared if they resembled 'avaikai' or not:(

Well, somehow...there was time, when I ought to comprise with this veggie and bring them home! But, now pre-planned the recipe artfully with lots of seasoning to disguise it. In order to suit the needs of an Indian palate. I can't say I failed...it ended up better this time:)

Ingredients:

Snow Peas - finely chopped 1 bowl full
Spanish onion 1 grated
Ginger 2" grated
Fennel seeds 1 spoon - crushed
Cumin seeds 1 spoon
Red chilies 5
Coconut 1/2 shell grated
Salt
Turmeric 1 pinch
Mustard seeds 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Coconut oil few spoons.

Method:

In a wide wok, heat oil. Add the mustard seeds, curry leaves and grated onions. Fry real good, till fragrant.

Meanwhile, blend the coconut, cumin seeds and red chilies. Set aside.

Now add the snow peas, salt, turmeric and fennel seeds powder...cover and cook briefly. Followed by wet-ground paste...fry real good, till fragrant.

Serve warm to go with your South Indian Meals.

Karamani Kai Poriyal / Long Yard Beans Stir-Fry

Other Names: Achinga Payar Mezhukkupuratti. Thatta Payir Milagu Varuval. Long-Yard String Beans Stir-Fry(Indian Style).

Ingredients:

Yard beans 1 bunch - chopped
Salt
Turmeric 1 pinch
Ground black pepper 2 spoons
Garlic 7 cloves with skin, crushed
Cumin seeds 1 spoon
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Curry leaves few
Oil few spoons.

Method:

Heat oil in a pan, add the tempering spices, followed by chopped vegetables. Stir-fry briefly.

Further add salt, turmeric and pepper powder. Plus add one cup of water. Bring this to boil, cover and cook till the veggie is tender.

Once the veggie is done, remove lid and stir-fry over high heat, till oil shows up on the sides.

Serve warm as a side dish for your lunch or dinner.

Shrimps Stir-Fry with Universal Seasoning - En-Soy!!!

Prawn Stir-Fry:(Chinese Style)

Ingredients:

Shrimps - de-gut, shelled and briefly cooked 1 large bowl
Garlic 7 cloves - chopped n minced
Dry red chilies - flakes as per taste
Soy Sauce 1 table spoon
Green onions 1 bunch chopped
Sesame oil few spoons.

Method:

Marinate the shrimps in soy sauce for couple of hours, prior to cooking.

Heat a skillet, add oil and throw in chilies and garlic...wait till fragrant.

Followed by shrimps, stir-fry over high until all the juices are evaporated.

Garnish with green onions and serve steaming hot to go with your noodles or fried rice. Okay, okay I got it...you know what to do:)

Baby Bok Choy and Shrimps Stir-Fry - Chinese Style!

Baby Bok Choy and Shrimps Stir-Fry:

Ingredients:

Shrimps 2 cups
Baby Bok Choy 4
Large Onion 1 sliced
Sugar 1/2 spoon
Vinegar few spoons
Red chili flakes 1 spoon
Garlic cloves 10 chopped
Thick soy sauce
Olive oil few spoons.

Method:

In a wide skillet, heat oil. Add the garlic and onions and fry real good. Add sugar and vinegar, continue frying till they brown. Add shrimps and stir-fry briefly.

Now add the greens and soy sauce, stir-fry over high heat...add chili flakes too. Once the leaves wilt and the stem gets tender, its done.

Serve to go with sticky rice or jasmine rice or fried rice, noodles etc. Enjoy.

Bhindi Do Pyaz / Okra n Onions Stir-Fry - Simple Yet Delicious:)

Lady's Finger Masala:

Other Names: Vendaikai Masala. Bhindi Subzi. Bendakaye Kura.

Ingredients:

Okra/lady's finger 1/2 kilo
Onions large 2 - sliced
Coriander seeds 1/4 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/4 spoon
Salt
Turmeric 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Coriander powder 1 spoon
Cumin seeds powder 1/2 spoon
Garam masala 1/4 spoon
Oil few spoons.

Method:

Heat oil in a wok, add the whole spices followed by onions, saute them

Add okras, and powdered spices...cover and cook, once the veggies is done, remove lid and stir-fry over high heat...until the stickiness is left from the okras.

Serve to go with chappathis or rotis.

