Kovakkai Poriyal Recipe / Tindora Poriyal Recipe

     I have a vague memory of this vegetable making a foray at our home. That too i remember tasting it only around my high school days. Instantly, I was hooked to its taste. With any tasty and fanciful side-dish (one that is fried with more oil and is crispy or browned intentionally), I have the habit of mixing it with a small portion of plain cooked rice and adding a drop of gingelly oil or ghee before starting with the real lunch or dinner. For such a starter, this vegetable is a bliss !!

Prep Time: 10 mins || Cook Time: 30 mins || Serves: 3 || Category: Side-dish for rice

Ingredients:
1. Tindora (Kovakkai) - 200 gms
2. Turmeric powder - 2 tsp
3. Red chili powder (or Sambar powder) - 1 tbsp
4. Pepper powder - 1 tsp
5. Hing - 2 tsp
6. Bengal Gram (Kadalai paruppu) - 2 tsp
7. Cumin seeds - 2 tsp
8. Oil - 2 tbsp
9. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
10. Salt - as required

Method:

1. Wash the tindora and remove the edges from it. Cut it into desired shape. I cut it lengthwise. It can also be slices into thin circular disks. Take the chopped tindora in a bowl and add turmeric, salt, hing, pepper powder, chili powder and toss it well. Keep aside for 15-20 mins for the flavours to get absorbed well.

2. Heat a pan with oil and add mustard seeds, bengal gram, cumin seeds and fry them till golden brown. Add the tindora and give a stir. Keep covered and cook for 5-7 mins in medium flame.

3. Open the lid and stir the vegetable, adding required amount of salt. Add a tbsp of oil if required and cook uncovered for 5-10 mins until the vegetable starts to become slightly crisp and brown.

Suggestions:

• The spice powders can be added at the time of cooking too, instead of sprinkling on raw tindora and keeping it aside for a while.
• Gingelly oil can be used for giving a good flavor.

Pairs up well as a side dish for rice and also with Chappathi/roti etc.

Red Bean Tortilla Wrap Recipe

     This red bean tortilla wrap is a slightly lighter version of a Mexican Burrito. When I had moved in to USA, my husband got me a Burrito from Chipotle, the mexican fast food chain. I liked to have it once in a while mostly when I feel bored to cook a routine South Indian lunch. The burrito will be so big for me that I will mostly find it impossible to finish it up in one sitting :P 
     To try the burrito at home long time back, I shopped all the ingredients and made up my mind and fixed a schedule. But as the date neared, I got stuck up with an impression that it involved too much work :p and so why not make it a little simpler. Thats when evolved, this red kidney bean tortilla wrap. 

Prep Time: 15 mins || Cook Time: 20 mins + cooking time for Rajma || Serves: 3 || Category: Tortilla Wrap/ Breakfast / International Recipe

Ingredients:
1. Olive oil - 2 tbsp
2. Onion - 1 big
3. Capsicum - 2 small (Red & Green)
4. Oregano - 2 tsp
5. Pepper - 2 tsp
6. Salt - as required
7. Avocado - 1 small
8. Lemon - 1
9. Tomato - 1
10. Olives - 8 or 9
11. Mozarella cheese - 50 gms (grated)
12. Red kidney bean (Rajma) - 100 gms (pressure cooked)
13. Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp
14. Tortilla - 6 

Method:
1. Chop onion, capsicum into long thin pieces. Heat a pan with olive oil and add oregano. 

2. Add the onions and saute for 2 mins or until translucent. Then add the capsicum and pepper powder and give a stir. Saute for 5 mins and keep the lid closed.

3. Allow the vegetables to brown, so that they get a slight smoky flavor and then switch off the flame. Cut the avocado into half and scoop out the pulp, discarding the seed. 

4. Add lemon juice and salt to the pulp and mash it with a spoon. Chop the tomato, slice the olives and grate the cheese. Soak rajma overnight and pressure cook for 5-6 whistles.

5. Heat a dosa pan and warm the tortillas on both the sides. Once done, place the tortilla on a plate. Spread the sauteed vegetables; over them place the boiled kidney beans and over that spread a layer of guacamole (avocado pulp). Then top it with olives, tomatoes and a generous amount of cheese. Sprinkle a few coriander leaves. Microwave for 20 seconds for the cheese to become gooey and then serve warm.

