Potato- Tomato curry

This the one of the simplest and easiest recipes for beginners who are interested in South Indian cooking.

Preparation time: 15 min.

Ingredients:

Potato: 3 medium

Onion: 1 medium (small pieces)

Tomatoes: 3 medium

Red chili powder: 1/2 tsp

Turmeric: a pinch

Oil: 1-2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Method:

Chop potato and tomato into medium pieces.

Keep the stove in medium heat.

Heat oil in pan.

Add onions. Keep the lid.Saute in between( for every 3 min.)till they are golden brown in color.

Add potatoes. Saute now and then until they become a little bit soft.

Add tomatoes. Saute.

Add turmeric, salt and red chili powder.

Skip adding chili powder if you usually do not use it and replace it with pepper powder. Measurement depends on individual interest.

Mix well.

Serve with rice/ roti/ tortillas.

French fries

I think almost everyone love french fries. So I gave it a try at home. I am neither going to make it anymore nor I am gonna eat them out. Even though they tasted good, the oil consumption for this recipe gave me a heart attack!! Instead, I am gonna try baked french fries. Anyways, here is the recipe.
Preparation time: 2 hrs
Working time: 40 min.
Serving size: depends but approx. 4 persons
Ingredients:
Large potatoes: 4
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying
Method:
Peel and cut potatoes into long fingers.
Soak them in chilled water for 1 hr.
Drain & dry them with a kitchen towel.
Heat oil in pan.
Oil should be very hot.
When the oil is emanating fumes, fry the fingers.
Fry them till a tinge of golden colour appears.
Drain and keep aside.
Just before serving, return to hot oil.
Fry till they are golden colored and crisp.
( As this step takes time, I fried them twice - double dip)
To keep them hot till serving time, transfer fries to a baking sheet and keep them in the oven.
Oven parameter should be warm.
Serve hot with ketchup.

Matar masala

This dish is good with roti. But it requires a long list of ingredients.
Preparation time: 1 hr
Serving size: 4-5 persons
Ingredients:
Green peas: 125 gr
Onion: 1 medium
potato: 1 medium
Green chilies: 2
Tomato puree/ small pieces: 2 tbsp
Grated coconut: 1 tbsp
Sesame seeds/powder: 2 tbsp
Coriander leaves(Chopped): 2 tbsp
Oil: 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Spices:
Ginger-garlic paste: 1 tsp
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
Curry leaves: 4-5
Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp
Red chili powder: 1 tsp
Coriander powder: 2 tsp
Garam Masala: 1 tsp
Bay leaf: 1
Cardamom: 2
Method:
Chop onion into small pieces.
Boil onion and potato along with 1/2 bay leaf and 1 cardamom.
Boil green peas separately.
Heat oil in a pan.
Add mustard, cumin, cardamom, curry leaves and bay leaf in order.
When there is slight change in colour, add boiled onions.
Let it cook for 2-3 min.
Add ginger-garlic paste, potatoes and peas.
Saute for 2 min.
Add tomato puree, coconut and sesame.
Add 2 cups of water and mix well.
Let it cook for 5 min.
Now add salt, chili powder, turmeric and coriander powder.
Cook for 2 min.
Before removing from stove, add garam Masala powder.
Garnish with coriander and serve hot.

Idly

Idly is a healthy dish which does not require oil.And it is steam cooked. I tried 2 types of recipes for idly. Both are good. But I found that the following recipe gives softer idlies.
Preparation time: 2 days
Working time: 15 min. total
Serving size: 40 idlies
Ingredients:
Idly rice(Parboiled rice): 2 and half cups
Urad Dal (Split black gram): 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Method:
Soak rice and Dal separately for at least 6 hrs in water.
Wash them well. Drain the water.
Blend them separately into a fine paste by adding water.
Transfer them into a bowl. Mix well.
Keep the lid and let it ferment for 12- 24 hrs depending upon the room temperature.
If the room temperature is below 75 F, then it should be fermented in oven for 24 hrs.
Just keep the vessel in the oven. No need to switch on the oven.
If the temperatures are well above 80F, ferment the mixture in oven for 12 hrs.
When you see the mixture after fermentation, it swells a little bit. That is the indication of a good fermentation.
Add salt to the mixture. Mix well.
Grease the idly plates.
Pour the batter into each depression.
Steam cook for about 15-20 min.
Serve hot with any chutney (The picture shows peanut chutney).

Sambar

One special ingredient this recipe requires is Priya Sambar powder.
Preparation time: 30 min.
Ingredients:
Toor Dal: 1 cup
Bottle gourd: 1 cup
Drum stick: 1/2 cup
Tomato: 1/2 cup
Onion: 1/2 cup (large pieces)
Tamarind: lemon size
Sambar powder: 2 tsp
Turmeric: 1/4 tsp
Spices:
Dry red chili: 2
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves: 10
Urad Dal: 1/2 tsp
Garlic: 3 cloves
Asafoetida: 1/4tsp
Oil/ ghee: 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Method:
Add 8 - 10 cups of water to the pressure cooker.
Add the above ingredients except spices to the cooker and cook well.
When it is done, heat oil/ ghee in a pan.
Add all the spices to the pan.
When they turn into golden brown, add these to the pressure cooker.
Add salt and boil for 5 min.
Serve hot with idly/ rice/ roti.

Beauty tips

Just now, I read these tips in a local newspaper. I did not try them. So I cannot tell my experience about these.But these tips are simple, quick and does not require laborious processes. Try them:

1. Olive oil: 1 tsp
Water : 1 tsp
Vinegar : 1/2 tsp
Mix them well and apply to the face in the night before going to sleep. Wash it next day. Skin becomes smooth.

2. Gram flour
Yogurt (Home made if possible)
Add yogurt to Gram flour( besan). make it into a smooth paste. Apply to face, neck and hands. Wash it with cold water when the mask becomes dry. It has a good cleansing action.

3. Gram flour - 1 cup
Rice flour - 1/3 cup
Mix the above flours well. Keep it in a water proof container and keep it next to your soap/ face wash in the rest room. This acts as a good scrub. I use this regularly because my skin is allergic to most of the soaps.

4. Olive oil
Salt
Mix table salt and olive oil. Apply to face. wash it off with cold water after some time. It has moisturising action.

5. Olive oil
Yogurt
Sugar
Oat meal
Mix them well. They act as a good scrub.