Raw banana(plantain) fry/ Vazhakkai poriyal

I always pick up raw plantain during our trip to the Indian store. Our favorite way to have this raw banana is in the form of banana chips or as bajji. I occasionally make this stir fry with simple spices and this makes a great accompaniment to dal and rice and also with rotis and chapatis as a dry curry.

Ingredients
Raw plantain / Vazhakkai - 1
Onion - 1/2 medium sized
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
All-Purpose curry powder/Sambar powder/Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
Oil - 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Urad dahl - 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Salt to taste

Directions
Peel the raw plantain and chop the plantain into small cubes.
In a wide saucepan, heat the oil and do the tempering with mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves.
Once everything starts spluttering, add the chopped onions and saute until it turns translucent.
Then add the chopped raw plantain and the spice powder (all-purpose curry powder/chilli powder/sambar powder), turmeric powder and salt.
Mix everything together and add half a cup of water. Cover and cook for about two minutes.
Remove the lid and stir everything together again. Allow the plantain to roast and turn crispy and golden brown for about five minutes.
Remove from heat and serve warm with rice and any curry or dal.

Brussels Sprouts Poriyal

I love indianizing recipes. Some recipes include this broccoli poriyal, broccoli dal and indian style pasta. Similarly, I wanted to make something indian with the miniature version of cabbage - brussels sprouts. I settled with this brussel sprouts recipe and we thoroughly enjoyed it. We had it with sambar and rice.

Ingredients
Brussels sprouts - 1/2 kg or 1 lb
Moong dal - 3 tablespoons
Onion - 1/4 chopped
Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
Tamarind extract - 1/2 teaspoon or juice from 1/2 the size of a lemon
All purpose curry powder/Kuzhambi milagai thool - 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste

For the tempering
Oil - 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Urad dal - 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Instructions

1. Soak the moong dal in water for about half an hour.
2. Meanwhile cube the onions and chop the brussels sprouts into bite sized pieces.
3. In a saucepan/kadai, heat the oil and do the tempering with the mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves. Once it starts spluttering, add the chopped onions and saute till it turns translucent.
4. Add the chopped brussels sprouts, soaked moong dal, salt, all-purpose curry powder and the tamarind extract. 
5. Stir everything together, add about half a cup of water, cover and cook for about five minutes until the brussels sprouts turns soft and all the water evaporates.
6. Add the grated coconut and stir well and switch off the heat.

Serve warm with rice, rotis and any gravy/curry.

Seppankizhangu / Arbi / Colocassia / Taro Roast

Seppankizhangu / Arbi / Colocassia / Taro is a root tuber. This can be used in curries, roasts and fries. They taste great any way you make them and makes a great side dish. I usually make it along with sambar rice or dal.

Ingredients
Seppankizhangu / Arbi / Colocassia - 1/2 kg or 1 lb
Chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon
Cumin/jeera powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Oil - 2 teaspoons
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Urad dhal - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Pressure cook the seppankizhangu with enough water in a pressure cooker for 3 whistles. Alternatively, boil them in enough water in a heavy bottomed pan for about 20 minutes.
2. Once cool enough to handle, peel them and slice them into half inch rounds.
3. In a bowl, take the sliced seppankizhangu, add salt, turmeric powder, chilli, coriander and cumin powder. Mix everything well and allow it to sit for about 10-15 minutes.
4. In a saucepan, heat the oil and season with mustard seeds and the urad dhal.
5. Once it starts spluttering, add the marinated seppankizhangu.
6. Fry for about 10 to 15 minutes on medium heat until everything gets well roasted and turns deep brown in color. Keep stirring in between to allow it to stick to the pan.
7. Serve immediately with rice and curry of your choice.

We had it with vatha kuzhambu and rice!

Egg Scramble with Vegetables

This is a typical weekday breakfast at my place. I make different versions of egg scrambles at least once a week. It is so easy to make and includes all the necessary nutrients to make a wholesome meal giving a great start to the day! This scramble is one such variation I made using fresh vegetables from the farmers market.

