Spicy Plantain Curry/Vaazhakkai kara curry

Plantain/Vaazhakkai is one of my favorite vegetable. I usually make vaazhakka curry or vaazhakka podimas in a simple way. But this time, I wanted to try the spicy curry which my chitti used to make. Actually she will make this curry using Taro root/chepangezhangu. But I wanted to try the same method with vaazhakkai and it came out really well..

Ingredients:-

1. Plantain - 3
   
2. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
3. Red chillies powder - 1/2 tsp (acc to taste)
4. Salt to taste
   
5. Rice flour - 3 tsp (required amount acc to the quantity of plantain)
6. Oil - 4 tsp
7. Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
8. Urad dhall - 1/2 tsp
9. Asafoetida - apinch
   

There are two ways of cooking plantain. Just cut them into small cubes and cook it on stove top with required amount of turmeric and salt and drain it once its done or Pressure cook it along with the skin and peel the skin once it is done. I used the second method. Once it is cooked, peel the skin and cut it into cubes. Keep it aside for 10 minutes. In the mean time, mix rice flour, turmeric powder(if you have not added it before), chillies powder and salt together and rub those plantain cubes in it. Now take a pan, preheat oil, splutter mustard seeds and fry urad dhall & asafoetida powder to golden brown. Now add the plantain pieces to it and fry it in low flame. Cook it until all becomes golden brown. Enjoy it with Sambar rice or curd rice...

Simple Cabbage Garbanzo Curry

This is another recipe I learned from my cousin Rashmi. During our last visit to her place for get together, she made this curry. I really loved the combination of cabbage and Garbanzo beans. I usually add green peas with cabbage. But this is something new to me. So thought of trying it today.

Ingredients:-

1. Cabbage - 3 cups ( chopped)
2. Garbanzo beans - 1 cup ( I used canned beans cos its already cooked)
3. Salt to taste
4. Oil - 1 tsp
5. Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
6. Urad dhall - 1/2 tsp
7. Red chillies - 1 or 2 (acc to taste
8. Shredded coconut - 1 tsp (optional)
9. curry leaves - for garnishing
   

First drain the required amount of garbanzo beans from the can and keep it aside. Add the chopped cabbage in a pan, add required amount of water and salt(just enough for cabbage cos beans will have salt), cook it nicely. Make sure its not mushy. Drain the extra water from cabbage and keep it aside. Pre heat oil in the same pan, splutter mustard seeds, fry urad dhall & red chillies to golden brown, add cooked cabbage and garbanzo beans and mix everything together. Also add the coconut and mix well. Turn off the stove. Garnish it with curry leaves. It just took me 7 minutes to finish this curry.

Quick Carrot Rice

Somedays you don't feel like cooking anything but you have people around and have no other choice, this rice comes handy. I learned this recipe from one of my friend's mom. Frankly speaking, it is easy to make and luckily my girls really liked that rice. I usually make carrot rice in this way. Here is the recipe.


Ingredients:-

1. Carrot - 1 (shredded)
2. Onion - 1 finely chopped
3. Tomato - 1 finely chopped
4. Garlic - 1 clove
5. Ginger - a small piece (chop it)
   
6. Green chillies - 1 (acc to taste)
7. oil - 2 tsp
8. mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
9. cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
   
10. Rice - 1 cup ( I used sonamasoori rice)
    
11. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
12. Salt to taste
13. Coriander leaves - for garnishing

Preheat oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds and cumin seeds and fry green chillies to golden brown. Add chopped onion, ginger & garlic and saute' for a minute. Now add the chopped tomato and shredded carrots to it. Add turmeric powder and let it cook for couple of minutes. In the mean time, wash the rice, drain it and keep it aside. When the veggies are half cooked, transfer it to the pressure cooker, add the drained rice, add required amount of water ( I usually add 3 cups of water for 1 cup of rice, but this time, I just used 1 1/2 cups of water along with half cooked vegetables and rice). Pressure cook it upto 2 whistles. Open the cooker when the pressure is released and garnish it with coriander leaves.