Rice Dhal Vadai

Ingredients:

Rice - 1 cup
Thuvar Dhal - 1/2 cup
Red Chillies - 2 to 3
Asafotida powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Sambar Onion - 5 to 6
Curry leaves - few
Salt - 1/2 teaspoon or as per taste
Oil for deep frying

Method:

Soak rice and dhal in water for two to three hours. Drain the excess water.

Grind along with red chillies, asafotida powder and salt to a coarse paste.

Add onion and curry leaves chopped finely.

Heat oil in a kadai. Take out a lemon size dough and flatten it. Deep fry till it becomes golden brown.

You will get 10 Vadai for the above quantity.

Brinjal and Rajma Curry

Ingredients:

Rajma - 1/2 cup
Brinjal – 2 to 3 Nos
Onion – 1 Big
Tomato – 1 Big
Sambar powder – 1 tablespoon
Turmeric powder – a pinch
Oil – one tablespoon
Mustard – ½ teaspoon
Jeera - 1/2 teaspoon
Curry leaves - few
Salt – 1 teaspoon or as per taste

Method:

Soak rajma over night or atleast 8 hours in water.

Pressure cook for two to three whistles.

Cut the brinjals lengthwise and put it in water. Chop the onion and tomato finely.

In a kadai put oil and when it is hot add mustard. When it pops up add jeera and fry for a while and then add chopped onion, curry leaves and fry till onion turns transparent. Add chopped tomatos and fry for a while. Add sambar powder, turmeric powder and salt. Mix well. Add brinjal pieces, cooked rajma and sprinkle little water. Reduce the heat and cover with a lid. Cook until the brinjals are soft and the curry is dry.

Pineapple Gojju

Gojju is a classic Kannadiga dish. It is a sweet, sour and spicy gravy. It is prepared with many types of vegetables like brinjal, bittergourd, okra etc. However, pineapple gojju is very familiar and served in traditional South Karnataka Weddings.

Ingredients:

Pineapple cut into small pieces - 2 cups
Tamarind - A big gooseberry size or tamarind paste - 1 teaspoon
Jaggery - A small lemon size
Turmeric Powder - a pinch
Salt - 1/2 teaspoon or as per taste

To roast and powder:

Red Chillies - 2 to 3 (medium size)
Coriander seeds - 1 tablespoon
Bengal Gram Dhal - 1 teaspoon
Black Gram Dhal - 1 teaspoon
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Asafotida - a small piece
Sesame seeds (Til) - 1 teaspoon (Optional)
Coconut gratings - 3 tablespoons

For seasoning:

Oil - 2 teaspoon
Mustard - 1/2 teaspoon
Jeera - 1/2 teaspoon
Curry Leaves - few

Method:

In a kadai put one teaspoon oil and fry red chillies, dhals, asafotida, til and coconut gratings till you get a nice aroma. Cool it and powder it.

Soak tamarind in little water or dilute the paste and make 1/4 cup tamarind water.

In another vessel put the pineapple pieces along with turmeric powder and add just enough water to cover them. Cook till it is soft. (You can also pressure cook it for one whistle).

When pineapple is cooked well, add tamarind water, jaggery (crush it), salt and mix well. If required add little water and make it semi liquid and bring it to boil. When it starts boiling, add the above roasted powder and mix well. Allow to cook on medium heat till desired consistency is obtained.

Season it with mustard, jeera and curry leaves.

Brinjal Gosthu

Ingredients:

Brinjal - 4 Nos
Big Onion – 1 No
Tomato - 1 No
Tamarind – A big gooseberry size
Green Gram Dhal - 1/4 cup
Sambar Powder – 3 teaspoons
Turmeric Powder - a pinch
Asafotida - a pinch
Salt – 1 teaspoon or as per taste
Oil – 2 to 3 teaspoon
Mustard – ½ teaspoon
Curry leaves - few

Method:

Cook green gram dhal along with a pinch of turmeric powder and keep aside.

Cut the brinjal into fine pieces. Chop the onion and tomatoes finely.

Soak tamarind in water, extract the juice and make ½ cup tamarind water.

In a kadai put the oil. When it is hot add mustard. When it pops up add asafetida powder, chopped onion, curry leaves and fry till the onion turns transparent. Then add tomato pieces along with a pinch of salt and fry till it mashed well. Add brinjal pieces and stir well. Now add tamarind water, sambar powder, turmeric powder and salt. If needed add little water to cover the brinjal pieces fully. Cook on medium flame till the vegetable is soft. Then add the cooked dhal mashed well. Stir well and allow to boil for few minutes.

Goes well with Rice Uppuma and Ven Pongal. Can also be served with Idli/Dosai.

Note: You can also use mixed vegetables (brinjal, carrot, potato, chow chow, peas, etc) and make this gosthu.

Some people make this gosthu without adding dhal. In such case, if you find the gosthu is watery, then you can mix one or two teaspoons of rice flour in little water and add to the gosthu while boiling.

Carrot Kosumalli

"Kosumalli", also called as "Kosumbari" is prepared with mixing raw vegetables like carrot, cucumber, plantain stem pieces and soaked green gram dhal. It is prepared with single vegetable or with combination of two or three vegetables. Normally carrot kosumalli is served in almost all the South Indian Weddings.

Ingredients:

Carrot (Medium size) - 2
Green Gram Dhal - 1/2 small cup
Green Raw Mango gratings- 1 tablespoon
Green chillies - 2
Coriander leaves - few
Coconut gratings - 2 tablespoon
Lemon juice - 1 teaspoon
Oil - 1/2 teaspoon
Mustard - 1/2 teaspoon
Asafotida - a pinch
Curry leaves - few
Salt - 1/2 teaspoon or as per taste

Method:

Soak green gram dhal in water for about one hour.

Wash and remove the skin from carrot. Grate it.

Chop coriander leaves.

Slit the green chillies lengthwise and remove the seeds. (This will reduce the hotness of the chillies and you can eat the chillies also).

Put carrot gratings, green chillies, chopped coriander leaves and mango gratings in a bowl. Add salt and mix well.

In a small kadai, put the oil and when it is hot add mustard. When it opos up add asafotida powder and currey leaves. Put this seasoning on the carrot mixture.

Drain the water from dhal and add the soaked dhal to the carrot mixture.

Add lemon juice, coconut gratings and mix everything gently.

Tips: Instead of grating the carrot, you can also cut it into thin strips. This way the carrot will be more crisp when you eat.