Chena Moru Kootan / Yam in a curd and coconut curry from Kerala

I am continuing to dip into my mother's recipe trove, meaning I am still at my parents' place and enjoying mom's cooking. My pace of posting recipes is just not keeping pace with mom's cooking so, though late I am happy to post a traditional Keralite curry today. I bring a yogurt and ground coconut base curry called the moru kootan, literally translated to curds curry. This moru kootan is made with vegetables like ash gourd / white pumpkin or raw Kerala plantain or just ripe Kerala plantain or yam / elephants foot. Each of these vegetables adds a different flavor to this curry and most times each of us have favorites. I love moru kootan or like we call at home moru ozhicha kootan with just ripe Kerala plantain - this curry is sweet and sour at the same time. And my most disliked combination is when ash gourd is used in this curry because the water content of the gourd makes the curry watery and seems to dilute tastes.

 

I do not make this curry at home because my husband stays miles away from it because of his yogurt / curd allergy. And demand mom to make it with the plantain when here.

I would of course suggest try making this curry with the just ripe Kerala plantain. This plantain is normally available in any of the Tamil / Mallu shops that is found in most cities in India. If you are in the US, then try checking for this in either a Mexican or a West Indian store, surprising both these regions use this plantain extensively. And try selecting just ripe plantain for this curry never fully ripened ones.

Ingredients
Yam / Elephants foot / Chena - 250 gms
Coconut, grated - 1/2 a coconut
Cumin seeds / Jeera - 1 tsp
Green chilli - 1, slit add whole
Curds, plain unflavored - 2 cup, thick beaten
Turmeric pwd - 1/2 tsp
Red chilli pwd - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek / Methi seeds - 1/2 tsp
Dry red chilli - 2 to 3
Curry leaves
Sugar - 1 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Salt to taste

When handling chena / yam, oil your hands and then clean it and cut into1 inch square pieces. Else use a pair of gloves to avoid the itchiness some yams have. Slit the green chillies. Beat the yogurt  curds and keep aside.

Add the grated coconut and jeera into a blender jar and grind to a very fine paste.

Into a saucepan or pot add the chenna / elephants foot pieces, little salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, slit green chilli. Add water just enough to cover the contents in the pot and cover and cook till the yam is cooked. Not over done and soft but just cooked. Add the ground coconut paste to cooked chenna and mix carefully. Add water if required to get a thick consistency, the curry should be thick but pourable. Give it just one boil and then lower the heat to low. Add the beaten curds and sugar and mix.  Check the taste for salt and add some if necessary. Continue to cook but take the pan off the heat when the bubbles start forming. Do not let it boil.

 

Heat a pan for the tempering and add the oil and when it is hot add the mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds. When the mustard seeds splutter add the dry red chilli pieces and when it darkens add the curry leaves and immediately take the pan off the heat. Add the tempering / tadka to the curry and keep closed with a lid till ready to serve.

 

Moru kootan is best enjoyed with rice and spicy fried fish / mezhukuperatty.

 

My mother's recipe for Chena Moru Kootan goes to
Walk through Memory Lane originally by Gayatri's Cookspot

 

Chana Masala using Everest Chhole Masala

This recipe for Chana Masala is very similar to the one we get in Udipi restaurants and is distinctly different from the Chhole of the North India. Although this is also called Chhole, it is not the traditional chhole you get in, say, Punjab. Enjoy this chana masala, for its own without any comparisons to any other, and you will appreciate it.

 

Chana Masala pairs off well with roti and paratha and tastes good with rice if the gravy is made a tad thin.  

Ingredients
Chana / Chickpeas - 100 gms
Onion - 2, medium
Tomato - 2
Ginger - 1 inch
Green Chilli - 2
Coriander pwd - 1 tsp
Red chilli pwd - 1 tsp
Everest Chhole Masala - 1 tbsp
Coriander leaves - 3 to 4 sprigs
Kasuri Methi - 2 pinches (optional
Oil - 3 tbsp
Salt as per taste

Wash the chana / chickpeas and then soak it in double the water for about 8 to 10 hours. Before cooking, drain the water and wash it once more. Add fresh water and boil the chickpeas in a pressure cooker till soft, for 3 whistles. When the pressure is released take the chana / chickpeas out reserve the water and keep the chickpeas separate. Take about 1/4 cup boiled chickpeas out and grind it in a blender and keep aside.

