Black Matar Pulao

 

                                  Black matar pulao served with banan chips, mango chunda, 

                                      bitter gourd potato sabzi, salad and onion tomato raita

Black matar (or kala vatana) are small, dark green-to-black dried peas known for their earthy, nutty flavor and firm texture, often used in Indian cuisine. These high-protein, fibre-rich legumes are staples in Maharashtrian usal, Sindhi matarpao, and Himalayan dishes, providing a healthier, iron-rich alternative to green peas that stays firm when cooked. They are low in fat and, due to high fiber and low-glycemic index, excellent for managing blood sugar, heart health, and weight loss. Known for excellent shelf life, lasting up to three years, making them a sustainable crop. They are highly nutritious, fiber-rich legumes providing significant protein, iron, and essential minerals per serving.

My husband loves its sabzi and I keep preparing it. My daughter said once that delicious pulao can be made too. So I ventured to prepare black matar pulao and it turned out very tasty.

Ingredients

½  cup black matar soaked overnight, pressure cooked for 20 minutes with salt and 1 ½  cups water.

1 cup rice washed, cleaned and soaked for ten minutes

2 tbsps oil or ghee

¼ tsp cumin seeds

1 bay leaf

2 cardamoms

A small stick of cinnamon

1 onion finely cut

½ inch piece ginger peeled and finely cut

2 tbsp moringa leaves (optional)

Salt to taste

2 cups water

Insturction

-          Keep the black matar ready after cooking. Soak the rice for ten minutes before starting to make pulao.

-          Heat oil or ghee in the pressure cooker and when heated, add cumin seeds, bay leaf, cardamoms, cinnamon stick, and oinion.

-          Stir and when the onion becomes transparent, add the moringa leaves, cooked black matar, soaked rice and salt.

-          Stir well and add 2 cups of water. Any water remaining after cooking the matar should be part of this 2 cups.

-          Pressure cook for 5 minutes, allow it to cool and open.

-          Serve with curd or raita, pickle and papad.

 

Bitter gourd Potato Sabzi

 

After making the bitter gourd scramble, two bitter gourds were still lying in the refrigerator. For two days, it almost felt as though they were silently calling out to me, guiding me toward a new preparation.

A clear image of the dish had already formed in my mind—I could almost see how it would look once cooked. Strangely, I could even sense its taste beforehand, as though the flavors had already touched my tongue.

On the third day, I finally decided to prepare a sabji using bitter gourd and potatoes. And when the dish was ready, it looked exactly the way I had visualized it in my mind’s eye. Even more surprising, it tasted precisely the way I had imagined. It was such a beautiful and almost magical experience.

So, here is the recipe.

Ingredients

2 bitter gourds, washed, cleaned and slit longitudinally and sliced, Remove any hard seeds

1 large potato, cleaned, peeled and cubed

1 onion finely cut

1 tomato cut into small pieces

1 tbsp oil

A few mustard seeds

¼ tsp Turmeric powder

¼ tsp red chilli powder

½ tsp coriander powder

½ tsp dried mango powder

Salt to taste

½ cup water

Instruction

-          Heat the kadai with oil, ad mustard seed. When they splutter, add the potato cubes           

          

       Stir for a few seconds, add the cut onion, stir.

-          When the onion becomes transparent, add the cut tomato and the bitter gourd, salt and the masala powders.

-          Mix well for a few seconds, add water, reduce the flame, cover the vessel and let it cook for ten minutes. Check in between and add more water if needed. When the potatoes are cooked, remove from fire.

-          Serve with chapatis, or with rice and dal.

Pothichoru

 

Pothichoru is a traditional Kerala lunch packed in a wilted banana leaf, literally translating to "packed rice". While in school, many of my classmates used to bring pothichoru daily , which consisted of boiled rice, chammanthi, and pickle. In our many years of train journeys, we used to pack pothichoru to eat while in the train, and children carry fond memories of this ritual. The items packed used to be boiled rice, pulissery (packing this liquid in a pouch made from banana leaf and banana tree thread is an art in itself, which I have mastered), green gram thoran, chammanthi, and omelette.

Recently, on our trip to Bangalore I packed pothichoru for our lunch. Since we were starting at 6 am, I kept the items simple – vegetable pulao and curd that was set in a container the previous evening.

The banana leaves were washed thoroughly, then wilted by carefully passing all parts of the leaf over a low flame, moving continuously. Then the midriff of the leaf at the back was carefully thinned out, so that the leaf could be folded.

