Plantain flower Usilli

Usilli was considered as a most important item or to say a must in South indian Brahmin wedding menu . It would be made with any thing like beans, cabbage, plantain , or even plain paruppuusilli.
I love beans usili that my Amman makes .she does that using tur dhal. Guess that's how they do,but in one of the books that I was presented during my last India visit,I read usili using many more dhals.... Urad, moong gram and tur.
So that's what I tried with plantain flowers.Its basically same as my usual bean usili except for the plantain flower ....that was new for me.i have showed 3 different varieties here one with cabbage for which I have also added coconut and plain paruppuusilli for which I have added fennel seed and plantain flower using just usili .
Usili I guess means crumble ( plz correct me if I am wrong). Anyways coming to recipe

INGREDIENTS FOR  PARUPPU USILLI:
Moong dhal-1/4cup
Tur dhal-1/4cup
Urad dhal-1/4 cup
Red chilli- 5 ( according to taste)
FOR SEASONING:
Oil
Mustard
Urad
Saunf(optional)
Curry leaf
Asefotida
Coconut(optional)


MEHOD:

1. Soak all the dhals for approximately 2 hrs and drain the water.
2. Add red chilli , salt and grind to coarse paste. (without adding water.like masala vadai)
3. Make small vadai and steam it .)insert a tooth pick to see if its cooked.It will come out clean.
4. When  cool, break this to small pieces and pulse for a second in mixer and Keep it aside
5. Now in a pan heat oil and add mustard, urad dhal ,asefotida and saunf. Add curry leaf and saute for few minutes.
6. Add the Powdered  dhal and saute for few more minutes. Add grated coconut , mix and serve.

This is the basic Usili. .By Adding cooked vegetables to this we can make different  vegetable usili like the one i have shown. cabbage , plantain flower, or raw banana or beans or any other vegetable.

We just have to cook these vegetables with salt and turmeric and add to this dhal usili before adding coconut and saute for few minutes.

KARAMANI(RED CHORI)CURRY

Last week i wanted to do dhal makani but since i did not have Black urad at home ,I thought to use something that would be similar to that and ran my eyes in my pantry to find this red chori.. i love the taste. special when its made as sundal.... so tried this and my husband , who usually doesn't like this red chori loved it :)

INGREDIENTS:
Chori/karamani-3/4
Onion- 1small size
Tomato-1 big( purée)
Green chilli-1finely chopped
Coriander powder-1/2tsp
Chilli power-3/4 to taste
Salt-to taste
Cumin powder1/4 tsp
Saunf powder1/4
Garam masala powder1/4
Turmeric powder1/4
Cumin-1/4
Ginger small
Garlic2
Oil
Cream -1 tsp(optional)
Corriander- chopped to garnish

METHOD:
1)Pressure cook Chori (i kept for 6 whistles as i did not soak it earlier) and keep aside
2)Make tomato puree .
2)Heat oil in a pan and add cumin, add saute onion well till golden brown. and  add finely chopped green chilli add ginger garlic(crushed or paste )saute till raw smell of ginger garlic goes.
3)Add  dry powders fry well.
4) Add Tomato puree cook well .
5)Add chori and  add enough water and cook
6)Remove from flame and add cream , garnish with coriander and Serve.

SWEET POTATO CURRY(FRY)

This is a very simple and tasty dish with Bit of Sweet , Spicy and salty.Its very similar to Sakkaravalli that's available is TamilNadu during Pongal.But that's bit more sweeter than this Sweet potato.Before coming here i never knew that we can make spicy dish as the ones in India were very sweet.Then my mother in law told me that we can make this just like potato curry. and so from then on started doing this.My DH is a big lover of this root, since it rises vitamin A level and most surprising fact that it regulates blood sugar level!!!
Plz adjust the ingredients according to Your Taste
INGREDIENTS:
Sweet potato-2(steamed,Peeled and cut to cubes)
Mustard-1/4 tsp (for seasoning)
Urad dhal-1/4 (seasoning)
Saunf -1/4 tsp(But i used saunf powder)
Curry leaves- few
Chilli powder- 1tps(according to taste)
Dhaniya Powder-1/2 tsp(according to chilli powder)
Turmeric powder-Pinch
Salt- to taste
Onion-1 (chopped)
Oil-1 tbs(approximately)
METHOD:
1)Mix Salt, chilli powder,Dhaniya powder and Turmeric powder to Chopped Sweet potato and keep aside .
2)Heat oil and add seasoning items-Mustard,Urad, curry leaf and saunf (if adding as powder we can use after ).
3)Add Onion and saute well.
4)Add Sweet potato and fry well.
Serve with Rice.