Suggestions:

• Black bean or any other kind of bean can be used instead of red kidney bean.
• I used raw beans and then soaked overnight and pressure cooked for 5-6 whistles. Instead of that pre-cooked canned beans can also be used.
• Using olives is optional. 
• The combination of vegetables can be altered as per one's choice.
• Can also add cooked white rice or brown rice to make it more filling for lunch or dinner.
• It is advisable to mix lemon juice to guacamole (avocado pulp) and consume it at one go without refrigeration or reheating, as it will turn black if left uncovered and un-refrigerated for longtime.
• I used store-bought tortillas. They can also be home-made using multipurpose flour and water like regular chappathi/roti.

Pav Bhaji Recipe

     Pav Bhaji - I love it !! More than just the taste, it carries special and specific reasons too... The memory associated with a good pav bhaji dates back to my office days in TCS Chennai :) 

     I would be in a hurry to board the 5.45 bus back from office. On my way, when I see through the glass doors of HSB - Hotel Saravana Bhavan inside my office campus, I would be so tempted to step in and have a bite of the king of chat - Pav Bhaji. 

     Even with my watch grinning at me showing 5.15 pm, I would ignore the time; step-in and get a bill for pav bhaji. It would be 5.20 by the time I wade through the sea of restless hands in the crowd at the chaat counter and give the bill to the fellows who prepare my delicious chaat. Restlessly I would be waiting looking at my mocking watch every 10 secs, as the chaatwala heats the bhaji, chops onions, toasts the pav, arranges the onions and lemon in a plate, then puts a laddleful of bhaji on to every plate and finally hands over to the waiting crowd (which inlcused me too !! ). The time would now be 5.32 and needless to say I would be in a state of tensed joy after receiving mine.

      I would call my friend (!!) at the bus to hold a place for me :P Gobbling the pav bhaji without even looking around and taking a moment to breathe, I would start from HSB by 5.40 pm. By then the buses would be ready for their take-off.

      If Usain Bolt were to run along with me to catch the bus, I would run past him :D and reach the bus just in time. Then comes the tricky part. I have to identify which bus to board. As I would be on call with my FRIEND (Little did I know then, that on one fine day we would join hands for a life-time of togetherness and friendship) he would come out and stand near the steps for my easy identification of the bus. Panting breathlessly and with a dry throat not allowing me to speak for a good 5 mins, I would get into the bus crossing the weird glances of the bus driver and notorious co-passengers !!

Prep Time: 20 mins || Cook Time: 25 mins + 15 mins (for cooking potato) || Serves: 4 || Category: Side-dish/Subzi, Chaat

Ingredients:

1. Oil - 2 tbsp
2. Onion - 1 big
3. Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
4. Tomato - 1 big (de-seeded) 
5. Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
6. Capsicum - 1 big
7. Beans - 10 to 15
8. Carrot - 3 medium
9. Potato - 2 big (boiled and mashed)
10. Green peas - handful
11. Salt - as required
12. Pav Bhaji masala - 1 tbsp 
13. Sugar - 1 tsp (optional)
14. Butter - 1 tbsp
15. Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp finely chopped

Method:
1. Add oil in a pan and saute the onions till they are translucent. Add ginger garlic paste, tomato, turmeric powder and saute for 2 mins. Keep covered for a few mins until the tomatoes have got cooked well.

2. Then add capsicum, beans, carrot and cook for about 5 mins. Cook covered until the vegetables are cooked. 

3. Now add boiled and mashed potato, green peas and add sufficient water to get the desired consistency of the bhaji. Add salt and cook covered for 2 mins. 

4. Add the pav bhaji masala, sugar and required amount of salt and mix well. Add a tbsp of butter and cook until it melts and switch off the flame. Lastly add finely chopped coriander leaves and switch off the flame. Bhaji is ready !!

5. Now heat butter in a tawa and toast the half slit pav buns on both the sides until golden brown.

Suggestions:

• Using potato equivalent to the quantity of all other vegetables gives a perfect consistency to the bhaji.
• All vegetables should be finely chopped.
• Addition of sugar is optional.

Enjoy the yummilicious combo of hot Bhaji & toasted pav with finely chopped onion and lemon wedge.