Showing posts with label South Indian. Show all posts

Bisi Bele Millet Recipe [Video]

Spicy South Indian one pot main made by simmering millet with lentils (dal), mix vegetables and spice blends. Vegan and healthy.

millet cooked with lentils, vegetables and spices

So, here I am with another Millet recipe. As I mentioned in my last week's post, I'm all on the millet wagon. I'm enjoying discovering these grains and creating recipes with them. I made a Pulao last week with Millet that tasted awesome. Leave me a comment if you want me to post that recipe.

Apart from that, I had a super tiring Saturday and a totally relaxing Sunday, just as I had planned, or not. So the whole saturday was spent gardening. If you are new here, I should let you know I have a small balcony garden where I try to grow vegetables organically. More recently, I've acquired a few flowers and fruit too, but majorly focusing on herbs and vegetables. My okra and chilli plant from last month have germinated and are coming along fine. This Saturday, I've been ambitious and planted daikon radish, beets, french beans, and brinjals. And I'm so excited!!

Sunday was the day I turned a year wiser. I spent it doing absolutely nothing. Breakfast was at Gee's place and lunch at my in law's. Dinner was take out. So all I did was lie around and watch reruns of sitcoms all day long. My dream day, almost. It would be perfect if the day was 48 hours long.

What would be your dream birthday celebration?

So back to my millet wagon, this Bisi Bele Millet is a take on the Bangalore classic, Bisi Bele Bhaat. Bisi Bele Bhaat is a simple one pot main dish made by making a sambar - a curry with lentils and vegetables and adding rice to it and simmering the two together. In today's recipe, I have replaced the rice with millet. I used little millet or samai. Navane or Foxtail Millet can be used too. You can also use Quinoa.

Bisi Bele Millet is a spicy one pot comfort dish that is perfect for those lazy evening when all you are all worked up but cannot be bothered to get a take out. This dish is even easier when you have done all the prep work in advance. The lentils/dal can be cooked and stored in the refrigerator and so can the millet. The vegetables can be diced and stored in the fridge too. So on the night you want to eat the Bisi Bele Millet, just put one pot on the stove and get it going.

Bisi Bele Millet tastes delicious with the traditional topping of spicy boondi. If you aren't vegan, then I highly recommend stirring a teaspoon of ghee or serving it with a side of raita.

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook, tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are upto.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family!

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Bisi Bele Millet Recipe

Spicy South Indian one pot main dish made with cooked lentils, millet, mix vegetables and spice blends. Vegan and healthy meal.

Recipe Type: Main
Cuisine: South Indian
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
Yield: Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked Little Millet or Samai
2 cups cooked Pigeon Pea lentils or Toor Dal
2 cups mixed chopped Vegetables (Carrots, French Beans, Potato, Kohlrabi)
2 tsp Bisi Bele Bhaat Powder or Sambar Powder
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder
Pinch of Asafoetida (Hing)
Salt to taste
Water as required
2 tsp Oil
0.5 tsp Mustard Seeds
10-12 Curry leaves

Method:

1. Boil the diced vegetables until done. You can salt the water if you want.
2. Cook the vegetables until they are done, but not mushy.
3. Add salt, bisi bele bhaat powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and asafoetida. Mix well.
4. Add boiled lentils and mix well. Allow it to come to a rolling boil. Add a little water if it is too thick.
5. Add boiled millet and mix well. Allow it to cook on low heat for 5-6 minutes.
6. Heat oil in a small pan and add mustard seeds.
7. Once they splutter, add the curry leaves and immediately pour on the bisi bele millet.
8. Mix well.
9. Serve hot with raita.

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Healthy Millet Salad

Millet Lemon Rice | Samai Chitranna

South Indian style Lemon Rice made with little millets or samai.

I've newly discovered my love for millet - those ancient grains.

