Pitlai

Pitlai

Ingredients:

2 medium bitter gourds ("karela")pavakai

3/4 can chickpeas

1/2 cup cooked toovar dal

3 green chillies slit

1 1/2 tspn tamarind paste

3-4 red dry chillies

2 tspns urad dal

1 1/2 tspn coriander seeds

1/2 cup grated coconut

few peppercorns

a little jaggery or sugar

turmeric, salt to taste

mustard seeds, curry leaves, oil for seasoning

Preparation:

Slit bitter gourd into four quarters and cut 1/2 inch thick pieces across.

In a little oil, saute cut bitter gourd and green chillies. Add 2 cups water, tamarind, turmeric and salt. Let simmer

until bitter gourd are tender. Add chickpeas and jaggery/sugar.

While bitter gourd are cooking, in another pan sprinkle a little oil and fry coriander seeds, urad dal, red chillies

and peppercorns until well roasted. Add coconut, stir a min or two and then grind in a blender. Add a little

tomato paste if handy for color.

Blend in cocunut paste into the bitter gourd-tamarind mixture. Add the dal. Mix well and reheat a till it begins to

simmer. Take off stove.you can use katrikai instead of pavakai....

Gotsu

Gotsu

Ingredients:

One small to medium brinjal

1/2 tbsp tamarind paste or extract from a tamarind size marble, soaked

one large onion, chopped (if using little ones in a bag, about five)

2 ripe tomatoes, diced

6 hot green chilles, slit and cut into pieces

curry leaves

1 tspn mustard

1/2 tspn turmeric

garlic (optional)

salt to taste

3-4 tbspn oil

Preparation:

Chop the brinjal into very tiny pieces. Heat oil, add mustard seeds, when popping add curry leaves, chillies,

onions and fry till onions become transcluscent. Add tomatoes and brinjal and fry for another five minutes. If

using tamarind paste add a cup and half of water, or pour equal quantity of extract from fresh pulp. Throw in the

turmeric, salt and garlic. Let it simmer for a while until brinjal becomes really soft and is barely able to retain

its shape. Remove from heat.

Tomato-Onion Gotsu More tomatoes can be substituted instead of the brinjal for a tomato- onion gotsu. Add

more chillies if necessary.

This is good with Rice,upma etc..

Vegetable Kurma

VEGETABLE Kurma

Ingredients:

2 cups Vegetables

2 Onions cut length-wise

2 Green chilies cut length-wise

1 tsp Coriander powder

1 1/4 tsp Salt

one pinch Turmeric powder

1/2" Cinnamon stick

2 Cloves

2 Cardamom

2 tblsp Coconut powder

1 tsp Khus-Khus (poppy seeds)

1/4 tsp (3 cloves) Garlic

1/4 tsp powder (or 1/2" fresh) Ginger

Method:

Put a reasonable sized vessel on the range and heat oil. Add cinnamon,

cloves and cardamom and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add onions and green

chilies and fry till onions turn brown. Add garlic + ginger paste and

fry for a minute or so. Add vegetables and fry for about 3 minutes.

Add Water (about a cup or two). Let the vegetables + turmeric powder

cook.

If you are using canned or frozen vegetables skip the above step.

Add coconut paste, khus-khus, salt and wait until cooked.

Note: Cook on low heat.

This is good with Roti,Chapati,and Naan, Briyani..