Ingredients (serves 2)
Eggs - 3
Milk - 2 tablespoons
Vegetables - 1 cup (I used asparagus, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes and mushrooms)
Oil - 1 teaspoon
Grated cheese - 1 tablespoon (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a saucepan, heat the oil and add all the chopped vegetables.
2. Saute for about two minutes until the veggies turn tender and crisp.
3. In a bowl, break open the eggs and whisk the yolk and egg whites together with the milk.
4. Once the vegetables are done, remove them from the pan and transfer to a plate.
5. In the same pan, add the eggs and scramble the eggs well. Cook for about two minutes, until the eggs are done. Also add the cheese and mix thoroughly.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Finally add the veggies and give it a quick stir so that everything gets combined.

Serve with toast. We had ours with buttered toast, sliced avocados, potatoes and tea!

Mushroom Biryani

Mushrooms are a favorite at our place and I try different recipes with mushrooms. I usually make soups, pulaos, fried rice or curries with mushrooms. This was the first time I tried out a biryani recipe and this recipe is sure a keeper. Thanks Ramya for the recipe! I adapted the recipe to our taste and this is quite delicious. Do try this out. The mushroom can also be replaced with other veggies.

Ingredients
Basmati Rice - 1 cup
Onion - 1 medium size
Tomato - 1 medium size
Mushrooms - 3/4 cup chopped
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Lemon juice - 1 tablespoon
Yogurt - 2 tablespoons
Oil - 2 spoons
Bay leaf - 1
Salt to taste

For the masala to grind
Ginger - 1 inch
Garlic - 4 pods
Tomato - 1 small
Onion - 1/2 small sized
Cardamom - 4
Cloves - 4
Cinnamon stick - 1 stick
Coriander leaves - 4 sprigs
Green chillies - 3
Mint leaves - 2 sprigs

Instructions
Wash and soak the basmati rice for at least 15 to 20 minutes.
Add all the ingredients listed under masala into a fine paste by adding a little water.
Finely chop the mushrooms, onions and tomato.
In a pressure cooker, heat the oil and add the bay leaf followed by the onions. Saute till the onions turn translucent.
Add the ground paste and saute for about 2 minutes, until the raw smell goes away and oil starts to separate from the mixture.
Once the ground paste gets cooked, add the tomatoes and fry for about 2 minutes until they get well cooked. Then add the mushrooms and saute for a minute.
Finally add the rice and required quantity of salt. Also add the yogurt and lemon juice. Finally add enough water (water:rice = 1.5:1).
Mix everything together. Cover the pressure cooker and cook until you get two whistles.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Serve hot with raita or a gravy/curry of your choice!

Sending this to FaveDiets Blog Hop
A celebration of Indian Food and to
Healthy Cooking Challenge: Healthy Lunch Event guest hosted by Kavi and started by Smitha of My Tasty Curry
Winter Carnival started by Smitha.

Kathirikkai Pulikuzhambu/ Eggplant or brinjal in a tamarind sauce

This is a curry made with eggplant/brinjal simmered in a tamarind based sauce and often part of lunches especially in South Indian households. Amma makes puli kuzhambu atleast once a week with different vegetables like brinjal, drumstick, okra/ladies finger etc. She adds a lot of garlic which gives a nice flavor to the curry. This tastes great especially with cooked rice and some papads or vadagam or omelette to accompany it.

Ingredients
Eggplant/Brinjal (the smaller variety) - 8 to 10
Tamarind extract - from a lemon sized ball of tamarind
Onion - 1/2 medium sized
Garlic - 10 cloves or as per taste (optional)
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Chilli powder or all-purpose curry powder - 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste

For tempering
Oil - 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Urad dal - 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves - few

Directions

1. Soak the tamraind in warm water for about 15 to 20 minutes. Squeeze out the pulp to get tamarind extract.
2. Chop the onions. Also slice the brinjal/eggplant lengthwise.
3. In a pressure cooker or a kadai, do the tempering with oil, mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves. once they start spluttering, add the onions and saute till they turn translucent for about a minute.
4. Add the peeled garlic and saute for a minute.
5. Add the sliced brinjal/eggplant, salt, turmeric powder and the chilli powder/all-purpose curry powder and stir well.
6. Finally add the tamarind extract and about half cup of water.
7. Pressure cook for about 3 whistles. If using a kadai, cover and cook for about 15 minutes until the brinjal and the garlic becomes tender.
8. Allow the sauce to simmer until you get the required consistency.