Off late I have been trying to eat healthier at night. My best friend lost a lot of weight by just avoiding eating rice at night, and I am inspired. I decided to give it a try. Although I'm not much of a rice person, there are nights when all I want is some rice and curry for dinner, you know, comfort food. Especially when I've been stressed out at work and the night is unusually chilly, which it kinda is with the monsoons setting in. In my bid to avoid rice, I've found a best friend in millet.

Millet are the best replacement for rice, they taste like rice and they cook like rice. They just are smaller in size, more like broken rice. And right now, they are a rage.

With an entire society reeling with obesity and health issues, everyone is trying to eat healthy, organic, seasonal and local. And millet have gained a large following thanks to that. They are also very nutritious and full of fiber. There are several varieties of millet available with Foxtail millet and Little millet being the closest to rice (according to me). They can also easily replace Quinoa in a recipe, they are much cheaper than quinoa, and close to its nutritional value. Millets are also gluten free. You can read more about millet here.

Now, to my recipe - Millet Lemon Rice. Lemon rice is a very common and popular way to use leftover rice in South India. I have replaced the rice with little millet in my recipe. Just like the regular Lemon Rice is best made with a day old rice, millet lemon rice is best made with cooled cooked millet, preferably a day old. I used half day old millet and it turned out perfect. To cook millet either follow the directions on the packet or cook it the same way you would cook rice. I cooked mine in the pressure cooker, you can cook it in a pan on the stove top or in a rice cooker.

While tempering the lemon rice, you can add peanuts or cashew nuts to add crunch to the dish. You can also skip the onions and capsicum and just make it plain.

Millet Lemon Rice can be served as breakfast or meal. It is easy to carry in a lunch box. It can be accompanied with Indian Pickle, Raita or crispy fried papads.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family!

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Millet Lemon Rice

Little millets or Samai are cooked and tossed in a tempering of mustard seeds, lentils, curry leaves, turmeric powder and lime juice. This is the perfect way to use left over millets.

Recipe Type: Main
Cuisine: Indian
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Total time: 70 minutes
Yield: Serves 2

Ingredients:

0.75 cup uncooked Little Millet or 3 cups cooked Little Millet
1.5 cup Water
3 tsp Oil
1 Onion
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
0.25 tsp Asafoetida (Hing)
1 Tbsp Chana Dal (Optional)
8-10 Curry leaves
0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 Lime
0.5 tsp Sugar
0.5 Capsicum
Salt to taste

Method:

1. If using uncooked millets, soak them in water for 30-45 minutes. You can soak them overnight as well.
2. Drain out the water and pressure cook with 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt until done (2-3 whistles). If you don't have a pressure cooker, just cook it the same way you cook rice.
3. Fluff it with a fork and keep aside to cool. Lemon rice works best with a day old millet, so you can prep this a day in advance.
4. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds.
5. Once the mustard seeds splutter, add the chana dal. Allow it to brown slightly.
6. Add the curry leaves and chopped green chillies.
7. Add finely chopped onion. Saute until the onions are browned.
8. Now add roughly chopped capsicum and saute for 3-4 minutes. You can add Cashews or peanuts too.
9. Add the turmeric powder, salt and juice of half lime. Mix well.
10. Add the millet and mix well.
11. Now as per taste, add in more lime juice, sugar and salt.
12. Garnish with the chopped coriander leaves.
13. Serve hot with raita.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Ghee Rice

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Iyengar Bakery Style Masala Bread Toast [Video]

Simple delicious masala bread toast made by topping bread with fried onions, carrots and spices in Bangalore Iyengar Bakery style!

Bangalore Iyengar Bakery Style bread toast topped with an onion-carrot masala

You asked for snacks, so here goes - Masala Bread Toast made in full Banglore's Iyengar Bakery style!!

So I recently posted a poll on my Facebook Page. Have you liked it yet? Go on, like it so you never miss out on what's cooking on One Teaspoon Of Life!! Anyway, so while not many of you voted, the choice was waaay too clear. All you ever want to eat is snacks. There is no satisfying you folks out there, is there? But you are my kinda people. I would have voted snacks too! To say I love snacks would be an understatement. I am forever hungry for snacks, just like you.

