Baby Eggplant Curry

Overview
Baby eggplants cooked whole  makes this dish very elegant. The whole baby eggplants are split in four with out going all  the way to the top so that it cooks well and looks very fresh. This eggplant curry goes very well with the Indian breads like Chapati or Naan.

Ingredients
Baby purple eggplants - 10
Tomatoes - 2 large finely chopped
Red Onion - 2 thin sliced length wise
Cilantro - 1/2 cup finely chopped
Olive oil - 5 tablespoons
Salt to taste

To Grind
Garlic - 4 - 6 cloves
Ginger - 2 inch piece
Turmeric - 1/2 teaspoon
Chilly powder - 1/2 - 1 teaspoon
Whole black peppers - 1/2 teaspoon
Whole coriander seeds - 3 tablespoons
Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoons
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Steps
1. Wash the eggs plants. keep the tip of the stem on them. They looks good cooked with the stem. Slit the bottom of egg plant length wise into four and don't cut it all the way so that the slices don't split apart.

2. Put the cut eggplants in salt water and keep it soaked in water for about 30  minutes to one hour. This helps reduce the bitterness of the eggplant.

3. Grind all the ingredients to be ground to a smooth paste and keep aside.

4. Heat oil in a pan. When the oil gets hot  add the onion slices to the oil and saute till the onions get brown.

5. Add the ground paste to the brown oil and saute till the oil separates. Add the chopped tomatoes to this mix well, add salt and cook covered till the tomatoes are cooked well and the oil begins to separate.

6. Add the prepared eggplants to this mix well and cook covered for about 25 - 35 minutes till the eggplants are cooked well and the gravy is thick.

7. Add the chopped cilantro and mix well

Serve hot with Chapati or rice.

Healthy Chili

Overview
A bowl of hot Chili is a satisfying comfort food on a cold or rainy day. Chilli's are good hearty meal and making it with lots of vegetables makes it healthy for you. You can use Ground lean turkey or beef. I. have used store brought hot chili seasoning for this dish

Chili with vegetables

Chili Ingredients

Ingredients
Ground lean turkey or  beef - one pound
Yellow squash - 2 large - Chopped finely
Celery sticks - 4 - 5 - chopped finely
Green pepper one - finely chopped
Red kidney beans - 1 can  - washed and drained
Fire roasted tomatoes - 1 can
Red Onion - 1 large - finely chopped
Garlic - 6 - 8 cloves finely chopped
Chili seasoning hot  - 1 packet
Olive oil - 3 tablespoons
Crushed red pepper flakes - 1 tablespoon
Beef or chicken broth fat free - 1 cartoon( 3 -4 cups)
Chopped Cilantro for garnish
Grated cheese and sour cream for topping(optional)
Salt to taste

Steps
1. Brown the meat in pan and keep aside.

2. In another vessel add the olive oil. When the oil gets hot add the chopped garlic and onions and saute till the onions are soft and translucent. Add the pepper flakes and saute for few more minutes.

3. Add the chopped vegetables to this and saute for few minutes. Add the  red beans tomatoes and meat to this along with chili seasoning mix. Mix well and  bring it to a boil.

4. Simmer the chilly in low heat for about 30 - 40 minutes covered so that all the vegetables are cooked well and all flavors mingle well with the sauce. Add salt if needed.

Serve hot.

Tacos

Overview
This is a semi home made meal since I did get the store brought taco shells and taco seasoning. This is my boys favorite dinner and they like it both with hard or soft taco shell. I like to get all the fixings ready ahead of time and let my boys assemble the tacos on their own. This is a good way to have a taco buffet and would not take much time. I used both beef and chicken for the tacos.

