Stuffed Brinjal Roast/ Stuffed Eggplant Roast/ Yennai Kathirikkai

Ingredients:

For Frying without oil :

Kadala Paruppu / Chana Dhal /Bengal gram dhal  - 50 gms

Coriander seeds / Dhania seeds                            - 50 gms
Red Chillies                                                          - 6-7 (deseeded, adjust this according to your palate)
Perungayam / Asafoetida powder                         - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric Powder                                                 -  1/2 tsp
Salt as per taste
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Tamarind                                                             - 1 marble size ball
Brinjal (round purple ones)                                  - 8

Method:
Wash the brinjals well. Remove the head of the brinjal (top green part).
Slit the brinjals length wise. (atleast 5 slits depending on the size of the brinjal)
Slit them deep enough so that the grounded powder can be stuffed inside.(don't slice them off)
Soak the tamarind in hot water.
Grind all the ingredients under the section ::For Frying without oil ::
Stuff the grounded dry powder into the brinjals slit as much as possible.
Arrange all the stuffed brinjals on a plate.
Heat a non stick kadai with enough oil for frying.
Drop the brinjals one by one.
If they turn down, straight them up with tongs.
Drop in so much that each acts as a support to the other.
Squeeze the tamarind immersed in the water and take out the tamarind pulp after squeezing it out.
The tamarind juice should be watery and not thick.
Splash the tamarind juice now and then on the brinjals and to the sides.
Close with a lid.
Sprinkle the powder on the brinjals now and then and alternating it with the tamarind water splash.
The brinjals will become soft on the bottom,gently turn them upside down so that the powder on the top gets roasted in the oil.
Sprinkle the powder on the brinjals and alternating it with the tamarind water splash.
Serve with Lemon Rasam or plain rice or with curd rice.

Happy Roasting!
Divya

Spicy Pepper Mushroom Masala

You can try this recipe when a member of your family is down with cold or soar throat, when it is raining, when you want to eat something really piping hot!! I happened to cook this dish last night as i had all the above mentioned taking place at the same time. My hubby is not very fond of mushrooms, but he seemed to liked it with lots of pepper (noticed from his plate as it was wiped cleanly, hahaahhaaaa)!! I am happy he liked it and my tummy said, yum, yum, yum... It would have been great, if i was served the dish with me lazying on the couch with a cuppa of hot coffee and enjoying the weather in front of TV, but you guess not, I happened to cook the dish and my wish will always be a wish !!!!! Ok,Ok.. enough of me cribbing about my situation and let me take you to the recipe directly .......

Ingredients: (Serves 2)
Mushroom - 200 gms
Onion - 1 big - half coarsely cut, half finely chopped 
Tomato - 1 medium - finely chopped 
Peppercorns - 1 tsp
Cinnamon - 1/2 inch
Cardamom - 1
Cloves - 1
Ginger - 1/2 inch
Cumin / Jeera - 2 tsp
Saunf / Aniseed/ Sombu - 1 tsp
Chilli-corriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Pepper powder - finely grounded (homemade or Catch) - 1 tbsp
Cooking oil - 2 tbsp
Curry leaves - 1 string
Salt to taste
Corriander Leaves / cilantro

Preparation:

In a saucepan, heat 1 tbsp of cooking oil, add cumin, wait for it to splutter then add cardamom, cinnamon, clove,once they let out their aroma, add saunf, ginger, half an onion coarsely cut, fry the onion well till it turns translucent (to quicken frying of onions, add little salt) half of the finely chopped tomatoes, curry leaves. Let the tomatoes become soft and blend well. Turn off the stove and keep aside to cool. Meanwhile, wash the mushrooms well in running water and soak them in luke warm water for 5 minutes. With a clean towel wipe the mushroom dry. Trim the stem of the mushroom and cut them. 

Sambar with coconut and grounded spices / Aratchivitta Sambar

The method of cooking will be the same as the normal sambar except for  few spices to be grounded together. This type of sambar is my husband's and brother's favorite one and my mother is an expert in cooking this kind.This type of sambar will by default be on my mother's list during all the festival's where we as family come dining together. An accomplaint to this is tomato pachidi or cucumber pachadi.

Ingredients for 2 persons:

Tuvar Dhal : 3/4 cup

Drumstick : 1 big (other choices of vegetables may be white / red pumpkin, broad beans/Hyacinth/Avarrakai , Ladies finger / okra)

Tomato : 1 big

Onion : 1/2 if big

Chilli-corriander powder or sambar powder - 1 - 1&1/2 tsp

Tamarind - the size of a lemon

salt to taste

Grind together : 

Channa Dhal/split chick peas/Kadaalai Paruppu : 1 tsp

Corriander seeds : 2 tsp

Peppercorns : 6-7

Dry Red Chillies : 3-4 with the seeds or 6-7 without the seeds 

Cumin Seeds : little

Urad Dhal : 1/4 tsp

Fenugreek : 1/4 tsp

Asafoetida / Hing : a pinch

Cocount slices : as desired (its optional)

Cooking Oil : 1 tbsp

For tempering:

Mutard : 1/2 tsp

Fenugreek : 1/4 tsp

Asafoetida / Hing : a pinch

Long Dry red chilli : 1

Curry Leaves, Corriander - as desired

Cooking Oil : 1 tbsp

Preparation :

Cook the dhal and keep aside. Cut the onions and tomatoes finely. Cut the drumstick as per the length desired. Grind together all the ingredients under the header Grind together along with water.In a cooker add drumstick, onion, tomatoes, water as desired with the chilli and corriander powder. Bring it to boil and pressure cook for one whistle and remove from heat. Keep the cooker under running water to open up quickly. Make tamarind to a fine paste by adding water. Open the cooker, add the tamarind paste and let it boil for 5 minutes. Now add the cooked and mashed dhal with as much as water desired. Once the sambar starts boiling add the grounded paste and stir for few seconds. Add Salt as desired.