Chop the onion, tomato and coriander finely, slit the green chillies and julienne the ginger.

Heat oil in a kadai / pan and add the chopped onion when the oil is hot and saute. When the onion turns golden add the coriander powder and red chilli powder and saute for a minute. Then add the chopped tomato, julienned ginger and slit green chillies and saute till the tomato softens. Add about 1/2 cup of the water that the chickpeas were boiled in and mix well. Into this, add the boiled chana / chickpeas, the groind chickpeas and little salt. Let it cook together. Once it boils, lower the heat and check for seasoning and adjust salt as required. Add the kasuri methi and let the tastes blend. The gravy should be thick and not thin. If needed add a little more of the reserved water from the boiled chickpeas and let it come a boil. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves, mix well and take off the heat.

 

Keep covered till ready to serve. Garnish with a few juliennes of ginger and serve. 

 

My Chana Masala goes to

- Walk through Memory Lane originally by Gayatri's Cookspot

- North East West Indian Cooking hosted by Anu.

 

 

 

Palak Paneer / Spinach & Cottage Cheese

Before the season changes and leafy vegetables are out of season, try and make it - is my current philosophy. No other season gives better leafy vegetables than the current one, so try and get your fix of greens now. Today's recipe is the very popular Palak Paneer or Spinach and Cottage Cheese. It is the most often, ordered dish in restaurants and made at home. Palak Paneer is best served and eaten with chapati, roti or parathas.

Ingredients
Spinach / Palak - 500 gms
Cottage cheese / Paneer - 250 gms
Onion - 1, medium sized
Tomato - 1, small sized
Green chilli - 1
Turmeric pwd - 1/2 tsp
Clove / Lavang - 1
Bay leaf - 1
Black cumin / Shahjeera - 1 tsp
Cream - 1 tsp (optional)
Oil - 1 tbsp
Butter - 1 tbsp

Chop the onion and tomato very finely and slit the green chilli.

Wash the spinach carefully and put in a colander to drain. Grind the spinach to a paste in a blender and keep aside. Cut the paneer into 1 inch cubes and keep aside else lightly fry it till light golden. I prefer not to fry it and like to use it as is.

Heat a deep pan and add the oil and butter in it. When it is hot add the bay leaf, clove and black cumin seeds. Saute a couple of times and then add the finely chopped onions and continue sauteeing till onions turn light golden. To this add finely chopped tomato and green chilli and saute till tomato softens. Add the turmeric powder and salt and mix well. To this, add the spinach paste and mix well and cover and let it cook. After about 8 to 10 minutes, uncover, stir a few times and check if the raw taste of spinach has gone. Check for seasoning and adjust if salt is required. Add the paneer pieces and mix well. Cook for a couple of minutes and take off the heat. When ready to serve the Palak Paneer take it out into a bowl and top with cream. Serve Palak Paneer with roti or paratha.  

My Palak Paneer goes to - North East West Indian Cooking hosted by Anu.

 

Amarakka Thoran or Broad Beans / Sem Sabzi

Continuing with dishes from my mom's kitchen, today's recipe is Amarakka Thoran. Amarakka is known as Broad Beans in English and Sem in Hindi. This vegetable is from the green beans family but is flat and broad and about 3 to 4 inch long. In Malayalam, the two beans - cluster beans / gavar and broad beans / sem is so similar in name - kothavarakka and amarakka, that people confuse one for the other and vice versa. I am one of those people, and everytime I have to mention one of these beans I say both kothavarakka and amarakka in a questionning tone and my mom corrects me. At home, there is no question of mentioning this since my husband does not eat either of them and hence is not bought at all.

 

So today, I bring my mother's recipe for Amarakka Thoran. Thoran is basically any vegetable prepared with fresh grated coconut.

Ingredients

Amarakka / Broad Beans / Sem - 250 gms

Green chilli - 2

Curry leaves - a sprig

Turmeric pwd - 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Dry red chilli - 2

Coconut, grated - 1/4 cup

Oil - 2 tsp

Salt as per taste

Cut the ends of the amarakka / broad beans / sem and wash it well. Dry and then chop them in 1/4 inch pieces.

