Carrot & Cabbage Stir fry / Carrot & Muttaikose Poriyal

Category: Lunch / Poriyal
Preparation Time: 10 mins  
Cooking Time: 15 mins
Servings:3 to 4 servings

Carrot- Cabbage Poriyal

Carrot & cabbage Poriyal is a simple Poriyal  / stir fry with simple ingredients. But the combination of these veggies is great and suits well with any South Indian meal. This goes well with any spicy Kuzhambu varieties, Sambar, Rasam or we can just mix it with rice and have it.

  Ingredients:

• Carrots - 3 nos
• Cabbage - 1/2 a head
• Coconut Oil - 2 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Channa dhal - 1 tsp
• Urad dhal - 2 tsp
• Curry leaves - few
• Red / Green chilly, slitted - 1-2 nos (adjust as per spice level)
• Salt- to taste
• Fresh coconut, grated - 3-4 Tbsp (Or Frozen coconut thawed at room temperature)

Tindora fry / Ivy Gourd fry / Kovakkai Fry

Category: Stir fried Vegetables / Poriyal
Preparation Time: 5-8 mins 
Cooking Time: 10-12 mins
Servings: 2-3 Servings

Tindora / Kovakkai Fry

                            

Ivy gourd is a small green vegetable and is commonly known as Tindora or Kovakkai. Stir fried tindora is so tasty and also its very easy to cook. I prefer to cook in the cast iron pan since it gives the best tasting crispy veggies :)

Ingredients:

• Ivy gourd / Tindora / Kovakkai - 25-30 nos
• Oil - 1 Tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Sambar powder - 1 Tbsp 
• Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)
• Salt - to taste

Broccoli - Potato Stir Fry

Category: Lunch / Poriyal
Preparation Time: 10 mins 
Cooking Time: 15 mins
Servings: 2-3 Servings

Broccoli-Potato Stir Fry

Ingredients:

• Broccoli florets - 2 cups
• Potato, cut into thin wedges - 2 nos
• Oil - 2 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Spice Powder - 1-2 tsp (I used home made Pav Bhaji Masala, and it can be replaced with any Masala powders as per taste)
• Salt - to taste

Method:

1. Place the potato wedges in hot water for 5 mins and drain excess water; keep aside
2. Clean and chop broccoli into bite sized florets, we can also blanch them in hot water for 1-2 mins
3. Heat oil in a pan, once it becomes hot add the Cumin seeds and allow them to splutter
4. Add the Ginger Garlic paste and saute for a min
5. Add the potato pieces along with turmeric powder and saute for 2-3 mins
   
6. Cook covered until potato gets half cooked
7. Now add the Broccoli florets and saute for another 2 mins
   
8. Add required salt and Masala powder, mix well and cook covered for 2 mins till broccoli gets cooked but it should still retain its crunchiness
   
9. Once its done, fry for one more min and switch it off
   
10. Serve hot!
    

Spinach-Moong Dhal stir fry (Keerai PaasiParuppu Poriyal)

Category: Lunch / Poriyal
Preparation Time: 10 mins 
Cooking Time: 15 mins
Servings:  2-3 servings

Spinach-Moong Dhal Stir Fry

 Both the Spinach and Moong dhal are really healthy foods and very much needed for the growing kids. The usual Keerai Poriyal and Kootu will be boring for them if we give them in the same form. So just tried this one and the kids will really love this since the consistency is not mushy and also colourful:) Also this one is a comforting food without any spice powders and masalas!

 Ingredients:

• Spinach leaves, cleaned and chopped - Around 4 cups
• Split Yellow Moong dhal - 1/4 cup
• Turmeric powder - a pinch
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Ginger, grated - 1 tsp
• Garlic, grated - 1 tsp
• Red chilly - 1 no (adjust as per spice level)
• Small onion, chopped - 6-7 nos
• Salt - to taste
• Fresh Coconut, grated - 1-2 tbsp

Method:

1. Wash and soak the Moong dhal in hot water along with turmeric powder for atleast 5-10 mins or even we can cook them until it becomes soft but still it should retain its shape. If we are having enough time, we can soak it for around 30-40 mins in water 
2. After soaking, drain the water from the dhal and keep it ready
3. Clean and chop the spinach leaves, onions, ginger, garlic and keep them ready
4. Heat oil in a wide pan, once it becomes hot add mustard seeds followed by red chilly, grated ginger, garlic and saute for a min
   