CHIVES FLOWER(PORIYAL) CURRY

Chives, are sort of onion  bulb variety which are small.Normally its used as herb in some dishes.It is said to be rich in Vitamin A,C calcium and iron and some amount of sulfur.It is also said to have some beneficial effects on circulatory system and have some mild antiseptic properties.
Thought i have seen these in Korean stores i have not bought it. Last week my sil told me she did curry  with this(But when i was talking with my dad he said its not good to cook these in heat for too long like curry.) and it tasted nice and so this week i tried and it sure was good :) 
INGREDIENTS:
Chives flower-1 bunch(chopped 3cups)
Onion-1 medium size chopped
Moong dhal-about 2 tbs
Red chilli-2-3 (according to taste)
Mustard-1/4 tsp for seasoning
Urad dhal-1/4 tsp for seasoning
Salt to taste
Water- approximately 1 cup to cook moong dhal
Coconut grated-2 tsp or  coarsely powdered peanut -2 tsp
Oil- 1 tbs

METHOD:
1)Heat water in a pan and cook Moong dhal  (just cook 3/4 th) and keep aside.
2)Heat oil in a pan and add mustard , when this splutters add urad dhal and chilli.
3)Add onion and fry till translucent.Add chives and saute well  adding salt.cover and cook.
4)When cooked added moong dhal  ,ground peanut powder or coconut, mix well. saute for a minute and enjoy  with rice.

JACK FRUIT CURRY(PALAA MOOSU)

Jaca(portugese)derived from Malayalam word Chakka is nothing but our... i mean my favorite Jackfruit.I think just like banana tree(fruit,flower,raw banana,stem) every part  from jack fruit tree is useful .Fruit is sweet and so tasty and can do jam, payasam etc using the fruit.and Raw jack fruit can be used to make curry and kootu.Seed of the fruit too is soooo very tasty.It can be cooked/steamed and eaten .We can also make curry, Sambar or even kara kuzhambu.
And not to forget the wood....  south Indian musical instruments... guess what??..... VEENAI,MIRUDHANGAM are made using this wood.
Ok.. lets come the recipe...
INGREDIENTS:(approximate measurement)
Raw jack fruit- 1 small/medium size
Onion- 1 big(finely chopped)
Oil-1 tbs
Mustard- 1tsp
Urad dhal- 1 tsp
Chann dhal- 1tsp
Chilli powder- 1tbs(or 5-6 red chilli)
Salt- to taste
Curry leaf- few
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Coconut grating-1 tbs(optional)
METHOD:
1)Peel the skin ( it might be difficult to cut the skin)
2)Cut into big pieces and steam cook/pressure cook.(some time my amma used to cut to small chunks instead of mincing)
3) Mince the cooked raw jack fruit (we used to use ammi-oblong grinding stone and roller.) using pounding stone. 
4)Heat oil in a pan and add mustard .when it splutters add, channa dhal,urad and curry leaf.
5)Add chopped onion and  salt , turmeric ,chilli powder or red chilli and saute till onion turns pink.
6)Add the minced jack fruit (or chopped one) and cover the pan and cook for couple of minutes.


Serve with rice.

LOTUS STEM PORIYAL

Guess many don't know about this as a vegetable.In India we get lotus stem chips etc.In Chennai we used to get fresh lotus stem and my dad used to steam it add salt and jeera and pepper powder and eat.I used to like the taste. After coming here i did the same and my husband and sister in law too liked it. so i started trying different items like this poriyal and kootu. Even without adding any spices just steamed root tastes yummy for me. it reminds me of kutchi kizangu.It not only tastes good but also very healthy.My dad used to recommend this stem juice for people coming with cholesterol and heart problems.Lotus roots contain much iron, vitamins B and C. While browsing I also found that it also stops diarrhea, clears Heat and improve appetite relieves constipation(because of its high fiber content). And drinking 2 to 3 glasses of lotus root juice a day can stop bleeding of the esophagus an stomach (vomiting blood); bleeding of the rectum, intestines or stomach (blood in feces); nose bleeding or gum bleeding .

