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Sweet potato curry

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Sweet potato, the starchy sweet tasting root vegetable, is a powerful nutritional pack. In one medium spud, there is over 400 percent of your daily vitamin A requirement. Sweet potatoes are considered low on the glycemic index scale, and recent research suggests they may reduce episodes of low blood sugar and insulin resistance in people with diabetes.

Sweet potatoes are a rich source of fibre as well as containing a good array of vitamins and minerals including iron, calcium, selenium, and they’re a good source of most of our B vitamins and vitamin C. One of the key nutritional benefits of sweet potato is that they’re high in an antioxidant known as beta-carotene, which converts to vitamin A once consumed. Sweet potatoes are high in fibre, which has been shown to promote a healthy digestive system.

Though sweet potatoes are an excellent addition to a balanced diet, they contain oxalates which bind calcium and other minerals. Too many oxalates in the diet may cause kidney stones and so should be eaten in moderation by those who have existing kidney stones or are at high risk of developing them.

Ingredients:

4 medium sized sweet potatoes, cooked, skinned and cubed

1 big tomato cut into small pieces

Some curry leaves

1 tbsp oil

½ tsp mustard seeds

½ tsp cumin seeds

1/3 tsp turmeric powder

1/3 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp coriander powder

½ tsp sambar powder

1 tsp tamarind pulp or ½ tsp dried mango powder

Salt to taste

Jaggery or sugar to taste (optional)

1 ½ cups water

Instruction:

  • Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan and add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add cumin seeds, curry leaves and chopped tomatoes.
  • Stir on medium heat and when tender, add all the masala powders, mix well and add water, salt, sugar and tamarind or dried mango powder.
  • When it boils, add the sweet potato pieces and simmer for five minutes.
  • It is an awesome accompaniment for chapatis and steamed rice.

 

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Jackfruit seeds, drumstick leaves sabzi

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Ingredients:

25 Jackfruit seeds
1 cup drumstick leaves, separated from the stem
2 tbsps oil
½  tsp Mustard seeds
1/3 tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp red chilli powder
1tsp coriander powder
½ tsp garam masala powder
1 onion cut into small pieces
½ inch piece ginger cut fine
1 green chilli
Salt to taste
6 cloves of garlic
1 tsp aniseeds (saunf)
1 cup water

Instruction:

  • Pressure cook the jackfruit seeds, after lightly hitting them with a stone to crack the outer covering, for about 7 minutes. Cool, remove the outer covering and slice them into two.
  • Add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder and garam masala powder, salt and a little water to the jackfruit seed, mix well and keep aside.
  • Pound the aniseeds and garlic cloves together and keep aside.
  • Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan, add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add cumin seeds, then the cut onion, green chilli and ginger. Stir and after a minute, add the aniseeds and garlic.
  • Add the drumstick leaves, stir for two minutes and mix in the jackfruit seeds. Add water, cover and cook for about ten minutes, checking and stirring in between.
  • It is a great accompaniment for both chapatis and steamed rice.
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Pumpkin leaves sabzi

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I love making sabzis with leaves. In Belgaum we get many types of leaves from the vegetable vendors. But I have not seen pumpkin leaves with them so far. When we got a pumpkin plant in our backyard, my maid told me that she cooks them at home. So I took instructions from her and prepared it. It is crunchy and has a very different flavour, which I liked.

 

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of very finely cut pumpkin leaves after removing the veins
  • ½ cup grated coconut
  • 5 flakes of garlic finely cut
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • ½ tsp mustard seeds
  • ½ tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tbsp raw rice
  • 2 dried red chillies broken to pieces
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • Salt to taste

Instruction:

  • The leaves have to be cut really fine for this preparation as they are fibrous.
  • Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add cumin seeds and the raw rice. When the rice puffs up, add broken red chillies, turmeric powder and the cut leaves.
  • Add salt, stir for a few seconds, reduce the flame and cover the pan. Keep stirring in between; usually no additional water is required.
  • When the leaves are almost cooked (takes about six minutes), add the grated coconut and finely cut garlic.
  • Stir well, let it cook for two more minutes, remove from fire. Serve with steamed rice and dal or kadhi.
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Sri Lankan Raw Jackfruit Curry

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In Sri Lanka we had rotti and tender jackfruit dry sabzi from a road side shack. My husband liked it very much. Yesterday he asked me to make the same preparation as there was tender jackfruit at home.

