Bitter Gourd Fry/ Pavvakkai Varuval

About the recipe:
One of the best ways to make this dish taste a little less bitter and without too much oil. Bitter gourd has excellent medicinal values and is supposed to be very good for diabetics. 


Ingredients:
Sliced bitter gourd - 2
Tomato - 1, large
Garlic - 3,4 cloves
Oil - 2 tbsp


Seasoning:
Salt to taste
Cumin seeds - 1 spoon
Mustard seeds - 1 spoon
Asafoetida - a pinch
Curry leaves - 3,4 numbers
Chilly powder - 1 spoon
Turmeric powder - half a spoon
Coriander/ Cilantro for garnishing

How to:
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan. When hot add the mustard and cumin seeds and allow them to splutter. Add the sliced garlic cloves and stir fry. Next add the asafoetida and curry leaves. Throw in the sliced bitter gourd, turmeric and chilly powder. Add salt to taste. Sprinkle a little water and cover the pan with a lid so that they cook in the steam without much water. Open the lid and check after 5-6 minutes, stir it once in a while and repeat until well done. This might take about 10-12 minutes as bitter gourd have a thick pointy skin which we have retained in this recipe. 
Add the remaining 1 tbsp of oil and stir fry without the lid this time for 1-2 minutes for the finishing touch. 
Top it with finely chopped cilantro/ coriander leaves . 
Tastes best with curd rice :)

Potato Fry/ Oorulaikazhangu Varuval

About the recipe:
A traditional South Indian (read Tamil) side dish. I have very fond memories of my mum packing lunch for school with rice, sambar, curd and oorulaikazhangu varuval! It still remains one of our favorite curries at home. Very few people I know can recreate the magic of my mum, let's just say I tried my best!   

Ingredients:
Half boiled potatoes - 2, large
Garlic - 3,4 cloves
Oil - 2 tbsp


Seasoning:
Salt to taste
A little pepper
Cumin seeds - 1 spoon
Mustard seeds - 1 spoon
Asafoetida - a pinch
Curry leaves - 3,4 numbers
Chilly powder - 1 spoon
Turmeric powder - half a spoon
Coriander/ Cilantro for garnishing

How to:
Peel the half- boiled potatoes and dice them. The reason I've mentioned half-boiled is because completely boiled potatoes might get squashed and don't quite taste the same way we intend this recipe to. Raw potatoes will take a long time to cook this way. 
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan. When hot add the mustard and cumin seeds and allow them to splutter. Add the sliced garlic cloves and stir fry. Next add the asafoetida and curry leaves. Throw in the diced potatoes, turmeric and chilly powder. Add salt to taste. Sprinkle a little water and cover the pan with a lid so that the potatoes cook in the steam without much water. Open the lid and check after 4-5 minutes, stir it once in a while and repeat until well done and looks golden in color. 
Add the remaining 1 tbsp of oil and stir fry without the lid this time for 1-2 minutes for the finishing touch. 
Top it with some crushed black pepper and finely chopped cilantro/ coriander leaves . 
Tastes best with curd rice :)

Tomato Chutney

About the recipe:
This one is from my Mom's collection! One of those innumerable recipes that she's dictated over phone to me. 

Upside:
If you are craving something tangy - this is it. 

Ingredients:
Tomatoes - 4, medium 


Seasoning:
Oil - 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 spoon
Mustard seeds - 1 spoon
Curry leaves - 3,4 numbers
Asafoetida - a very tiny bit
Chilly powder - 1 spoon
Salt to taste
A little pepper


How to:
Boil the tomatoes with enough water to submerge them until the skin cracks. Peel off the skin from the tomatoes. It should be pretty easy now after boiling. Grind the peeled tomatoes with chilly powder and salt into a fine paste with perhaps a little water. 
Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds in that order and allow them to splutter. Add the pinched curry leaves and the asafoetida. Add the tomato paste to this seasoning and cook on a low flame for 2-3 minutes and watch it thicken. Sprinkle a little pepper if you please :) 
Goes well with steaming hot idlis or nachos! 

 

Pineapple Raita

About the recipe:
This is easily one of the yummiest raitas I've had and a very popular one especially in all the potlucks I've hosted or been a part of at school. 

Upside:
Very quick

Ingredients:
Finely chopped:
Onion - 1 large
Tomato - 1 
Cucumber - 1
Pineapple- fresh or canned - 3 slices
Fresh yogurt - 1 cup
Water


Seasoning:
Salt to taste
A little pepper
Coriander/ Cilantro for garnishing

How to:
Mix all the chopped vegetables and the pineapple along with the yogurt. Add a little water to dilute it just enough that it looks like a sauce but not too runny. Add a pinch of salt, black pepper and finely chopped cilantro/ coriander leaves . 
Tastes best with Indian fare like a Biryani, Pulao, Fried rice and the likes. 

Baked Potato Wedges

About the recipe:
I invented this recipe on one such boring day when I craved something sinful but without having to spend an extra hour at the gym.

Upside:
Baked and hence healthy
Easy to customize - throw in some cheese, parsley, bbq sauce, cajun - anything you wish!

Ingredients:
Big sized potatoes, peeled - 3
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp
Oil - 2 tbsp

Seasoning:
Salt to taste
A little pepper
Chilly powder/ any flavoring paste or seasoning - 1 teaspoon

How to:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a baking dish with a spoon of oil. Chop the peeled potatoes like wedges and add them to the dish. Mix the seasonings in a bowl and add them to the dish, mixing them well. Alternatively, you could mix the potatoes with the seasoning in a big bowl and toss them over to the baking dish. Squeeze the juice of a lemon over it. Add the remaining oil evenly over this mixture. Bake it in the oven for about 30 minutes and you have a wonderful snack to munch on without worrying about your waistline! 

Parsley Tomato Salad

About the recipe:
I first tasted this dish at a friend's (Vidya) place while we were students at ASU. I was immediately in love with this salad. The freshness and tangy flavor makes it a delectable addition to any meal.

Upside:
Really simple ingredients
Takes hardly 5 minutes to get this done
Healthy

Ingredients:
Finely chopped parsley - 2 bunches
Finely chopped tomatoes - 2 medium
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp

Seasoning:
Salt to taste
A little pepper

How to:
Mix the chopped parsley and tomato in a bowl. Flavor with salt, pepper and freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Toss it lightly and it's ready!