 

Heat a kadai or pan and add oil. When the oil is hot add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the broken dry chillies and stir a couple of times. To this, add the chopped amarakka / broad beans / sem pieces along with turmeric powder, green chilli, curry leaves and a little salt and mix well. Add a few tablespoons water and cover with deep plate and add some water in it and cook on low heat. Uncover the lid after about 8 to 10 minutes to check if there is sufficient water to cook the vegetable and stir and let it cook. When the vegetable is almost done add the grated coconut and stir and cook till done. This allows the amarakka to absorb the coconut flavor. Take off the heat and keep covered till ready to serve.

My mother's recipe for Amarakka Thoran goes to
Walk through Memory Lane originally by Gayatri's Cookspot

 

 

Ulli Thakkali Varatharacha Curry / Onion & Tomato in Roasted Coconut Gravy

Since coming to my mother's place, cooking has been on a low. Mom is completely in charge here, so I decided to feature some of her recipes which are mostly traditional Keralite recipes. And like most mothers, she also does not usually have exact measurements. But she caught on quick and suggested tips to add in the write-up especially for non-Mallu cooks. Today's recipe is one such curry recipe that you will see in Malayali households - Ulli Thakkali Varatharacha curry or translated - Onion and Tomato in a roasted-coconut-paste gravy. Typically in Kerala, coconut is either ground fresh or is roasted and then ground for the curry base. This one here - Ulli Thakkali Varatharacha curry has coconut and coriander seeds, roasted to a medium golden color and then ground for the curry. On to the rest of the recipe....

Ingredients
Onion / Ulli- 1.5 cup
Tomato / Thakkali - 1 cup
Coconut, grated - 1 cup
Coriander seeds - 2 tbsp or Coriander powder - 3 tbsp
Tamarind pulp - 2 tsp
Turmeric pwd - 1/2 tsp
Red chilli pwd - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 to 2
Dry red chilli - 2
Oil - 1.5 tbsp
Salt as per taste

The measures given here for the onion and tomato is post cleaning and is sliced in case of onion and diced into pieces. Measure for both coriander seeds and powder is given in case one or the other is not available. Traditionally, coriander seeds is used.

Heat a shallow pan on low flame and add the the grated coconut. Keep stirring the coconut to evenly roast it till golden in color. Do not let it brown. Traditionally, the grated coconut was grated with a few drops of oil so it does not catch the bottom of the pan and burn. But today, with non-sticks and well tempered iron pans, you don't need to add oil. Add red chilli powder to the roasted coconut after taking the pan off the heat and stir altogether for a minute. If using coriander powder add it along with the red chilli powder to the roasted coconut and stir. Keep it in a bowl to cool.

If using the coriander seeds add it to the same pan and roast on low heat till the seeds change color and its aroma is released. Add it into the bowl with the coconut. Once cooled, grind it in a blender.

 

Heat a saucepan and add 1 tbsp oil and once it is hot add the onion and saute on medium heat till translucent. Then add the tomato and stir for a minute and add the tamarind paste, salt and turmeric powder. Follow it up with the ground paste and a cup of water and give it one boil. Check the salt and if more water is needed in the curry and adjust as needed. Add a few curry leaves in the curry and take it off the heat and keep covered. Heat a separate pan for tadka / tempering and add the 0.5 tbsp into it. Once hot add the mustard seeds and let it splutter then add broken red chilli pieces and the sprigs of curry leaves and stir it. Take it off the heat once the chillies change to a darker color and pour this whole mix into the curry and keep covered till ready to serve.

We have this Ulli Tomato Varatharacha curry with rice and a thoran or mezhuperatty.

My mother's recipe for Ulli Thakkali Varatharacha Curry goes to
Walk through Memory Lane originally by Gayatri's Cookspot

 

 

Methi Matar Malai

Methi matar malai is a dish that combines tastes of bitterness and sweetness and comes out a winner. It is a great vegetable dish to have on a party menu when the other usual suspects are paneer or dal, etc. Methi is a very healthy leafy vegetable and should ideally be included in our regular diet. Methi matar malai is mildly bitter and sweet at the same time and is great to have with rotis or parathas.