Today I'm sharing an extremely simple recipe. This Masala Bread Toast is an extremely popular product in Banglore's famous Iyengar Bakeries. And something I buy regularly. Every evening as I travel home from work, I have just one thought on my mind - "What do I eat for evening snacks today?". Sometimes, it is just leftover breakfast (I always make extra), or a dosa or pakoras, but a lot of times, it is this Masala Bread Toast from the bakery right behind my apartment complex.

So when you guys asked for snack, I thought this recipe was perfect. It is quick, it is filling, it is healthy if you use the right bread, and it is vegan too. But above all, it is delicious and your family will love it. It is also an excellent way to add veggies to your snacks. Although I have used some spice mixes like garam masala and chaat masala, you can skip them if making for kids or if you don't have access to them. The masala tasted perfectly tasty without any spices too.

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Iyengar Bakery Style Masala Bread Toast

Simple delicious masala bread toast made by topping bread with fried onions, carrots and spices in Bangalore Iyengar Bakery style.

Recipe Type: Snack
Cuisine: South Indian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Yield: Makes 5 toasts

Ingredients:

5 slices Bread
1 large Onion, roughly sliced
1 medium Carrot, grated
1 small Tomato, diced
2 Tbsp chopped Coriander
8-10 Curry leaves
1 Green Chilli, finely chopped
0.5 tsp Sugar
0.5 tsp Mustard Seeds
0.5 tsp Cumin seeds
0.25 tsp Garam Masala
0.25 tsp Chaat Masala
2 Tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds
2. Once the mustard splutters, add in the cumin seeds.
3. Once the cumin browns slightly, add the curry leaves and allow them to crisp up.
4. Now add the onions and saute them until they are lightly browned.
5. Toss in the grated carrot and mix well.
6. Add the diced tomatoes and mix.
7. Add the salt, chaat masala, garam masala and sugar. Mix well. Adjust the seasoning to suit your taste.
8. Cook for 2-3 minutes and remove from heat.
9. Add the chopped coriander leaves and mix well.
10. Dry toast the bread. You can add butter or oil while toasting if you like.
11. Spread the masala on the toast and serve it immediately like an open sandwich.
12. You can make the masala before and store it in the fridge, just heat it up before serving and top on the freshly toasted bread.

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Honey Cake

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Coriander Chutney Sandwich

Battalu Kadabu Recipe | Steamed Rice Cups [Video Recipe]

Steamed bowl shaped dumplings made from rice semolina. Vegan and gluten free!

Does Breakfast excite you? Are you a cereal from a box person or someone who likes to cook an elaborate first meal of the day? Or a mix of both?

I believe I am a mix of both. There are days when I prefer just bread butter or a simple Coriander Chutney Sandwich, and there are others where I like to put in my love and effort into my favorite meal of the day. Especially on weekends. And this "Battalu Kadabu" has usually been on my weekend breakfast menu, because I believed it took time to make it, until now. I made this on a weekday and actually timed it. And it took me 50 minutes from start to finish to make this and it fed 4 people. And I believe I even ended up taking 50 minutes because I attempted to shoot a video while cooking it. But I don't believe I will make this on a weekday again because I never have that much time to spare on a regular weekday morning, but I definitely don't mind eating them.

So what is this Battalu Kadabu. "Battalu" means bowl in Kannada and "Kadabu" is usually a steamed dumpling. So this dumpling is called so cause it is shaped like a bowl. I learnt this recipe from my mother in law. It took me a few tries to get it right.

This dumpling is made with rice semolina. It can also be made with rice flour, but I prefer the rice semolina version that I am sharing. Rice semolina is cooked in boiling water to make the dough. The dough should be slightly sticky and pliable. It should not crumble, if you want to shape the kadabus. If you are struggling to shape it like a bowl, just shape them like little discs. The taste will not differ with the shape.

