Rasam - South Indian recipe

Ingredients

Shallots - 10
Garlic - 8
Ginger - small piece
Tamarind - 50 grams
Tomato -1
Green chilly - 3
Red  chilly powder  - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Coriander  powder - 1 tablespoon
Pepper powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt
Oil
Water -1 cup
Curry leaves
Coriander  leaves
Mustard seeds
Rasam powder (optional )

First mash shallots, ginger and garlic. Keep it aside. Meanwhile soak tamarind in water. Heat a pan. Add oil, mustard seeds, curry leaves and coriander leaves. Add mashed shallots,  ginger and garlic to this.  Saute it until  it turns brown colour. Now add tomatoes, green chilly and tamarind extract . After this add all the masala powder. Saute it for a minute. Finally add one cup of water. Cover it with a lid and let it cook for two minutes. Serve hot Rasam with boiled or steamed rice. 

Moru Kachiyathu (Yellow Cucumber - Curd Curry)

Ingredients

Grated coconut - 3/4 cup
Yellow Cucumber - 1/2 (medium)
Turmeric powder  - 1/2 teaspoon
Shallots -3

Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 teaspoon 

Green chilly - 3
Red dry chilly -2
Salt
Oil
Curry leaves
Mustard seeds
Curd - 1/2 cup

In a pan, add some water, and cook finely cut cucumber for 5 - 10 minutes. Now In a mixer, grind coconut along with turmeric, green chilly, shallots and cumin seeds to fine paste. In a pan, add little oil. Once it is hot, add mustard seeds, dry chilly, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves. After this add coconut paste to half cooked cucumber and cook it for 1-2 minutes by adding little salt. Add water if you want gravy. It will be good if you add very little water while grinding. Finally add curd and turn off the flame after 30 - 40 seconds. Because we don't want to cook it for long after adding curd. So now you got a yummy curd curry to have with boiled or steamed rice.

Vendakka Fry (ladies finger / Okra / Bhindi ) Fry

Ingredients

Okra - 15-20
Shallots  - 6
Turmeric powder  - 1 teaspoon
Oil
Salt
Mustard seeds -1 teaspoon
Curry leaves

First cut okra into small pieces as in the pic. Heat a pan, add oil in it. Add mustard seeds once oil is hot. Now add curry leaves and mashed shallots. Saute it until it turns golden brown color. Finally add finely cut okra and little salt and turmeric to it. Saute it for two minutes.  Cover it with a lid and cook it in medium to low flame for five to six minutes. It will be tasty if it turns the color to dark brown.

Okra is a famous health food because of its calcium and potassium content. And is very rich in fibre and vitamins. As always am publishing all easy and healthy recipes for my friends in this  summer. I know no one likes to spend lot of time in the kitchen especially in sumer.  You should be in fact packing your bags and travelling to some hill side. Enjoy your summer holidays by trying all this easy recipes.

Cheera Thoran (Spinach stir fry)

Ingredients

Spinach - 250 grams approx
Grated Coconut - 1/2  cup
Turmeric powder  - 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Salt
Oil

In a pan add little oil. Once it is hot, add mustard seeds. Later add finely chopped  spinach and saute it for a minute. Add turmeric powder, salt and grated coconut. Again saute it for a minute. Cover it with a lid. Let it cook for 4- 5 minutes in medium to low flame. It's a very healthy recipe. You can try the same recipe for red spinach. It got lot of health benefits as it is very good for hair growth and good for curing aneamia because of its iron content.