My Taco Buffet

Ingredients
Ground beef - 1 pound
Chicken breast - 1 pound - cut into small slices
Taco seasoning - 2 packets( one for beef and one for Chicken)
Store brought Taco shells( soft shells can be used too)

For the toppings
One large onion chopped finely
Cilantro chopped finely - a handful
Tomatoes - 1 cup finely chopped
Lettuce - finely chopped
Re fried beans - 1 can
Sour cream   - 1 cup
Cut lemon or lime wedges optional
Mixed grated cheese - 1 cup
Salsa - one cup

Steps
1. Brown the ground beef and chicken in two separate pans.  for the Chicken you would need to add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

2. When  the meat browns add the taco seasoning and enough water and cook for few minutes in low heat.

3.Transfer to serving bowls to make tacos.

Assemble tacos with toppings - Re fried beans, meat, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, sour cream and cheese and enjoy

Kappa and Fish Curry

Overview
Kappa and fish curry is a very popular and traditional food of Kerala. Kappa and Fish Curry is kind of like the meat and potatoes here in U.S. Kappa (Yucca) is cooked and mashed and is eaten with red fish curry. This unique combination is an acquired taste of all Keralites.

Ingredients for Mashed Kappa
Fresh Yucca root or frozen - 2 pounds cleaned and cut into chunks
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Garlic - 4 cloves
Turmeric - 1/2 teaspoon
Green chilly - 4 - 6
Fresh grated coconut - 1 cup
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves 2 sprigs
Red whole chilly broken into pieces - 4
Salt to taste
Oil - 3 tablespoons

Steps for Kappa
1. Boil water in large vessel. Add the cleaned chopped Kappa chunks to it. Let it boil for about 5 - 10 minutes till the Kappa is almost cooked. Drain out the water and keep aside.

2. Coarsely grind the coconut with garlic, cumin seeds, turmeric and green chillies.

3. Add the ground coconut paste to the tapioca along with 1 cup water and mix well and bring to boil. Cook till the Kappa is cooked well. Turn off  heat and mash the Kappa with the spoon.

4. Heat the oil in a pan to garnish the Kappa. When the oil is hot add the mustard seeds when the mustard seeds splutter add the red chilly pieces and Curry leaves to the oil. Turn off the heat and add this to the prepared kappa.

Ingredients for Red Fish Curry
Salmon fillet 2 pounds
Red Onions - 1/2 thin sliced
Ginger 2 inch - thin sliced
Green chilly - 6  - 8 cut length wise
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Turmeric - 1/2 teaspoon
Red Chilly powder - 3 tablespoon
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 teaspoons
Kerala Tamarind(Kodampulli ) 4  thin slices
Oil - 4 tablespoons
Salt to taste

Steps for Fish curry
1. Clean and cut the fish to pieces and keep aside.

2. Heat oil in a pan. when the oil is hot add the mustard seeds. When it splutters add the fenugreek seeds and saute well. Add the sliced onions, ginger, green chilly and curry leaves to this and saute few minutes. When the onions are soft add the chilly powder and turmeric and saute well.

3. Add the Kerala tamarind, water( about a cup) and salt to this and mix well. Bring this to a boil and then add the fish pieces gently to this. Bring it back to  boil and then simmer and cook till the fish is cooked about 10 - 15 minutes.

Serve hot with mashed Kappa.

Celery with Green Moong Dal curry

Overview
A very healthy dish with unique combination of celery and green moong Dal. Green Moong Dal is good for you since it has both protein and fiber. Combining this with celery gives this dish a very nice texture and flavor. I got this recipe from my cousin. This dish goes very well with Rice or Chapati.

Ingredients
Green moong Dal - 1 cup
Celery - 1 bunch(almost 3 cups chopped)
Red onion - 1 medium finely chopped
Garlic - 8 - 10 cloves finely chopped
Red pepper flakes - 2 tables spoon or as needed
Turmeric - 1/2 teaspoon
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Olive oil - 4 tablespoons
Salt to taste

Steps
1. Soak the Green moong Dal is water over night.