Ingredients
Fenugreek / Methi leaves - 2.5 cups packed
Green Peas / Matar - 1 cup
Onion - 2 small
Tomato - 2 small
Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
Cloves - 4
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Black peppercorn - 2 to 3
Green Cardamom - 2
Milk - 1 cup
Cream - 3 to 4 tbsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Sugar - a pinch
Salt to taste
for paste

Onion - 1/2

Cashew Nuts - 4 to 5

Ginger - 1 inch

Garlic - 4 to 5

Poppy seeds / Khus Khus - 2 tsp

Green chilli - 2

Wash the fenugreek leaves thoroughly and put in a colander to drain out. I prefer to use the leaves just like this, but if you want to reduce the bitterness, mix in salt and keep for 10 to 15 minutes. Later squeeze out the water from the fenugreek leaves and use it. Most of the bitterness would have gone with the squeezed water. I do not salt it and squeeze it out because at home we do not mind the mild bitterness in this dish, especially sweetened with the addition of both milk and cream.

Chop the onion and tomato and keep aside.

 

Heat a pan and on low heat, lightly roast cinnamon, cloves, cumin seeds, black peppercorns and green cardamom seeds. Roast only for a few minutes till the aroma is released. Add these whole spices to the ingredients listed for grinding to a paste - onion, cashew nut, ginger, garlic, green chilli and khus khus. Grind this to a fine thick paste in a blender jar adding a little water.

 

In a vessel add the green peas and some water and let it boil till softened and keep aside.

 

Heat a deep pan and add the oil and let it become hot. Add the chopped onion and on medium heat saute till the onion turns translucent. Then add the ground paste and saute for about 5 minutes, stirring continuously. To this, add the chopped tomatoes and a few spoons of water and saute till the tomatoes start softening. Add the drained fenugreek leaves and salt and mix well, stir till the leaves start shrinking. Cover the pan with a lid and let it cook on low heat. After about 7 to 8 minutes add the boiled green peas and the milk and mix well. Again cover with the lid for about 5 minutes or till cooked. Remove the lid and mix again and check for seasonings and add salt if necessary. Add half the cream and mix it and take off the heat.

When ready to serve top the vegetable with the rest of the cream and serve.  

 My Methi Matar Malai goes to - North East West Indian Cooking hosted by Anu.

 

 

Mushroom, Baby Corn, Broccoli Stir Fry

The fresh and crisp taste of a vegetable stir fry have always tempted me. Hence when I see some fresh vegetables in the market, I lose no time in picking them up. The only catch is that, in this case I am the only one eating it since my husband cannot be convinced to eat stir fries. The weekly market continues to give some good vegetables and my pick last week was spring onions, a pack of mushrooms, a pack of baby corn and broccoli with the express intention to make a mixed vegetable stir fry.

 

The quantities are good for 2 if served as a side with pasta or mashed potatoes else make a meal of it without anything else, like I did.

 

Ingredients

Spring onions - 4
Broccoli florets - 1/2 cup
Mushroom - 4 to 5
Baby Corn - 4 to 5
Onion - 1, small size (optional)
Butter - 1 tbsp
Black pepper pwd - a couple of pinches
Salt as per taste

Slice the mushrooms, cut the baby corn in half and then slit them. Chop the greens of the spring onion and slice the bulbs. Chop the onion.

 

Heat a pan and add the butter in. Add the chopped onion, saute for a minute and add the sliced spring onion bulbs. Saute till translucent and add the mushroom and baby corn and saute for a couple of minutes. Then add in the broccoli and continue sauteeing. Sprinkle the black pepper powder and a little salt and stir well. Check for seasoning and add salt only if required since the butter would also have increased the salt content. Take it off heat and serve it hot.

 

 

Rice Sevai with Coconut Chutney

Rice Sevai is the Indian noodles of South India. Traditionally, making rice sevai was a long process - first rice dough was made, then it was pressed through a mould into noodles which was then streamed. Then these rice noodles / sevai were tempered and served with chutney. Today, making sevai is easy, cut open a pack and immerse it in boiling water for a couple of minutes and then drain the water out and temper it. And it is ready to serve with chutney. The chutney that is served with the Rice Sevai is a simple one, given in an earlier post here. It may be cheating but trust me, this rice sevai and coconut chutney combination is so simply tasty, especially when it is so easy to make.

