Chayote squash soup with black eyed peas

Chayote Squash Soup can be made as a thick soup or watery as per taste.
I Prefer my soup to be a little thick do i Pureed the soup.

Ingredients:

2 Chayote squashes (peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces)

1 Cup Black Eyed Peas (Cooked)

1/2 Cup Carrots (peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces)

1 no red Onion (chopped)
3 Cloves Garlic (Crushed)
1 teaspoon Tomato Paste
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 teaspoon Oil
1 teaspoon Cumin seeds

Water as required
Pepper to taste
Salt to taste.

Method:

Heat the Oil in a pot.

When the oil is hot add the cumin seeds and allow it to splutter, now add the chopped onion and sauté.

When the onion is translucent add the chayote squash, Chopped carrots and sauté for a minute.

Add garlic, salt, tomato paste, 3/4 cup of Black eyed peas, required amount of water and cover the pot and let it simmer till the chayote squash is almost cooked.

Add 3 tablespoons of cilantro, pepper, red pepper flakes and let cook for a minute.

Take a blender and blend to desired consistency.

Now add the remaining black eyed peas and let it cook for a minute.

Pour into bowls and garnish with a sprig of cilantro to serve.

Onion - Tomato Thokku

I was long overdue to the grocery store, so all that I had left at home was onion and tomatoes.
So I decided to make this thokku.
The Thokku can be made and stored off up to a week.It goes great with rice and Idly/Dosa.Ingredients:
2 no Tomato
3 no red Onion
10 pods Garlic
1 tbsp G/G Paste (Ginger/Garlic)
1 tbsp red Chilly powder
1 sprig Curry leaves
4 tsp Oil
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Urad dal
1 tsp Fennel seeds
Salt to taste.

Method:
Fine slice the onion, chop the tomatoes.
Heat the oil in a kadai. Add mustard seeds and urad dal when the oil is hot.
When the mustard seeds splutter, add the fennel seeds, curry leaves and onion.
Add the garlic to the onion and saute till the onion turns color.
Now add the G/G paste and the tomato and saute.
Add the red chilly powder, salt and saute till the onion and garlic is thoroughly cooked,adding little oil if necessary.
Turn of the heat once done.Allow it to cool completely and store in a clean dry container.

Thuvar lilva subzi / Pigeon peas subzi

We usually get fresh Thuvar lilva /Pigeon peas with their pods in India. But in the US we only get frozen or dried peas. I used the frozen peas for this subzi. Ingredients:

1 cup Thuvar lilva/Pigeon peas

1 no Potato

1 no Red onion

8 no green chillies

1 tsp G/G paste (Ginger/Garlic)

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Cumin powder

1 tsp Coriander powder

2 tsp oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

salt to taste.

Method:

Chop the onions , green chillies and set aside.

Cut the potato into small cubes.

Heat oil in a kadai and add the mustard seeds.

when the mustard seeds pop add the chopped onions and green chillies and saute.

(you can adjust the no of chillies according to your taste.)

Now add the G/G paste and stir .

Add the pigeon peas ,cumin powder,turmeric powder,coriander powder, salt with a little water and saute for a minute.

Now cover and let it cook for a few minutes .

Finally add the potatoes and give it a stir, add water if necessary.

Cover and cook till the peas and the potatoes are cooked.

Check and add water if necessary.

Serve hot with Roti/Chapati.

Pavakkai thatta payaru poriyal / Bittergourd Azuki beans poriyal

I just love all kinds of beans, but bitter gourd not so much... but the combination of both the ingredients is irresistible. Adding azuki beans to the bitter gourd takes out some of the bitterness from the gourd and also gives it an additional texture to the dish.Ingredients:
2 nos Bitter gourd
1 no medium sized Onion (chopped)
1/2 cup Azuki beans (cooked)
1 tbsp Sambar powder
1 tbsp Oil
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Urad dal
1 sprig Curry leaves
Salt to taste.
Method:
Wash the bitter gourd, discard the ends .
Cut the bitter gourd in the center and remove the seeds.
Chop the bitter gourd into to 1'' pieces.
Heat oil in a kadai and add the mustard seeds and urad dal.
When the mustard seeds pop add the curry leaves, onion and saute.
When the onion turns translucent, add the chopped bitter gourd and saute for a minute.
Now add the salt , sambar powder, azuki beans and let it cook til the bitter gourd is cooked through.
Sprinkle water as necessary.
Serve with rice or chapati.

Kollu kanji / Horsegram congee

Kollu or horse-gram has many nutritional benefits. It is a good sources of iron and molybdenum.
It is generally prepared in the cold season as it is supposed to have cold inhibiting nutrients.
we usually make kollu congee for dinner as it is very nutritious and easy to prepare.Ingredients:
1/4 cup Horse gram
3/4 cup Parboiled rice
Salt to taste.
Method:
Dry roast the horse-gram dal until it starts to pop.
Place the dal in the mixie and processes for 2-4 seconds.
Place the rice in a vessel and wash it just once.
Blow the processed horse-gram to remove the skin.
Add the horse-gram to the rice and add salt and add water and cook in a pressure cooker for 4 whistles.(water ratio 1;4)
Serve with moor milagai.

Vendakkai kara Pachadi / Okra Curry

Vendakkai / Okra is one of my favorite vegetables, but the only part i hate is how much time it takes to buy a tender bunch of these crunchy veggies...Ingredients:
1/2 lbs Okra
1 medium sided Onion (chopped)
1/2 cup Coconut shredded
1 tsp Cumin seeds
1 tbsp red Chilly powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Tamarind paste
1 sprig Curry leaves
1/2 cup Coriander leaves (chopped)
2 tbsp oil
1 no Kari Vadagam
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp urad dal
Salt to taste.
Method:
Wash the okra , cut the top and bottom ends.
Slit in the middle , chop and set aside.
Grind the coconut and cumin seeds to a fine paste adn set aside.
Heat 1 tbsp oil and crush the kari vadagam into it and saute.
Remove the kari vadagam from the kadai when it is fried well and gives off an aroma.
Heat the remaining oil in a kadai and add mustard seeds and urad dal.
When the mustard seeds splutter, add the curry leaves, onion, and saute.
When the Onion turn golden brown add the okra and saute for 3-4 minutes.
Now add coriander leaves,turmeric powder,chilly powder and saute for a minute.
Add salt tamarind paste and the ground coconut paste and the kari vadagam and bring the curry to a boil.
Let it simmer on medium heat for a few minutes.
Serve hot with steamed rice .

Kidney Bean Soup

Ingredients:
1 can Kidney beans
1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
1 no Medium sized Onion (chopped)
1 clove Garlic
1 tbsp Chilly powder
1/2 tsp Cumin Powder
1 tsp Coriander power
2 cups Vegetable stock
2 tbsp Olive oil
Tortilla Chips
Salt & Pepper to taste.
Method:
Drain and wash the kidney beans.(I always use low sodium beans)
Heat oil in a sauce pan and saute the onion.
When the onion is golden brown add the kidney beans and saute for a minute.
Now add the chilly powder, salt,coriander powder and cumin powder.
Add the crushed tomato and saute for a few seconds.
Now add the vegetable stock and let it simmer for 10 minutes
Transfer half the soup to a blender and processes for 20-30 seconds and mix it with the rest of the soup.
Garnish with broken tortilla chips and serve.