Gutti Wonkai - Andhra styled Stuffed brinjal in a tangy sauce

     Brinjal is not so pampered member of our kitchen.  They are utmost relished as spicy biriyani rice or as an curry.  They were in need of an desparate lift and this is why I bumped into one of my precious collections, 'The Essential Andhra Cookbook' by Bilkees I. Latif.  This book has various dishes as Hyderabadi and Telangana specialities.

So browsing under the vegetarian section, I got this Gutti Wonkai.  The ingredients were as simple, as to find in any South Indian Kitchen.  With sambhar and rice made, I moved on to make these.  Green chilly and coriander imparted an nice flavour to the brinjals.  And they tasted great with rice, though recipe suggested with roti.  After an good review from my mate, this is going to be an regular menu at our kitchen. Let's move on to the recipe.

Tawa tossed aubergine with ketjap manis dressing

 This week, for cookbook challenge,  I choosed my dish from this month's Good Food magazine.  Grilled aubergine, tossed with ketjab manis dressing, has an perfect match with dal rice or rice with curry.  The ketjab manis dressing is sweet saucy yet tangy in taste.  The major part is soya sauce with an slight garlic and chilly twist.  

Together with ketjab manis, my pan tossed aubergines went well and that had an blast of flavours with dal rice.  Kindly try this one and let us know.

Verkadalai chutney - Peanut chutney

   Back at Chennai, my mother used to prepare fabulous chutney, depending on the available ingredients.  Everytime, it was different - ranging from onion chutney, mint chutney, peerkankai chutney, dal chutney, verkadalai chutney etc.  Yes, I am still drooling here thinking of her exotic chutneys :D

     For us, it would be always coconut chutney, but for an change, I tried my mother's recipe for verkadalai chutney.  I must say, it resembled an spicy desi version of ' Peanut butter'.  Chutney was soo smooth, soo buttery to have with every bite of dosa.

The next day, I called mom and thanked her for such an unique and tasty chutney.  Bored of regular chutney, please do give them an chance...  :D

LUNCH

MAIN COURSE - RICE

•  Tomato baath
•  Bisibela baath
•  Schezwan fried rice
•  Kovaikkai podi saadham
•  Lemon rice
•  Khichdi
•  Puliogare rice
•  Pudhina saadham
•  Tomato rice
•  Egg pulao
  
  
  

·          

SIDE-DISH – DRY

•  Carrot poriyal
•  Kovaikkai fry
•  Mooli patta ki dal
•  Kandhe ki tarkari
•  Milagu cauliflower fry
•  Tawa cooked potato roast
•  Tawa arbi masala
•  Mutton sukka
•  Beans usili
•  Sura puttu
•  Apollo fish fry
•  Masala omlette
•  Mutton chops fry

SIDE DISH – CURRY/ GRAVY

•   Avial
•   Milagu karakulambu
•   Mirchi ka salan
•   Bharwan bainghan
•   Kathirikkai karakulambu
•   Vathakulambu
•   Nethili meen kozhambu
•   Nethili poondu kolambu
•   Kekadacha masala
•   Kozhi kolambu
•   Malvani fish curry
•   Chettinadu chicken curry
•   Saalna omlette
•   Muttai curry
•   Nattukodi pulusu

ACHAAR/PICKLE

•    Punjabi-styled vegetable pickle

Beans usili

Paruppu usili is an common side-dish had with rice & curry in South-Indian cuisine.

 

'Usili' means disaggregated pieces, here dal/lentils are blend, formed as large dumplings, steamed and finally disaggregated, hence the name.  Beans usili is the most common type, they are had with kolambu saadham ie curry rice. 

