Pudina Peas Pulao, Cauliflower Subji | Cooking for Two | Lunch Box Series : LBS#69

I am back to cooking for two of us since Athamma has gone for a trip. It's been only three days since she left and it's become a hectic task for me to plan cooking just for two of us. I know it's not right to cook special food for the kids. They simply refuse to eat what I make for the elders. So without Athamma, it's just me and Hubby dear. 

While planning for the kids has always been on the same line, planning what to cook for just us, with the condition we don't eat leftovers for the next meal, is always the toughest! For all the huge list of recipes already listed out, coming out with something with exact measurement, making sure nothing is wasted, is surely a taxing task.

Since I was working on Saturday, I had to pack my lunch. So I ended up making this simple combo, which met all our needs. Another wonderful addition that this rice has is the Pudina or Mint leaves. The interesting thing is, I had used the frozen Pudina paste that Athamma had the brain wave to make and store. Couple of weeks back, I ended up getting too much of Mint leaves. As they would anyway end up getting rotten, she decided to make a paste and freeze it in our magic freezer tray! You name it, and we have it. Be it chili paste, coconut paste, Poppy Seeds paste and the latest to the family, the Pudina paste!

I did say that Athamma is too smart right, well she is always resourceful and comes up with wacky and interesting ideas. Else imagine finding ways to store the excess produce on hand. Trust me, when I used in the rice, it had such wonderful aroma and taste. 

Today's Lunch Box had

Pudina Peas Pulao and Cauliflower Subji, both cooked in Pressure cooker and took only 25 mins

Pudina Peas Pulao ~ Step by Step Pictures

  Mint leaf paste, frozen and can be used whenever there is a need!

 

Ingredients Needed

Rice - 1 & 1/4 cup
Green Chilies - 2 long
Peas - 1/2 cup
Onions - 1/4 of a big one
Cloves - 1
Cardamon - 1
Bay leaf - 1
Cinnamon - 1"
Star anise - 1
Mint paste - 2 tbsp or three small frozen cubes
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tsp
Water - 2 & 1/2 cups

Cauliflower Sabji ~ Step by Step Pictures

Ingredients Needed:

Cauliflower florets - 1 cup
Onions - 1/2 medium
Tomato puree from 2
Curry Powder - 1 tsp
Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder a pinch
Salt to taste
Oil  2 tsp
Water as required

How to make both at the same time!

Wash and soak the rice for 15 mins

Clean the florets and mw with enough water for 2 mins. drain the water and keep it aside.

Since I was using pressure cooker for both the dishes, I had them on the gas. Chopped onions very finely for the subji, and juliennes for the pulao.

Use the same ladle as it saves time and energy!

Keep stirring, then add the whole spices to the pulao cooker, combine everything, add the chopped green chilies, and pudina cubes.

Simmer for couple of mins. Meanwhile, when the onions for the subji turns colour, add the drained cauliflower, Let it cook, while you puree the tomatoes.

Then pour the tomatoes over the cauliflower, along with all the spices. Combine and let it mix together well.

For the pulao, when the pudina mix is melted, add the peas, and drained rice. Stir on high flame for couple of minutes.

Add measured water, salt. Adjust the spice. Cover with lid and cook for 3 whistles.

For the subji, add enough water and cover with lid. Pressure cook for 4 -5 whistles depending on how soft you want the cauliflower to be.

Allow the pressure to fall off before you remove to serving bowls.

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It was indeed a wonderful meal, with the pudina adding more zing to it.  And we didn't end up with lot of leftovers.

I am hoping to make some more dishes for just two, hope you will come back to catch them up! Until then have a great week ahead.

Beans Potato Curry | Beans Bangaladumpa Koora | Beans Aloo ki Sabzi

For the lunch box that I made along with Kathirikai Paruppu Kulambu, I made this simply Curry or Koora as we also call in Telugu. Now Koora is a name given to vegetable dry sautes as well as gravies. The usage is most confusing, however we manage somehow. Coming to this simple beans and potato subzi, I eat this at my sil's place. She had made it along with Pappu and I was surprised that hubby dear liked it and said he would eat such dishes if I were to make it like that. 

