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.

 

Kandhe ki tarkari

This gravy is mildly spiced as it is cooked with veggies & onion-garlic sauce

Ingredients required

To make paste

• 4-5 sprigs of spring onion (bulb alone)
• 10 garlic pieces
• 3 tsp oil

other

• 1 tsp whole jeera
• 1/2 cup of chopped green part of spring onions
• 2 cups of finely chopped vegetables like radhish, carrot, cauliflower, peas
• 1 tsp of salt

Method

Grind onion  bulb, oil  and garlic to form paste

In a kadaai, add paste, jeera and green part of spring onions.  Saute well.

Add other veggies and cook till done. Adjust salt and garnish with coriander leaves

Mooli patta ki dal

Raddhish leaves are called as mooli patta.  Since it is actively available during this winter season, better to buy and consume a lot in cooking because they have lots of nutritious values like iron, minerals etc.  Here radhish leaves are combined with toovar dal and is tempered with mild spices.

Ingredients required

For temper

• 3 tsp oil
• 1/2 tsp jeera
• 1/2 tssp hing/perungayam
• 3-4 broken red chillies
• 3-4 curry leaves
• 4 tsp finely chopped onion

other

• 1/2 cup finely chopped raddhish leaves
• 1/2 cup boiled toovar dal
• Salt, to taste

Method

Add ingredients for temper one by one.

Throw in radhish leaves and saute till partially done.  This should take ten minutes on simmer flame.

Add in boiled toovar dal, adjust salt.  Cover and cook.  Serve hot with roti/rice

Bharwan bainghan (stuffed brinjal)

Ingredients required

• 7-8 small purple brinjals

For the filling

• 1 tsp roasted, crushed peanuts
• 2 tsp grated coconuts
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onions
• 1/4 tsp white sesame seeds(optional)
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp roasted whole jeera
• 1/2 tsp whole dhaniya
• 1/2 tsp crushed peppercorn
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

To temper

• 3 tsp oil
• 1/2 tsp rai/mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp jeera
• 3-4 curry leaves, chopped finely

Other

• 4 tsp tomato puree
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 3 tsp of finely chopped coriander leaves, to garnish

Method

Blend the ingredients given under filling portion, keep aside.  Wash brinjals. By holding the stem of the brinjal by ur fingers, make two slits both horizontally and vertically.

Through this gap, place ur filling prepared and arrange filled brinjals in ur plate

Meanwhile heat oil in kadaai, and add ingredients for temper one by one,  when done, placed stuffed brinjals and cook.

When brinjals are almost half done, add tomato puree followed by salt and garam masala.  Cook till done and serve hot garnished with coriander leaves

Sura Puttu Recipe | South Indian Shark Fish Dry Side Dish

Sura Puttu is a traditional South Indian dry side dish prepared using shark fish meat that is boiled, shredded, and stir-fried with aromatic spices. This flavourful seafood dish pairs beautifully with hot rice and spicy curries.

In many Tamil households, Sura Puttu is considered a wholesome and nourishing dish, especially prepared during post-pregnancy care. The texture resembles soft coconut gratings, making it unique and delicious.

---

Ingredients

• 350 gm shark fish pieces
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• Curry leaves – few
• 2 dry red chillies
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• A pinch of turmeric powder
• Salt – as needed
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• Coriander leaves for garnish

Method

Step 1: Boil the Fish

Clean the shark fish pieces thoroughly and boil them in water for about 10 minutes.

Step 2: Prepare the Fish

Once cooled, remove the skin and veins carefully. Mash and shred the fish until it resembles coarse coconut gratings. This step takes patience but gives the authentic Sura Puttu texture.

Step 3: Temper the Spices

Heat oil in a kadai and temper with mustard seeds, curry leaves, and dry red chillies.

Step 4: Sauté the Onions

Add chopped onions and sauté until soft and lightly pink. Add ginger-garlic paste and cook until the raw smell disappears.

Step 5: Add Spice Powders

Mix in turmeric powder, salt, red chilli powder, and coriander powder.

Step 6: Cook the Fish

Add the shredded fish and stir well so the masala coats evenly. Cook for a few minutes until everything comes together beautifully.

Step 7: Garnish & Serve

Finish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot with rice and curry.

Serving Suggestion

Sura Puttu tastes amazing with:

• Steamed rice
• Rasam
• Fish curry
• Mor kuzhambu
• Sambar rice