Tawa cooked Potato roast

This special potato roast is prepared in tawa, can be done in minutes.  Just because of the fact that base of tawa is huge, potatos get evenly spread, thereby aiding in fast cooking unlike kadaai, where potato pieces line in one above another resulting in very sluggish preparation.  But one should be careful while tempering, just try to stay away as far as u can ;)

Ingredients required

For temper

• 3 tsp of oil
• 1/2 tsp rai/mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp chana dal
• 1/2 tsp urad dal
• Few curry leaves and one dry red chilly finely chopped

Others

• 1 tsp idly milaga podi/idly kara podi
• 1/2 tsp hing/perungayam
• 1/2 tsp jeera powder
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• Salt, as per taste
• 1/2 cup of parboiled potatos, cut into cubes

Method

Heat oil in tawa, add ingredients for temper one by one.  Careful while doing this step

After adding tempering, sprinkle idly milaga podi, and add potato pieces

Mix them well and cook them on moderate flame

Add in other powders, adjust salt.

Cook till done and serve hot

Hmm... it went super delecious with sambhar saadham... Do give this simple dish an quick try!!!

Kovaikkai stir-fry

This lovely delecious side-dish goes very good with any podi sadham/dry flavoured rice

Ingredients required

• 1 cup of kovaikkai
• Oil, as required

To temper

• 3 tsp of oil
• 1/2 tsp of rai/mustard seeds
• 1 tsp whole cumin seeds
• 2 tsp of dry kasoori methi
• 2-3 slit green chillies 
• 1 tsp of Everest chicken masala (Go ahead and try guys...this has aromatic combo of spices which shud be relished by all)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• Pinch of haldi/turmeric powder

Method

Atfirst, cut kovaikkai the both side-ends

Then finely chop them vertically to get fingerchips-look

Next step would be to semi-fry or deep fry these finger-like-kovaikkai till it turns golden brown, set aside.

I semi-fried it !

In a kadaai, add all ingredients for temper one by one, toss the fried kovaikkai well around masala.

Simmer for few minutes and serve hot with any rice

Was very tasty

Carrot poriyal

Carrot poriyal is an common side-dish for lunch ,this nutritious supplement is topped with grated coconut and other dry spices.  I added a touch of fenugreek leaves too!! hmm... it was sooo yummyyy....

Ingredients required

To temper

• 1/2 tsp rai/mustard seeds
• 3-4 tsp oil
• 1/2 tsp jeera
• 1/4 tsp whole dhanya
• 1/4 tsp methi/venthayam
• 2-3 green chillies, broken
• 2-3 tsp finely chopped onions
• 4 tsp finely chopped methi/fenugreek leaves

other

• 2 cups finely grated carrot
• 4 tsp grated coconut
• 1/2 tsp salt

Method

In a kadaai, heat oil and add ingredients for temper one by one.

Add in grated carrots.  Cover the kadaai and cook, by sprinkling water occasionally.  When carrots are almost done, sprinkle grated coconut and serve

Milagu cauliflower fry

Cauliflower is blooming nowadays and i can find it more frequently here @ hydi... Eversince the price went reasonably low, my father-in-law makes a point of buying more gobi ... and  yes, my refrigerator is flooded with cauliflowersss :)  :)  Thinking to make more gobi dishes... this post is a dry side-dish of cauliflower with peppercorns and other dry spices, thus making an excellant combo with paruppu saadham, keerai saadham, sambhar etc.  Go ahead and try ... its so simple....

Ingredients required

To temper

• 4 tsp oil
• 1 tsp rai/mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp broken urad dal
• 1 tsp chana dal
• 8-10 whole dry red chillies
• 10-12 curry leaves
• 1/2 tsp hing/perungayam
• 2-3 tsp of finely chopped onions
• 2 tsp coarsely crushed peppercorns

other

• 1 cup cauliflower florets
• 1/2 tsp salt

Method

In a kadaai, heat oil and add ingredients for temper one by one

Now, throw in cauliflower florets and cover the kadaai.  

Sprinkle water now and then and cover cooked till cauliflower is done.  Sprinkle salt.  If wanted add pepper powder (if u need more other than tempering, which completely suits ur taste buds) and serve hot with rice and dal.

