Sowmya's Spicy Corner

Methi Pulav

January 21, 2021 Sowmya

Methi Pulav is a nutritious and flavourful one pot meal, perfect for travel and lunch boxes. The methi leaves or fenugreek leaves are a powerhouse of nutrition since they are rich in iron, Vitamin C, A and other minerals. It has myriad of health benefits, including regulation of blood sugar and cholesterol. Methi leaves have a slight bitter taste which can be over powered by adding the right amount of spices & following few tricks and tips. There are several ways to include this nutritious methi leaves in the diet (Methi paratha, Methi adai, Methi millet adai/dosa, Methi raita, Methi Kootu, Methi masiyal, Methi sambar& much more) . Today’s recipe, Methi pulav is prepared by tossing the cooked rice along with methi masala paste and some spices.

Crispy Honey Chilli Cauliflower /Gobi

January 20, 2021 Sowmya

Honey chilli gobi / Honey Chilli Cauliflower is a trendy Indo-Chinese starter that is served in restaurants. It is a perfect starter to munch over on a cold winter evening. It can also be served in parties or any occasion as a starter or as a side dish for fried rice / pulav rice. The cauliflower florets are dipped in a batter, deep fried and tossed in a mixture of honey and chilli sauce. The sweetness from honey and the spiciness from green chillies & chilli paste definitely is a treat to the palettes. The crispy and glossy finish of the florets definitely looks appealing and appetizing.

Palak/ Spinach Adai

January 19, 2021 Sowmya

Adai is a healthy tiffin variety from South India. It is made by soaking and grinding some definite proportion of rice, lentils and chillies. Most of the South Indian tiffin varieties have a large proportion of rice that contributes to the bulk of carbs in vegetarian diet. Since adai has a large proportion of lentils, it is a healthier breakfast / dinner option. The best part of this tiffin variety is that it doesn’t require fermentation. Apart from the regular lentils, I have added some white and black kidney beans (karamani ) for better taste, crunchiness & nutrition. The addition of chopped palak /spinach leaves to the batter makes it a wholesome, flavourful, colourful and nutritious meal.

Tawa Pulav

January 18, 2021 Sowmya

Tawa pulav is a one pot Indian meal and is a very common street food in India. Unlike the biryani and other pulav varieties, this dish does not require any grinding of masala paste. It is a quick and easy to do recipe and requires simple ingredients which are readily available in every Indian house. The rice and the vegetables are tossed and cooked along with the readily available spice powders. The dominant spice powder in this dish is the pav bhaji masala powder which is a blend of different spices. This recipe is very simple and can be easily prepared by even beginners. It is a perfect dish to pack for lunch boxes. For this recipe, I just followed the food blog ‘Dassana’s Veg Recipes’ (with subtle changes).

Sweet & Sour Pumpkin Curry /Dry Subzi

January 16, 2021 Sowmya

Pumpkins are a variety of squash and are very popular and easily available in North America especially during fall & winter months. In the month of October, when the leaves start to wither, kids look forward to Halloween celebration. Its a tradition in North America to carve and decorate the pumpkins as Jack-O-lantern for Halloween Celebrations. Its a wonderful delight to watch the bright and carved pumpkins displayed outside everybody’s porch. Apart from its artistic look and usage, pumpkins are widely used in different cuisines because of its sweet taste and rich nutritional value. There are many ways to include this squash in our diet by way of soups, desserts, salads, pies and much more. In South Indian cuisine, it is often prepared as porial/dry subzi or cooked and tossed in sambar/gravies. Today’s recipe – Sweet and sour pumpkin porial is prepared by tossing some easily available spices at home that complements very well with the sweetness of the squash. This tangy, sweet and sour pumpkin curry can be served with rice or rotis.

Tirunelveli Style Poricha Kuzhambu

January 15, 2021 Sowmya

Poricha kuzhambu is a traditional Tirunelveli style stew made with mixed vegetables, lentils, coconut and spice paste. Most of the South Indian traditional kuzhambu/gravy varieties have tamarind as the base. This classic poricha kuzhambu is a unique and flavoursome stew that stands out from other kuzhambu varieties since it does not have tamarind. This is a wholesome nutritious dish when served with steamed hot rice, since it has vegetables, lentils and a blend of all good spices.