Alu-Methi Subjis - With & Without gravy. With Gravy: Potatoes - 5 medium ( boil, peel & cube) Methi leaves - 2 big or 5 small bunches ( clean & chop) Onion – 1 ( chop) Tomatoes - 3 (chop) Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp Bay leaf - 1 Cinnamon - 1 “ Oil - 1 tbsp Grated coconut - ½ cup Take milk from coconut in 2 instalments, one medium (1/2 cup) & one thin (1 cup). Heat oil in a pressure pan, add leaf & cinnamon, then add chopped onion & fry till aroma comes. Then add ginger- garlic paste, fry & then add tomatoes & methi leaves. Fry till they become pulpy, add thin coconut milk, chilli powder, salt & cubed potatoes. Cook for just one whistle. Open, add medium coconut milk, simmer & remove. The photo is posted below. Dry Curry: Potatoes - 5 medium Methi leaves - 2 big or 5 small bunches ( clean & chop) Oil - 2 tbsp Jeera - 1 tsp Minced garlic - 1 tbsp Chopped green chillies - 3,4 ( to taste) Cube raw potatoes. Amchur powder - 1 tsp Salt, haldi Peel & cube raw potatoes. Heat oil add jeera, minced garlic, chopped green chillies, haldi & finally potato cubes. Close & cook in its own steam till ¾ done. Add chopped methi leaves & salt, continue to cook. Just before removing, add amchur powder.
Methi-Matar-Malai - Economical sabji tasting rich. Peas - 1 cup Methi leaves - 2 big or 5 small bunches Malai ( top of milk) - 2 tbsp Garlic - 4,5 pieces Green chillies - 4,5 ( or to taste) Cornflour - 2 tsp Milk - 2 cups Butter - 1 tbsp Oil - 2 tsp Salt, little sugar Boil peas till soft. Clean, wash & drain completely methi leaves. Lightly fry them in 2 tsp oil till they shrink well. Mince garlic & green chillies fine ( or grind). Heat butter in a vessel, add cornflour – milk mixture, stir till it boils. Add peas, methi leaves & minced garlic-green chillies. Add sugar, salt & simmer. Add malai, mix well & remove. Sprinkle garammasala on top decoratively.
Peerkangai Masiyal - Old fashioned, tasty. Peerkangai is known as ridge gourd.Test for bitterness before using it. Peeled & chopped ridgegourd - 3 cups Moong dhal - 3 tbsp Green chillies - 2, slit Lime juice - 2 tsp Grated coconut - 2 tbsp (optional) Salt, haldi To temper: Oil - 1 tsp Mustard seeds - ½ tsp Urad dhal - 1 tsp Finely chopped ginger - 2 tsp Hing - ½ tsp Curry leaves - few To garnish: Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp, chopped Soak dhal in boiling water for 30 mts. Boil the dhal in 1 cup of water with haldi. When it just soft, add vegetable cubes & green chillies. Let it boil on a medium flame for sometime till the vegetable becomes soft – do not add water. If it is too thin, add 1 tsp cornflour or multipurpose flour mixed with a little water, & give a boil. Add coconut & remove from flame. Temper & add lime juice. Garnish with coriander leaves.
Thalakam - the Thirunelveli Special There are many recipes for thalakam - I am giving 2 here. Vegetables like white ashgourd, yellow ash gourd, avarakkai, clusterbeans, mochaiparuppu, snake gourd, raw banana, brinjal, chenaikizangu, cheppankizangu, koorkankizangu, sweet potato are best suited. Next come carrot, potato & peas. Avoid ladies’ finger, drumstick, bitter gourd etc. Cut into cubes as for sambar. Vegetables - 4 cups Tamarind paste - 1 tbsp Salt, haldi First recipe: Roast dry & powder: Raw rice - 2 tsp Urad dhal - 2 tsp Black seasame seeds - 2 tsp ( if not available, use white variety) Red chillies - 7,8 Grated coconut - ½ cup To temper: Oil - 1 tbsp Mustard seeds - 1 tsp Red chillies - 2,3 Curry leaves - few Boil vegetables in water to which haldi & salt are added. When the vegetables are cooked soft, add the powder mixed with little water, to prevent lump formation. Boil again & when the correct consistency is reached, remove & temper as given. Variation: The roasted ingredients can be ground to a paste & added for a thicker consistency. Half the coconut can be used for roasting & the other half added with tempering ingredients. Second method; In this the ingredients to be roasted are different. To roast dry & powder: Red chillies - 7,8 Raw rice - 1 tbsp Tur dhal - 1 tbsp Hing - 1 tsp Curry leaves - few The method is the same as above. Frying 2 tbsp coconut with tempering ingredients is optional.
Breadfruit Stew - Tasty like Potatoes. Breadfruit peeled & cut into cubes - 2 cups Onion - 1 big – cut the same size as breadfruit Tomato - 1, chopped Grind to a paste: Green chillies - 10 Saunf - ½ tsp Jeera - ½ tsp Khus khus - 2 tsp Fried gram ( pottukadalai ) - 2 tbsp Grated coconut - 3 tbsp To temper: Oil - 2 tbsp Saunf - ½ tsp Pepper - 1 tsp First pressure cook the vegetable for 1 whistle & drain. In a kadai heat oil, temper as given & then add onions first & fry well. Then add tomatoes & fry till pulpy. Add the ground paste & fry well. Add cooked vegetable, sufficient water & salt. Boil together & when the whole mixture becomes homogeneous, remove.
Paneer Makhni - definitely not for dieters ! Paneer - 500 gms Tomatoes - 500 gms Malai ( top of milk) - ½ cup ( for a rich taste) Onions - 2 – mince fine Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp Kasoori methi - 2 tsp Methi powder - ½ tsp Cardamom powder - ½ tsp Jeera - 1 tsp Chilli powder - 2 tsp ( or less) Green chillies - 2 ( slit) Garam masala - ½ tsp Butter - 1 tbsp Oil - 1 tbsp Salt, sugar Deskin & puree tomatoes. Cut paneer into cubes & immerse in warm water to soften them. Boil tomato puree with methi &cardm pdrs, haldi, salt sugar, kasoori methi & butter to a sauce consistency. Strain in a soup strainer. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a kadai ,then add in this order,-jeera, onion, ginger garlic paste,garam masala, 2 slit green chillies (adding each after the previous one is fried) &finally tomato sauce. Boil, add cream & paneer. Simmer till everything blends. If you prefer you can fry paneer lightly – it is not a must. Please see Preparing Paneer Cubes for Sabjis The addition of methi & cardm pdrs gives it an interesting taste.
Methi-Brinjal Dry Sabji - a Jain dish. Brinjals - ¼ kg Methi leaves - 2 small bunches Amchur powder - 1 tbsp Salt Haldi To fry in a dry kadai & powder: Red chillies 3 Dhaniya - 1 tsp Urad dhal - 1 tbsp Khus khus - 1 tsp Seasame seeds - 2 tsp To temper: Oil - 2 tbsp Mustard seeds - 1 tsp Cut brinjal into long pieces. Wash,chop & drain methi leaves. Heat oil, temper mustard seeds, add brinjals, salt & haldi. Cover & cook. When done, add methi leaves & fry on a medium fire to cook them. Add the dry powder & amchur. Mix well & remove. Goes well with chappathis & rice.
Jackfruit Perattal - this is kathal or Idichakkai. Tender jackfruit ( idichakkai) - 1 – Peel & chop into big squares Onion big - 1 – chop Tomatoes - 2 – chop Salt Grind to a paste: Red chillies - 4,5 – can use 2 red & 2 green chillies. Small onion - 4 Garlic - 4 pieces Ginger - 1” Saunf - ½ tsp( optional) Jeera - ½ tsp Khus khus - ½ tsp Fried gram ( pottukadalai) - 1 tbsp Grated coconut - 1 tbsp To temper: Oil - 2 tbsp Cinnamon - 1 “ Cloves - 3,4 Cardamom - 3,4 Cook the jackfruit pieces soft. It is optional to add 2 potatoes also. Heat oil & temper as given. Add chopped onion & tomato & fry well. Add the paste & fry till the raw smell goes. Add salt & very little water. When everything boils together, add the boiled vegetable. Fry well till it becomes a mass. This can be made, omitting onions completely.
Mullangi masal kootu - good combintion for chappathis. White radish ( mullangi) - ½ kg – peel & chop into cubes Potatoes - 2 – boil, peel & crumble Grind to a paste: Tomatoes - 2 big Green chillies - 4,5 Ginger - 1” Dhaniya - 2 tsp Jeera - 1 tsp Oil - 2 tbsp Salt, haldi In a pressure pan heat oil & fry the paste well for 3-4 mts on medium flame. Add chopped vegetable cubes, salt, haldi & 1 cup of water. Cook for one whistle. Cool, open & add crumbled potatoes. Boil everything together & remove. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Jackfruit Koftas in Peas Gravy - I learnt this as my first kofta curry ! For the koftas: Tender jackfruit - ½ kg Ginger - 1” Green chillies - 2 Red chillies - 2 Fried gram flour - 2 tbsp ( pottukadalai mavu) Salt Oil - to deep fry To stuff inside - chopped cashew or raisins ( optional) For the gravy: Boiled peas - 1 cup Bay leaves - 2 Curds - ¾ cup, well beaten Salt Oil - 2 tbsp Grind together: Onion - 1 Ginger - ½ “ Red chilli powder - 1 tsp Garam masala - ½ tsp Haldi Koftas: Remove the thick hard skin & cut into 2 cm cubes. Steam well for 15 mts or boil in water & reserve the strained water for gravy. Grind it with ginger & both chillies. Mix with fried gram flour, salt & make lime size balls., stuffing raisins or nuts. Deep fry till golden. Gravy: Heat oil & add bay leaves. When they sizzle, add the ground paste & fry till raw smell is lost. Add boiled peas, salt & the reserved water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat & add koftas. Simmer for 10 mts & then add well beaten curds. Cook on a low flame till gravy is blended, adding more water, if necessary, to get the desired consistency. Remove & garnish with coriander leaves .