Beetroot Piratal - Beets with Spices

Beets have been a favorite of mine. The earliest memories of beets was this raita made at my grandmother's place. The other favorite way of eating is just a simple stir fry with onions and green chilies and maybe a tiny bit of sambhar powder. You can also make beetroot poriyal like this one but use beets instead of carrots.

when we were kids, we had this cook at home. She made the tastiest recipes and this is a recipe from memory of how she used to make beets. She made a paste of coriander seeds, coconuts and I am guessing chilies and maybe a bit of cumin and pepper corns. It turned out really good. I am not sure if it had the same taste because I don't remember it that clearly.

Here's the recipe in pictures,

Peel and chop the beets into small cubes.
Make a paste with coconut, chilies, coriander seeds, cumin and poppy seeds.
In a wide mouthed saute the onions and seasonings and add in the beets.
When the beets are half cooked add in the blended paste and saute till the moisture evaporates and the beets are nice and dry and the masala coated.

Beetroot Piratal
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients

1. 4 medium sized beets - 2 cups of cubed beets
2. 1/4 cup chopped onions
3. seasonings: mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves
4. salt to taste
5. 2 tsp of oil
For the Paste
6. 1 tbsp grated fresh or frozen coconut
7. 2 red chilies
8. 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
9. a pinch of cumin seeds
10. a few peppercorns
11. 1 tsp of poppy seeds (optional)
    

Method

1. Wash the beets, peel and cut the beets into small cubes.
2. In a wide mouthed pan, heat oil add the cumin seeds, followed by the mustard seeds and when it pops add the curry leaves, followed by the onions.
3. Saute the onions till it starts to brown.
4. Add in the chopped beets and saute till they are half cooked (no need to add water)
5. While the beets are cooking, blend the ingredients under 'For the Paste' using about 2 tbsp of water to a fairly smooth paste.
6. Once the beets are almost cooked, add in the paste and saute till moisture has evaporated and the masala looks coated on the beets. Take about 10 -12 minutes.

Tastes good as a side or mixed in with rice. ike what you are reading? Subscribe!

Button Mushrooms Fry

These white button mushrooms were my first introduction to mushrooms. We started seeing mushrooms in my corner of India when I was perhaps in middle school. These tiny button mushrooms were fresh and cooked with just minimal of spices and the taste was earthy and hearty like eating succulent chicken. That is the taste that comes to my mind when I think of mushrooms. But mushrooms were not an every day affair. Occasionally you got them in the markets.

Fast forward to life here in the US. There are umpteen varieties of mushroom but for some reason I kept away from the white button mushrooms perhaps this thing that anything white is bad was perhaps playing in the back of head when I was passing by these white button mushrooms?

These cute white fresh button mushrooms came home with me on one of my grocery runs and they have several times since. We are all glad they did. Cooked this way the mushrooms are a treat.

Button Mushrooms Fry
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients

1. 1/2 - 1 lb small white button mushrooms
2. 1/2 cup of chopped shallots (Red onion can be used but it is preferable to use shallots)
3. 2 tsp chili powder or 1/2 tbsp sambhar powder
4. salt to taste
5. seasonings: mustard, curry leaves
   
6. 2 tsp oil

Method

1. Wash the mushrooms and let the water drain completely and pat dry with a kitchen towel. Leave them whole, no need to chop.
2. In a kadai or a wide mouthed pan, heat oil and add the seasonings.
3. Add the onions and saute till they are nice and brown.
4. Turn the heat to high and add in the mushrooms, saute for a couple of minutes.
5. Add in the spice powder and salt and saute for 4-5 minutes more and turn off the heat.

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Masala Avrakkai Poriyal - Hyacinth Beans Stir fry with spices and peanuts

I cook a vegetable almost every other day. Lightly seasoned and with sauteed onions and green or red chilies and finished with a sprinkling of fresh/frozen grated coconut. While this is easy to cook when you are brain dead in the evening and want something done as quickly as possible this is not exactly terribly exciting.

So when I was getting ready to make a stir fry with hyacinth beans albeit using the boring method, my brother stepped and suggested we try these masala kind instead. He wasn't sure where exactly he got the recipe but vaguely remembered the spices he thought that went into and also the roasted roughly crushed peanuts.

