Kathirikai Rasavangi

Rasavangi is nothing but the combination of sambar and kootu. It’s a very common dish in Brahmin household. Easy to prepare and less time consuming. Pumpkin can be replaced with Brinjal. If using pumpkin reduce the cooking time as they have the tendency of turning mushy quickly.

Ingredients:

Kathirikai / Brinjal – 5 numbers

Toor dal – ½ cup

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Tamarind – 1 big gooseberry size

Salt

Oil – 1tbsp

For grinding:

Coriander seeds - 1½ tbsp.

Chana dal – 1 tbsp

Red chilli – 5 numbers

Coconut shredded – 3tbsp

Hing – ¼ tsp

Oil – ½ tbsp

For tempering:

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Urad dal – 1tsp

Curry leaves – 2, 3 leaves

Oil – 1tbsp

Hing – ¼ tsp

Method:

Wash and cut the brinjals lengthwise.

Cook the toor dal and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan. Add the brinjals and fry for few minutes.

Make a thick puree out of tamarind and pour it to the fried brinjal.

Add salt and turmeric to the brinjal and cook for 5min in low flame.

In the meantime fry the coriander seeds, chana dal, hing, redchilli, coconut in ½ tbsp oil.

Cool down and ground them to fine powder.

Add the cooked toor dal to the brinjal and cook for few minutes.

Add the grounded powder give a quick stir and remove from the fire.

Do tempering and pour it to the rasavangi.

Serve hot the kathirikai rasavangi with hot white rice.

Try with roti/chapatti.

Vazhaithandu kootu / Plantain stem kootu

Vazhaithandu is rich fiber content food. They help to prevent and treat kidney stones. They also help in weight reduction and cool the body. This kootu is easy to prepare as the cooking time is less and less ingredients are used. All you need is little patience to cut the vazhaithandu J

 

Ingredients:

Vazhaithandu – 1 medium

Shredded coconut – 3 to 4 tbsp

Cumin seed – 1 tsp

Butter milk – 1 cup

Beaten Curd – 1cup (beat with spoon or egg beater to avoid lump)

Green chilli – 2 to 3 (depend on the spice level)

Mustard seed – 1 tsp

Urad dal – 1tsp

Salt to taste

Curry leaves – 1tbsp

Coconut Oil – 1tbsp

Method:

Remove the outer layer of the vazhaithandu.

Cut into round shape while removing the fiber layer using your index finger.

Chop them into small pieces and place them in the butter milk to avoid turning colour.

Wash them using butter milk and strain the butter milk.

Add water ½ cup and pressure cook with salt. (4 to 6 whistles as they take time to cook tender)

In the meantime grind the shredded coconut with cumin seed and green chilli adding water.

Now add the grounded paste to the cooked vazhaithandu and boil for 5 to 7 min.

Add the beaten curd and mix well.

Stir for 1min and remove from the heat.

Heat oil (if you don’t have coconut oil its fine to use any other refined oil), add mustard seed, when they start splutter add urad dal and curry leaves and fry.

Add them to the vazhaithandu mix.

Serve with hot rice.

Tips: If the kootu is watery mix 1 or 2 tsp of rice flour with water and add them before removing from the heat.