Beans Thoran / Green Beans and Coconut Stir-fry

Beans Thoran:(Kerala Style)

Ingredients:

Beans - finely chopped 1 bowl full
Spanish onion 1 grated
Ginger 2" grated
Fennel seeds 1 spoon - crushed
Cumin seeds 1 spoon
Red chilies 5
Coconut 1/2 shell grated
Salt
Turmeric 1 pinch
Mustard seeds 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Coconut oil few spoons.

Method:

In a wide wok, heat oil. Add the mustard seeds, curry leaves and grated onions. Fry real good, till fragrant.

Meanwhile, blend the coconut, cumin seeds and red chilies. Set aside.

Now add the beans, salt, turmeric and fennel seeds powder...cover and cook briefly. Followed by wet-ground paste...fry real good, till fragrant.

Serve warm to go with your South Indian Meals.

Whole Mushrooms in Pepper Based Sauce / Kalaan Milagu Vadhakkal

Pepper Mushrooms:

If you are wondering...what's with the 'Whole Mushrooms' all the sudden! This recipe was whipped in a Hotel suite' without good knife' or any modern gadgets around!! Just manged something edible, with basics! And got to admit' it tasted great along with that Chinese take out meals:)

Ingredients:

Mushrooms 1 bowl
Onion 1 large sliced
Tomato 1 small crushed
Garlic 7-10 minced
Salt
Pepper powder 2-3 spoons
Oil few spoons
Cilantro leaves to garnish.

Method:

In a wide wok, heat oil. Add garlic and onions, fry real good till fragrant.

Followed by tomatoes, salt and pepper. Fry till the tomatoes wilt, further add the mushrooms...cover and cook briefly.

Then, stir-fry over high heat.

Serve warm to go with your meals:)

Calamari Fry / Cuttle Fish Stir-Fry / Fried Sepia / Stir-Fried Squids / Kanava Meen Varuval

Kalamari Hot and Spicy Varuval:

I had some kind of guts to bring this squids home(however it was only frozen)with the intention of cooking! Well, I have laid my hands on this little creature several times during research, cut them down...never, ever had a clue' that people might actually eat it! When I was studying at Chennai...soon after the practical session, one of my weird classmate used to pack up all the leftover specimens(that is semi-dead specimens nailed on the dissection board - like squids, shark). Wheeew..oh baby' that was gross!!! Which kept me off' from devouring any kind of seafood at that time! Maybe in my imagination...squid remained as a 'Bizarre Food' because of that!

Later, when I relocated here, I first encountered fried squids from a Chinese place (Restaurant), which was quite appetizing, but didn't exactly taste it...just admired at the preparation! I have witnessed how my Korean friends enjoy eating live octopus, shrimps etc...they always believed that eating live seafood is good for their health!! And they are absolutely right...in this way' one has to least worry about saturated fatty acids or trans fat! Slowly, over the period...I came across numerous delicious fried calamari recipes, as appetizers in many restaurants. It took me some time(awfully lot of time) to understand that, squids are perfectly safe and edible(when they cut down that ink gland)! And I finally made my mind to buy the same. Well...I cooked it very carefully in Indian style and it turned out fabulous:) So, here you go...

Ingredients:

Calamari - 2 large (cut into strips)
Onion 1 large grated
Ginger 2" - paste
Garlic 4-6 cloves - paste
Salt
Lemon juice few spoons
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Curry leaves few
Sesame oil few spoons.

Method:

In a wide wok, heat oil. Add cumin seeds and curry leaves, wait till the sizzle a little.

Now add ginger-garlic paste followed by onions. Fry real good, maybe till the raw odor is gone.

Add squids, salt, turmeric, chili powders and lemon juiceAnd. Stir-fry over high heat. Well, wait till all the masalas coat well onto the fish?

Do not over-cook it, it may go rubbery...and do not under cook it either, that is not a good decision.

So, once you are pleased with the finish...remove from heat.

Serve warm as a side dish or appetizers. Enjoy:)

Muttai Koss-Siruparuppu Poriyal / Cabbage-Mung Dal Subzi / Cabbage Kura

Cabbage Thoran:

Ingredients:

Cabbage 1 small head - sliced thinly
Mung dal(lentils) 1 cup soaked for 20 minutes
Salt to taste
Green chilies 3 sliced
Curry leaves few
Mustard seeds 1/4 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/4 spoon
Oil few spoons.

Method:

Cook lentils along with salt till tender...not mushy, hope you got me!

In a wide wok, heat oil. Add the tempering spices. Followed by chilies, salt and cabbage. Stir-fry briefly...then add the lentils to it, continue frying over high heat.

Serve warm as a side dish for South Indian meal.

