Tomato Quinoa

Ingredients:
Quinoa (White or Red) - 1 cup
Tomatoes - 3 (finely chopped)
Onion - 2 small (diced)
Mustard Seeds - 2 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Green chilies - 4 or to taste (finely chopped)
Chana Dal - 2 tsp
Urad Dal - 2 tsp
Ginger - small piece (finely chopped)
Red chili Powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Asafetida - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 TBSP
Curry Leaves and Fresh Coriander Leaves - few springs

Method:

1. Wash the quinoa thoroughly and cook with 2 cups of water in a pressure cooker or on a stove top.
2. Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds.  Add the chana dal, urad dal and cumin seeds.  Fry until golden brown.
3. Now add the chopped onion, green chilies, ginger and curry leaves and fry until translucent.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes, chile powder, turmeric powder, salt and asafetida.  Cook until tomatoes are soft.
5. Add the cooked quinoa and mix well to coat.  Sprinkle some fresh coriander leaves.
6. Serve hot with raita.

Sending this to WWC: Quinoa for dinner event created by Sanjeeta.

Ginger Pickle with Sun Dried Tomato

Thank You Priya of Now Serving for sending the mystery ingredient (Sun Dried Tomatoes) and a lovely gift.  Thank You Reshmi and Priya for creating this wonderful event.   

The gift

Ingredients:
Ginger - 2 cups (chopped)
Sun Dried Tomatoes - 10 pieces
Red chilies - 10 or to taste
Jaggery - 2 tsp
Asafetida - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 2 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Sesame Oil - 1/4 cup


Method:

1. Soak the sun dried tomatoes in warm water for 2 hours.
2. Heat 2 TBSP of sesame oil in a pan and fry the cut ginger and red chilies for about 5 minutes.
3. Squeeze out water from the soaked sun dried tomatoes and add it to the pan.  Reserve the soaked water.
4. Fry for another minute or so and remove from the heat.  Let it cool completely.
5. Grind the ginger, red chilies and sun dried tomatoes to a smooth paste using the soaked water.  Add more water if needed.
6. Heat the remaining oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds.  Add the ground paste and mix.  Add jaggery, turmeric powder, asafetida and salt.  Mix well.
7. Keep stirring and cook until oil separates from the mixture.  
8. Let it cool completely and store it in a airtight container.

Ragi-Rava Upma

Ingredients:

Rava / Sooji / Cream of Wheat - 1 cup
Ragi / Finger Millet Flour - 1/2 cup
Onion - 1 medium (chopped)
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Urad Dal - 2 tsp
Green Chilies - 4 slit
Ginger - 2 tsp (chopped)
Asafetida - 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves - few
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 TBSP
Yogurt - 1 cup (well beaten)
Water - 2 1/2 cups

Method:

1. Roast the rava with 1 tsp of ghee or oil until golden brown in low flame.  Switch off the flame and mix in the ragi flour and roast without the heat.
2. Microwave version:  Place the rava in a microwavable plate or bowl and mix with oil or ghee and cook on high powder for a minute.  Add the ragi flour and mix well and cook for an another 30 seconds.
3. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds.  After spluttering add urad dal and fry until golden brown.  
4. Add the chopped onion, green chilies, ginger, asafetida and curry leaves.  Fry until the onion is translucent.
5. Now add the water, yogurt and salt.  When the water starts boiling, add the rava-ragi mixture and mix it without any lumps.  Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
6. Serve hot with pickle or chutney of your choice.

Bhindi Masala / Okra Curry

Ingredients:

Okra - 2 lbs (washed, dried thoroughly and cut into big pieces)
Onion - 2 medium sized (cut into big chunks)
Roma Tomato - 2 medium sized (cut into big chunks)
Cumin Seeds - 2 tsp
Red Chile Powder - 2 tsp
Garam  Masala Powder - 2 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 3 TBSP


Method:

1. Coat 1 TBSP of oil to the cut okra and spread it on a baking tray lined with aluminum foil.
2. Bake the okra in a preheated 400 degree oven until it turns slightly brown. (about 30 min.)
3. Heat 2 TBSP of oil in a pan over medium heat and add cumin seeds.  Fry for 20 seconds.
4. Add the chopped onion and fry for 2 minutes.  
5. Add red chile powder, garam masala and turmeric powder.  Mix well and cook for a minute.
6. Now add the tomatoes and salt and cook for another minute.  Do not over cook the tomatoes.
7. Add the baked okra and mix well to coat the spice mixture.  Cook for another 1 minute or so and remove from the heat.
8. Serve hot with chapatti and rice.

Sambar - Restaurant Style

Ingredients:
Toor Dal - 1 cup
Yellow Pumpkin - 1/2 cup (peeled and chopped)
Tamarind pulp - 1/2 cup (squeezed from a lemon sized tamarind)
Onion - 1 large (finely chopped)
Tomatoes - 2 (finely chopped)
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Urad Dal - 2 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
Jaggery - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 TBSP
Few Curry leaves and Fresh Coriander leaves
Dry roast the following and grind to a fine powder:
Red Chilies - 5-6 or to taste
Coriander Seeds - 1 TBSP
Channa Dal - 1 TBSP
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Fenugreek Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Method:

1. Pressure cook toor dal and pumpkin with enough water until soft. Cooked dal should be very soft and mushy.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds.  Let it splutter and add urad dal and fry until golden brown.
3. Add chopped onion and fry until translucent.  Add curry leaves and asafoetida.  Mix well.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until soft.
5. Add tamarind pulp and 1cup of water along with jaggery, salt and turmeric powder.  Let it boil for 5 minutes.
6. Now add the ground spice powder and cook for another 2 minutes.
7. Add the cooked dal.  Mix well.  Let it come to boil and remove from heat.  Add  fresh coriander leaves. 
8. Serve hot with idli or dosai.

Mini idli in Sambar

Sending this to CWS Event by Priya and hosted by Aruna.