Bhindi/Okra and curd curry.

Ingredients:

1. Okra : 250 gms
2. Coconut scrapings( fresh) : 1/2 cup ( 200 ml cup)
   
3. Jeera : 1 tsp
4. Curd : 150 ml ( should be beaten smooth and should not be very sour)
   
5. Salt : as per taste (1 1/2 tsp)
6. Refined cooking oil : 1 Tbsp
7. Karbev leaves : 5 or 6
8. Green chillies : 2 slit lenghtwise
9. Red dry chillies : 2 whole
10. Rice flour : 1/2 tsp
11. Cilantro ( coriander leaves) : a few sprigs
    

Method:

Wash the okras well and let the water drain totally. Now chop off the ends and cut into 1" long pieces. Pour half the seasoning oil in a pan, add 1/2 tsp jeera , add slit green chillies and the cut okras and fry well.Do not add salt now as it will make okras very slimy. Let it cook till done. This is best done like chinese dishes- high fire and quick tossing in oil till done! This will let the okras remain green and still cooked. Remove from the stove.

In a mixie grind the coconut scrapings to a fine paste with water and rice flour. Transfer this into a vessel and add the water with which you would have washed your blender jar ( not more than 1/2 a cup).Drop the salt and bring to boil for 2 minutes. Add the cooked okras now and mix well when hot. Remove from fire and let the heat reduce to "warm". Now add the curd and mix well. Season with the remaining oil, jeera, red chillies (whole) and curry leaves. Add the chopped cilantro on top and serve. Can be had with hot rice or taken as a side dish in a south indian meal.

Drumstick Leaves Dosa

Tender drumstick leaves -1 bunch
Chana dhal : 250 gms
Grated (fresh) coconut : 1 Tablespoon
Green Chillies : 3 or 4 Chopped fine
Fresh Ginger : 1/2 inch chopped fine
Salt to taste

Method:

Grind the above ingredients other than the leaves to a rough paste in the Mixie without adding water.
Scoop out from the mixie and add the tender leaves and mix with a laddle.

Keep a Tava on stove and when heated, spread the dosas ( diameter 3"). Add cooking oil around the edge of the dosa. Turn and fry the other side also. Serve hot with lunch or dinner as a side dish.

Drumstick leaves are rich in iron and also supposed to be an aphrodisiac!

Drumstick Palya/Curry

You may be wondering why so many recipes of drumstick and its accessories! We have a drumstick tree in our backyard and when it is season ,we distribute the harvest of the juicy drumsticks ( everybody says these short drumsticks taste special, and it is indeed true)to our neighbors and with what is left I used to make so many types of dishes and this is a simple one at that.

Ingredients:

Tender drumsticks : 6 or 7 Chopped into 2" pieces.
Red dry chillies : 5 or 6 cut into small pieces
Jaggery : 100 grams
Refined Oil : 1 Tbsp
Mustard and urad dhal : 1 tsp each:
Salt : 3/4 level tsp or as per taste
Method:
Take a banali (kadai/thick deep pan),keep on lit stove, add oil when hot add the mustard, when it splutters, add the red chillies pieces and urad dal. When the dal becomes golden brown, drop the drumstick pieces and add one cup water.Cover and cook till done. Now you can add the jaggery and cover and cook again adding water if necessary. The jaggery should melt and get absorbed in the drumsticks and the water in the curry will turn into a thick liquid because of the jaggery. This is the indication that the curry is done.Transfer to serving dish and serve hot with a South Indian Meal.

Drumstick Flowers Buththi

Ingredients:

1. Fresh drumstick flowers : 1 cup
   
2. Fresh coconut (1/2) grated
3. Red long chillies : 6 ( shallow fried in oil)
   
4. Seedless Tamarind : Marble size -made into pulp by soaking in water.
   
5. Onions large : 2 numbers finely chopped
6. Edible oil : 2 Tbsp
7. Salt : 1 1/2 tsp
   

Method:

Sort and pluck the flowers and clean thoroughly and wash in water and drain in a colander.

Grind to a paste coconut, fried chillies and tamarind pulp.The paste should not be very smooth nor too coarse, say medium coarse. Cook the drumstick flowers in very little water till it is just cooked ( in a micro-oven, cook for 3 minutes in 1 Tbsp water in a glass bowl for 2 mins; at 600 watts setting)

Add the oil in a thick pan and when it is hot add the chopped onions and fry till transparent. Now add the masala , salt and mix well, next add the cooked flowers and mix well. Keep the stove on sim and cover and cook for 5 minutes taking care to stir now and then. The whole curry should be fried well on sim fire till slightly roasted. Remove and keep in serving dish.

Goes well as a side dish or can be had with rotis and chappathis.

Gooseberry Curd Pickle

Ingredients:

1. Big gooseberry : 2 kgs
2. Til(sesame) Oil : 250 gs
3. green chillies : 200 gms
4. fresh curd : 200 gms
5. TableSalt :to taste
6. Asafoetida : 1/4 tsp Haldi : a pinch
7. Mustard seeds for seasoning
8. Dry fried 1/4 tsp methi seeds and 1/4 tsp mustard seeds: Powder fine.

Method:
In a non-stick pan add two Tbsp oil and heat, add the gooseberries and toss well in the oil so that the oil covers all the gooseberries.Cover and cook for 15 to 20 mins taking care to toss it in between so that nothing will get burnt.

After this, cool the well cooked berries totally. Now remove the seeds by slightly prodding with a spoon so that the berries split into 4 pieces and are not crushed.
Now to this cooled and deseeded berries add asafoetida,haldi , curd and chopped green chillies and mix well but gently. Now add the powdered items under (8)

Heat the remaining oil, add 2 tsp mustad seeds, let it crackle fully. Now pour this hot oil into the pickle pan and toss well to mix. Let it cool, cover and keep aside for 5 to 6 hrs and then transfer to refrigerator. Can be eaten the next day , will keep for two weeks in the fridge.

Gooseberries are very good for health and de-toxify the system. They are a rich source of Vitamin C.
Eat one or two pieces a day with your meal.