5. Add the chopped small onions and fry for another min
   
6. Now add the soaked and drained moong dhal, saute for 2-5 mins until it gets cooked but still hold its shape
   
7. Add the chopped spinach and saute for a min
   
8. Continue to cook in medium flame without covering with lid, until the spinach leaves gets cooked
   
9. Add required salt and allow to cook until all the water evaporates
10. When it becomes little dry, switch it off and add the freshly grated coconut
    
11. Serve hot with rice or even with chapathis:)
    

Avarakkai Poriyal (Broad Beans Stir Fry)

Category: Lunch / Poriyal
Preparation Time: 10 mins  
Cooking Time: 15 mins
Servings: For 2-3 persons

Avarakkai Poriyal

 Ingredients:

• Avarakkai, finely chopped - 2-3 cups
• Small Onion, finely chopped - 5-7 nos 
• Red Chillies, broken - 1-2 nos (adjust as per spice level)
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Urad dhal - 1 tsp
• Channa dhal - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - few
• Salt- to taste
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Fresh coconut, grated - 3-4 tbsp
• Water - as required

Method:

1. Clean and finely chop the vegetable and keep it ready
   
   
   
   
2. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, once it splutter, add Channa dhal, Urad dhal, Curry leaves and Red chillies one by one
   
3. Then add the chopped onions, saute for a min
   
4. Add the finely chopped Avarakkai to it and saute for 2 mins
   
5. Add turmeric powder, required salt and little water, cook covered till the veggies get cooked
   
   
   
   
6. Once they become soft and without any water, switch off and add the grated coconut
   
7. Mix well and serve hot!
   

Vazhakkai Masala Fry (Plantain Spicy Masala Curry)

Category: Lunch / Poriyal
Preparation Time: 10 mins +15 mins marination
Cooking Time: 15 mins
Servings: For 2-3 persons 

Vazhakkai Masala Fry

Ingredients:

• Vazhakkai / Plaintain - 1 big sized / 2 small ones
• Onion, finely chopped - 1 small sized
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Urad dhal - 1/2 tsp
• Channa dhal - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - few
• Salt-  to taste
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

To Roast and Grind:

• Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
• Red chilly - 2-3 nos (adjust as per spice level)
• Curry leaves - few
• Garlic - 3 pods
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Pepper - 1 tsp
• Coconut - 3 tbsp

Method:

1. Heat a pan in a low/medium flame and dry roast the coriander seeds and red chilly for 30 secs and then add the garlic pods, curry leaves, fry till we got nice aroma; then add the pepper and cumin seeds fry for few secs
   
2. Switch off and finally add the coconut
   
3. Allow the mixture to cool and grind it to a coarse paste with very little water
4. Peel the skin and chop the plantain into bite sized cubes; keep it in water to prevent browning
5. In a wide bowl, add the ground masala, turmeric powder and salt, mix well
   
6. To this masala, add the  plaintain pieces (without water),Mix well and allow to marinate for atleast 15 mins
   
7. After marination time, heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, Urad dhal, channa dhal and curry leaves and fry till the dhals turn golden brown
   
8. Add the finely chopped onion and fry with a pinch of salt till it becomes transparent
   
9. Then add the marinated plaintain pieces along with 3-4 tbsp of water and cook covered in medium flame till it gets cooked and become soft. Take care not to turn it mushy
   
10. Once the water gets evaporated and the vegetable gets cooked, fry for another min and switch off
    
11. Serve hot with Rice, Sambar or Rasam and also tastes fantastic with curd rice!
    

Carrot-Beans Poriyal

Category: Lunch / Poriyal
Preparation Time: 10 mins  
Cooking Time: 15 mins
Servings: For 2-3 persons 

Carrot-Beans Poriyal

  Ingredients:

• Carrots, finely chopped - 4-5 nos
• Green Beans, finely chopped - 20-25 nos
• Small Onion, finely chopped - 5-7 nos
• Green chilly, slitted - 1-2 nos (adjust as per spice level)
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Urad dhal - 1 tsp
• Channa dhal - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - few
• Salt- to taste
• Fresh coconut, grated - 3-4 tbsp
• Water - as required

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, once it splutter, add Channa dhal, Urad dhal, Curry leaves one by one
2. Then add the chopped onions, saute for a min and add the chillies
3. Add the finely chopped carrot and beans to it and saute for 2 mins
4. Add required salt and little water, cook covered till the veggies get cooked
5. Once they become soft and without any water, switch off and add the grated coconut
6. Mix well and serve hot!