Serve with rice and papads.

Mixed Veggies Poriyal/Stir Fry

This is a simple stir fry made with mixed veggies and can be made in a jiffy. It can be prepared in 10 to 15 minutes and great for lunch-boxes or weekday meals. I used the frozen mixed veggies from Costco to make it even more quicker. The veggie mix had beans, carrots, peas, corn and edamame beans. The stir fry is slightly spiced and makes a simple accompaniment to any meal.

Ingredients
Mixed veggies - 1 cup (carrots, beans, peas, corn etc.)
Oil - 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Urad dal - 1 teaspoon
Channa dal - 1 teaspoon
Onion - 1 small sized
Green chillies - 2
Curry leaves - few
Grated coconut - 2 teaspoon
Salt to taste

Directions
If not using frozen veggies, chop all the veggies into equal sized pieces. Also chop the onions finely and slit the green chillies lengthwise.

In a kadai, heat the oil and do the tempering with the mustard seeds, urad dal, channa dal and curry leaves. Once they start spluttering, add the chopped onions and green chillies and saute until the onions turn translucent. Add the mixed veggies, salt and sprinkle little water. Cover and cook until the veggies turn soft.

Finally, add the grated coconut and mix thoroughly. Serve warm with some rice and dal!

Pavakkai Fry/ Bittergourd fry

Bittergourd/Pavakkai is one of the most hated vegetables. I had an aversion towards the bitter veggie for long, but knowing its nutritional benefits, I knew I had to make it at home. I made this crispy version and it tasted great as a side dish with rice and dal and also with curd rice. I made it the simple way as I usually make other vegetable stir fries. I added some grated coconut towards the end to mitigate the bitterness of the bitter gourd.

Ingredients
Bittergourd / Pavakkai - 2 medium sized ones
Onion - 1 small sized
Oil - 1 tablespoon
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Urad dal - 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves - a few
Chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Grated coconut - 2 tablespoons

Directions

• Wash the bittergourd and slice it finely.
• In a kadai, heat the oil and do the tempering with the mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves and add the sliced onions. 
• Once they turn translucent, add the sliced bittergourd and saute for a minute. Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt to taste and mix well. 
• Sprinkle some water and cover for about two minutes and cook until the bittergourd turns soft. Remove the lid and fry for a few minutes and until it turns crispy. 
• Add the grated coconut and saute for a minute until everything combines together.

Serve warm along with rice and dal.

Cajun Guacamole

I received a pack of delicious and ripe California Avocadoes as part of the Foodbuzz Featured Publisher Program and I made this delicious dip to go with some tortilla chips. I usually make the regular guacamole, but I wanted to spice it up a little bit. So I made this guacamole with a Cajun touch. It turned out delicious and spicy and was a perfect evening snack. I served this with some wholegrain flax seed tortilla chips from TJ's.

The recipe is so simple and can be whipped up in minutes.

Ingredients
Fresh California Avocados - 2
Tomatoes - 1 small sized finely chopped
Red onion - 1/4 cup finely chopped
Garlic - 2 cloves finely minced
Fresh lemon juice - 1 tablespoon
Fresh cilantro for garnish
Cayenne Pepper - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Peel the avocados and remove the seed. Coarsely mash the avocados.

Add all the ingredients and mix well. Garnish with cilantro leaves. Serve immediately. The avocados oxidize quickly and turn black.

Serve as a dip with any appetizer. Also tastes great in sandwiches.

Sending this to Quick and Easy Recipe Mela.

Vegetable Dum Biryani

Vegetable Biryani is a versatile rice dish that goes well along with any type of curry. It is great for parties or for an elaborate weekend meal. I always make biryani the easy way as a one pot meal. I just dump the spices, rice and vegetables in the pressure cooker and cook it up. But this time I wanted to make it the regular way. I cooked the rice and the vegetables separately, layered the rice and vegetables and allowed the flavors to blend in the oven. It takes time and effort to make this biryani but truly worth the effort. I adapted the recipe from Anu's place.