Masala Avrakkai Poriyal
Preparation Time:10 minutes
Cooking Time:20 hours
Ingredients

1. 1 lb of avrakkai
2. 1 tsp oil
3. seasonings: 2 tsp urad dal, cumin, mustard seeds, curry leaves
4. 1/4 cup of roasted peanuts
For the spice powder
5. 1 tbsp Bengal Gram (kadalai paruppu)
6. 1/2 tbsp of coriander seeds
7. 1 tsp cumin seeds
8. a few pepper corns
9. 4 red chilies

Method

1. Roast the ingredients for the spice powder one by one and set aside. The dal should brown a little bit. Cool and powder using a spice grinder.
2. Coarsely powder or crush the peanuts.
3. Clean the beans. remove the strings if any and cut into 1 inch piece.
4. Add the beans to a sauce pan, add a couple of tsps of water and cook for about 4-5 minutes. Set aside. If there is any moisture drain it. (see Note:)
5. In a wide mouthed pan heat oil, when hot add the urad dal and saute till it turns brown. Add the cumin and mustard seeds.
6. Add the beans and saute for 3-4 minutes.
7. Sprinkle salt and the spice powder over the beans, saute for a couple of minutes.
8. Finish with sprinkling of the crushed peanuts and turn off the heat.
9. Note:You can add salt when steaming the vegetable.

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Okra - Lady's Fingers with potatoes - Dry Stir Fry

I like the name ladies fingers for the vegetable much better than its name I refer to it most often now - okra. Okra has long been a favorite vegetable when stir fried just with onions and green chilies like this recipe or this one cut lengthwise.

Whenever I stir fry okra I think of my friend who moved from Maharashtra to my home town. Chapathis or rotis were not a popular lunch box item those days. While this friend always brought chapathis with these amazing side dishes but the one I remember most was the okra stir fry.

I was reminded of that when I started making this recipe. While the two recipes linked above will work perfectly with soft and airy chapathis today's recipe will be even better.

In a cast iron smear with oil and dry roast the okra till it is almost cooked. When the okra is sauteing in another wide mouthed pan heat oil, add seasonings followed by the green chilies and onions.
Cut the potatoes into small thin strips. Add to the sauteed onions and stir fry for 4-5 minutes.
Add the chili, turmeric, cumin powders and salt, followed by the tomato paste and saute so they are well mixed. Add 1/2 tbsp of water if required while the potatoes are cooking
Add the roasted okra and let the potatoes and okra continue to cook for another 7-8 minutes till both vegetables are cooked and it is nice and dry.

Okra with Potatoes -Stir Fry
Preparation Time:15 minutes
Cooking Time:30 minutes
Ingredients

1. 1 lb of okra/lady's fingers, cut the tips outs and chop into small thin rounds
2. 2 Potatoes peeled and cut into thin slices
3. 1/2 cup of diced onions
4. 4-5 green chilies slit
5. 1/2 tbsp chili powder
6. 2 tsp turmeric powder
7. 1/4 tsp cumin powder
8. 1 tbsp tomato paste
9. 1/2 tbsp oil
10. seasonings: cumin and mustard seeds

Method

1. In thick bottomed pan or cast iron pan coat with oil and add the cut okra and saute with regular stirring till most the slime is gone and the okra is almost cooked 8-10 minutes.
2. While the okra is roasting heat another saute pan and add the remaining oil and when hot add the seasonings. When the mustard pops add the onions and green chilies and saute till they are translucent.
3. Add the thinly sliced potatoes and saute for another 4-5 minutes.
4. Add the turmeric, chili, cumin powders and salt, mix and add the tomato paste and mix again. Let it cook till the potatoes are almost cooked. Add 1/2 tbsp of water if required.
5. Add the roasted okra and continue to saute for another 7-8 minutes till everything is cooked and is nice and dry. Once the okra is added do not add any more water.
Serve as a side for chapathis or any rice dish.

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Cauliflower with Kale - Stir Fry

On the trip to Costa Rica the food while very different from Indian food with barely any spices we felt right at home eating their typical food. The rice and beans, the corn tortillas all kept me from craving Indian food. Also an unexpected benefit of eating different foods is the realization that eating simple foods makes the body feel so much better.

The first few days of our trip we stayed at Tiskita jungle lodge which is a family run operation and it felt like we had stayed with family. The best part is we got home cooked meals. Where ever we stayed during the trip, in the mornings there was always rice and beans, eggs, fresh fruits and also toast, the baked goods like muffins, banana breads and delicious jellies made with the local fruits. They also had stir fries made with cabbage, carrots, green beans etc which went perfectly with the tortillas. I completed avoided the bread and wheat products not on purpose but because I did not need to and realized how much lighter I felt.

Rice when eaten in limited quantities is actually a good thing. It is a lot lighter than wheat for sure. I did not know there were that many different ways of cooking raw bananas and tapioca. While I normally avoid salads but when made with a light fruity dressing it is a thing to be enjoyed.

Back here I decided too go easy on wheat based foods not because I about to turn gluten free or anything but have been trying to avoid junk food which is usually made with wheat and it has been a win win.

Cauliflower I hear might be the vegetable of the year and combined with the yesteryear craze - kale this is a delicious side dish that goes well with just about anything. You can substitute kale with any green of choice.

