Potato Poriyal for a Quick Lunch

Any South Indian will crave for Sambhar and Potato side-dish. iam not an exceptional. I always want my lunch hot and so cooking just before lunch time is my choice. also i hate to chop vegetables the day before or some hrs before cooking and all those stuffs. i will chop my veggies just before cooking it.

Today soon after i came home after picking my son from school, i kept pressure cooker with rice, and dal for sambhar. and got ready with potatoes to make potato poriyal. Rice, Sambhar and Urulai poriyal got ready in 20 mins. If you have microwave, pop appalams in it. then you could make rasam, which would take less than 10 minutes. enjoy your Lunch within 30 mins with Rice, Sambhar, Poriyal, Appalam, Rasam and Curd. so simple is'nt it.

I tried this potato poriyal like potato podimaas. it came out good. a little tangy from lemon complimented the spicy potatoes. i added grated coconut. coconut and lemon juice are optionals. it comes out tasty and instantly.

Ingredients:

Potatoes - 4
Grated Coconut - 2 tsp's
Lemon Juice - 1/4 tsp

For Tempering:

2 tbsp of Oil
1/2 tsp of mustard
1/4 tsp of cumin
1/2 tsp of split urad dal
1/4 tsp of asafoetida
1 sprig curry leaves
a pinch of turmeric powder
2 tsp's of sambhar powder
1 tsp of corriander powder

Method:

Peel the skin of the Potatoes and chop them into small pieces.

Heat 2tbsp of oil in a Pan, add mustard and let it splutter, add split urad dal, cumin, asafoetida powder, and curry leaves. roast them all. Next add Sambhar powder, a pinch of turmeric powder, Corriander Powder & Salt to taste and saute them in the oil for a minute.

Add the chopped Potatoes to the Pan and mix well with the masala's. simmer the flame and let it rest for a minute, for the potatoes to absorb the flavours of masala's.

Add 1/4 cup of water to the pan , mix well and close the pan with its lid and let the flame be in sim for about 5 mins, till the potatoes are nicely cooked.

After the Potatoes are cooked, remove them from flame,  while removing the poriyal from the pan, also scrap the masala's sticked to the pan. add the grated coconut and lemon juice and mix well.

Serve Hot with Sambhar Rice or Vathakuzhambu Rice.

How to Prepare Sambhar Quick?

Lunch Today: Carrot, Mullangi Sambhar, Potato Poriyal

Chop 1 carrot, 1 radish, 1 onion, 1 tomato into pieces. add them all to the 1/4 cup of toor dal with 1 cup of water, a pinch of turmeric powder, a pich of asafoetida and a drop of oil. Pressure Cook all for upto 4 whistles.

You can add other vegetables like Drumstick, brinjal and beans.

Heat a tsp of oil in a pan, add 1/2 tsp mustard, 1/4 tsp fenugreek, a pinch of asafoetida, 1 sprig of curry leaves, 3 dry red chillis's and roast them all.

Now add cooked toor dal and 2 cups of water. add 2 tsp of sambhar powder and a tsp of tamarind paste and mix well. add salt to taste.

Garnish the Sambhar with chopped corriander leaves.

How to Make Tomato Soup at Home - Indian Style

I am Crazy about Tomato Soup, which my grandmother used to make with loads of vegetables in it. apart from that, when i wrote a story for the first time at my class 7, has Tomato Soup played an important role. to brief the story here, the girl in the story drinks lots of tomato soup and suffers from stomach ache and the girl's sister gets caught in trouble while going out to get medicine. though it sounds funny now, the memories are as bright as the soup color!

While speaking about the bright red color of the soup, it all comes from a small bit of beetroot. that's a trick i got from Suganya's Tasty Pallette.

Tomato Soup

Prep Time: 05 mins 

Cooking Time: 25 mins  
Serves: 2
Recipe Cuisine: Indian
Recipe Type: Soup

Ingredients:

Ripe Red Tomatoes - 4
Beetroot - 1 small piece
Coriander stem - 4
Garlic - 3 cloves
Ginger - 1 inch size
Cinnamon stick - 1 inch in size
Cloves - 2
Pepper - 5
Bay Leaf - 1
Star Anise - 1 small
Corn Flour - 2 spoons
Water - 2 cups

Method:

Cut the tomatoes into 4 parts and transfer them into a vessel that could fit in your pressure cooker. add the spices bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves, star anise and pepper to the tomatoes. add ginger and garlic too. add a small bit of beetroot, coriander stems and 1 cup of water. pressure cook all together up to 3- 4 whistles. alternatively you can cook them stove top for over 5-10 mins or also microwave them at very high for about 5-6 mins.

just add an inch size of cinnamon stick, i had put one big one for the photo to show you all.

Cool them and remove the spices(cinnamon,cloves,star anise and bay leaf) except pepper.

Meanwhile prepare the corn starch by mixing 2 spoons of corn flour with 1/4 cup of water without any lumps.

Grind the tomatoes and filter the soup. boil the soup. add the corn starch to the boiling soup and give a stir. let the soup boil in slow flame for about 2-3 mins. add salt to taste, bit of pepper powder and serve hot!

Serve the Tomato Soup hot with Toasted Bread.

Note:

Before grinding the tomatoes, remove the skin of the tomatoes(its easy). and then grind together. boil the grounded soup, add the corn starch at slow flame and stir well so that no lumps are formed. add a bit of pepper powder and salt to taste. let the soup boil in slow flame for about 2-3 minutes. and serve hot.

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Curd Rice ~ Thayir Sadam

My School Lunch boxes used to be filled with Thayir sadam or with Pulicha keerai sadam or with idli, milagaai podi. I like all the three and never complained. Thayir Sadam is my most favourite and i survived on it, when i was newly married, the reason is i dont know to cook other than that. To my Surprise, My Son loves Curd Rice very much like me.

Last month, one day, we had our Lunch at Krishna Sweets owned Rasam Restaurant at Venkata Narayana Road, Tnagar, Chennai. The menu had Kongunadu specials, hubby ordered a Thali and i ordered Tulasi Vadai and Uthukuli Thayir sadam. Thayir sadam was Very Divine to us and i know i will be blogging it here soon after i tasted it.

Yes this Curd Rice has to be called as Uthukuli Thayir Sadam. Uthukuli is famous for Butter and i used to buy the Uthukuli White Butter for cooking now and then. I love the way its packed in Banana Leaf.

How to Prepare Uthukuli Thayir Sadam?

* You can also use Normal Cooking butter.

1. Pressure Cook One Cup of Rice. Rice has to be Over cooked, so that it could be easily mashed.

Pressure cook the rice upto 5 whistle count.

2. Mix 2 tbsp's of Uthukuli Butter to the Hot rice and mash the rice with the back of the spoon.

The butter and rice should get mixed up well.

3. Add One and Half cup of Thick Curd to the rice and mix well. add salt to taste too.

4. For Tempering,

heat a tsp of oil in a small pan,

add 1/2 tsp mustard seeds,

1/2 tsp of split urad dal,

1 inch of ginger chopped finely,

1 sprig of curry leaves,

2 Green Chilli's finely chopped.

roast the above and remove from the flame.

5. Add the Tempering to the Curd Rice and mix well.

also add 1 tsp of chopped corriander leaves,

2 tbsp's of finely chopped Carrot

 and mix well.

6. Serve the Curd Rice with Pickle or Mor Milagaai.

Note: Prepare the Curd Rice ahead and chill them for atleast 20 minutes before serving.

If you are Curd Rice Lover, do give it a try. I highly recommend this for Kids. also this Curd rice will be a great treat for your Guests.