You could use vegetables based on availability and preference. 

Ingredients
For the Rice
Basmati Rice - 2 cups
Onion - 1 medium sized
Tomatoes - 2 small ones
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tablespoon
Green chillies - 2 slit lengthwise
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Oil/Butter - 1 tablespoon

Whole Spices
Bay Leaves - 3 to 4 leaves
Cinnamon sticks - 2
Cloves - 4
Cardamom/Elaichi - 4
Cumin seeds/Jeera - 1 teaspoon
Star Anise - 2

Vegetables
Cauliflower florets - 1/2 cup
Carrots - 2
Green beans - 1/2 cup sliced lengthwise
Potatoes - 2 medium sized ones
Green peas - 1/2 cup

For the marinade
Curd/Yogurt - 1.5 to 2 cups
Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Cumin/Jeera powder - 1 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon
Kasoori methi leaves - 1/2 teaspoon (optional)
Salt to taste


Directions
Soak basmati rice for 30 minutes in water.

First, prepare the vegetables and marinade. Chop all the vegetables in equal sizes. To the yogurt, add all the spice powders and whisk well together.

 

Add a little water if required. Add the marinade to the vegetables. Cover and refrigerate. Allow the veggies to marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the rice. In a wide saucepan, add the oil or butter and add all the whole spices. Once the spices start giving out their aroma, add the soaked rice and give it a stir. Also add salt, chilli and turmeric powder, the required amount of water (water:rice ratio - 2:1), cover and cook until the water gets completely absorbed. Fluff the rice with the fork once it gets done.

To prepare the vegetables, in a saucepan, add a little oil. Add the onions and saute until they turn translucent. Add the ginger garlic paste and green chillies and fry for a minute. Add the tomatoes and saute them for a minute. Then add the marinated vegetables along with the yogurt. Cover and cook on low heat for about 15 to 20 minutes. take care to cook on low heat since the yogurt might curdle more and result in a sour mixture. Once the veggies get well cooked, switch off the heat.

 Now comes the assembling part. In a baking dish, add a layer of rice, almost half the rice followed by a layer of vegetables. Top off with the remaining rice and garnish with some cilantro.

Cover tightly with an aluminum foil and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes at 300F. Fluff the veggies and rice with a fork together before serving.

Serve warm with a simple raita, boiled eggs and chips. Makes a great weekend lunch!

Sending this to Bookmarked Recipes hosted by Priya.

Pesto Pizza

It is Sweet Punch time again! This time Divya selected Pizza as the bake. I loved baking the pizza. The base took no more than 10 minutes to put together. It tasted delicious too. For the toppings, I kept it simple by using a store bought pizza sauce and topped it with fresh pesto sauce, cherry tomatoes, black olives and cheese. The pizza toppings are inspired by a pizza we get at a local pizzeria. It is more of the mediterranean style toppings. Mozzarella would have been a great addition, but since I did not have it, I used a combination of shredded cheeses.  I halved the recipe for the pizza base and made one medium sized pizza.

A great way to make a quick and delicious meal.

Ingredients
For the base (Makes two crusts)
(Recipe Source: The Pioneer Woman)
Active Dry or Instant Yeast - 1 teaspoon
All-Purpose Flour - 4 cups
Kosher Salt - 1 teaspoon
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 1/3 cup

For the toppings
Pizza sauce - 3 tablespoons
Fresh Pesto - 2 teaspoons
Cherry tomatoes
Olives
Shredded cheese
Oregano - 1/2 teaspoon
Parmesan cheese - 1 tablespoon

Directions

Sprinkle yeast over 1 1/2 cups warm (not lukewarm) water.

In a mixer, combine flour and salt. With the mixer running on low speed (with paddle attachment), drizzle in olive oil until combined with flour. Next, pour in yeast/water mixture and mix until just combined.

Coat a separate mixing bowl with a light drizzle of olive oil, and form the dough into a ball. Toss to coat dough in olive oil, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until you need it. 