I use the brand,  Concord rice seva and one packet is just enough for the two of us. The seva is in small pieces unlike noodles and takes just a few minutes to be cooked. All you have to do is put the sevai in a bowl and immerse it in salted boiling water and let it be for 3 to 4 minutes. Don't wait for the sevai to be completely cooked, drain it when there is still a bite to it because it will continue to cook when draining and tempering. Drain the water out with the help of a colander and fluff it a bit to keep it from sticking.

for the tempering

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Udad dal - 1/2 tsp

Dry red chilli - 2

Green chilli - 2

Break the dry red chilli into 1 inch pieces and slit the green chillies. Heat oil in a pan add the mustard seeds and udad dal and let the mustard seeds splutter. Immediately add the dry red chilli and green chilli pieces and saute for a minute. Keep the heat low and add the drained sevai and toss it well with the tempering so both are mixed well. Spread it out in the pan and let any leftover moisture evaporate. The rice sevai is served with Coconut Chutney - it's recipe is given in an earlier post here.

Rice sevai and chutney is mostly served for breakfast and occasionally for a light dinner.

 

Beetroot and Spring Onion Sabzi

 

This beetroot and spring onion sabzi is an outcome of a mother's efforts to get her child to eat healthy vegetables. The child is my ex-colleague who is now a mother of two children and who maybe tries to  today. I tasted this beetroot and spring onion sabzi for the first time when, one day, she got this for lunch. She had made it really spicy by adding both green chillies and red chilli powder to cover the sweetness of the beetroot. Although, I did not take the recipe for the Beetroot and spring onion sabzi from her then, I put together the two main ingredients and kept it simple.

 

Ingredients
Beetroot - 250 gms
Spring Onion - 4 to 5
Onion - 1, small
Turmeric pwd - 1/4 tsp
Red chilli pwd - 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Oil - 1 tbsp

Use tender spring onions for this recipe because the greens are very much a part of this sabzi. Cut the bulbs off and chop them and the regular onion and keep aside. Chop the greens of the spring onion and keep aside.

Peel the beetroot and quarter it. Cook it in a pressure cooker for 2 whistles. Once done, take it out and dice the beetroot and proceed with making the sabzi.

 

Heat a pan and pour the oil in it. When it is hot add the chopped onions and saute for about 8 minutes and then add the turmeric and red chilli powders. Saute and add the beetroot and a little salt in and saute. Add the water from the cooked beets if any and continue sauteeing. Saute for about 4 to 5 minutes and add the greens or the spring onion. Saute and cover the pan with a lid for a few minutes and let it cook together. Stir it and check for taste and add salt if necessary. Take the beetroot and spring onion off the heat and keep covered till ready to serve.

This beetroot and spring onion sabzi goes well with rice and a curry.

 

My Beetroot and Spring Onion Sabzi goes to New "U" hosted by Vardhini

 

Vegetable & Mashed Potato Au Gratin

Gratin is a cooking technique, where the top - a mix of bread crumbs, cheese and oil / butter is browned in the oven to form a nice golden brown crust. The main ingredient is usually a vegetable or root or potato mixed with béchamel sauce baked till just cooked. The gratin I like to make is one with vegetable and mashed potato layers and baked with a golden crust topping.

Ingredients (serves 2 generous portions)

Potato - 3, large

Onion - 2, medium

Broccoli - 1/3 cup

Mushroom - 1/3 cup

Carrot - 1/3 cup

Baby Corn - 1/3 cup

Bread crumbs - 1/2 cup

Butter / Oil - 3 tbsp

Black Pepper pwd

Oregano – couple of pinches

Parmesan Cheese, grated - 1/4 cup

Whole Milk – 4 to 5 tbsp

for béchamel sauce

Flour - 2 tsp

Butter - 1 tbsp

Milk - 1 cup

Boil potatoes till soft. All vegetable measures are after cleaning and cutting into pieces. Slice onion and mushroom into thick slices. Cut the broccoli into florets, carrot into sticks and slit baby corn lengthwise and then halve it.

Heat 1 tbsp butter and sauté 3/4^th of onion slices till just translucent and keep aside. Add 1 tbsp butter into the same pan and sauté the vegetables lightly without letting it cook. Mix the onion and vegetables and add a little salt and black pepper and keep aside.

Take the boiled potatoes and mash completely. Add a little salt and the 2 tbsp milk and 1 tbsp butter and mash together. Chop the remaining onion finely and add to the mashed potato, this is optional. I like to add it for the extra crunch.

Mix the bread crumbs, oregano and a pinch of salt and keep aside.