Cluster Beans Stir-fry/ Kothavarankai Poriyal / Kothavarangai Thoran / Gorichikudukaya Kura

Cluster-Beans Stir Fry:

This winter is extremely cold here, in Mississippi...it looks like as if its never gonna end! My local friends said 'we are in the history' the weather condition here has changed after 85 years...its snowing terribly in the south!!! And as the day light is so short...I often seek for that comforting cup of coffee...craving for hot snacks. But this New Year resolution(as usual) is to cut down that extra calories in the meal...so, no more fried, pastries for me:( Anyway...I am also putting lot of effort to cook more vegetables! Hope, I would stay on track.

The way I cooked this stir-fry today, is adopted from my Mom's style of cooking. She pairs semi-cooked mung dhall with vegetables...to include plant protein in the diet...and unlike me, she sparingly uses oil and coconut...which is also very good for health.

Ingredients:

Cluster beans 1/2 kilo
Split mung dhall/lentils 1 cup
Grated coconut 2-4 spoons
Green chili 3 chopped
Salt
Cumin seeds 1 spoon
Mustard seeds 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Coconut oil 1 spoon.

Method:

Cook cluster beans with enough salt in boiling water. When it is tender, pour away the water, retain the beans

Semi-cook the lentils till done...but not mushy.

In a wide wok, heat oil. Add the spices and curry leaves. Wait till it sizzles.

Add the vegetables, lentils and coconut to it...stir-fry over high heat.

Serve to go with your meals.

Stuffed Whole Okras / Stuffed Lady's Finger / Bharwa Bindi

Vendaikai Masala:

Gutti Bendakaya. Stuffed Vendaikai. Bindi Nirachadhu. Stuffed Whole Okras. Stuffed Lady's Finger. Bharwa Bindi.

Ingredients:

Fresh Okras
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Garam masala 1/4 spoon
Onion grated 1/4 cup
Ginger-garlic paste 1/ spoon
Tomato 1 crushed
Oil for stir-frying.

Method:

Trim the ends and slit the okras.

Now mix all the above mentioned ingredients(except oil and okra).

Baste and fill the vegetable with above mixture.

Heat oil in a pan, stir-fry the veggies. Once the raw odor leaves the pan and the vegetable turns tender, its done.

Serve to go with your main meal, as a side dish.

Plantain Flower Stir-Fry / Vazhaipoo Thoran / Vazhaipoo Poriyal

Vazhaipoo Thoran:

Ingredients:

Plantain flower 1 large
Coconut 1 large - grated
Green chilies
Shallots 1 or two (optional)
Ginger 1" grated
Salt
Turmeric powder 1 pinch
Cumin seeds 1 spoon
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Curry leaves few
Coconut oil few spoons.

Method:

Clean the plantain flower, wash and finely chop them. Leaves them in cold water until cooking...to avoid discoloration.

In a wide wok, heat oil and add the tempering spices. Wait till the pop. Now add chilies, ginger and onions.

Followed by finely chopped plantain flower. Further add salt and turmeric powder. Cover and cook.

Once it is done, remove the lid and add grated coconut...stir-fry over high heat.

Serve as a side dish to South Indian meals.

Baby Bok Choy Stir Fry - Chinese Style

Baby Bok Choy:(Chinese Style)

Bok Choy, the Chinese cabbage, became my favorite greens...ever since my brother introduced it' to me. When it comes to fixing a meal, I can't help myself a new veggie that quickly! As long as it is cooked by others or at restaurants, am fine.

I am a big native food lover, its not that am very reluctant to try anything novel! If its not genetically modified, fortified for particular health conditions...am good. But still very conservative about things that appease me at first sight! Kind of skeptical about everything that looks queer, neophobic to play with some ingredients(things that have big label' saying xanthum gum, mono-poly-saccharides, high-fructose corn syrup, etc). Oh yeah, fellow blogger buddies help me a lot to ramp up my food choices:)

Ingredients:

Baby Bok Choy
Large Onion 1 sliced
Sugar 1/2 spoon
Vinegar few spoons
Red chili flakes 1 spoon
Garlic powder 1 spoon
Thick soy sauce
Olive oil few spoons.

Method:

In a wide skillet, heat oil. Add the onions and fry real good. Add sugar and vinegar, continue frying till they brown.

Now add the greens and soy sauce, stir-fry over high heat...add chili flakes and garlic powder too. Once the leaves wilt and the stem gets tender, its done.

Serve to go with sticky rice or jasmine rice or fried rice, noodles etc. Enjoy.