Sprinkle the pizza stone or baking sheet with cornmeal/semolina.Roll out the pizza to your liking[thin/thick]. Spread the oil over the dough. Spread enough pizza sauce over the base. 

Then add all other toppings - pesto sauce, cherry tomatoes, olives and  oregano.

Then top with required amount of cheese.

Preheat oven to 500F.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes or till the cheese starts bubbling and the pizza is evenly cooked/browned.

Serve hot! Think before you order your pizza next time, when it can be made so easily at home!

Napa Cabbage Salad with Dijon Mustard dressing

This is one of the delicious salads I discovered thanks to the blogging marathon! I have chosen salads as the theme for the blogging marathon and when I was looking for new salad recipes, I came across many cabbage salad recipes. I adapted several recipes and this salad has been my favorite to date.

I customized the recipe using the ingredients in hand and I believe it would taste more Asian if sesame oil were used instead of the olive oil. I like the color combination of the purple and napa cabbage. The napa cabbage could easily be substituted with green cabbage. The dressing is kinda sweet due to the addition of agave nectar and it makes the strong cabbage flavor subtle.

Ingredients
Napa/Green Cabbage
Purple Cabbage
Cilantro - 2 tablespons chopped
Fresh ginger - 1/2 tablespoon grated
Dry-roasted peanuts - 2 spoons

For the dressing (Makes 1 serving)
Sesame oil/Olive oil - 1 tablespoons
Rice vine vinegar - 1/2 teaspoon
Agave nectar - 1/2 teaspoon (Add more if you like it sweet)
Dijon mustard - 1/2 teaspoon (I have used whole grain dijon mustard)

Directions
Whisk together all the ingredients for the salad dressing.

Chop the cabbage evenly and place in a bowl or salad plate. Add chopped cilantro and grated ginger. Drizzle the salad dressing on top and toss well until combined.

Garnish with chopped peanuts.

Check out the bloggers doing the Blogging Marathon, along with me..
30 Minutes Meals:Priya Mahadavan, Pavani,
Seven Days of Salad: lla
For Ongoing 7 Events: Priya Suresh, Suma Gandlur,Harini,
Kids Friendly: Vatsala, Jay,Kamalika
Seven Days of Rice: Veena,PriyaVaasu,Padma Rekha

Gobi ka kheema / Spiced Cauliflower curry

This is a different way of cooking the humble vegetable - cauliflower! I wanted to try this version for long after seeing this recipe in many blogs. I followed my own version by adapting those recipes and the recipe yielded in an absolutely flavorful and fragrant cauliflower, as opposed to the bland and not-so-good smelling cauliflower! The cauliflower is very finely chopped for this recipe and hence called "Gobi ka kheema". Alternatively, the cauliflower could also be grated to get a fine texture. Green pease could also be added to make it more flavorful..


Ingredients
Cauliflower - 1 medium sized
Onions - 1 small sized
Tomato - 2 medium sized
Ginger garlic paste - 1 teaspoon
Red chili powder - 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Garam masala - 1/2 teaspoon
Hing/Asafoetida - 1 pinch (optional)
Frozen green peas - 2 tablespoons (optional)
Corainder leaves/Cilantro - for garnish
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 spoons

Directions
Grate or chop the cauliflower finely. Also puree the tomatoes. Dice the onions finely.
In a saucepan, add1 spoon of oil. Once it gets heated, add the grated/chopped cauliflower to it and fry it for about 5 to 6 minutes, until it gets a deep golden hue. Remove the cauliflower and set aside.

In the same saucepan, add the remaining oil and add cumin seeds. Once they start spluttering, add the onions and saute until they turn translucent. Add the ginger-garlic paste and saute for a few more minutes.

Add the pureed tomato, turmeric powder, garam masala, red chilli powder and salt. Simmer for about 3 minutes, until everything mixes together. Bring it a boil and then add the grated and chopped cauliflower and green peas if using. Mix well until well coated by the spices. Switch off the heat and garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve warm along with rotis or chapatis or rice.

