Ridge Gourd Tambuli - ಹಿರೆಕಾಯಿ ತಂಬುಳಿ

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Serves: 2-3 people

You will need:

1. Ridge Gourd/ಹಿರೆಕಾಯಿ: 1 no. - diced
2. Cumin seeds/ಜೀರಿಗೆ: 1 tspn
3. Mustard seeds: 1/2 tspn
4. Asafoetida/Hing: a pinch
5. Green Chillies: 2 nos.
6. Coconut (wet): 1/4 cup
7. Salt: according to taste
8. Yogurt: 1/2 cup
   

To cook:

• Boil about 2-3 cups of water. Add the diced ridge gourd and cook for approx. 5 mins. Keep it aside and let it cool.
• In a blender, add the cooked ridge gourd, green chillies, coconut and cumin seeds. Add a little water to get a soup like consistency.
• Transfer to a bowl and add yogurt and salt and mix well. 
• Temper it oil, mustard seeds and hing.
• Serve it hot/cold rice or can be eaten as raita!

Hirekayi Tambuli

Tindora Rice - ತೊಂಡೆಕಾಯಿ ಭಾತ್

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Serves: 2 people

You will need:

1. Tindora / Ivy Gourd / ತೊಂಡೆಕಾಯಿ: 200 gms - diced into 1/2 inch pieces
2. Onions: 1no.
3. Rice: 1 cup
4. Garam Masala: 1 tbsp
5. Red Chilli powder: 1 tspn
6. Peanut/ಶೇಂಗ/ಕಡ್ಲೆಬಿಜದ ಪುಡಿ: 1 tspn (optional)
7. Cumin seeds/ಜೀರಗೆ: 1 tspn
8. Cooking Oil: 1 tbsp
9. Hing/Asafoetida: 1 pinch
10. Salt to taste
11. Lemon juice to taste

To cook:

• Cook rice in a pressure cooker. Once cooked, spread it on a plate and let it cool.
• Heat oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds and asafoetida. 
• Now add the onions and saute until golden brown.
• Add the chopped tindora and let it cook until soft
• Add garam masala, red chilli powder, salt and peanut powder. 
• Then add the cooked rice and lemon juice and mix well. 
• Serve hot with raita!

Tindora rice

Vada Sambhar - ವಡೆ ಸಾಂಭಾರ್

Preparation time: 35-40 minutes

Serves: 2 people/10 vadas

Vada - ವಡೆ

You will need:

1. Urad dal/ಉದ್ದಿನ ಬೆಳೆ: 3/4 cup
2. Pepper seeds: 8-10 nos
3. Salt: according to taste
4. Green chillies: 2-3 - chopped
5. Cilantro: chopped
6. Cooking oil: 4-5 tbsp (for frying)

To cook:

• Soak the urad dal in water for at least 4-5 hours. Once soaked, grind it along with the pepper seeds and salt in a mixer/blender until you get a smooth paste. 
• Add 1-2 tbsp water if required. The batter should NOT be watery. 
• Once nicely ground, add chopped cilantro and green chillies to the batter. 
• Heat the cooking oil in a wok.
• Wet your palm and place some batter on it. Make hole in the middle and shape it like a donut.
• Drop this batter onto the heated oil and fry it until you get a nice golden brown colour.
• Serve hot with sambhar!

Vada Sambhar

Sambhar - ಸಾಂಭಾರ್ 

You will need:

1. Toor dal: 1 cup
2. Onions: 2 nos - roughly chopped
3. Curry leaves: 4-5 nos.
4. Mustard seeds: 1 tspn
5. Cooking Oil: 1 tbsp
6. Hing/Asafoetida: a pinch
7. Sambhar powder - 1 tbsp
8. Salt to taste
9. Water

To cook:

• Pressure cook the dal and keep it aside
• Heat the oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. Add hing once the seeds start spluttering.
• Add the curry leaves and chopped onions and saute until they turn translucent. 
• To this, add the cooked dal, water, salt and the sambhar powder. 
• Bring this to boil and serve it hot with idlis or vada!

Potatoes & Spinach Curry - Aloo Palak Sabzi

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Serves: 2 people

You will need:

1. Potatoes (medium size): 3-4 nos
2. Spinach: 1 bunch
3. Cloves: 5-6 nos.
4. Salt
5. Cooking Oil: 1 tbsp

To cook:

• Pressure cook the potatoes with some salt. 
• Once cooked, peel and dice them into half inch pieces and keep it aside
• In a pot, cook the spinach with water for about 5 minutes.
• Once cooked, remove it from the pot and let it cool
• Now grind the cooked spinach in a blender along with the cloves
• Heat oil in a skillet and add the blended spinach. You can use a lid to cover the skillet until the spinach stops spluttering.
• Keep stirring the spinach until the water and oil dry up. You will know the spinach is done once you start getting lumps.
• Now add the cooked potato pieces and some salt if required. 
• Give it a quick stir and enjoy it hot with chapatis!