There was nothing so different about it, except of course the green chili spice that he so likes. So back home I decided I should make it and see if he still likes it. My SIL had made it quite spicy and it was bright red in colour, which meant she had added red chili powder as well. Mine didn't end up like that, maybe because I pressure cooked the vegetables and then added. Coming to the simple one, here is how you can make this simple dish that makes a good side dish for both rice and rotis as well.

Pressure cooking makes this dish get done very quickly, else you will have to slog over the stove for a while for the vegetables to get done.

Step by Step Pictures

Beans Potato Curry 

Ingredients Needed:

Beans - 1/4 kg
Potato - 2 small
Coconut - 2 tbsp
Green Chilies - 2 medium
Red Chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

For the Tempering

Mustard Seeds, Urad dal  - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - handful
Crushed Garlic - 4 cloves
Oil - 1 tsp

How to make the Beans Potato Curry

Make a coarse paste of coconut and green chilies without adding water.

Wash and trim the beans. Peel the potatos and cube. Pressure cook till done.

In a non stick pan, heat oil, temper with curry leaves, mustard seeds, and crushed garlic.

Next add the ground coconut mix, saute well till done.

Then add the cooked vegetables and cook on high for the water to evaporate. Add the spices and combine everything well.

Continue cooking in sim till the spices and vegetables blend well.

Serve with Rice or rotis

Enjoy the week ahead!

Fresh Black Eyed Beans Curry | Alasandalu Kura ~ Andhra Special

After announcing Cookie Mela, I was planning to bake some cookies naturally. But you know how it is right, you plan something and it never gets executed. Especially when everything seem to go against those planned items. Now it's to be seen if those planned cookies ever make an appearance!

Our minds are so fixed at most times. Even with one person on vacation, we feel we don't know what to cook. With Athamma on tour, I am out of ideas on what to make, she was the last person to give importance to her liking. It was always either kids or hubby's choice. Still I find myself so confused on what to make. 

Which is why this recipe comes handy. Not only is it a one shot cooking gravy, where you need not worry about sautéing and looking over it, it's rather very simple in it's method. Amma's sister, who takes care of a home, suggested this recipe after getting us a bag full of fresh alasandalu or black eyed pea. These fresh ones are available in abundance during the season and it's another one of those classics that you shouldn't miss cooking.

Fresh Black Eyed Beans Curry

After making this kura, Amma realized that this is the way my granny used to make in our village. Imagine eating something and remembering your childhood, like in ratatouille! She was hit with nostalgia and was so excited to share this piece of info with me. Since then, we have ended up cooking the peas in this method. Yes such simple recipe and you have a cart load of memories associated with it!

Then when I was talking to my Aunt, she asked me if I tasted the alasandalu kura. I said yes and that I was cooking it again for clicking pictures. She was so excited that I wanted to share that simple, yet classic Andhra delicacy. She was specifically mentioning the method of cooking in this dish. In villages, when they have huge families, they do need lot of gravy as they serve this with rice. So to make more gravy, the onions and tomatoes are always ground into paste. Imagine I always thought that it was the modern tread and I heard that for ages it's been cooked this way.

Coming to the recipe, it's such a simple and uncomplicated recipe that I am sure when you try this, you will love making it again and again!

Alasandalu Kura

Fresh Black Eyed Beans Curry | Alasandalu Kura

Ingredients Needed:

Fresh Black Eyed Peas, shelled - 2 cups

For the ground masala:

Onion - 1/2 of a big
Roasted Groundnuts / Peanut - 2 -3 tbsp
Tomato - 1 big
Garlic - 3 -4 cloves
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Turmeric a pinch

For tempering

Onion - 1/2 of a big
Mustard seeds, Urad dal - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves few
Oil - 1 tsp

How to make the kura

Shell the peas and wash. Take the peas with twice it's amount of water and bring to boil. When the water starts boiling, simmer.

Meanwhile make a paste of all the ingredients listed under masala to a smooth paste. Add this paste to the boiling peas, and continue cooking till the froth comes out on the top.

When the gravy reaches it's consistency, simmer completely.

Heat a pan with oil, temper with mustard, saute the onions and curry leaves. Then pour this over the simmering peas.

Serve with rice or roti.