INGREDIENTS:Lotus stem
Onion- chopped
Mustard-for seasoning
Channa dhal- for seasoning
Urad dhal- for seasoning
Salt- to taste
Peanut powder or roasted bengal gram -1 tsp
Coconut grated-1tsp
Saunf powder-1/4 tsp
Chilli powder- to taste
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Curry leaf-optional
METHOD:
1)Wash the stem well and pressure cook it.
2)Cut the cooked root.We 3)Mix this with salt turmeric and chilli powder and keep it a side.may have to remove some fiber while cutting the lotus stem just plantain stem .
3)Heat oil in a pan and season it with mustard, urad dhal,channa dhal .
4)Add onion and saute.

5)Add lotus stem and add salt turmeric and chilli powder and  Sprinkle little water , cover and cook for few minutes. Add  powdered coconut and Roasted bengal or peanut powder just before removing.

Healthy lotus stem poriyal is ready as a side dish for rice.

PALAK THOKKU(SPINACH PICKLE)

'Palak',Spinach also known as 'Delhi palak' in Tamilnadu is a green which is loved by many.I tried pickle(thokku)yesterday and it was so tasty that  i am planning to  do more and storing it to make instant rice variety for lunch :)
Since i was trying it for the first time i did not make any note of the measurements... so its all approximate. next time when i make i will make a not and update it here .

INGREDIENTS:(Approximate measurements)
Palak- 1 bunch
Tamarind paste-2 tbs
Salt - to taste
Chilli powder-11/2 tbs(according to taste )
Oil-4-5 tbs
SEASONING
Mustard- 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek-1/4 tsp(i used whole . but can also use powder)
Asefotida-1/4 tsp


METHOD:
1)Wash and Grind palak to slightly coarse paste using little water.
2)Heat oil in a pan. add mustard and fenugreek. Add Asefotida.
3)Add ground palak, salt, chilli powder and tamarind paste and cook till oil oozes out.
Can be mixed with rice...tastes yummy.

MUSHROOM FRY

I cant believe how this photo has been in my draft for more than a year... anyways... its a very easy sidedish for any kind of rice.
INGREDIENT:
Mushroom
Onion- 1 finely chopped
Mustard- seasoning
Urad dhal-seasoning
Oil
Green chilli--to taste
Salt-to taste
Garam masala- 1/2 tsp
METHOD:
1)Heast oil season with mustard and urad dhal.
2)Add onion,garam masala and chilli and saute.
3)Add  sliced mushroom and cook till dry.
Serve with rice.

APPLE RASAM (INDIAN APPLE SOUP)

I have heard a lot about pineapple rasam but have never tried or tasted it.When my friend Vidhya gave me these Green apples i got this weird idea ... let me try apple rasam though no pine ...hahaha.
I have tried Pickle and vathal out of  green apple , as normally it used to be sort of sour but have never ever got the idea of trying rasam  till i saw a post from one of my friend in FB about betel leaf rasam.
So here is the recipe which i made and it did turn out to be good except for just one thing that the apple was not as sour as i expected ..anyway ...it tasted good even to drink like soup :)

INGREDIENTS:
Green apple-1
Dhal water-2 cup(approximately)
Tomato-1(according to apple taste)
Rasam Powder-1 tsp
Garlic-1 (crushed)
Pepper and Jeera(crushed 1 tsp)
Green chilli-1
Mustard,curry leaf-seasoning
Salt-to taste
Asefotida- little
Turmeric-1/4 tsp
METHOD:
1)Grind apple and squeeze  the juice to dhal water.(other wise rasam will be very thick )
2)Mix the pulp and turmeric,rasam and jeera pepper powder to the dhal water.
3) Heat oil in a pan and saute chopped tomatoes,chilli and garlic.
4)Add the dhal water along with salt and cook for about 5-7 minutes.(add more water if necessary)
5)Season with mustard,curry leaf and asefotida. garnish with coriander leaf.
Serve with hot rice or have it like a soup.It has  all the tastes... little sweet..little sour..little spicy...on the whole YUMMY
Hope u like it...we loved it.. it was different...

GADO GADO

'Gado Gado' sounds attractive ah? yes it did for me,

when chellam aunt taught this  in her salad class.one thing about chellam aunty's class is not only we get to taste it  but we also get some sample to take home.So when i brought  home Gado Gado sample everyone liked it(just a spoon for everyone)

Actually she taught this using Long beans.But later I used to make it with other beans varieties too..like ordinary beans and cluster beans.