Aloo Baingan / Curried potato and eggplant

This is an authentic combo of vegetables. Potatoes and eggplants beautifully pair each other. Both veggies cooked with a few spices take themselves to a whole new level. This subji makes a great accompaniment with rotis, chapathis, naan or with some rice and dal. It can be made real quick and tastes delicious.

 

Ingredients

Eggplant/Brinjal - 1 big or 4 small ones

Potato - 1 big or 2 small sized ones

Onion - 1 medium sized

Tomato - 2 medium sized ones

Garam masala - 1/2 teaspoon

Coriander/Dhania powder - 1 teaspoon

Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon

Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon

Asafoetida/Hing - 1 pinch (optional)

Oil - 1 spoon

Coriander leaves/Cilantro - for garnish

Salt to taste 

Directions

Dice the potatoes and eggplants into even sized pieces.  Also chop the onions and tomatoes.

In a kadai/saucepan, add the oil and do the tempering with cumin seeds and hing. Add the diced onions and saute until they get translucent. Then add the tomatoes and cook for about two minutes until they turn mushy.

Add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder and salt and mix well. Saute for a minute. Add about two table spoons of water, cover and cook for about five minutes or until the veggies turn tender.

Add the garam masala and mix well. Cook for two more minutes, adjust salt and spices and turn off the stove. 

Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve warm along with any side - rice/roti/chapati/naan.

 

Sending this recipe to Any One Can Cook hosted by Umm Mymoonah

Bisibelabath

This is a one pot meal that is wholesome and can be made with any number of veggies on hand. it is quite delicious served with some papads and pickle. It is comfort food to many South Indians! I have tried several variations of this rice and each time it is a hit at my place. here is my favorite version of Bisibelabath! The ingredients list may seem too long, but it is so easy to prepare. The spice powder can be made ahead in bulk and stored for future use..

Ingredients
Rice - 2 cups
Toor dhal- 1 cup
Vegetables - peas, carrot, beans, potatoes, brinjal, drumstick - a total of two cups chopped (can be replaced with any veggies of choice)
Turmeric powder- ¼ teaspoon
Asafoetida- ¼ teaspoon
Shallots/Onions - ½ cup
Tomatoes - 2 diced
Garlic - 6 cloves (optional)
Green chillies- 3
Sambar powder- 1 teaspoon (optional)
Tamarind extract - 1 teaspoon or juice from tamarind of lemon size
Ghee - 2 spoons
Coriander leaves - 2 tablespoons chopped finely
Oil - 1 tablespoon
Salt to taste

For tempering

Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Urad dhal - 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Ghee/Oil - 1 teaspoon

For the spice powder :
Roast and grind the following -
Toor dhal - 1 teaspoon
Channa dhal - 2 teaspoons
Urad dhal- 1 teaspoon
Coriander seeds/Dhania - 1 tablespoon
Jeera / Cumin seeds - 1 ½ teaspoon
Cinnamon - 2 one inch pieces
Cloves - 5
Peppercorns - ½ teaspoon
Fenugreek seeds - ½ teaspoon
Saunf/Aniseeds - ½ teaspoon
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Red chillies - 4 or more according to your choice of spice level
Dried Coconut - 2 spoons (optional) can also be replaced with fresh grated coconut

In a saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil and add all the above ingredients and roast it until everything gets toasted. take care not to burn the spices. Allow it to cool and coarse grind the spices in a mixie / spice grinder.

Directions
Cook the rice along with salt and water. Rice:water= 1:2
Cook the toor dhal along with water, tomatoes, asafoetida and turmeric powder. Dhal:water = 1:3
In a large saucepan or in a pressure cooker, heat some oil and saute the shallots or onions. Once they turn translucent, add the green chillies and garlic and saute for a while.
Add all the chopped vegetables and required amount of salt and saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tamarind mixture and a little water. Cover and cook until the vegetables get tender. Add the ground spice mixture and saute for 2 more minutes until a nice aroma is released.
Now add the cooked rice and dhal to this mixture and mix well. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes or pressure cook for 3 whistles.
Meanwhile, do the tempering with ghee/oil, mustard seeds, urad dhal and curry leaves. Pour this seasoning over the rice and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Serve hot with some papads or pickle.