Cauliflower with Kale - stir fry
Preparation Time:15 minutes
Cooking Time:25 minutes
Ingredients

1. 1 head of cauliflower separated into florets
2. 2-3 cups of finely chopped kale
3. 1/2 cup of chopped onions
4. 3-4 garlic cloves finely chopped
5. 1 tbsp grated ginger
6. 1/2 -1 tbsp of red chili powder
7. 1/4 cup of finely chopped tomatoes
8. 1 tsp of oil
9. seasonings: cumin seeds
10. salt to taste

Method

1. Boil water in a pot and cook the cauliflower in it for 4-5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. In a wide mouthed saute pan heat the oil and add the cumin seeds and let it seem for 30 seconds. Add in the onions and saute till they turn translucent.
3. Add in the garlic cloves and ginger and saute for a minute.
4. Add in the tomatoes and saute till they turn mushy and soft.
5. Add the chopped greens and saute till they wilt and then add the cauliflower florets with the salt and chili powder.
6. Saute for about 8-10 minutes till they all come together.

Serve as a side dish with rice or chapathis.

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Drumstick Masala - Murungakkai Masala Curry

Drumsticks the vegetable is ubiquitous all over South India with a mandatory tree in every back yard. Known by its scientific name as Moringa Oleifera is a drought resistant tree that produces its long drumstick like vegetable profusely. The fantastic thing about this tree is, almost all parts are edible, the highly nutritious leaves, the flowers and of course the vegetable. Did you know? the leaves are usually added to the butter when making ghee and then filtered out. It makes the ghee smell so very good.

If you have not tasted drumstick sambhar then you have not tasted real sambhar at least in my opinion. A little painful to eat with its fibrous outside skin with the succulent meat inside but once you develop a liking for it is no trouble at all. It is not to me but the kids complain about what a nuisance it is to eat but never about the taste.

When I was little drumstick was easily my favorite vegetable. While it was mostly used in sambhar and it almost like they were made for each other it cam be cooked in a variety of ways. My most favorite dish is a dryish curry with a thick masala and of course it has to be spicy. Mixed with rice it is heaven on a plate. It is also perfect side for chappathis or rotis.

What happens when you travel for a length of time is you start craving for familiar foods and this recipe is what kept calling to me.
Unlike back home fresh drumstick is almost non existent. Rarely when it is available, they are not really all that fresh. They are dry and don't have much flavor. I have survived on frozen drumstick for over a decade now. Canned ones used to be available but I much prefer the frozen ones.

I used a pressure cooker which quickly cooks up the drumsticks. Cooking on the stove top take a bit longer perhaps.

Other recipes with drumsticks
1.Gravied Drumsticks
2.Potatoes, Eggplants and Drumsticks in a hot and sour gravy
3.Spicy Drumstick Stir Fry
4.Drumstick Sambhar

Heat oil in a saute and saute the ingredients for the masala. Cool and blend to a paste with the addition of less than 1 tbsp of water.
In pressure pan heat oil and add the seasonings followed by the onions. Saute till the onions start to turn translucent. Add tomatoes and saute till mushy. Add the drumstick and saute for 3-4 minutes.
Add the ground masala and the turmeric and about 1/2 cup of water, salt and mix well.
Pressure cook for about 1 whistle or 8 minutes whichever comes first.

Drumstick Masala - Murungakkai Masala Curry
Preparation Time:15 minutes
Cooking Time:25 minutes (using pressure cooker) - 40 minutes stove top
Ingredients

1. 2-3 cups of cut drumsticks about 2 1/2 inches long
2. onions - finely chopped about 1/4 cup
3. tomatoes - 1/4 cup finely chopped
4. seasonings - curry leaves - 3 sprigs (the more the better), 1/2 tsp cumin seeds and mustard seeds
5. 2 tsp of turmeric powder
6. salt to taste
7. 2 tsp of oil
For the Masala
8. red onions/shallots - 1/2 cup chopped
9. 4-5 garlic cloves
10. 3 tbsp of grated fresh or frozen coconut
11. 6-8 red chilies
12. 1 tbsp of coriander powder

Method

1. Heat a tsp of oil in a saute pan and when the oil is hot add the onions and garlic and saute till they turn brown. Add in the red chilies and saute for a couple of minutes.
2. Add the coriander powder and coconut and saute for another minute. Turn off the heat, cool and blend to a paste with the addition of about 1 tbsp of water. Set aside.
3. Heat a wide mouthed pan or a pressure pan and heat 1 tsp of oil. Add the seasonings, cumin seeds, mustard seeds and curry leaves. Add the onions and saute for a couple of minutes till it is translucent.
4. Add the tomatoes and saute till they turn mushy.
5. Add the drumsticks, saute for about 3-4 minutes. Add the turmeric powder,salt and the ground masala paste along with 1/2 cup of water and mix it in well.
6. Cover the lid and cook for one whistle or about 8 minutes.
Perfect with steamed white rice or with any type of Indian breads.

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