Since i was curious to know the meaning of Gado Gado I was browsing thru  and  found 'Gado'  means 'Mix'.I also came to know that  there are different versions of this either  using other vegetables , shrimp,tofu  etc in this along with beans or the consistency using  coconut milk while cooking.. like sort of gravy for rice.

I mostly do this like Indian side dish poriyal.
here is aunty's recipe:
INGREDIENTS:
For Sauce:
Peanut-1/4 kg
Red chilli-5or6
Garlic-1 or 2 pods
Tamarind pulp-approximately 1 tbs
Jaggery water-approximately 1tbs
Soy sauce-approximately 1 tsp
Salt- to taste
VEGETABLES For SALAD:
Beans(any variety)
Carrot
Cabbage/Lettuce
Potato
Sprouted moong
Cucumber
Onion

METHOD:
1)Chop all the vegetables. Steam cook beans and Potato(with little salt)
2)Dry grind all the ingredients for sauce to smooth paste using little water.
3)Heat little(about 1 tsp)oil and fry till it lets out oil.
4)Add tamarind and jaggery water and cook. Add more water to get required consistency.(I think this is where they use coconut milk and cook to get gravy  of version of Gado Gado)Add soy sauce mix well and cook till required consistency.(If making curry sort of dish mix vegetables and cook for couple of  minutes and cook.)
5)For salad/poriyal add the sauce as topping and mix.

Hope u enjoy this Indian version of Gado gado

GOBI MANCHURIAN(DRY)

One of the Chinese item which has gained its popularity in India ,as far as i know is Manchurian.And personally i love Gobi(cauliflower)Manchurian specially the dry one.Usually everyone add Ajinomoto for flavour. But as its one among controversial things causing cancer, i avoid using it.

INGREDIENTS:(approximate measurements)
Cauliflower-1(small)
Rice flour-approximately 1/4 cup
Corn flour(its called corn starch in US)-approximately 1/4 cup
Maida-approximately 1/4 cup
Green chilli-about 4 (finely chopped)
Ginger-about 1tsp(finely chopped)
Garlic-about 1 tsp(finely chopped)
Spring onion-about handful(finely chopped)
Onion-1 medium(finely chopped)
Soy sauce-approximately 2tsp
Tomato sauce-approximately 2tsp
Chilli powder-1/4 tsp
Salt- to taste
Oil
METHOD:
1)Boil water with cauliflower flower lets for about 5 minutes.
2)Remove from water and drain it.
3)Mix rice,corn and maida along with salt and enough water to make a paste.
4)Dip the cauliflower flower lets in this batter and deep fry in oil till golden brown.
5)Strain the oil and keep aside.
6)Heat oil in a pan and add chilli powder and drain the oil immediately.(this is chilli oil)
7)Keep a pan with chilli oil and saute ginger.garlic,green chilli,onion well adding salt.
8)Add the fried cauliflower and spring onion,saute again for couple of minutes.
9)Now add soy and tomato sauce and saute well to coat the vegetables.
Serve hot.

CHILLI TOFU

Actually to tell the truth... I have never tasted this dish earlier,so i didn't have any idea how exactly this dish will taste....umm.One evening my hubby called from office to say he had chilli panner and it was so tasty and If i know how to do this dish.So i asked him what ingredients were there in this dish and how it was like ... and all sorts of questions.
So I started browsing for the recipe. I found lot of them but didn't know which to choose.Since i didn't know which was similar to the one my husband tasted...Finally i found this video in YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSrXZxaaRxQ
The ingredient that he said sounded really interesting.so i tried it with slight modifications and was waiting for my hubby to taste and tell me if this was the one he ate..... He tasted it and said it was better than what he had...hahaha... that's what every hubby has to say right?
But I was still curious to know the actual restaurant taste of chilli paneer. Last month finally I had a chance to taste it ....to find out my Chilli panner was the best. And thanks to Indianchef Shaan for his tasty chilli paneer.

So...

