Sorakaya Miriam kura / Louki pepper curry

The rains are here and common cold seems to have become more than common. It’s a known fact that pepper is a good soother for cold but to really just have pepper and milk or any of the simple medicines is quite energy consuming, or that is what most of us feel. Sorakaya Miriam curry is a pepper based gravy curry. Will not just act as a soother but will also give us the energy to make and have the other soothers.

Preparation time: 20-30 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Medium sized bottle gourd (Sorakaya/louki) 1
Ghee 1 tsp
Black gram (Uddi pappu/urad dal) 1 ½ tsp
Pepper ½ tsp
Dry/fresh coconut 4tsp
Red chilli 1
Refined cooking oil 2tsp
Mustard seeds 1tsp
Curry leaves 5

Salt to taste

Fresh and chopped coriander to garnish

Method:

Peel and cut the bottle gourd into small cubes. Add salt, water enough for the the bottle gourd to be immersed and leave to boil.

In a pan, add a drop of ghee and roast each separately: Black gram and pepper (cones/powder as available). Set aside to cool for 5 mins.

Grind to fine paste: Black gram, pepper, 1 red chilli, 4 tsp of dry/fresh coconut as available and 4 tsp water.

Once the diced bottle gourd is cooked, add the above ground paste and stir for a minute or two.

In a pan, prepare tempering: Heat a tsp of oil. Add seeds and as the splutter, add curry leaves.


Season the curry with the above tempering. Garnish with fresh and chopped coriander and serve.

Sorakaya Miriam curry is a rice as well as Indian bread supplement. Made in most south Indian homes, especially during the colder days, the curry is savored by even those who hate pepper. Reason: the least quantity of pepper used.
So if there is someone at home suffering from cold, here is what they ought to have.

Cabbage cheese Sandwich

Sandwiches are universal favorites. With so many combos, they also are a healthy snack. Cabbage and cheese sandwich is a green and nutritious one with all the required spicing.

Preparation time: 15-20 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Whole wheat brown bread 6 slices
Grated tender cabbage 1cup
Grated onion 1/2cup
Grated cheese 1/4th cup
Grated green chilli 1
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Method:

Finely grate the cabbage, onion and fresh cheese.

Remove the crumbs from the bread slices and set aside.

In a bowl, add the grated cabbage, onion, cheese, green chilli, salt to taste and pepper (optional). (Green chilli adds the required spice, but pepper can be an add-on, since most prefer toasts with pepper)

Mix well. The cabbage leaves a lot of water and so does the onion. So ensure not to press the cabbage and just keep tossing to make a dry mixture.

Stuff the mixture between two bread slices and toast or stuff between toasted bread slices.

Cut the stuffed bread diagonally to make sandwiches and serve hot with ketchup/chutney or as it is. A mango juice is sure to complete the meal. So is tomorrow morning’s breakfast menu decided? For you know this is what the family really enjoys.

Drumstick Tomato curry

After a memorable rejuvenating long holiday, we are back home and to the world of interesting recipes.

Drumstick tomato curry is another nutritious curry. Drumstick is known to be a good source of iron which is why it is commonly used in most recipes in India.

Preparation time: 20-30 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Drumsticks (munnakaada) 1
Medium sized Tomatoes 2
Onion 1
Green peas 1cup
Fresh and grated coconut 2tsp
Green chilly 1
Mustard seeds 1tsp
Cumin seeds (jeera/jeelakarra) 1tsp
Black gram (Urad dal/uddipappu) 1tsp
Curry leaves 4-5
Red chillies 2
Refined cooking oil 2-3 tsps
Salt to taste

Method:

Cut the drumstick into tiny pieces removing the fibrous strings. Slit the pieces to make cooking easier. Cut the tomatoes into cubes and chop the onion into small cubes. If using fresh green peas boil them for 10 mins.

Grind to fine paste: 2 tsps fresh and grated coconut, 1 tsp cumin, 1 green chilly and a pinch of salt.

In a kadai/pan (bandli/mookudu), heat oil. Once hot, add mustard seeds and ad they pop add cumin, black gram, curry leaves and red chillies. As the seasoning is done add the onion cubes and cook till the onions are soft and transparent. Add drumsticks, tomatoes, green peas, salt and sauté. Cover and cook for 5 mins. The tomatoes will leave water that is enough to cook the drumsticks as well, but if required a quarter cup of water can be added.
Once the drumsticks are well cooked, add the above ground coconut cumin paste and stir for 2 mins. Cook for 5 more mins on simmer till the gravy thickens. Add water if required and cook to desire level of consistency.

Drumstick tomato curry is a rice and an Indian bread supplement. It does taste awesome when served with plain rice and potato fryums to munch along.