Kamat Kolumbu

Some years back when we were in Chennai and Bengaluru, we used to have meals at some of the good Udipi Restaurants especially Kamat at Bengaluru. There, we became very fond of this particular kolumbu which was served as a side dish. I tried this at home and named it "Kamat Kolumbu".

This has vegetables like ladies fingers (okra or bhindi) and other ingredients which make it lip smacking. Other vegetables can also be tried. It is simple to make but the ingredients make it so tasty.

This recipe serves four to six people.

Ingredients	Quantity
Ladies Finger (Bhindi or Okra)	12
Coriander Seeds (Dhania)	3 tbsps
Fenugreek Seeds (Methi)	1 tbsp
Mustard Seeds	1 tsp
Asafoetida (Hing)	a pinch
red Chillies	3 or 4
Grated Fresh Coconut	¼ cup or less
Thick Tamarind Juice	½ cup
Jaggery	small piece
Curry Leaves	a few
Salt	to taste
Oil	2 tbsps
Water	if needed

Method

1. Cut the cleaned ladies fingers into small pieces and keep it aside.


2. Take a pan and heat it. Add the coriander seeds and fenugreek and red chillies and roast them till light brown. Cool it and grind it with coconut gratings and tamarind juice to a fine paste.


3. Take oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds,asofoetida,curry leaves and fry.Then add the cut ladies fingers and fry them on medium heat till done.


4. Now add the ground coconut paste,salt and jaggery into the vegetable and water if necessary because this dish should be of sambar consistency.


5. Boil all these ingredients well and remove from the heat and dish it out into a serving bowl.


6. Serve it hot with hot rice and enjoy it.


7. Other vegetables like capsicum or beans or brinjal etc can be used instead of ladies fingers.

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Amaranth Curry

Amaranth leaves are one type of greens available in India. In Telugu it is called "thotakura". In South India it is widely used in dhals,vadas and also in curries. Its unique taste and freshness makes it popular and also nutritious.Very little oil is used in this recipe and cooks easily. Use of garlic is optional as many homes do not favour the taste and flavour of garlic. Its eaten best with rice and can also be a side dish for chapatis.Try this easy and nutritious recipe. Serves four people.

Ingredients	Quantity
Finely Chopped Amaranth Leaves	5 cups
Ginger Paste	1 ½ tsp
Garlic Paste (Optional)	1 ½ tsp
Bengal Gram Dhal (Channa Dhal)	1 ½ tsp
Black Gram Dhal (Urad Dhal)	1 ½ tsp
Mustard Seeds	1 tsp
Cumin Seeds (Jeera)	1 tsp
Red Chillies	1 cut into 3 or 4 pieces
Asafoetida (Hing)	a pinch
Salt	to taste
Oil	1 tsp
Water	2 to 3 tbsps
Fried Vadiyalu	a few

Method

1. Take a pan and add the oil and heat it.


2. Add the channa dhal,urad dhal,mustard ,cumin,red chilly and asafoetida and fry them till the mustard seeds splutter.


3. Add the ginger and garlic paste and fry.Do not brown it too much.


4. Then add the chopped greens, salt and sprinkle the water and mix it well.Cook it on slow heat without covering it for few minutes.


5. Cover the greens and cook till done.


6. Serve it garnished with fried "vadiyalu" with rice or chappatis.


7. Vadiyalu or vadams are dried lentil balls.

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Cauliflower And Sprouts Curry In Cocount Milk

Normally cauliflower is made as a fry or with masala or plain sauteed curry. Here a trial has been made to combine it with healthy sprouts and coconut milk to make a delicious curry. This can be eaten with hot rice or chappatis and it is gluten free too. Children can also eat it if made less spicy.

Serves six people. Let me know how this creation turned out for you!

Ingredients	Quantity
Small Cauliflower Florets	2 cups
Green Gram Sprouts (or any other sprouts)	½ cup
Coconut Milk	1 cup
Sliced Onions	½ cup
Ginger Garlic Paste	1 tsp
Cumin Seeds	½ tsp
Pepper Powder/Green Chilly Paste	1 tsp
Cashewnut - Almond Paste (Optional)	1 tbsp
Chopped Cilantro/Coriander Leaves	1 tbsp
Water	¼ cup
Oil	2 tbsps
Salt	to taste

Method

1. Take a pan and add the oil and heat it.Fry the cauliflower florets a few at a time in this oil but see that they do not become brown.