Prepare the sauce: Heat a pan and add the butter and let it melt and when hot add the flour in and mix well and sauté for a couple of minutes. When the flour is cooked completely add the milk in a steady stream, stirring all the while. Keep stirring till it thickens then take it off the heat and add the sautéed onion and vegetables and keep aside.

Preheat the oven to 200 degree C. Grease a baking dish with butter and keep aside.

In the baking dish, first evenly spread all of the mashed potato in the bottom of the dish. Then add the sautéed vegetables mixed in sauce on top of the mashed potato and spread evenly. Add the cheese on top and then top with the seasoned bread crumbs. Pop it into the oven and bake till the cheese melts and the top browns.

Serve the Vegetables and Mashed Potato Au Gratin hot with garlic bread or as is.  

 

 

 

 

 

My Vegetable & Mashed Potato Au Gratin goes to
- Flavours of the World - Grand Finale hosted by Nayna & "Light Dinners" guest hosted by abowlofcurry, originally by Vardhini of cooksjoy.
 

 

Onion, Carrot & Radish Salad / Koshimbir

Koshimbir is salad in Marathi, and is generally made with a variety of vegetables in Maharashtra. I am in love with the koshimbirs of Maharashtra; it manages to capture a medley of tastes in each bite and is a mix of salt, sweet, pungency and sour. It often includes crushed peanuts and tempering. With fresh vegetables in season right now, making salads are a pleasure. So today's salad includes radish / mooli that is usually sweet at this time of the year. Here goes my onion, carrot and radish koshimbir / salad.

Ingredients
Radish / Mooli - 2
Carrot / Gajar - 3
Onion / Pyaaz - 1
Peanuts - 1/4 cup
Lime jce - a dash
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric pwd - 1/2 tsp
Ghee / Oil - 1 tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
Salt as per taste

Wash the radish and carrots and peel off the skin. For a change, instead of grating or chopping, I used the peeler and continued peeling the radish and carrot to get different sized and textured pieces. Thinly slice the onion.

 

Lightly roast the peanuts and rub the skin off and crush it roughly. In a bowl, mix the sugar, salt and lime juice together. Add to it the carrot, mooli and onion and the peanuts and mix.

 

Heat a pan and add the ghee / oil and when hot add the mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds splutter take it off the heat and add the turmeric powder and immediately pour it on the salad. Mix well and serve. 

My Onion, Carrot & Radish Salad / Koshimbir goes to New "U" hosted by Vardhini, Flavours of the World - Grand Finale hosted by Nayna, "Light Dinners" guest hosted by abowlofcurry, originally by Vardhini of cooksjoy & North East West Indian Cooking hosted by Anu

            

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carrot Fenugreek / Gajar Methi Sabzi

We had this, Gajar Methi sabzi / Carrot Fenugreek vegetable for the first time at a restaurant in Jodhpur. This sabzi / vegetable was one of the dishes served in the thali at Gypsy restaurant. The red juicy carrot / gajar works best in this dish; the combination of slightly bitter methi with the sweetness of the carrot and the slight pungency from the chillies makes for a great dish. This sabzi is healthy with the goodness of the carrots and methi cooked in very little oil and spices.

 

Ingredients

Carrots / Gajar - 1 cup

Dry fenugreek / methi leaves - 1/4 cup

Green chillies - 2

Asafoetida / Hing pwd - a couple of pinches

Red chilli pwd - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric pwd - 1/2 tsp

Fenugreek / Methi seeds - 8 to 10 (optional)

Oil - 1tsp

Salt as per taste

Dice carrots into medium sized pieces and slit green chillies and keep aside. Add a little water and soak the dry fenugreek / methi leaves.

 

Heat a pan and add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the fenugreek seeds and stir after about 30 seconds add asafoetida powder and stir a couple of times. Then add the turmeric powder and green chillies and stir and put in the carrot pieces and red chilli powder. Stir and add salt and cover to cooksprinkle about 1/8th cup of water little by little to help the carrot to cook. When the carrot is half cooked add the soaked fenugreek or methi. Cover and cook for a few more minutes till the methi softens and all tastes mix together. Check for salt and adjust if necessary. Take off the heat and keep covered till ready to serve.

Serve this Carrot Fenugreek / Gajar Methi Sabzi with rotis.

 





My Carrot Fenugreek goes to
- Flavours of the World - Grand Finale hosted by Nayna, North East West Indian Cooking hosted by Anu & New "U" hosted by Vardhini.