INGREDIENTS (i used )

Tofu-1 pack(instead of paneer)
Jeera-2 tsp(approximately)
Green chilli-4(finely chopped)
Garlic-3(minced)
Tomato-2(chopped)
Salt- to taste
Sambar powder-1tsp(I didn't have curry powder he refered to.)
Turmeric powder-1/4tsp
Lemon Pickle-1tsp(didn't know what pickle was used in the recipe. since he referred to tangy taste i felt lemon will suit)
Water- little
Oil

METHOD:
1)Fry tofu in oil till golden brown and keep separately.
2)Heat oil in a pan and add jeera, chopped green chilli and garlic. Saute well.
3)Add sambar powder and turmeric(I use turmeric in all my dishes for its medicinal properties)and saute well.
4)Add tomatoes and salt and cook a little.
5)Now add pickle and cook till tomatoes soften.(if necessary add little water)
6)Cook well till oil oozes out.
7)Add tofu and little water and cook for couple of minutes.
Serve

BRINJAL FRY

INGREDIENTS:(approximate measurement)
Big Brinjal-1

Chilli powder- to taste

Salt - to taste

Rice flour-2 tbs(approximately)

Garlic-2(big)

Onion-1 medium size

Salt-to taste

METHOD:

1)Slice brinjal (medium thickness).

2)Grind onion,garlic,chilli powder,salt.

3)Marinate the brinjal slices in this paste for 10 minutes.

4)Roll brinjal in rice flour.

5)Preheat oven to 375 degree.place brinjal in a greased or no stick tray and smear little oil around each piece.

6)Bake for approximately 10-15 minutes till light brown.Turn to other side and bake again till it turns brown.
Serve with Rice.

Note: I also tried the same using acron squash(parangi kaai).This also tasted yummy. Better than fried once.

TOFU FRY(Tofu Bhurjee)

This has been in my draft for more than a month.Tried this just before i went for my vacation. It was so tasty that i immediately uploaded the pictures but couldn't write .Actually i got this idea when someone told me about egg podimas ( scrambled egg). my cousin Balakumar anna make egg podimas so well. I have just tasted it once.So i cant say if it tastes just like egg but it does look like that and also tastes good.

INGREDIENTS:(approximate measurement)

Firm tofu-1(scrambled)

Onion-1(finally chopped)

Green chilli or red chilli-to taste

Salt- to taste

Curry leaves
Corriander leaves

Mustard

Urad dhal

Oil

METHOD:

1)heat oil in a pan and add mustard, urad, and channa dhal.

2)Add chopped curry leaves , onion,green chilli . Fry well.

3)Add scrambled tofu and saute well to mix.

Can be had as side dish for any rice variety.

NOTE:We can use Paneer(cottage cheese ) instead of tofu. We can also add red and green capsicum to add more colour and flavour

GREENS STEM PORIYAL

My amma used to say nothing goes waste in this world. and everything has its own use. I never knew the meaning before. I thought she was taking about making crafts out of waste and about using the leftover food.But later i understood that even the greens stems like that of arai keerai or mulai keerai too can be cooked like poriyal and kootu.Its simple and equally tasty like the greens.Very simple ....just use cut greens stem instead of the greens or vegetables.
Here is the Red Greens stem poriyal for you all.....
INGREDIENTS:(approximate measurement)
Greens stem(chopped)
Onion
Green or red chilli
Urad dhal
Channa dhal
Mustard
Oil
Half cooked moong dhal(optional)
METHOD:
1)Heat oil and add mustard.After it splutters add urad,channa dhal.
2)Add onion and chilli and saute for few minutes.
3)Add chopped greens stem and moog dhal and cook it covered.(if needed add little water)

BUTTERNUT SQUASH FRY

We love butternut squash.We use it very often to make kootu, sambar or karakuzhambu.My father in law loves yellow pumpkin fry so i did the same with butternut squash.
INGREDIENTS:
Butternut squash
Onion- depending on the amount of squash used
Salt-to taste
Chilli powder- to taste
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Corn flour(yellow corn flour /meal)-1 or 2 tbs (depending on quantity cooked)
Oil
METHOD:
1)Cut the skin of the quash (it would be easy if its done after cutting the squash to big pieces)
2)Mix thinly sliced onion, chilli powder, salt, turmeric powder with diced squash and keep it aside.
3)Heat oil in a pan and add the squash and saute well.
4)Add water and cook covered(do not add lot of water. Just correct amount to cook the vegetable)
5)Add corn flour, little more oil and fry well.
This curry goes well with any rice.

LETTUCE CURRY

Lettuce is low in Sodium and Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Thiamin, Vitamin B6, Iron and Potassium, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Folate and Manganese.

