Baingan ki kadhi ( Eggplant in yogurt gravy)

This kadhi becomes flavourful because of the use of Panch Phoron( mixture of five kinds of seeds).

Ingredients

10-12 baby brinjals cut length wise
1 1/2 cup yogurt
2 tbsp gram flour (besan)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
4 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1/2 cumin seeds
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/4 tsp onion seeds
4 dried red chillies (broken into halves)
handful of curry leaves
a dash of asafoetida
salt to taste

Preparation

In a bowl, mix together the yogurt, gram flour, salt, turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder, ginger-garlic paste and 2 cups of water. Set aside.
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan, add brinjal pieces and saute on medium heat till soft and cooked. Remember the brinjals should retain shape. Drain and set aside.
In the same pan add 2 tbsp oil, add fennel, mustard, cumin, fenugreek and onion seeds. When the seeds start spluttering add red chillies, asafoetida and curry leaves. To this add the yogurt mixture and stir. Cook, till the kadhi thickens, stirring continously.
Add sauteed brinjals and bring the kadhi to boil.
Garnish with fresh coriander and serve hot.

Plantain masala curry (dry)

Ingredients
2 large Plantain
1/2 cup grated fresh coconut
2-3 green chillies (finely chopped)
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp amchoor powder
1 tsp coriander powder
salt to taste
handful of curry leaves
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp chana dal
1 tsp split black gram dal (husked)
a dash of asafoetida
2 dry red chillies
2 tbsp oil

Preparation

Boil the palntain in a pressure cooker along with the skin for 3 whistles. After it cools down, remove the skin and mash the plantain roughly.
Heat a pan with 2 tbsp oil, and temper with mustard seeds, split black gram, chana dal, curry leaves, asafoetida, red chillies and green chillies.
To this tempering add coconut on low heat, when it changes colour to slightly golden, add the mashed plantain, salt, turmeric, coriander powder, amchoor powder and chilli powder and mix well. Cook this for 10 minutes on low heat covering with lid till all the flavors blend well. If you do not cover, the plantain tends to get very dry. Remove the lid and cook for another 5 minutes.
Serve with rice or rotis.

Tomato-kothmira pachadi(Tomato-Coriander chutney)

Ingredients

1 cup fresh coriander leaves (washed and roughly chopped)
2 medium tomatoes
1 medium lime sized tamarind
2 tbsp split black gram dal (husked)
4 -6 dry red chillies
2 green chillies
1 tsp jaggery (optional)
salt to taste
2 tsp oil

For tempering
handful of curry leaves
2 tsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp split black gram dal (husked)
4-5 fenugreek seeds
a dash of asafoetida

Preparation

Heat a pan and add 1 tsp oil. On low heat add coriander leaves and saute for 2 minutes till the leaves get soft. Remove the coriander leaves from the pan and set aside. In the same pan heat 1 tsp oil, add split black gram dal and fry till golden ,turn off the heat and add redchillies, green chillies and tamarind. If you wish you can even cook the tomatoes slightly in oil till the rawness is gone. You can also reduce the amount of chillies if you wish.
Grind together, coriander, tomato, tamarind and fried dal mixture, salt and jaggery into chutney.
Temper it with the given ingredients and serve with rice, idly or dosa.