I love this Battalu Kadabu because it is light. It does not fill me up to the brim and make me sluggish all day. It is vegan and gluten free. Serve it warm with a good spicy coconut chutney like this tondekai chutney made from ivy gourds or heerekai sippe chutney made from ridge gourd. If you are not vegan, fill up these rice cups with some golden ghee, it is delicious.

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Video Recipe

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Battalu Kadabu

Steamed dumpling made of rice semolina (rava), eaten as a breakfast in Mangalore along with Ghee and coconut Chutney.

Recipe Type: Breakfast
Cuisine: South Indian / Mangalorean
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 50 minutes
Yield: 28-30

Ingredients:

2 cups Rice Semolina (Akki Tari)
4 cups Water
0.5 tsp Salt
2 Tbsp desiccated Coconut
2 tsp Oil (to grease steamer)

Method:

1. Heat the water in a kadhai or deep pan.
2. Add the salt and coconut. Allow the water to come to a rolling boil.
3. Slowly add the rice semolina while stirring continuously to avoid forming lumps.
4. Keep stirring and cook it until everything comes together as one mass. This may take 5-6 minutes.
5. Remove from heat onto a dry plate and allow it to cool slightly.
6. Knead it for 3-4 mins, if it feels dry, add a little water and knead.
7. Pull out a small lemon sized ball and flatten it. Using your fingers make a small depression in the center and continue to gently press the edges to make a bowl shape. See video for reference.
8. If you are struggling to make the shape, just flatten them into little discs.
9. Grease the steamer plate.
10. Place them in a steamer and steam for 5-7 mins
11. Enjoy it while its hot with some spicy coconut chutney.

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Paddu

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Rava Dosa

Instant Mango Pickle [Video Recipe]

Quick and easy to make Indian mango pickle with video instructions. Simple and flavorful!

Instant Indian spicy pickle made with raw mangoes recipe

It's been long that we spoke about Mangoes. They are making their presence felt in the market and it's time to start giving them the attention they deserve.

I am all for enjoying the succulent sweet ripe fruit as is. But I LOVE cooking with the tart raw mango. The tartness of the raw mango is so different from that of lime or tamarind. I just find it fresher, don't you? It may be my love for the fruit talking.

South Indian Chana Masala

Fragrant chickpea curry made in South Indian style with fresh coconut and whole spices.

South Indian Chickpea Curry with coconut

That South Indian blood in me, is 50% coconut. I'm sure!

Everything tastes a little better with some coconut in it, do you agree?

Now, that we have established ourselves as fans of that brown fruit or nut, lets move on. So who like chickpeas? I know I do.

If you are still here, then you will love this South Indian style of making Chana Masala.

Chana Masala is a curry made with Kabuli Chana or Chickpeas or Chhole. South Indians make it differently from the North Indians. The North Indian curry is heavy on tomatoes, while the South Indian one uses coconut. If you were looking for the North Indian curry, you will like these:

Amritsari Chhole, Pindi Chhole or this slightly different Chhole Palak.

While I'm super lucky to be in the tropics, where coconuts are easily available and not very expensive, you can replace the fresh coconut here with frozen coconut or with coconut milk.

If using coconut milk, just expect a paler color as you will not be roasting the coconut.

Now, back to the dish, it is actually very simple to make. You really don't need to be a chef. But you have to know your spices. Here, I have used whole spices that I dry roasted on low heat for a few minutes and then ground along with the coconut. You can use garam masala or chhole masala, but I highly recommend grinding those whole spices, just this one time. Grated fresh coconut is also roasted on low flame until it turns a golden brown. If you are using coconut milk, you don't have to do this step. Grind the spices and the coconut. Fry it for a while, then add the chickpeas and simmer. Garnish generously with coriander leaves.

