My Scrawls

This is a simple kootu recipe. I go for this when I feel bored to prepare an elaborate dish for main course. Dal and bhaji together makes the dish wholesome and nutritious!

Cabbage Chickpeas Kootu

Ingredients:
Cabbage : 500 gms (Shredded into small pieces)
Chickpeas: 200 gms
Coconut (grated): 1/2 cup
Red chilies: 4-5
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
Coriander seeds: 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves: few
Mustard seeds: 1/4 tsp
Salt: to taste
Cooking oil: 1 tsp

Preparation Method:

• Wash and clean cabbage.
• Add salt and turmeric and cook the same.
• Cook chickpeas and keep it aside.
• Grind coconut, cumin seeds and red chilies by adding little water.
• Heat oil and do seasoning with mustard seeds and curry leaves.
• Add cooked cabbage and the coconut masala.
• Keep stirring.
• Add cooked chickpeas.
• Add salt if required.
• Cook the kootu till it thickens.

Tips:

Anu's Kitchen Cabbage chickpeas kootu, cabbage easy kootu recipe, Kose kadalai kootu

Kara kuzhambu is a famous dish in Tamil nadu. I have tasted this at many restaurants and at my friends’ place. I saw the recipe for vendakai kara kuzhambu in Aval Vikatan. I adopted the dish and made slight changes to it. The actual dish needs vendakai vattal. Since I didn’t have that, I used fresh okra itself

Vendakai Kara Kuzhambu

Ingredients:

Okra (Bhindi / Vendakai): 1/2 cup (Chopped)
Onion: 1 (Chopped)
Grated Coconut: 1 cup
Vendhayam (Fenugreek seeds): 1/2 tsp
Red chilies: 3
Sambar podi / Gojju podi: 1.5 tsp
Curry leaves: few
Mustard seeds: 1/4 tsp
Gingelly oil: 3 tsps
Tamarind: Lemon size
Salt: to taste

Preparation Method:

• Heat 1 tsp of oil and fry vendhayam and red chilies.
• Remove it from stove top.
• Add grated coconut and water and grind it.
• Heat remaining oil and do seasoning with mustard seeds and curry leaves.
• Add okra and onion and fry the same.
• Add sambar / gojju podi and keep stirring.
• Extract the tamarind juice and add it to the fried okra-onion mixture.
• Allow it to boil.
• Now add the coconut mixture and allow it to cook
• Once the gravy thickens, remove it from the stove top.

I added gojju podi instead of sambar podi. Taste was awesome

Anu's Kitchen bhindi kulambu, kara kulambu, okra gravy, vendakai kara kuzhambu

I read in an article that US has lifted the ban on import of Indian Mangoes But the sad part is that Indian Americans are still waiting to enjoy this sweet treat from their home land! I couldn’t spot our “King of fruits” any of the desi stores in Chicago… Probably have to wait for some more time! Anyways I made mango milk shake from the mangoes I bought from an International market. I had to add (extra) sugar as the fruit was little tangy… Enjoy the milk shake.

Mango Milk Shake

Ingredients:

Fresh Mango: 1
Sugar (Optional): 2-3 spoons (This depends on the sweetness of the fruit)
Elachi (Cardamom powder): 1/2 tsp
Vanilla essence: few drops
Milk: 1/2 cup
Frozen milk cubes (optional): few

Preparation Method:

• Wash and peel the mango.
• Blend the mango pulp and all the ingredients in a mixer.
• Garnish with mint leaves and serve chill.

While blending, we can add the frozen milk cubes (milk frozen in the ice tray). This would increase the froth and give thickness to the milk shake

This juicy milk shake makes its way to Srivalli’s Mango Mela event

Anu's Kitchen Mango milk shake

I have had Aloo (potato) palak(spinach) sabji in most of the Indian restaurants here. But never tried this combo at home. I love palak sabji. Thought of adding aloo this time. Taste was yum! Here is the Aloo palak sabji recipe.

Aloo Palak Sabji | Potato Spinach Curry

Ingredients:
Aloo (Potatoes): 250 gms
Palak (Spinach): a bunch
Green chilies: 3-4
Salt: to taste
Coriander: 1 tsp
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
Oil: 2 tsps

Preparation Method:

• Wash and clean the veggies.
• Cut them into small pieces.
• Heat oil and do seasoning with mustard seeds, urad dal and red chilies.
• Fry potatoes for few mins.
• Now add shredded spinach and fry for 2-3 mins.
• Grind coriander seeds and cumin seeds into powder.
• Mix this powder with the curry and stir well.
• Add salt to the curry.
• Sprinkle little water, close the pan and cook the curry for 7-10 mins.
• Tasty Aloo palak is ready.

Making kids eat greens would be a great prob. Though I haven’t experienced this yet, I have seen my nephew throwing out all curry leaves (coz they are greens… troubling his sambar rice ) I believe adding potatoes (Most of the kids adore this veggie) would be a good idea to make kids eat the greens too… With this hope, am sending this recipe to Pavani’s Cooking for Kids - Leafy greens event which is the brain child of Sharmi

Anu's Kitchen Aloo palak sabji, Potato spinach curry

Arisi upma or Akki (Rice in Kannada) Uppittu is prepared using raw rice (Pachaarisi). This one is fav upma, I love to have this hot with kara chutney Here is the recipe for Akki Uppittu / Arisi upma.

Arisi upma | Rice upma | Akki uppittu

Ingredients:
Raw Rice Flour : 1 cup
Water: 3 cups
Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp
Pepper: 1/2 tsp
Red chilies: 4-5
Curry leaves: few
Cooking oil: 1 tsp
Salt: to taste

Preparation Method:

• Wash raw rice and dry in it shade for about 20-30 mins.
• Grind it into coarse powder.
• Using a pestle powder cumin seeds and pepper into coarse powder.
• Heat oil and add read chilies, curry leaves and cumin - pepper powder to it.
• Then add water and salt.
• Allow the water to boil.
• Now slowly add the rice flour and stir thoroughly.
• Close the pan and allow it to cook for 2-3 mins.
• Arisi upma is ready!

Am sending the upma recipe to Srilekha’s Breakfast series event and Divya’s Show me your breakfast event

Anu's Kitchen Akki uppittu, Arisi upma, Rice upma