BAKED POTATOS

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400°F.

2. Cut the potatoes length wise and brush the pan with olive oil, place the potatoes and bake for 15 minutes.

3. Once done, take it out and allow them to cool for few minutes.

4. Mix the cut veggies with 1 tbsp olive oil, red chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and ¼ tsp turmeric. You can add spices according to your taste.

5. Preheat the broiler, Place the veggies about 4 inches from the broiler and cook until golden brown, this should take less than 5 to 10 minutes.

6. Watch carefully, as it may take only couple minutes to cook.

CUCUMBER RAITA

Peel the skin of Cucumber and finely chop them.

Grind (½ cup coconut, 3 green chilies, 1tsp mustard, and ½ tsp cumin seeds)
½ cup - 1 cup curd or yogurt.

Method

1. Heat pan with little oil, and add the cucumber with 2-3 tsp of water and salt and cover cook for few minutes until the cucumber gets cooked.

2. Add the ground paste to it and cook in medium heat. You can add little water if you need --the mixture should be thick.

3. Mean while- heat oil in another pan, splutter mustard seeds, 2-3 red chilies, and curry leaves. Add the above seasoning to the cucumber mixture and switch off the heat.

4. Allow the mixture to cool and add ½ to 1 cup of beaten curd or yogurt to the mixture.

Plantain Fry

Ingredients:

Plantain - 1 large
Garlic - 1 minced
Tamarind paste - 1/4 spoon
Red chili powder - 1 spoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 spoon
Mustard seeds - 1 spoon
Cumin seeds - 1 spoon
Asafoetida - 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves - 1 cup
Oil 1-2 cup
Salt

Method:

1. In a deep bottomed vessel add 1/2 cup of water. When the water is warm enough add salt, turmeric powder and chili powder.

2. To this masala add plantain pieces and cook with lid. Sim cook with lid. Never add extra water to this. The plantain should be cooked with this masala alone.

3. When the vegetable is almost cooked without leaving any water. Add Tamarind paste and rotate them to all sides with spatula. While using spatula make sure of not cutting the vegetable. Better to have wooden spatula.

4. In a deep frying pan add oil. When the oil is hot enough. Add Mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, asafoetida, garlic. Fry them for a while and add plantain. Do not cover them now. Maintain the stove in low heat.

5. Let the plantain get well fried the other side too. The plantain should be crispy outside and yet bajji like inside. This is the correct time to serve.

6. This fry is good combo with simple Dal rice, Curd rice or Rasam rice.

BUTTER BEANS FRY

Ingredients:
Butter Beans - 1 cup
Small Onions - 5 to 6 (chopped)
Tomato - 1/2 ( Crushed in hand)
Garlic Pods - 4
Coconut - 3 tsp
Red Chilly - 3
Salt - 1 teaspoon
Coriander leaves - small amount
Oil - 1 tablespoon
Mustard - 1/4 tsp
Cumin - 1/4 tsp
Urad Dal - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves

Method:

1. Wash Butter Beans and cook it for 5-6 whistle in a cooker with water and salt. Drain it and keep it away.

2. Grind small onions, red chilly, garlic, cumin seeds and coconut corsair.

3. Take a pan, add oil mustard,urad dal, curry leaves, and fry it.

4. Add the grind masala, salt, fry it for 3-5 minutes.

5. Finally add the butter beans with the masala mix and cook it for another 5 mins.

This is a very good side dish for Rice and Roti.