Tamatar ki Kadhi

Ingredients:
4 - large tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon - mustard seeds (rai)
1/2 teaspoon - cumin seeds (jeera)
1 - green chilli, chopped
5 to 6 - curry leaves
2 - cloves
2 tablespoons - Bengal gram flour (besan)
1/4 teaspoon - turmeric powder (haldi)
2 teaspoons - chilli powder
a pinch - asafoetida (hing)
2 tablespoons - jaggery (gur), grated
2 tablespoons - oil
salt to taste

For The Garnish :
1 tablespoon - chopped coriander


Method:
Roughly chop the tomatoes and cook them with 1/2 cup of water for about 10 to 15 minutes.
Cool and liquidize in a food processor to a get a smooth puree. Keep aside.
Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
When they crackle, add green chilli, curry leaves, cloves and gram flour and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the turmeric, chilli powder, asafoetida and pureed tomatoes with 2 cups of water.
Cook on a medium flame, stirring continuously.
When the kadhi comes to a boil, add the jaggery and salt and simmer for another 5 minutes.
Remove from the fire.
Garnish with the coriander and serve hot with rice.

Cooking Time : 30 mins.
Preparation Time : 10 mins.
Serves : 4.

Prawn Pickle 2

Ingredients
3 Cups Of Fresh Shelled Prawns
1 Cup Vinegar
5 Large Onions (Minced)
A Few Curry Leaves
1/2 A cup Mustard Oil Or Any Vegetable
Salt To Taste

Grind to a paste:
12 Cloves Of Garlic
12 Dry Chillies

Method:
Skin & Remove the heads from the prawns & also remove the back veins .
Wash well in salt water & drain dry
Mix with turmeric powder & keep aside for 10 minutes.
Now heat some oil in a pan & fry the Prawns crisp with some Salt.
Remove the Prawns from fire & Keep aside
Pour the mustard oil in a pan now & allow it to become hot.
Fry the onions until golden brown & add the ground paste masala to the onions & fry for few minutes ,then add curry leaves & the vinegar slowly.
When the vinegar starts to bubble ,add the prawns & Salt to taste.
Turn down the fire & allow the prawns to simmer until the mixture is dry.
Remove from the fire & allow it to cool completely.
Then store in a glass jar in the refrigerator until required.

Prawn Pickle

INGREDIENTS:
1 kg (just over 2 pounds) king prawns
750 ml white vinegar
2 dozen dry red chillies
4 tsps cumin seeds
A thumb-sized piece of ginger
15-20 cloves of garlic (one large pod)
7 tbsps oil
Salt

PREPARATION:
Wash, shell and devein the prawns. Pat them dry with a paper towel.
Mix salt to taste and the turmeric powder and rub into the prawns. Keep aside to marinate for an hour.
Grind the red chillies, ginger, garlic and cumin seeds into a thick, smooth paste in a food processor by adding a little vinegar at a time.
Heat 4 tbsps of oil on a medium flame and stir fry the prawns till golden. Drain on paper towels and allow to cool.
Fry the spice paste you made earlier with 3 tbsps ofoil, till the oil beging to separate from the masala. Now add the remaining vinegar (season if necessary) and cook on a medium flame for 15 minutes more. Allow it to cool fully.
Place the prawns in a glass pickling jar and pour the cool spice mix over them.
Mix well and allow to 'rest' for a few days before eating.
Eat with rice and daal or just plain boiled rice.

Tomato Rasam

Ingredients:
3-4 tbsp. Red Gram Daal
4 large tomatoes (finely chopped)
1/2 tsp. Garlic paste
1-inch piece of ginger (finely chopped)
21/2 cups water
1tsp Garlic grated
1 or 2 green chilies finely chopped
Coriander leaves finely chopped
Salt to taste
Chili or pepper powder to taste.
1/2tsp. turmeric powder
1tsp. mustard seeds
1tsp. cumin seeds
1-2 whole dried red chili (halved)
A pinch asafetida
Few curry leaves
2tbsp. oil

Method:
Pick, wash and pressure cook the daal and keep side.
Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, dried chili and asafetida.
When mustard seeds start to splutter add garlic, ginger, tomatoes and green chilies.
Add salt, chili & turmeric powder and a cup of water.
Simmer for 5-6 minutes and add the cooked daal and 11/2 cup of water and bring to boil.
Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves.