Javarisi Vathal/ Sabudhana Fries/ Sago Fryiums

Summer holidays back home always used to be a huge fun with this activity in each household. Doing this brought me a back a lot of reminiscence of my childhood summer days. We were asked to guard the terrace from crows and squirrels who would nibble off the vathal. But no one could save it from us kids nibbling it.

Let us see how it is made.
Things we need

• Sabhudana/ Javarisi/ sago = 1/2 kg
• Green chilles - 12 (as needed)
• Asafoetida
• Salt
• Lemon
• Plastic sheets/ big white cotton cloth
• Lots of sun

Soak the Sabhudana overnight. The next day pressure cook in (in cooker) with 2 times of water.

Then once its cooked, check the consistency. It should be like a coarse dosa batter. If its thick you can add water. Be watchful about not adding too much water. Add salt, well ground green chillies and lemon juice. 

On a clean piece of cloth/ plastic, take a ladle full of the batter and pour it on the sheet and flatten it. 

Allow it to sun dry for a day or two. Once it is dry, it stands out usually. 

It is so yummy to taste the batter and a half dried vathal.

Once they are completely dry, fry them in oil. A very unstoppable snack with soup or any South Indian rice dishes.

Aloo Shimla/ Potato Green Pepper Stir Fry

A post after a long Sabbatical. I never got a chance to cook, so I waited till I could to post something.
This is a my Sri's (my DH) all time favorite. He loves the crunchy green peppers. He took me to a very local pubjabi dhaba in Bangalore where he had once tasted this dish. He wanted a similar replica of the same. So here goes my trial and its quite easy.

Things we need

Potatoes - 4 medium ones
Green Pepper/ Capsicum (any colored) -  2
Onions - 2
Cumin Seeds - a spoon
Coriander seeds - coarsely ground
Ginger paste - a little
Turmeric - 1/2 spoon
Aamchur (Dry Mango powder) - 1 spoon
Chilli Powder- 1 spoon
Garam Masala - 1/2 spoon
Sugar - to sprinkle
Coriander leaves- finely chopped to garnish
Salt
Oil - 2 tbs

Julienne the vegetables.(Cut the veggies vertically into not so thin size). Have the potatoes in a bowl with water to prevent them from getting black due to oxidation. In a wide pan, heat oil, add cumin seeds, when it sputters add onions, ginger paste, potatoes and stir fry for 5 mins. then add turmeric powder, chili powder salt. Cover and allow it to cook. Now add, garam masala, aamchur powder, sugar, stir well, Once the potatoes are done,  add the green pepper. I love them crisp, hence I take it off the stove immediately. Garnish with coriander leaves.
A little raw taste of the green pepper is very delectable.

Its wonderful with chapatti or parathas or as a side dish with rice.

Katrikai Gotsu

Katrikai Gotsu

This can be made in different ways. But this one is my mom's way of doing it. I love the smell & the taste of it & its very simple.
Ingredients
Big Brinjal
Oil

Mustard seeds - 1 spoon

Red Chillies (2)

Asafoetida - a pinch

Tamarind paste - 1 1/2 spoons.

Curry leaves

Sambar powder - 2 spoons

Salt

Preparation
The brinjal has to be roasted. The tradiational way of doing it is to apply oil on the brinjal & directly keep it on the flame & keep turning the brinjal until all the skin is burnt enough. Then peel off the skin.
I tried to use the conventional over to make it. Preheat the oven for 400 for 5 mins, then apply oil and keep it in the oven. Occasionally flip it. It took me half an hour to get it done. This may vary depending on the oven.

Dissolve the tamarind paste in 1 cup of water.
In a kadai take oil. When it is hot, add mustard seeds, red chillies, a pinch of asafetida, curry leaves, half a tea spoon of sambar powder. Roast it a bit until the raw smell is gone. Then add the tamarind extract & salt. Let it boil for some time. Then mash the brinjal and add it to the boiling mixture and bring it to a boil.

Its done. Garnish it with coriander leaves. Lovely to take it with upma kuzukatai & aruci upma.

How to make Usili Karamudu. (Paruppu Usili/ Beans Lentils Curry)

How to make Paruppu Usili

Ingredients
Toor dal : 1/2 cup

Channa dal : 1/2 cup

Red Chilli : 2

Salt to taste

Turmeric

Mustard seeds

Urad dal : 1/4 spoon

Asafoetida : a pinch

Oil

Usili can be done with one of the following vegetables : Potalankai (Snake gourd), Beans, Banana flower (vazhai po), Broad beans (avaraikai), kothavarankai (cluster beans).

Preparation

Cut the vegetables and pressure cook them after adding salt and turmeric.

Soak Toor dal, Channa dal for half an hour. Then, grind them coarsly with minimum water after adding salt, red chilli , asafoetida.

Heat 6 spoons of oil in Kadai. When it fumes, add mustard and then udad dal, when they are roasted untill golden brown add the dal mix, stir thoroughly, close the kadai with a plate and allow it to cook (10 to 15 minutes). Keep stirring every 3 minutes.

After the dal gets cooked, add the cooked vegetables, mix well, fry for 5 minutes and remove.

Its ready.

Combination

Mostly taken with Mor Kuzambu. Also good with araicha sathumudhu (Tomato Rasam)