Tomato Pickle / Thakkali Oorugai

Ingredients:

• Tomatoes big – 20 (roughly chopped)
• Sesame Oil – ½ cup
• Cooking oil – ½ cup
• Asafoetida – 1 tbsp
• Fenugreek seeds – 1 tsp (dry roast & powder)
• Mustard seeds – 2 tbsp
• Dry red chili – 3 no’s
• Red chili powder – 3 tbsp (I used  extra-hot)
• Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
• Brown sugar (or) jaggery powder – 3 tbsp
• Salt – 4 to 5 tbsp
• Lemon – 1 

Heat the big pan and add cooking oil and half of the sesame oil.

Add Mustards, allow them to splutter then add asafeotida , dried red chilies and tomatoes.

Let it cook in a medium temperature until the tomatoes gets tender.

At this stage add salt, turmeric and stir it. (Note that, we have to stir it in between for the whole process) 

When the pickle gets thick add rest of the sesame oil, brown sugar, red chili powder and give a nice stir.

(check the salt & spices according to your taste)

Let the gravy cook in a low flame until it dries up and the oil oozes out.

Now switch of the stove and let it cool down to room temperature.

Add the dry roast fenugreek powder, lemon juice and mix it well.

Store this in an air tight glass bottle or jar and place it in refrigerator.

Note:

Adding too much of fenugreek powder makes the pickle bitter taste.

Sago Vada / Sabudhana Vada

Javvarisi Vadai

Ingredient

• 1 cup Sabudana (sago)
• 1 Potato (Par-boiled)
• 2 tbsp grated ginger
• Chopped Coriander leaves
• Lemon juice or Dry mango powder
• 4 Green Chilies (crushed)
• ½ tsp Chilli powder
• 1 tbsp Rice flour
• Salt to taste
• Oil to deep fry

Par-boil the potatoes, so they are only half-cooked. Poke a knife into the potato to make sure that it is still somewhat firm.

Cool the potatoes, then peel the skin and grate it using a vegetable grater.

Add all ingredients in the bowl except oil. Mix it well into a thick paste.

Keep the oil in a deep frying pan to heat.

Moist hands and make small balls and flatten slightly to form patties.

Slide the patties in the heated oil on medium flame. Fry till they are crisp and light brown in color.

Drain them well using a sieve type ladle and serve with Tomato Sauce.

Note:

You can also add grated raw potatoes instead of par-boiled one. In that case, go a head and add more rice powder to bind the ingredients well.

Khaman Dhokla

Khaman Dhokla

Ingredients:

• 1 cup gram flour/besan
• 1 cup of water
• 1 tbsp semolina /Rava
• 1 tsp green chilli paste
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp ginger paste
• 1/4 tsp Citric acid
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp Eno fruit salt
• pinch of turmeric powder
• Salt to taste

Ingredients for Tempering:

• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 4-5 curry leaves
• 4-5 slit green chilies
• freshly grated coconut
• chopped coriander leaves
• 2 tbsp of oil
• little lemon juice & sugar water

In a bowl add the dhokla ingredients except Eno fruit salt and whisk it without any lump and keep aside for 30 mins. (The mixture consistency should be like idly batter).

After 30 mins, add the eno salt in the mixture and mix it well.

Pour this mixture as soon as you add the eno salt in to dhokla container or round vessel which fits into the steamer and steam it for about 10 to 15 mins.

Remove the dhokla vessel once it’s done and let it cool for sometime.

On the dhokla, drizzle some lemon & sugar water top of it

Heat little oil in a small pan and add mustard seeds, curry leaves and slit green chilies, allow to splutter.Pour this over Dhoklas.

Garnish it with coriander & freshly grated coconut.


Serve with green chutney or any spicy chutney.