2. When all the cauliflower florets have been fried, keep them aside.


3. In the same oil add the cumin seeds and fry.


4. Then add the ginger garlic paste and onions and fry them till they are transparent.Add the cashewnut,almond paste, and fry.


5. Add the sprouts and add the water and cover. Cook them till they are three fourths cooked.Add the cauliflower florets and cook.


6. Add the coconut milk,salt and pepper powder and cook.Instead of pepper powder,green chilly paste can be used.


7. When all the ingredients are mixed well,remove from heat and serve hot, garnished with chopped coriander leaves.

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Vegetable Momos

Momo is a Tibetian dish. This dish has an outer covering made of flour and has a filling which can be made according to your choice. Even a potato filling can be used.They are steamed and less fat is used and so, they have become popular.Nearly every street in Delhi has a Momos kiosk. Both vegetable and meat momos are available.In this vegetable momo, the filling has shredded cabbage,carrots and capsicum. Even shredded tofu can be used to increase its nutritive value.This recipe serves about ten medium sized momos.

Ingredients	Quantity
Plain Flour{Maida}	1 cup
Salt	to taste
Cold Water	enough to make dough
INGREDIENTS FOR FILLING
Shredded Cabbage	1 cup
Grated Carrot	¼ cup
Chopped Capsicum (Green Bell Pepper)	2 tbsps
Chopped Onions	2 tbsps
Chopped Ginger	½ tsp
Chopped Garlic	½ tsps
Soy Sauce	1 tbsp
Tomato Sauce	1 tbsp
Chilli Sauce	1 tsp
Salt	to taste
Oil	1 tsp
INGREDIENTS FOR THE DIP
Ripe Tomatoes	2
Garlic Cloves	6 to 7
Soaked Dry Red Chillies	2
Salt	to taste

Method

1. Mix the flour with enough cold water and salt in a container and knead it to fairly stiff dough.Cover it and keep it aside.


2. To make the fillng,take oil in a pan and add the ginger,garlic and onions and fry a little.Add the vegetables and salt and cook for three minutes.


3. Then add the soy sauce,tomato sauce and chilly sauce and mix.


4. Cook the vegetables till the water in them evaporates. Keep it aside.


5. To make the dip,grind the chopped tomatoes,garlic,salt and soaked red chillies in a grinder to a fine paste.Water may be added for the right consistency.


6. To make the momos,divide the dough into ten balls and roll out each ball into three inches diameter circles. The edges should be thinner than the center.


7. Take each circle and place a teaspoon and a half of the filling in the center and gather the edges by pleating to the center. Seal it with a little water.Different shapes can be made also like semicircles..If you are making them before hand then the momos have to covered with moist cloth before steaming otherwise they will become dry.


8. If a typical bamboo steamer is not available , they can be put on a greased plate and placed on a utensil and steamed in pressure cooker without the weight.Or an idli steamer can be used.The moulds have to be greased before placing the momos so that the do not stick to the plate while removing.The momos have to steamed for ten to fifteen minutes.


9. Serve hot momos with the hot garlic dip.


10. These steamed momos can also be fried in oil to make them crisp.But this becomes high in calories.Momos can be served as a starter or as a light meal.

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A Medley Of Fried Vegetables

Vegetables like onions, potatoes, green chillies etc. have been used often to make pakodas or fritters in India or as a snack during festivities.Here an attempt has ben made to experiment with vegetables like bittergourd,wholebrinjals,capsicum,tomato,cauliflower and greens like spinach,betal leaves or " paan" as it is called.Some of these vegetables have to be steamed before frying as they take time to cook when fried as it is. The batter for all these vegetables is more or less the same. Variations can be made as desired.This has many calories ,so it can be made occasionally.

For the Batter

Ingredients	Quantity
Gram Flour (Besan)	1 cup
Rice Flour	2 tbsps
Red Chilly Powder	1 tsp
Coriander Powder	1 tsp
Cumin Powder	1 tsp
Celery Seeds (Ajwain)	½ tsp
Soda bi carbonate (Optional)	½ tsp
Chopped Coriander Leaves	1 tbsp
Salt	to taste
Water	to make the batter

Vegetable Ingredients
Vegetables like bitter gourd,small round brinjals,raw banana bell pepper or capsicum,cauliflower,tomatoes spinach,cabbage and betel leaves

Ingredients	Quantity
Oil	for deep frying
Finely Chopped Onions	2 tbsps
Chaat Masala Powder	1 tsp

Note
This is the basic recipe for the batter and vegetable mix. If more is required more batter can be mixed. Also shredded cabbage and chopped spinach have to be mixed with the same ingredients of the batter but with less water.

