Tindora (Kovakkai) Fry

These are tasty fries with very little oil. I did this in microwave and it came very well. I bet this will be a great combination with Sambhar and curd rice..Try out wen u get a chance...

Take good amount of tindora as it shrinks to 1/4th the regular size.




Ingredients:
Tindora - 200 gms --cut each into 4 pieces lengthwise
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Salt
Oil - 1 tsp


Procedure:

1. Keep the sliced tindora/kovakkai in microwave safe bowl/plate and cook it covered for 4 minutes

2. Add salt and chilli powder and mix well. Microwave again on high for 4 minutes stirring once after 2 mins

3. Now the tindora would have cooked well. If not microwave for another few minutes

4. Now heat oil in a pan on stove and the cooked tindora. Keep stirring on medium heat till it gets light browned.

5. Serve as side with rice.

Cucumber cups

A veggie delight made with cucumber, carrots and green peppers(capsicum) loaded with nutrients. The stuffing can be altered with any vegetables as u wish. This is easy to make and will attract kids. Am submitting this recipe for the Food contest in Manjula's Kitchen

Ingredients:

Cucumber - 1
Groundnut powder (coarse) - 2 tbsp
Bread crumbs
Cheese

Stuffing:
Shredded Carrots- 1/2 cup
diced Capsicum- 1/4 cup
chopped Onions - 1/4 cup
Diced tomatoes - 2 tbsp
grated ginger - 1 tbsp
coriander leaves
Oil
salt
pepper

Procedure:

Stuffing:
Heat oil in a pan. Add Ginger and onions and saute well. To this add carrots and capsicum and saute for 2 minutes. Then add tomatoes, coriander leaves, salt and pepper and mix well. Turn off the stove and cool the mix.


Cucumber cups

Peel the skin of the cucumber and cut into 4 or 5 pieces. Each piece will serve as a cup.

Gently remove the inner seeds of the cup leaving the bottom part.

On the hollow top, stuff the prepared vegetable mix. On the top, layer groundnut powder, bread crumbs and cheese



Bake the cucumber cups in 400F oven for 10 minutes or until the cheese melts

Remove from oven and serve hot

Masal dosai

Masal Dosai is a traditional dosa variety served in any south indian restaurant. And its easy to make at home too. The potato masala made for this makes a perfect combo for Pooris also.

Ingredients:

Dosa batter
Oil

Potato masala:
Potato - 1 -cooked and peeled
Big Onions - 1 finely chopped
Grated ginger - 1 tbsp
Green chilli- 1 cut finely
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Chana dal - 1 tbsp
Orid dal - 1 tbsp
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp
turmeric powder - a pinch
chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
asafotedia - a pinch
salt
Oil



Procedure:

Potato masala:
1. Roughly mash the boiled potatoes and keep it ready

2. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. As it splutters, add the chana dal and orid dal.

3. When they turn light brown, add ginger, green chili, turmeric powder and asafotedia

4. Then add onions and fry well till it becomes soft

5. to this add the coarsely mashed potatoes, salt and chili powder and add 2 tbsp of water and mix well. Let it cook well and become dry.

6. Add coriander leaves and mix well


Masal Dosai
1. Heat the Dosa tawa, and pour dosa batter and spread it thin. Add oil on the sides and cover it with a lid

2. Check if it had started to brown. Then slighlty remove the corners with a spatula and keep the potato masala in the middle. Roll the dosa as u wish and serve hot with coconut chutney