Brinjal Fry

     

 Brinjal is one of the most common vegetables seen in purple, green and white colours. Due to its wide use in both every day and festive South Indian food, it is often called as the ‘King of vegetables’ in South India.

                 It is a good source of calcium, potassium, magnesium and thiamin. Brinjal fry is a very tasty dish and it can be served as a special dish for the vegetarians.

 

Ingredients

1 brinjal

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

½ teaspoon red chilli powder

1 teaspoon corn flour

Salt to taste

Coconut oil for frying

1 sprig curry leaf

Method

• · Wash brinjal properly. It is better to dip it in salt solution for 1 to 2 hours before using it.
• · Cut it into round pieces.
• · Take turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt, corn flour and curry leaves in a plate and make a paste using required quantity of water.
• · Put brinjal pieces in the plate and apply the paste over the pieces.

• · Keep a pan over the flame.
• · Add 1 teaspoon of coconut.
• · Place the brinjal pieces in the pan and fry them just as we fry fish.
• · Turn it over and add ½ or 1 teaspoon coconut oil according to you choice. Fry till both the sides become golden brown.
• · Serve hot.

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Plantain Shoot Stir Fry

            When the stem of the plantain is cut after harvesting and the layers are peeled like that of an onion, we can see a cylindrical shaped white soft shoot. We call it as vaazhappindi, unnithandu, unnippindi etc.

Plantain shoot is rich in fibre and is a good remedy for avoiding constipation. It regulates bowel movement. The juice of plantain shoot is good for people having high blood pressure and those suffering from kidney stone (It is considered by the locals as a sure cure for blood pressure and kidney stone)

Ingredients

2 cups chopped plantain shoot

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 sprig curry leaf

1 teaspoon rice

2 dried red chillies cut into small pieces

1 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil

Salt to taste

Method

•  Remove the outer thick shells covering the tender plantain shoot and discard them. Wash the shoot.
•  Cut the plantain shoot into round pieces and chop them fine. Remove fibre that comes off while you cut into round pieces or you chop them.

•  Transfer them into a bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon of coconut oil into it and gently mix with chopped pieces. It will help to remove the fibre present in it while you chop the shoot.
•  Heat a pan with coconut oil. Put mustard seeds. Let it pop in the oil. Now add rice and stir till it becomes golden brown. Add curry leaves and red chilli and stir for 2 seconds.
• Add chopped plantain shoot into the pan, add salt and stir well. Close it with a lid. Stir occasionally.
•  After 5 minutes, open the lid. If cooked properly, it will become soft. (Some shoots cooks fast)
• If cooked, reduce the flame and stir it so that water content if present, evaporates and it becomes dry.
• Now transfer it a bowl. It is ready to serve!

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Bitter gourd fry

                               

                          There are many people who doesn't like the 'bitterness' of bitter gourd. this problem can be solved by preparing bitter gourd fry. My grandmother used to fry different things such as bitter gourd, pea, skin of ash gourd, green chilli. lady's finger and so on. These are fried after drying them in the sun. It can be stored for months. 

Ingredients

2 bitter gourds cut into fine round pieces

Salt to taste

1/2 cup loose curd

Coconut oil required to fry 

Method

         Before cutting the bitter gourd into thin round pieces, it should be immersed in salt solution for 3 to 4 hours. If possible clean it using a scrub which would help to remove chemicals which are sprayed to prevent decaying and attack from pests.(It was published by the Health Authority) . Take these pieces of bitter gourd in a pan. Add two teaspoons of water to it. Add salt and keep the pan over low flame. Close it with a lid. Stir occasionally.  care should be taken not to break the pieces. When it is half cooked, switch off the stove. Remove these pieces from the pan spread them on a plastic sheet or cotton cloth and keep it in the sun. In the evening when the sunlight fades, take these dried pieces and dip them the curd which is taken in vessel. Add a pinch of salt to it. Next morning, take these out  and again dry in the sun. In the evening dip these pieces in the same curd that you used the previous day. Continue the process for a week.Ensure that it has dried properly.

        Keep a fry pan over a low flame. Add coconut oil to it. Take only the required quantity of dried bitter gourd. when the oil is hot put it in the oil and stir well. Do not over fr, for it will reduce the taste. It is used as a side dish for rice.

        The remaining dried bitter gourd can be stored in an air tight container. If possible, dry them in the sun once in two weeks.

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