Since I had watched our Sri Lankan host while cooking at her house, I have a basic idea of Sri Lankan cooking. So I ventured to prepare it, with some trepidation. And I was so happy when I got a five star rating from my better half!

Ingredients:

2 cups of skinned, pressure cooked (for 4 minutes), and shredded tender jackfruit
1 large onion thinly sliced
1 twig of curry leaves
2 dried red chillies, broken into two
2 tbsps of mustard oil
1 bay leaf
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp fenugreek seeds
¼ tsp crushed pepper
¼ tsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste

Instruction:

  • Heat the oil, when it starts smoking, add the bay leaf, jeera, fenugreek seeds, and crushed pepper
  • Add the sliced onion and curry leaves, reduce the flame and keep stirring.
  • When the onion lightly browns, add the shredded jackfruit, salt and red chilli powder.
  • Keep stirring till it turns brown and crispy.

 

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Jackfruit Curry

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So the fridge is empty and I go to buy veggies and there’s a, what? RAW JACKFRUIT!!!!! Like, wow!!
Now this just HAD to be made! Even better with a friend joining for lunch! So kathal-alu sabji in mustard oil and with coconut milk, a concoction that turned out very successful, paired with urad dal khichdi and scrambled eggs Gordon Ramsay style.

Ingredients:

4 cups of skinned, cleaned jackfruit cut into cubes
2 potatoes peeled and cubed
1 tbsp cashew nuts
1-2 cups Coconut milk
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
½ tsp crushed pepper
1 small onion sliced
2 green chillies
6 flakes of crushed garlic
½ tsp turmeric powder
1/3 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
Mustard oil (or oil of your choice)
Salt to taste

Instruction:

– Fry cashewnuts in ghee till golden brown. Set aside.
– Pressure cook jackfruit with 1 cup water for 2 whistles, cool, open and drain.
– Heat ample mustard oil, fry chopped potatoes. Set the potatoes aside on a paper towel.
– Add a stick of cinnamon, coarsely crushed pepper, and a bay leaf into the hot mustard oil,
add onions, green chilies and crushed garlic .
– Add turmeric, chili, coriander powder.
– Add jackfruit, let cook for a few minutes, add the potatoes, let cook for some time – it
becomes soft and creamy this way.
– Add coconut milk, let simmer for a few seconds, add salt to taste, mix in cashews and serve!
Note: Can substitute cashews with prawns for a delightfully tasty non-veg version. Just fry them in the same oil after the potatoes and before the onions.

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Fresh turmeric, carrot instant pickle

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Turmeric root has a peppery, slightly bitter flavour. It has been part of traditional herbal medicine for thousands of years, recommended by practitioners as a remedy for many ailments. Chewing the fresh turmeric root has many positive effects on your health.

Curcumin in turmeric has natural anti-inflammatory properties. It reduces the activity of enzymes involved in inflammatory conditions that include arthritis and gastrointestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome and ulcerative colitis.

It is important to remember that it could interact with some medications, such as blood thinners, drugs that lower stomach acid and diabetes medicines.

Ingredients:

½ cup thin strips of peeled turmeric (julienne)
¾ cup thin strips of peeled carrot
Salt to taste
1 tsp split mustard seeds (rye kuriya)
1 tbsp lemon juice

Instruction:

Mix all the ingredients and serve with rice or chapatis.

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Kadai vegetables

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Kadai is a small wok like vessel that is used for a lot of Indian cooking.  When I wanted to make a sabzi with different types of vegetables lying in my refrigerator, I searched for the recipe of ‘kadai vegetable’. I modified it a bit and prepared it for a Sunday lunch.

