Simple Okra/Bhindi With Paanch Puran

SrilathaIndian, Sides Leave a Comment

This is a simple dry side dish that comes together pretty quickly, and needs simple ingredients. This is inspired by the Bengali dish chorchori or churchuri which is made with a mix of vegetables such as pumpkin, eggplant, potatoes, and almost always spinach, but all I had was okra/bhindi, and I decided to make it with what I have. It turned out really good! The original Bengali dish uses the mix of whole spices called Paanch phoron/paanch puran which is readily available in Indian grocery stores (paanch meaning five in Hindi). The original recipe also uses the spices whole, but I modified it slightly by powdering them coarsely, and adding it at the end instead of in the initial tempering.

Tomato Rice

SrilathaMain Dish, South Indian Leave a Comment

This is a simple, one-pot dish that comes together in about 20 minutes. Add an onion/cucumber raita (grated, finely chopped onions and cucumbers in yogurt, and seasoned simply with salt, pepper) and you get a satisfying meal in under 30 minutes. Rough equivalent of the Mexican rice!

Kadalai Paruppu Sundal (Chana Dal Sundal)

SrilathaRecipe, Salads, Sides, Snacks And Light meals, South Indian, Starters Leave a Comment

Sundal is the generic term for the South Indian protein/complex carb dish that is made mostly by (sometimes) soaking and then steaming legumes, and seasoning them mildly, and garnished with coconut, cilantro. Roughly they can be equated to salads. They pack a protein punch, and are made during the festival season of Navratri in the southern part of India, on all nine nights, with different legumes such as chana dal (Bengal gram), chick peas (white as well as the small brown kind), peanuts, green gram, etc. Most of them are made with salt and mild spices, but there are a couple of recipes which are sweetened with jaggery and coconut.
I made the one with chana dal for Ganesh chathurthi, which celebrates Ganesha, the god in Hindu mythology who removes obstacles. Sundal is considered one of his favorite foods.