Vankaya Perugu pachadi (Brinjal Raitha)

This is a dish that I do very often. It is so easy to make, it comes very handy when I don't have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen. Brinjal used to be my least favorite vegetable while I was growing up. My mother used to make a koora which is the only way I used to eat brinjal. I will share that recipe later. But now, after coming here, lot of things changed and my choice of vegetables is one of them. Its my husband's favorite too, so how can I stay away any more.

Ingredients:

1. One big brinjal
2. 1 inch piece of ginger
3. 4-5 green chillis
4. 1.5 cups of curd (plain yogurt)
5. Cilantro to garnish

For tadka:
1. Mustard seeds
2. Cumin
3. Asafoetida
4. Curry leaves
5. 2 tbsp of oil

Method:

Wash and wrap the brinjal in aluminium foil. Place it in a preheated oven and let is cook in the foil for about 30 minutes at 350 degress. When you try to take it out, it will feel very soft, that is how you know it is done. Allow it cool, chop off the top and peel the skin. Meanwhile grind the ginger and green chillis into a paste with some water. Do the popu with mustard, cumin, asafoetida and curry leaves in oil. Add the ginger/green chilli paste to the oil and fry for a minute. Now add the brinjal and mash it in the pan itself with a masher or the spoon. You can even mash it before added it to the pan if you want.

Let all the ingredients get incorporated in the pan in low to medium heat for about 3-4 minutes. Now allow it to cool. Add beaten curds, mix well. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Notes: In case you find that the brinjal is still hard when you start peeling, just chop it into small pieces and when you have it in the pan, just fry a bit longer. You can add more curd if you are going to eat with rice or less if you are going to eat with chappathi or roti.

Cabbage Kura

This is a simple cabbage curry that I learned from my mother. Very easy to do and its an instant hit in my family.

Ingredients:
1. 1 small cabbage
2. 3-4 green chillis (I use more, use it according to your taste)
3. 1 inch ginger
4. 1-2 pinches of turmeric
For tadka/popu:
1. 1 tsp mustard seeds
2. 1 tsp cumin seeds
3. 1 tbsp urad dal
4. 2 tbsp channa dal
5. Hing
6. 2-3 tbsp peanut oil

Method:
Grind the raw ginger and chillis and make a paste. Do tadka with the above tadka ingredients after you get the oil heated. Then add the ginger/chilli paste. Add finely chopped or shredded cabbage as soon as the raw smell of ginger goes away. Add turmeric and salt and give all the ingredients a nice stir. Then cover the lid and cook until all the water is absorbed. (No need to pour any water, the cabbage will leave enough water to cook).

Notes: Instead of grinding the ginger and green chillis, I sometimes just grate the ginger and finely chop green chillis, easy when I am in a hurry.

"A rose is a rose is a rose"

My first spring bloom. A beautiful red rose.
I was not very much motivated in blogging because the number of visitors to my blog has not been really encouraging. Here I am back again, to what I started to be an outlet of my thoughts, my art and my food.

Looking at my rose I remembered the quote "A rose is a rose is a rose" which just simply means that "Things are what they are". What a good thought to start blogging again this year.