2. Cook with 1/4 cup of water till it is done. Do not over cook the Dal it should not get mushy.

3. Chop the celery into strips and then finely chop them.

4. Once the Green moong Dal is cooked add the celery to this and mix well with salt and turmeric. Bring it to a boil and turn off heat.

5. Heat oil in pan. add the chopped red onions and garlic. Saute till the onions are light brown. Add the  red pepper flakes and saute for few minutes add the curry leaves to this and then the prepared Green moong Dal and celery mixture.

6. Mix well and saute till all the liquid has evaporated.

Serve hot with Plain Rice or Chapati

Uppama

Overview
Uppama is one of the famous South Indian Breakfast dish. It is cooked as  thick porridge with dry roasted semolina(Rava). Seasoning for the Uppama are done in many different ways here I have used roasted peanuts, Urdu Dal and Channa Dal. Vegetables can also be added to this dish. Uppama can be eaten with banana or plain with chutney and pickles. This is a n easy and quick breakfast dish ready in minutes. Cream of wheat can also be substituted in place of Rava.

Uppama

Seasoning ingredients for Uppama

Ingredients
Rava dry roasted - 2 cups
Water - 4 cups
Salt to taste
Red onion finely chopped - one medium
Green chilly  - 4 finely chopped
Ginger - 2 inch piece finely chopped
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Urdu Dal - 1 tablespoon
Channa Dal - 1 tablespoon
Roasted peanuts - 1/4 cups
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Oil - 4 tablespoons

Steps

1. Heat oil in a pan. When the oil gets hot add the mustard seeds. When the seeds splutter add the Urdu Dal and Channa Dal and saute till the Dal's are light brown.

2. Add the chopped red onions, ginger, green chilly, peanuts and curry leaves to this and saute till the onions are soft.

3. Add the water and salt about 1 teaspoon to this and mix well. Bring this mixture to a boil. Add Rava little at a time stirring constantly . Mix well and turn off the heat when it is porridge like consistency.

Serve hot

Masala Dosa

Overview
Dosa are crepes made with fermented batter of rice and black lentils. This is a staple dish of south India and there are many versions of Dosa. Plain dosa are usually eaten with chutney and sambhar. Masala Dosa are stuffed with spiced potatoes.

Masala Dosa with chutney and Sambhar

Ingredients for the Dosa Batter
Rice 2 cups
Urdu Dal - 1cup
Fenugreek seeds - 1 tablespoon
Salt - 1 teaspoon

Soak the rice with fenugreek seeds and the Urdu Dal separately overnight. Grind to a smooth paste in a blender. The batter should be little thinner than the pancake batter. Add salt and leave to ferment over night in a warm dry place .

Ingredients for potato filling
Potatoes 4 medium size ones
Red onion - 1 chopped finely
Green chillies - 4
Ginger 1 inch piece finely chopped
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Cilantro a  handful finely chopped
Urdu Dal - 1 teaspoon
Channa Dal - 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Olive oil - 4 tablespoons
Oil to make dosa

Steps for potato masala
1. Skin and clean the potatoes. Cut into small bite size cubes and put in water.

2. Heat oil in a pan. When oil is hot add the mustard seeds. When the seeds splutter add the Channa Dal first and then the Urdu Dal and brown them.

3. Add the chopped onions, green chilly and ginger to this and saute for few more minutes. When the onions are light brown add the potatoes with salt and turmeric. Mix well, add 1/2 cup water and cover pan and cook till the potatoes are cooked well and all liquid evaporated.

4. Add the chopped cilantro to this and mix well

Steps to make the Masala Dosa

1. Heat the dosa Griddle put few drops of oil and spread well. When the griddle is hot add the dosa batter about 1/4 cup and spread in circular motion to make a big circular crepe.

2. Add few drops of oil on top of the dosa too. When the bottom of the dosa begins to brown flip it over and brown the other side too.

3. Put some of the prepared potato masala in the middle and fold the dosa.

Serve hot with Coconut chutney and Sambhar.