Quick lunch ideas

Pepper Rasam and Spicy potato fry

Ingredients for Pepper Rasam

1 small tomatoe

Tamarind water (diluted) - 1.5 cups

1 tsp whole black pepper

1 tsp  cumin seeds/jeera

1 tsp turmeric powder

curry leaves

1 tsp ghee 

1 tsp mustard seeds

salt to taste.

Ingredients for spicy potatoe fry

Mustard - 1 tsp

Urid dal - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Chillie powder - 1tsp

Asfoetida - a pinch

Medium sized potatoes - 4

Procedure for pepper rasam

In a pan, add ghee. Add mustard and cumin seeds followed by chopped tomatoes. Saute for a minute. Add turmeric powder, salt, asfoetida and rasam powder. Mix well all the ingredients. Add tamarind extracted water and stir well. Switch off the stove after the raw smell goes off approximately for 5-7 minutes. Do not boil the rasam. Add crushed pepper powder and garnish with young curry leaves. Healthy and easy pepper rasam ready for lunch. 

Spicy crisp potato recipe

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard, once it splutters add urid dal. Roast the urid dal. After the urid dal turns brown, add the diced potatoes, turmeric powder, chillie powder and asfoetida. Mix well and the ingredients. Let the stove be in high flame for 2-3 minutes. Add salt and stir well. Cover with lid and let it be cooked in medium flame for 5-7 minutes. Crispy potatoe fry ready to serve with rice and pepper rasam.

Paruppu urundai kuzhambu

Paruppu urundai kuzhambu (thoor dhal balls sambar)

Ingredients For preparing balls

Bengal gram (kadalai paruppu) - 1/2 cup
Thoor dhal (thuvaram paruppu) - 1/2 cup
Red chilly - 4
Salt
Asafoetida
Gingely oil- 1 tablespoon

Method

Soak bengal gram, thoor dhal and chilly in water for an hour.

Drain the water.

Add salt, asafoetida powder and grind them coarsely.

Keep this ready for preparing balls

Ingredients for Kuzhambu

Bengal gram (kadalai paruppu) - 1 tablespoon
Urid dhal (ulutham paruppu) - 1 tablespoon
Mustard
Asafoetida powder
Kuzhambu podi - 2 tablespoon
Gingely oil - 4 tablespoon
Red chilly - 4
Tamarind (puli) - size of a lemon
Salt

Method

Soak tamarind in hot water. Squeeze the tamarind water (4 times). Add tamarind squeezed water and salt. Add kuzhambu podi.
Allow it to boil for 5 minutes. Make balls from the grinded mixture. Drop the balls one by one slowly. Simmer the stove. Balls will begin to float on boiling. Switch off the stove.

In a pan add gingely oil. Add mustard. Add fenugreek and asfoetia. Add some curry leaves. Add this thalipu to the urundai kuzhambu.

Kashmiri pulao

Ingredients

Rice - 2 cups

Water - 2.5 cups


Onion - 1 big

Nuts - cashew, badam and raisins

Saffron strands - few


Milk to soak saffron strands


Salt to taste

Cumin seeds - 1tsp

Bay leaves - 2

Cardamom - 3

Cinnamon - 1

Cinnamon powder - 1 tsp

Coriander leaves

Procedure

Soak the rice for 30 minutes.

Drain the water. Keep the rice aside. Soak the saffron strands in warm milk.

In a pressure cooker add ghee. Fry the nuts till golden brown. Remove the nuts. Add cumin seeds, bay leaves, cinnamon and cardamom. Add chopped onions. Fry the onions till it turns transparent. Add cinnamon powder. Stir for a while.

Add the soaked rice. Fry for 2 minutes. Add water, saffron soaked milk and close the cooker with the lid. Switch off the stove after two whistle sounds. Garnish with nuts and fruits.