And this Chana Masala goes so well with crusty bread, some rice or light fluffy naans. You can make this curry and serve it right away, I think it tastes better the next day. A day or so in the fridge allows the chickpeas to soak in all the flavor.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family!

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South Indian Chana Masala Recipe

South Indian Chana Masala is a spicy curry made with chickpeas, fresh coconut and whole spices.
Recipe Type: Main
Cuisine: Indian
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 60 minutes
Yield: Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

1 cup dried Chana or 1 can Chickpeas
0.75 cups grated fresh Coconut or 1 cup thick Coconut Milk
5-7 dry Red Chillies
1 small Onion
1 Tbsp Coriander seeds
1 tsp Fennel Seeds (Saunf)
0.5 tsp Cumin Seeds (Jeera)
1-2 Cloves (Lawang)
0.5" Cinnamon (Dalchini)
1 green Cardamom (Elaichi)
4-5 Black Peppercorns (Kali mirch)
0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp grated Ginger
1 tsp Tamarind pulp
4 tsp Oil
A handful of fresh coriander leaves to garnish
Salt to taste
Water as required

Method:

1. Soak the dried chickpeas in water for 8-10 hours.
2. Pressure cook with a 0.5 tsp of salt until completely cooked. Do not overcook them.
3. Dry roast the coriander seeds, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and pepper on low heat until fragrant. That should take around 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and keep aside.
4. Heat 1 tsp of oil in the same pan and on medium to high heat, roast the dry red chillies until they puff up. Remove from heat and keep aside.
5. Lower the heat, and add the grated coconut (if using) to the pan and on low heat, roast the coconut until it turns a golden brown.
6. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
7. Grind together the roasted whole spices, red chillies, roasted coconut, grated ginger, tamarind, turmeric powder and chopped onion along with a little water to a smooth paste. If using coconut milk, just grind together the spices, red chillies, ginger, tamarind, turmeric powder and onion.
8. Heat the remaining oil in a pan, and add the ground paste.
9. Fry on low heat for 2-3 minutes.
10. Add the cooked chickpeas, 1 cup of water and salt. Allow to come to a boil and simmer for 8-10 minutes.
11. If using coconut milk, then add it after 5 minutes of simmering and continue to simmer until the curry reaches the desired consistency.
12. Garnish with the chopped coriander leaves.
13. Serve warm/hot with rice, bread, or flatbread of your choice.

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Vegan Thai Green Curry

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Goan Alsane Tonak

Amritsari Chhole

Tendle Bibbe Upkari

Fresh tender Cashew Nuts!!! This Konkani new year dish lets you enjoy the creamy tender nuts in a mild fry with ivy gourds and potatoes.

Konkani Recipes, how to make bibbe upkari recipe, how to cook tender cashew nuts, how to make tondekayee palya with cashew nuts recipe at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com

Fresh Cashew Nuts!! I cannot believe I was oblivious to their existence. Being Goan, my love for cashew nuts is obvious. But until today, all I had was dried cashew nuts, sometimes salted, mostly plain, sometimes flavored and once or twice, I have mustered courage to eat the fruit that causes throats to itch. Somehow, I totally missed getting on the fresh tender cashew nuts wagon, until now, of course. My friend Vindhya of A Million Morsels, introduced me to this tender creamy crunchy delicacy.

So when Raj went to Karkala for an extended vacation for Ugadi (Hindu New Year), he got me these tender cashew nuts or bibbo/ bibbe. They are sold in packets of 50 or 100 and are very seasonal. They are usually sold around Ugadi as this Tendle Bibbe Upkari is a specialty for Ugadi in a Konkani household. If you cannot find tender cashew nuts, you can replace them with dried cashew nuts that have been soaked in water overnight or for 4-5 hours until they are nice and soft.

Upkari is a simple palya or a dry vegetable curry. It is also super healthy, low on oil, high on seasonal ingredients, barely any spices. It is a refreshing fresh dish fit for Summer.

