Ridge gourd gravy/பீர்கங்காய் கூட்டு

Ingredients:

Ridgegourd/Peerkangai - 1
Onion- 1/2 (chopped fine)
Tomato- 1 big
Green chillies- 4 or 5
Garlic-1-3 cloves
Moong dal - 1 cup
Coconut- 1/4 to 1/2 cup
Jeera seeds - 1 and 1/2 tsp
Red chilli-1
Salt - as reqd

Method:

• Wash and cook moong dal with enough water and turmeric, onions, chillies and add tomatoes .
• You can either steam cook it moong dhall  with Onion,Tomoto,Green Chilli,Garlic and turmeric for 1 whistle in cooker
• Next grind coconut and jeera with some water to a fine paste.
• Meanwhile scrap out the skin off the ridgegourd.(You can  use it to make a thuvayal/chutney.)
• Add to the cooked dhall .Cut the gourd into small pieces and boil it with very little water(if needed) and salt.
• The gourd cooks very fast so don't boil for long and make it mushy.
• Finally add the ground coconut and bring it to a boil.
• Next heat oil in the kadai and splutter mustard seeds, urad dal and jeera ,red chilli,curry leaves. 
• Add salt and mix well.
• Serve it with rice or roti. It tastes just great.

Aviyal / அவியல்

Aviyal

The Maharaja of Travencore used to perform Murajapam every year,( a vedic seminar,) in which a large number of vedic scholars participated. One year it so happened that there was no vegetables left on the last day of the Murajapam.. Only few pieces of various vegetables left over from the previous days were available. The cook cut all the left overs into long thin pieces and prepared "Aviyal." The king liked the dish so much and presented him with a gold bracelet so much and ordered that this dish be served every year since then. Otherwise, all the following vegetables can be used, depending on the availability. one of my favorite item..........Here is the recipe for you guys.

Ingredients:

• Drumstick, Cucumber, Potato,
• Pumpkin, Egg Plant,
• Beans,Sepakilangu ,Carrot ,
• Long Beans and Raw Plantain - 3 Cups. 
• Cut vegetables lengthwise.
• Water – 1/2cup
• Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
• Chilli Powder – 1/4 tsp
• Coconut – 1/2 cup
• Green chilly – 2-3
• Jeera – a pinch
• Yogurt – 1/4 cup, beaten
• Coconut oil – 1 tsp
• Salt
• Curry leaves

Method:

• Grind together coconut, jeeraand chilli into a thick paste(coarse). 
• Cook the veggies with turmeric and chilli powder and salt. 
• When the veggies are 3/4th cooked, add the ground paste. Mix well. 
• Cover and cook till the veggies are done and the raw taste of coconut paste is gone. 
• Add yogurt and mix well. 
• Cook for 1-2 minutes more and just before removing from the gas, add the coconut oil and curry leaves. 
• Serve hot with rice and Adai.

Keerai kootu / கீரை கூட்டு

Keerai kootu

Ingredients:

Keerai- 1 bunch -
Toordhal/moong dhall – ½ cup 
Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
Onion – 1/2 chopped finely
tomoto-1
green chilli-4Turmeric powder- ½ tsp
Coconut gratings – 1 tablespoon
Jeera – 1 tsp
Oil- 2 tsp
Salt – ½ teaspoon
redchilli-2

Method:

• Cook  dhal with onion tomoto and green chilli turmeric powde till soft . 
• Remove the roots and wash the keerai thoroughly. 
• Chop the keerai finely. .and cook until keerai is done
• add cooked dhal mashed nicely
• Grind coconut and jeera to a paste and add this also to the keerai. 
• Add little water and make semi liquid. Allow to boil. 
• Season it with mustard and red chilli finely fried

Happy Cooking