A Simple Vegetarian Meals

Hi friends, Having a great time in India and eating all lovely food that are prepared by my mom has made me to put on 2 kg of extra weight. Wish it should not increase any more. I always had a great hunger for non vegetarian foods. My friends and family members use to make fun of me telling that my stomach grows bigger when i see non-vegetarian food items on the menu. Yes thats somewhat true. So decided to prepare some vegetarian meals for my Lunch. And the Menu is here.
Plain Rice,
Onion Sambar,
Garlic Rasam ( For digestion LOL....),
beans Curry/ Poriyal,
Potato fry,
Peerkangai Chutney and
papad.

These are common item that we prepare for our lunch. Each one prepare it in their own way, and i have my own style of preparation. So, here is my recipe just for you.

PLAIN RICE :

* I cook rice in electric cooker, with the propostion of 1 : 2. i.e) for one cup rice, i add two cup water. * Its as simple as that.........

ONION SAMBAR :

This is my way of making onion sambar. I learnt it from my mom. My friends always say that my sambar has a very good taste, and have always been asking me the recipe. Here is the recipe just for you.

Ingredients :

Toor Dhal - 1 cup
Garlic - 1 ( Peeled )
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Black Mustard seed - 1 tsp
Urid Dhal - 1/2 tsp
Dry Red chilly - 2 ( Chopped)
Onion - 1 ( Chopped finely)
Tomatoes - 2 ( Chopped )
Coriander leaves - hand ful ( Washed and cleaned )
Curry leaves - 1 stem ( Washed and cleaned)
Tamarind Water - ( Lemon sized tamarind soaked and squeezed in 2 cup of water )
red Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Asafoetida / hing/ perungayam - 1/4 tsp
Salt - To taste
Vadagam - small pinch
Oil - To fry.

Preparation :

* Take a vessel, add the toor dhal and wash it well.
* Now add the peeled garlic and turmeric powder , and add enough water.
* Pressure cooker it for 3 whistles.
* Then take out the vessel and mash the dhal.
* Now take another vessel, add oil and add the Musturd seed, urid dhal and dry red chilly and fry well.
* Then add the chopped onion, and fry till golden brown.
* Now add the chopped tomatoes and fry well.
* Add little coriander and curry leaves and fry for 2 mins.
* Now add the cooked and mashed dhal and mix well with the fried ingredients.
* Then add the tamarind water and mix well.
* Add chilly powder, salt, asofoetida and enough water ( According to the thickness you prefer), and allow it to be cooked for 20 - 25 mins.
* Finally take a kadai or pan , add some oil and when the oil is heated, add the vadagam and fry it and immedietly add it to the samabar and close the sambar vessel with the lid. Open the lid after 3 - 5 mins.

Thats all , the spicy and yummy onion sambar is ready to be served. Garnish and serve hot with hot plain rice, by adding little ghee...hmmmmmmmmmmmm

GARLIC RASAM :

well, this is a very simple rasam recipe, which i learnt from my grandmother who live in a small village. Its such a tasty rasam when cooked with real care. We always see people cooking the rasam for som much time, but here we dont do that. If all the ingredients are ready, then it take no more than 5 - 10 mins.

Ingredients :

Whole black pepper - 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Red Chillies - 4( Chopped )
Curry leaves - 1 stem ( Washed and cleaned)
Coriander leaves - Little
Garlic - 4 ( Peeled)
Tomato - 1/2
Tamarind Water - 2 cups ( Lemon size tamarind soaked , squeezed in 2 cup of water and filtered)
Salt - to taste
Oil - To fry
Hing/ Asafoetida/ perungayam - 1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Preparation :

* put black pepper and cumin seeds in a mixy jar and grind it to fine powder.
* next take a vessel, add the powder, add 2 red chillies and the peeled garlic( Mash the garlic well)
* Add the corinader leaves, curry leaves to it.
* Now add the tamarind water and mix everything together. Add asafoetida and 1 cup of water.
* Now sqeeze the 1/2 tomato and also add the skins to the rasam.
* Now take a pan, add oil and heat it. Add the mustard seeds and red chilly and fry. Add the content to the rasam mixture.
* Now add the salt to the rasam mixture and keep it no the stove.
* Please dont leave it long for even to boil for 1 mins also. If it boils, then it looses its taste.
* Stand near and leave it for 5 mins, when it forms a white layer, switch off the stove.

Now the rasam is ready and serve hot.

POTATO FRY :

Potato fry is yet a another simple recipe. It will taste much more better, when it is chopped finely. Because, it gets more crisp and tasty. Goes very well with sambar.


Ingredients :

Potatoes - 5 -6 ( Chopped very finely)
Oil - To fry
Red Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Salt - To taste
Rice flour - 1- 2 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp

Preparation :

* First wash the potatoes and chop it finely.
* Then take a pan add 4 -5 tsp of oil
* Add the chopped potatoes and fry for few mins till the raw smell disappears.


* Add the turmeric powder, coriander powder, chilly powder and salt.


* Sprinkle some water. Dont use more water, because the potatoes are chopped very finely.
* Now close the lid and cook it for some time.
* The oil will start to come out. Add the garam masala.


* Once the potatoes are cooked, add the rice flour and mix well and fry for another 5 mins.

Now the crispy potato fry is ready. Enjoy.......

BEANS CURRY/ PORIYAL :


Ingredients :

Beans - 300 grms ( Chopped
)Oil - To fry
Red Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Salt - To taste
Rice flour - 1- 2 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp

Preparation :

* First wash the beans and chop it.
* Then take a pan add 4 -5 tsp of oil
* Add the chopped beans and fry for few mins till the raw smell disappears.


* Add the turmeric powder, coriander powder, chilly powder and salt.


* Now add one cup of water.


* Now close the lid and cook it for some time.
* After the beans is cooked, The oil will start to come out.


* Add the garam masala.
* Once the beans are cooked, add the rice flour and mix well and fry for another 5 mins.Now the beans curry is ready. Enjoy.......

PAPAD :

Its simply deep fried in hot oil.

Microwave version of cooking papad :

* Simply sprinkle some water on the papad and place it in the microwave.
* Set the timing for 1 min.
* Make sure you turn it once inbetween to the other side.
* In this way, we need not use oil, and its good for health too.

PEERKANGAI CHUTNEY :

Click here for the peerkangai chutney recipe

Click here for the printable version of this recipe