The pulao was kept in the centre of the leaf.  

The leaf is first folded around the pulao from both sides longitudinally, then horizontally. 

Then it is packed in a news paper. 

The heat of the cooked food interacts with the leaf, which enhances the taste of the dishes, particularly over several hours.

 

Onion Tomato Raita with a Tadka

 

                                                      Raita servd with vegetable pulao

We had just been to Kerala and my brother in law gave us this delicious raita with tadka, my husband became a fan of this dish and I have already made it thrice for him.

Ingredients

1 cup beaten curd

1 tomato cut fine

3,4 shallots (or half onion) cut fine

1 green chilli cut

Salt to taste

For tadka

1 tbsp oil

¼ tsp mustard seeds

A few curry leaves

Instruction

-          Mix a tsp of beaten curd with salt and cut onions with fingers nicely

-          Add this to the curd along with cut tomatoes and green chilli

-          Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add curry leaves. When the leaves are done, switch off the flame.

-          After a couple of seconds, pour the raita into the kadai, stir well and transfer it back to the bowl

Millet Porridge

 

Millets are highly nutritious, gluten-free ancient grains packed with protein, fibre, antioxidants, and essential minerals like magnesium, iron, and calcium. They have a low glycemic index, and support heart health by managing blood sugar and cholesterol levels. High fibre content, particularly in Barnyard millet, promotes satiety, aids digestion and improves bowel movement. Soaking millet overnight reduces antinutrients, boosting nutrient absorption.

Millet Porridge

Millet has a mild, earthy taste that can be used for both sweet and savory dishes.

Sweet: Cooked with milk (or dairy alternatives), nuts, and fruits, and add jaggery or honey later.

Savory: Prepared with vegetables and spices.

Millet porridge is a superfood for women, offering high levels of iron, calcium, and fibre that support bone health, boost energy, and help manage weight and PCOS. Its low glycemic index aids in hormonal balance, while essential nutrients enhance skin elasticity and aid in lactation.

For some time now we are having millet porridge for Sunday breakfast. I have to remember to soak it on Saturday morning. I like it savory, so add salt, one tablespoon of curd and sometimes half teaspoon of peanut chutney. My husband likes it sweet and adds honey or jaggery.

Ingredients

2 ½ tbsps of millet, we use Barnyard millet and Foxtail millet

8 cups of water

Instruction

-          Soak the millet after washing thoroughly at least three times, in 2 cups of water for 12 hours. I soak on Saturday morning and cook in the evening.

-          Add 6 more cups of water to the soaked millet and bring to boil, preferably in an earthen vessel.

 R    Reduce the flame to minimum and cook for 20 minutes.

-          Let it cool, cover with a cloth and tie around. Leave it for 12 hours. I leave it on Saturday night.

-          Sunday morning it is ready to eat after the mild fermentation.    

        

       Make it sweet or savory as per your liking.

Ragi Roti

This is a delicious item of gluten free preparation.

Ingredients

2 cups water

2 cups ragi flour ( four 4 rotis)

Salt to taste

2tsps ghee or oil

Ghee for applying on the roti while cooking

Banana leaf to spread the dough

Instruction

-          Boil the 2 cups of water, add 2 tsps ghee, salt, reduce the flame and slowly add the ragi flour, mixing in with a spoon.

-          Remove from fire, cover and keep aside for ten minutes.

-          Knead into soft dough.

-          Heat thava, apply ghee

-          Make four balls from the dough. Spread one ball on the oiled leaf with hand and invert it on the hot thava.

-          Gently remove the leaf, which is used again.

-          Cook the roti from both sides, applying ghee.

-          Serve with dal, sabzi, or pickle 

Banana Flowerets Pakoda

 

This was eaten on a road side shack in Chennai where our friend took us to. I just loved it managed to get the recipe.

Ingredients

-          2 cups banana flowerets

-          Oil for frying

For the batter

-          ½ cup besan

-          ½ cup rice flower

-          Salt to taste

-          ¼ tsp red chilli powder

-          Water

Instruction

-          Take the besan, rice flower, salt and chilli powder, slowly add water and mix well to make a thick batter

-          Heat oil in a pan. When it starts smoking, reduce the flame to medium and slowly put the flowerets Smeared with the batter.

-          Turn them and let cook till golden color.

-          Drain and serve with tomato ketchup for evening tea. Enjoy!