Tendle or Tendli / Tondekayee or Ivy gourds is the fruit of a creeper. Tastes best when harvested when they are raw and tender and green. As they ripen, they become red and soft. Ripe tendle can be used to make Tondekayee Chutney. My luck shined when Raj got me home grown fresh tendle from Karkala. I am a big fan of anything home grown and organic. The tendle he got me were so tender and cooked so quickly. They were delicate and crisp, just the way I love them.

Potatoes, you can add them or you can leave them. Sometimes, if one cannot find tender cashews or not enough of them, the quantity of the upkari is increased by adding more potato. I put them in as everyone loves potatoes.

Coconut, another homegrown ingredient in my cooking. I feel so lucky to get homegrown coconut. I don't grow them in Bangalore, but every time someone comes from Karkala, my mother in law makes it a point to send me coconuts grown at home. They are huge, sweet and juicy.. YUM!! The coconut here is much more than just a garnish, it is almost the heart of the dish that brings everything together.

This Tendle Bibbe Upkari has very little in the way of spices, just mustard seeds, urad dal and red chillies with a sprig of curry leaves. It uses very little oil, it is mostly cooked in water. As I said, it is very healthy. Tendle Bibbe Upkari is eaten as a side along with rice and dal or with chapati.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family!

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If you liked this, you may also like:

Tondekayee Chutney - Chutney made from ripe ivy gourds or tendle and coconut.
Saasav - Ripe mango curry from the Konkan coast.
Banana Blossom and White Peas Curry - Dry curry made with banana flower and dried white peas.

Tendle Bibbe Upkari

Tendle Bibbe Upkari is a Konkani vegatable dish made with fresh tender cashew nuts, tendle or ivy gourd and potatoes. It is usually made during Ugadi.

Recipe Type: Side
Cuisine: Mangalore
Prep Time: 1 Hour
Cook time: 40 minutes
Yield: Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

20-25 Tendle (Tondekayee or Ivy Gourd)
1 cup Bibbe or tender Cashew Nuts
1-2 Potatoes
3 tsp Oil
1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
1/2 tsp Urad Dal
3-4 dry Red Chillies
2 Tbsp grated fresh Coconut
8-10 Curry leaves
Water as required
Salt to taste

Method:

Boil 2 cups of water. Remove from heat once it comes to a rolling boil.
Soak the cashew nuts (bibbe) in the hot water for 1 hour. This will help loosen the skin.
Peel the thin brown skin of the tender cashew nuts.
Wash the cashew nuts thoroughly and split them into halves.
Cut the tips of the tendle and slice it into thin slices.
Peel the potato and slice them to the same size as the tendle
Heat oil in a kadhai and add the mustard seeds.
Once the mustard seeds splutter, add the urad dal, curry leaves and the dry red chillies.
Fry until the urad dal changes colour.
Add the sliced tendle and 0.5 cup of water.
Cover and cook until the tendle are half done.
Add the sliced potato and the tender cashew nuts.
Cover and cook until the potato and tendle are done.
Add salt and mix well.
Garnish with grated coconut.
Serve hot with chapati.

MIL's Spicy Tomato Curry with fried Bhindi (Okra) [Video]

Spicy Tomato Curry with fried Bhindi / Okra recipe with video instructions. Spicy Tomato Curry is a quick vegan tomato soup that is served with pan fried okra. Spicy Tomato Curry is vegan, gluten free and fits a Jain diet.

In a hurry? Jump to Video or Jump to Recipe

How to make spicy tomato soup recipe at One Teaspoon Of Life www.oneteaspoonoflife.com

They say winter is over. While I love the promise of sunshine all through the day, I miss the chill in the air. Luckily, it is still chilly in the morning, so I'm enjoying the last few days with my jacket until it is stacked in the cupboard for the next 6-7 months until the monsoons bring on some more chill.

