Drumstick Vatha kozhambu

This is something I love to make and to eat of course!. Here is the recipe for making drumstick vatha kozhambu.

Ingredients:-

1. Drumstick - 3 (cut into 2" size pieces)
2. Tamarind - a small lemon sized
3. Sesame oil - 5 tbsp
4. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
5. Sambar powder - 1 1/4 tsp (acc to taste)
6. salt to taste
7. Jaggery - 2 tsp
8. Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
9. Urad dhall - 1/2 tsp
10. Channa dhall - 1/2 tsp
11. Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
12. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
13. Curry leaves - few
14. Rice flour - 1 tsp (optional)

Soak tamarind in 2 cups of water and squeeze out the juice. Take a pan, pre heat oil, add mustard seeds, urad dhall, channa dhall, fenugreek seeds, asafoetida powder and fry it till golden brown. Now add the chopped drumstick to it and fry it for 5 mts. Now add the tamarind juice, turmeric powder, sambar powder, salt and let it cook for 10 mts. under low flame. Now add the jaggery and let it boil for another 5 mts. In this stage add water if necessary. If you need this kozhambu in thicker consistency, then mix rice flour in 2 tbsp water and pour it in kozhambu and let it cook for another 5 mts. Turn off the stove after getting required consistency. This can be eaten with white rice, can also be eaten as side dish for curd rice.

Okra Bhaaji & a MeMe

This is another side dish I make very often. This is how I make this bhaaji with Okra.

Ingredients:-

1. Okra - 1/4 Kg. or 2 cups
2. Onion - 2
3. Tomato - 1
4. Garlic - 1
   
5. Cumin - 2 tsp
6. Red chillies - 3
7. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
8. Oil - 5 tsp
9. Coriander leaves
10. Salt to taste

First chop the okra(3 inch sized) and microwave it for 3 mts. Preheat 2 tsp oil in a pan, fry the okra, adding that amount of salt required only for okra, to golden brown and keep it aside. In the mean time, grind onion, tomato,garlic, cumin, red chillies and salt (required only for gravy) to a fine paste, In the same pan, pre heat remaining oil, add the grounded paste, add turmeric powder and fry it till nice aroma comes out of the paste. Sprinkle water if necessary. Now add the fried okra to it and add 1/4 cup of water and let it cook for 3 to 5 mts. Add water to adjust the required consistency. Turn off the stove and garnish it with coriander leaves. This can be eaten as a side dish with chapathis, rotis or even with rice.

Paru has tagged me for a MeMe. Thanks Paru.

Here are the rules
(a) List these rules on your blog.
(b) Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog.
(c) Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.

7 facts about me:-

1. I am a mom of twin 4 year old girls.
   
2. I love to cook, play with my girls and make some simple fashion jewellery.
3. I love to hear Illayaraja's hit songs of 70's, 80's and 90's.
   
4. M.S.S.'s Meenakshi me mudham dehi, Chembai's Saarasaksha, Bombay Jayashree's Akhilandeswari, Sudha Ragunathan's RTP, Sanjay Subramaniam's Yaro ivar yaro are my favorite classical.
5. I believe in god and I'm teaching my girls' some simple slokas now a days.
6. My policy is "Take Life as it comes"
7. Recently became a United States Citizen.

I would like to pass this on to:-

1. Vanisri - http://illatharasi.blogspot.com
2. Nidhi - http://sizzlingbites.blogspot.com/
3. Vegetable Platter - http://vegetableplatter.blogspot.com/
4. Bhawana - http://bhawanalovescooking.blogspot.com/
5. Usha - http://veginspirations.blogspot.com/
6. Sangeeta - http://directfromsangeetaskitchen.blogspot.com
7. Jujubs - http://jujubscreativecorner.blogspot.com/
   

Oats Vadai

This is another recipe, I learned from a magazine. Since we eat oats everyday, I thought of trying this oats vadai for my girls. Here is the recipe

Ingredients:-

1. Oats - 3/4 cup
2. Channa dhall - 1/4 cup
3. Onion - 1 (finely chopped)
   
4. Red chillies - 1
5. Green chillies - 1 tsp (finely chopped)
6. Salt to taste
7. Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp
8. Curry leaves - few
   
9. Milk - 1/2 cup
10. Oil - to deep fry
    

Soak channa dhall and red chillies in water for an hour. Grind it coarsely without adding water. Now add oats, chopped onion, salt,curry leaves, green chillies, coriander leaves and milk and mix it well. Make it small patties and fry it till it becomes golden brown. Serve it hot with tomato sauce.