Method

1. Mix all the ingredients for the batter in a bowl and keep it aside.


2. Cut the bittergourd into two pieces and slit the centers. Leave the stem of the brinjal intact and slit it in the center on either side.Boil these two vegetables in water with plenty of salt seperately.


3. Slice the bellpepper into long pieces and dice the tomato and raw banana into circles. Use half ripe tomatoes preferably.


4. Chop the spinach and shred the cabbbage leaves. Do not cut the betal leaves.


5. All these vegetables will be used seperately.


6. Heat oil in a pan for deep frying.


7. Dip each vegetable in the batter and fry them in the oil till they are golden brown.


8. Spread them in a large serving plate and garnish with finely chopped onions and sprinkle some chat masala powder and serve with coconut chutney or green chutney or tomato ketchup.Bitter gourd,brinjal and capsicum pakodas can be served with hot rice or chappatis.

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Thai Vegetarian Red Curry

This is an attempt to give a recipe which is liked by many people nowadays and has a different flavour. Various vegetables are used in this recipe. One can make it with eggplants or brinjals also. Tofu and nuts like fried cashewnuts and almonds can be added to enhance the protein content. The recipe for Thai red curry paste recipe has been taken from Darlene Schmidt and adapted.

Ingredients	Quantity
Thai Red Curry Paste	3 tbsps
Lemon Grass	2 tbsps
Lime Leaves	2
Basil Leaves	a few
Carrot	1
Cauliflower Flowerlets	6
French Beans	6
Small Purple Onions	a few
Green Bell Pepper (Capsicum)	1
Spring Onions	1 stalk
Coconut Milk)	1 ½ cups
Tofu	a few pieces
Fried Cashewnuts and Almonds	a few
Salt	to taste
Cooked Basmati Rice	1 ½ cups

To make Thai Red Curry Paste

Ingredients	Quantity
Purple Onion	1
Lemon Grass	1 stalk
Red Chillies	3 (as per required spiciness)
Garlic	3 cloves
Ginger	1 inch piece
Black Pepper	½ tsp
Chilly Powder	2 tbsps
Coriander Seeds Powder	1 tbsp
Soy Sauce	1 tsp
Brown Sugar	1 tsp
Turmeric Powder	½ tsp
Coconut Milk	½ cup

Method for Paste

Put all these ingredients in a mixie and grind it into a fine paste.Ater using it if left over, you can store it in the freezer.

Method for Dish

1. Chop the carrots and capsicum to big pieces and slice the beans and spring onions.


2. Take one tablespoon of oil in large pan and add garlic in it and fry a little.


3. Add all the vegetables and a pinch of salt and stir fry.


4. Remove from the heat and place them in a bowl.


5. In the same pan add two tablespoons of oil and heat it.


6. Add three tablespoons of the Thai red curry paste and fry a little.


7. Then add the coconut milk and cook.


8. Add the stir fried vegetables,tofu pieces and mix well and cook for two or three minutes.


9. If more salt is required, it can be added.


10. Serve this spicy vegetable curry in a serving plate with hot cooked rice and garnish it with basil or coriander leaves and fried cashewnuts and almonds.

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Dry Colocasia Curry

Colocasia is arbi or arvi in Hindi and chamadumpa or chamagadda in Telugu, is normally fried with cumin and red chilly powder till it is crisp. This recipe is from North India which is made with masalas other than oinion, ginger or garlic. Baby potatoes or big potatoes can be used instead of colacasia.

Ingredients	Quantity
Colocasia	250 gms
Wheat Flour	2 tbsps
Celery Seeds (Ajwain)	2 tbsps
Coriander Seeds Powder	1 tsp
Cummin Seeds Powder	1 tsp
Red Chillies Powder	1 ½ tsps
Garam Masala Powder	1 tsp
Salt	to tase
Oil	2 tbsp
Chopped Coriander Leaves	1 tbsp

Method

1. Boil the colacasia/potatoes in water. Do not over cook them. Peel them and dice them.


2. Take oil in a pan and heat it . Add celery seeds and fry them.


3. Lower the heat and add the wheatflour and fry till light brown in colour.


4. Add turmeric powder,coriander powder,cumin powder,red chilly powder,garam masala powder and salt and mix.


5. Then add the diced colacasia pieces and fry in this mixture till they are slightly brown and crisp. Extra oil can be added if required.Remove from the heat.


6. Garnish it with chopped coriander leaves and serve it with chappatis.

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