Guttu Vankai Koora ( Stuffed Indian Eggplant Curry )

Ingredients:

Indian Eggplant - 12 to 18 (even sized)
Peanut Butter - 5 tsp
Vangi bhath powder - 5 tsp
Rice flour - 3 tsp
Pepper powder -1/2 tsp
Salt to taste.

Procedure:

• Wash the eggplants. Slit them lengthwise as as shown in the picture. Set them aside.
• Mix together peanut butter, vanghi bhath powder, rice flour and pepper powder into a paste.
• Stuff the mixed peanut butter paste into every eggplant.
• Place the eggplants in a flat bottomed pan with 2 table spoons of oil.
• Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes.
• Turn the eggplants over to cook the other side.
• Cover and cook for 5 more minutes. It's ready to be served. Goes well with steamed rice.

Tip: By using peanut butter instead of whole peanuts, you can save tons of prep time.

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Green Beans Vepudu ( Whole Green Beans Curry )

Ingredients:

Whole green beans (ends cut) - 1 lb
Onion ( chopped ) - 1 medium
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
Bread crumbs - 1 cup
Cumin ( Zeera ) - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Chana dal - 2 tsp
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Chili powder - 1 tsp
Salt to taste.

Procedure:

• Add 1 Tbsp olive oil in a non stick pan on medium heat. When the oil is hot, add mustard.
• Once the mustard starts to sputter, add cumin, chana dal and chopped onion. Fry until onion turns translucent, about 3 minutes.
• Next add ginger garlic paste, turmeric and chili powder. Fry for another 5 minutes.
• Now add green beans and salt. Mix well, cover and cook for 12 to 15 minutes stirring occasionally.
• Next uncover and cook for another 5 minutes or until green beans are done.
• Finally add bread crumbs and mix well. Let it cook for 3 minutes. It's ready to be served.

It is usually hard to get kids to eat green beans, but this recipe all my grandchildren seem to love.

Tip: You could replace fresh green beans with frozen whole green beans. Since the ends are already cut, it saves a lot of prep time.

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Stuffed Bell Pepper

Ingredients:

Bell peppers ( colored ) - 4 to 6
Cooked pilaf - 3 to 4 cups
Ghee (or butter) - 2 tsp

Procedure:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degree Fahrenheit.
• Cut each bell-pepper in the middle to make 2 halves. If the bell pepper is too small, just cut the top off. Remove the seeds.



• Coat the cut bell peppers with ghee (or melted butter) on the outside.
• Fill each half with pilaf. I used brown rice pilaf.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes.

Serve with any gravy curry or chutney. I used pistachio chutney.

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Whole Radish Gravy Curry

Ingredients:

Red radish - 1 pound
Cashew nuts - 1/2 cup
Almonds(soaked in water for 2 hours) - 1/2 cup
Yogurt (curds) - 1 cup
Tomatoes - 3 medium
Cabbage (chopped) - 1 cup
Green chili (cut into pieces) 2
Curry leaves - 6 to 8
Ginger (grated) - 2'' piece
Cilantro (chopped) - 1 cup
Cumin (Zeera) - 1 tsp
Cloves - 5
Cinnamon stick - 2" piece
Cardamom - 2
Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 2 Tbsp
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste.

Preparation:

• Make a smooth paste of cashew nuts, almonds, tomatoes, ginger and yogurt with little water, and set aside.
• Heat 2 table spoons of oil in a pan on medium heat. Add cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and cumin.
• As the cumin turns little bit golden add cabbage, green chili and curry leaves.
• Pierce the radish with a toothpick or fork. When the cabbage turns translucent add radish, turmeric and salt.
• Cover and let it cook for 15 minutes. Turn the radish from time to time.
• Once they are soft add the ground paste, 2 cups of hot water, red chili powder, salt and cilantro, leaving little bit of cilantro for garnishing.
• Let it cook for 15 more minutes or until the radishes are soft.

It is ready to serve and tastes great with rotis or steamed rice.

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Whole Tindora Fry (Dondakaya Vepudu)

Ingredients:

Tindora - 1 pound
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Garlic - 3 cloves
Besan - 2 tsp
Rice flour - 2 tsp
Coconut powder - 2 tsp
Mustard - 1/2 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 8 to 10

Procedure:

• Make a single cut in the tindora half way through.
• Peel and crush ginger and garlic into a paste.
• Add 2 Tbsp oil to a cooking pan on medium heat.
• When the oil is hot add mustard. When the mustard sputters add cumin, urad dal, curry leaves, pinch of turmeric, ginger garlic paste. Cook for couple of minutes.
• Then add cut tindoras, salt to taste and 1 tsp chili powder. Cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Uncover and cook 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add besan, rice flour and coconut powder. Stir well and cover and cook for 5 to 10 more minutes on low heat. It is ready to be served.

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Whole Okra Fry (Bendakaya Vepudu)

Ingredients:

Okra (small) - 1 pound
Besan (senega pindi) - 2 tsp
Rice flour - 2tsp
Grated coconut (dry) - 1 tsp
Mustard - 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Red chili - 1
Curry leaves - 6 to 8
Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp

Procedure:

• In a pan add 6 tsp oil on medium heat. To this add mustard.
• Once mustard sputters add cumin, urad dal, red chili, curry leaves and a pinch of turmeric, red chili powder.
• Next add whole okra and salt to taste. Mix well. Do not cover the pan. Let it cook for at least 10 to 12 minutes.
• When it is almost done add besan, rice flour and fine grated coconut. Cook for five more minutes. It is ready to be served.

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Dum Aaloo

Ingredients:

Potatoes (small) - 1 pound
Tomatoes - 1/2 pound
Onion - 1
Cilantro - 1/2 cup
Cashew nuts - 10
Almonds - 10
Red chilies - 2
Cumin seeds - 2 tsp
Cloves - 6
Cardamom - 3

Procedure:

• Peel all the potatoes and boil them in hot water over medium heat for 10 minutes. They should be tender to fork touch.
• Take a pan and add 1 tsp oil and a pinch of turmeric. Keep it on medium heat. To this add the boiled potatoes and let them light brown for a few minutes. Keep them aside.

• Next make a paste of almonds, cashew nuts, red chilies, cilantro,cumin and cloves (half the quantity) with a little water. Keep it aside.
• Now take a deep frying pan and keep it on medium heat. To this add 1 Tbsp oil. When hot add the remaining cloves, cinnamon and cardamom.
• Next add onion and let it brown. Then add a pinch of turmeric followed by the paste you made earlier and salt to taste. Let it cook for a few minutes.Make tomato puree.
• To this add tomato puree and let it cook for 10 minutes.
• When done add the potatoes and cook for 5 more minutes.
• Garnish with finely chopped cilantro. It is ready for serving.

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