Ingredients

1 medium sized Cauliflower separated into flowerets
1 cup shelled green peas
1 carrot cut into small pieces
3 green capsicums deseeded and cut into small pieces
1 onion sliced
8 flakes of garlic
1 inch piece of ginger
2 tomatoes chopped
2 tbsps of oil
½ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp red chilli powder
½ tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
½ tsp garam masala powder
Salt to taste
¼ cup water

Instruction

  • Grind half of the ginger and garlic into a paste. Cut half of the ginger into juliennes.
  • Heat oil in a kadai, add the sliced onion and let them brown.
  • Add the ginger garlic paste and stir for a few seconds.
  • Add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and mix well
  • Add the chopped tomatoes, cauliflower, green peas, carrot, salt and mix well on high heat. Pour ¼ cup of water, put salt and cook for about six minutes on low flame till the carrots are done.
  • Now mix in the capsicum pieces and cook for another four minutes. Add the garam masala powder and remove from fire.
  • Garnish with the ginger juliennes while serving.
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Cabbage Thoran

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This is a Kerala dish that is fast and easy to prepare, and an awesome accompaniment with steamed rice and dal. It took just 6 minutes to get cooked.

Ingredients

2 cups of cabbage cut very fine
¾ cup grated coconut
½ tsp cumin seeds
3 flakes of garlic
1/3 tsp turmeric powder
1/3 tsp red chilli powder
1 tbsp oil
½ tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp udad dal
1 sprig curry leaf
Salt to taste
¼ cup water

Instructions

  • Grind the coconut with cumin seeds, garlic, turmeric powder and red chilli powder.
  • Heat the oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds. When they splutter, add the udad dal and when they brown lightly, add the cut cabbage and curry leaves.
  • Stir for a minute on high flame, add the salt and water, reduce the flame to low, cover and cook for five minutes.
  • Now add the ground coconut mixture, cover and cook for a minute.
  • Mix everything nicely and remove from the fire.
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Carrot Kanji

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In the North of India, as the winter sets in, carrot kanji (a fermented drink with carrots and mustard seeds) will be prepared in the houses.  It has a unique taste that is tangy, and an exotic color.  Fermented vegetables are potential healers. They can enhance the immune system, treat irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and reduce systemic allergic responses.

Ingredients:

 

250 gms red(or orange) carrots peeled and cut into 1 inch long  pieces

7 cups of water

3 tbsps mustard seeds roughly ground

Salt to taste

½ tsp black salt

A pinch of asafoetida

¼ tsp red chilli powder

Instructions:

 

  • Mix in the ground mustard seeds, salt, black salt, red chilli powder and asafoetida into the water.
  • Add the cut carrots. Pour into a glass jar; cover the mouth of the jar with a cloth.
  • Keep in the sun during day time for 4 to 5 days. Stir it well in the evenings.
  • It can be taken as a drink or served along with lunch.
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Bali vegetable curry

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bali-veg-curry

I had Bali vegetable curry and rice for the first time at the Jimbaran beach. Sitting on the beach on a warm day and having this lunch was so soothing that I wanted to prepare it at home. And I succeeded in getting the exact taste. The flavor of this curry comes from garlic, galangal (which I brought from Bali), lime leaves, lemon grass bulb and stem portion, and of course coconut milk.

A wide variety of vegetables, sprouts and leaves can be added in this curry. You have to keep sautéing the vegetables starting with the one that needs maximum time to cook (like potatoes and carrots), gradually adding others one by one, and finally the leaves.

Ingredients:

 

  • 1 Potato, 1 carrot, ½ cup green peas, ½ cup cauliflower pieces , 1 capsicum, ½ cup cut cabbage, 2 tbsps sprouts, ½ cup cut spring onion
  • 1 inch piece of galangal cut into small pieces
  • 6 flakes of garlic cut into pieces
  • 3 pieces of 2 inch size lemon grass bulb and stem
  • 2 lime leaves cut fine

ingredients

  • 1 tbsp oil
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 ½ cups of coconut milk

Instructions

 

  • Heat the oil, add galangal and garlic. Sauté for some time and add lemon grass and lime leaves.
  • Start adding vegetables one by one- potato, carrot, green peas, cauliflower, capsicum, cabbage, sprouts, and finally the cut spring onion.
  • Add salt and coconut milk, stir well.
  • Cover and cook for about 6 minutes.
  • Serve with rice.