Winter may be over, and warm nights back on the calendar, but hey, that really does not stop me from enjoying hot meals. And speaking of hot meals, especially my Mother-in-law's Spicy Tomato Curry. This curry is perfect for winter nights or rainy nights when all you want is a bowl of spicy sour soul warming goodness. But don't let the weather stop you from enjoying something this delicious. Unless you live on the coast in a tropical country in the Northern Hemisphere, you still have a few days of cold nights left, use it to enjoy this Tomato Curry.

While the name suggests curry, this is really a spicy Tomato Soup flavored with cumin, thickened with chickpea flour (gram flour/ besan) and garnished with fried okra (bhindi). Isn't fried okra the BEST? Crispy crunchy salty and we can always pretend it is healthy, after all it is a vegetable. If I haven't convinced you to fry that okra, you can just as well be a health freak and grill it up until it is nice and charred. My mother in law sometimes adds boiled potato cubes to the curry as well, but okra is the family favorite.

This is probably the quickest and absolutely no fuss soup I know to prepare. So no fine chopping, no 100 ingredients, no exotic spices (unless you consider cumin exotic), no hours and hours of simmering. NADA!!! Just 3 main ingredients and barely 40 minutes to prepare. No chopping, just blending.

Making this curry is super simple. I pressure cook the tomatoes whole for 8-10 minutes or 1-2 whistles. Then allow them to cool a little, before peeling them and blending. Meanwhile, fry up your chopped okra or boil the potatoes. Heat oil in a kadhai or pot and add cumin seeds. When they brown, add in the gram flour and saute it well for 1 minute. Then add in the blended tomatoes. Add water if required. Season with salt and red chilli powder and allow it to simmer for 5-8 minutes. If it is too thin, add more gram flour. If it is too thick add water. Too sweet, then add a little tamarind juice or lime juice. Too sour, then you can sweeten it with sugar or jaggery. Just TRUST your taste buds more than anything. I like my curry hot, sour with full flavor of cumin. Add the fried okra or potato just before serving.

Serve it with some crusty bread and dinner is done! You can also serve it with rice, though then I'd recommend you keep it thick.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family!

Video Recipe

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Spicy Tomato Curry

Spicy and easy Tomato Curry or Soup made with fresh tomatoes, thickened with gram flour and garnished with crispy fried okra.

Recipe Type: Soup
Cuisine: Indian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Yield: Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

5-6 large Tomatoes
6 tsp Oil
1 Tbsp Gram Flour (Chickpea Flour / Besan)
1 tsp Cumin seeds (Jeera)
15-20 small Okra (Bhindi)
0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder (Optional)
A handful of Curry leaves
Red Chilli Powder to taste
Salt to taste
Water as required

Method:

1. Pressure cook the tomatoes with 1 cup of water for 1-2 whistles or 8-10 minutes. If cooking in a pan, cook the tomatoes until they are soft. Reserve the water.
2. Peel the tomatoes and leave aside to cool.
3. Chop the end of the okra.
4. Heat 3 tsp oil in a small pan and fry the okra until they are slightly browned and crispy. Keep flipping the okra so that they cook evenly.
5. Once the tomatoes have cooled, blend into a puree with 1 cup of reserved water.
6. Once the tomatoes have cooled, blend into a puree.
7. Heat 3 tsp Oil in a large pan or pot and add the cumin seeds and curry leaves.
8. Once they brown slightly, add the gram flour and saute for 1 minute until the raw smell disappears.
9. Add turmeric powder and red chilli powder.
10. Pour in the blended tomatoes and 1 cup of water. Add salt to taste.
11. Let it come to a boil and then simmer for 5-8 minutes.
12. If the consistency is too thick, add more water. If it is too thin, add a 1 Tbsp gram flour mixed in water.
13. If the curry is too sour, add a little sugar. If the curry is not sour enough add a little tamarind juice or lime juice.
14. Add the crispy okra just before serving.
15. Serve hot with crusty bread or rice.

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