Usually we use lettuce only in salads and burgers. I like the aroma and taste of lettuce so i wanted to try it out something different... something in an Indian way.Since it looked like cabbage . i tried it like cabbage curry.And we both liked it very much... so sharing with my friends who have never tried American vegetables and greens in Indian way and this is also for my other Friends to taste these vegges in different taste.
INGREDIENTS:
Lettuce- 1bunch
Mustard-1/2 tsp
Urad dhal-1/4 tsp
Channa dhal-1/4 tsp
Onion- 1/2 cup chopped
Green chilli -1 or 2 (according to taste)
Salt- to taste
Garlic- 1 finely chopped
Coconut-1 tbs(optional)
METHOD:
1)Wash and chop lettuce.
2)Heat oil in pan and season with mustard, urad and channa.
3)Add chopped onion, garlic, green chilli and salt and saute well.
4)Add chopped lettuce, coconut and saute just for a minute or two.(do not do more as it will get soggy and wont have crunchy taste.)
Can be served with rice item as side dish.

SPAGHETTI SQUASH PORIYAL

This is a vegetable which i haven't seen in chennai.When i first cooked this vegetable i was surprised to see the strands .we liked the taste and started doing poriyal(curry) .

Spaghetti squash is a winter squash.Its flesh comes out like strands(like noodles)when cooked.This vegetable is rich in folic acid, potassium, vitamin A, and beta carotene.
INGREDIENTS:
Spaghetti squash
Mustard
Channa dhal
Green chilli
Salt
Turmeric powder
Onion
Oil
METHOD:
1)Pressure cook spaghetti for 2 whistles or heat water in a pan big enough to hold spaghetti quash and cook for about 20 minutes.
2)Use fork and separate the flesh from the skin to get the long strands.
3)Heat oil in a pan and add mustard channa dhal onion and chilli and saute till onion turns pink.
4)Add the separated strands along with salt and turmeric powder and saute till the vegetable becomes dry.
This curry tastes good with any Rice variety.

VAZHAI POO(banana flower) PORIYAL(curry)

Vazhai poo(banana flower)is considered to be a good source of vitamins A and C. It also has good amount of calcium and iron.In Indian traditional medicine(siddha, that's the only thing i can talk about as my dad is a siddha doctor)is it believed to be beneficial as a lactating agent, and is also believed to help relieve painful menstruation and heavy bleeding during menopause.
It is also said that they are rich in antioxidants and tannins(they are said to prevent urinary tract infection in women).
We make it a point to cook this at least once a week in India.My dad used to tell vegetables that have astringent and bitter tastes are good for health. They(specially astringent) help purify blood and help balance pitta and kapha.Example for astringent vegetables are Atthikaai,vazhai poo,sundakai etc. more details are given in vazhai poo vadai.

We can do lots of dishes with vazhai poo, like vadai, kootu,soup etc.

INGREDIENTS for PORIYAL(CURRY):

Onion-1

Red chilli- according to taste

Vazhai poo-1

Mustard- seasoning

Urad- seasoning

Channa dal- seasoning

Oil

Coconut-grated 1/2 to 1 cup(optional)

METHOD:

1)Remove the outer thick skin of the flower.

2)Apply little oil in hand and clean the flower lets.( i.e, remove the inner thick pistil)

3)Chop the flower lets (keep them in water or curds after cutting,or else it will become black.)chop onion.

4)Heat oil and season with mustartd, urad ,channa dhal and red chilli.

5)Add onion and saute well.

6)Add the flower lets and saute for couple of seconds.

7)Add salt and little water and cover and cook till dry.

8) Finally add coconut.

Goes well with any rice.

SNOW PEA PORIYAL

Looks like cluster beans right?But no... its not... its called snow pea(?)Its said that it might have got this name because of its tendency to grow at the end of winter.This is a pea that's eaten whole in its pod while still unripe.
I first came to know about this vegetable when we went to Malaysia.It was tasty. After coming to US when i saw this i tried it in our own Indian way.

INGREDIENTS:
Snow pea-finely chopped
Onion-Finely chopped
Mustard- seasoning
Urad dhal- seasoning
Red chilli- to taste
Salt- to taste
Turmeric- 1 pinch
Oil

METHOD:
1)Heat oil in a pan and add mustard and urad dhal and let it splutter.
2)Add red chilli and onion and saute.
3)Add cut peas and saute adding salt and turmeric powder.
4) Add little water and cook till done.
Goes well with any rice variety.Adding grated coconut adds more taste to this side dish.