 

Easy Mixed Vegetable Gravy Recipe (Mildly Spiced)

If you are looking for a comforting, healthy dish that doesn’t skimp on flavor, this mildly spiced mixed vegetable gravy is exactly what you need. Cooked in a fragrant, homemade spring onion and garlic sauce, this recipe brings out the natural sweetness of fresh vegetables. It is perfectly balanced, making it a wonderful, wholesome dinner option that the entire family will love—even the kids! Pair it with warm rotis, phulkas, or a bowl of steamed rice for a satisfying meal.

Ingredients

For the base paste:

4–5 sprigs of spring onion (white bulbs only)
10 cloves of garlic
3 tsp oil

For the gravy:

1 tsp whole cumin seeds (jeera)
½ cup spring onion greens, finely chopped
2 cups mixed vegetables, finely chopped (radish, carrot, cauliflower, and peas)
1 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing

Step-by-Step Instructions

Prepare the Base: Grind the spring onion bulbs, garlic, and oil together in a blender to form a smooth, aromatic paste.
Saute the Aromatics: Heat a kadai over medium heat. Add the prepared paste, cumin seeds, and chopped spring onion greens. Saute thoroughly until the raw smell disappears and the mixture becomes fragrant.
Cook the Vegetables: Stir in the 2 cups of mixed vegetables. Cover and cook on low-medium heat until the veggies are tender and completely cooked through.
Finish and Garnish: Adjust the salt to your taste, give it a final stir, and garnish with fresh coriander leaves before serving hot.

This healthy vegetable gravy proves that you do not need heavy spices to create a deeply satisfying dish. The combination of fresh radish, carrots, cauliflower, and peas simmered in a savory garlic-onion base creates a clean, comforting flavor profile. Give this quick recipe a try tonight, and let us know in the comments below how you paired it!

Healthy Mooli Patta ki Dal Recipe: Nutritious Radish Greens with Toor Dal

Radish leaves, known as Mooli Patta, are often discarded, but they are actually a nutritional powerhouse! Abundantly available during the winter season, these greens are loaded with vital nutrients like iron, vitamin C, and essential minerals. 

In this comforting recipe, we combine chopped radish greens with creamy, protein-rich yellow split peas (Toovar Dal) and finish it with a simple, aromatic temper of mild spices.

Ingredients

For Tempering (Tadka)

• 3 tsp Cooking oil
• ½ tsp Cumin seeds (Jeera)
• ½ tsp Asafoetida (Hing/Perungayam)
• 3–4 Dry red chilies, broken
• 3–4 Fresh curry leaves
• 4 tsp Onions, finely chopped

Main Curry Ingredients

• ½ cup Radish leaves (Mooli Patta), thoroughly washed and finely chopped
• ½ cup Pigeon peas (Toovar Dal / Arhar Dal), boiled until soft and mashed slightly
• Salt, to taste

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Step-by-Step Method

Step 1: Crackle the Spices

1. Heat 3 teaspoons of cooking oil in a pan or kadhai over medium heat.
2. Add the cumin seeds and let them splutter.
3. Stir in the asafoetida, broken dry red chilies, and fresh curry leaves. Fry for a few seconds until aromatic.

Step 2: Sauté the Aromatics

1. Add the finely chopped onions to the pan.
2. Sauté on medium flame until the onions turn soft and transparent.

Step 3: Cook the Radish Greens

1. Throw in the finely chopped radish leaves and stir well to coat them with the tempered oil.
2. Lower the flame to a simmer, cover the pan, and cook for about 10 minutes until the leaves are wilted and partially done.

Step 4: Simmer with the Dal

1. Pour the boiled toovar dal into the pan with the cooked greens.
2. Season with salt to taste and add a splash of water if you prefer a thinner gravy consistency.
3. Give it a good stir, cover the pot, and let it simmer together for 3–5 minutes so the flavors meld beautifully.

Serving Suggestion

Serve this nourishing, steaming hot Mooli Patta ki Dal alongside warm, ghee-smeared rotis or over a bed of fluffy steamed rice with a side of pickle.