Brinjal Gothsu - Kathirikai gothsu

Ingredients:

Brinjal - Kathirikkai - 1/4 kg
Moong dal - Pachai/Pasi paruppu - 1 cup
Onion - Vengayam - 1 no.
Tomato - Thakkali - 2 nos.
Ginger - Inji - small piece
Garlic - Poondu - 3 nos.
Tamarind - Puli - lemon size
Red chilly Powder - Kaintha milagai thul - 1 table spoon
Coriander powder - Dhania thul - 2 table spoons
Turmeric powder - Manjal thul - 1 tea spoon
Hing - Perungayam - a pinch
Salt - Uppu - To Taste
Oil - Ennai - For frying
Mustard seeds - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Split black gram dal - Udaitha ulutham paruppu - 1 tea spoon
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 tea spoon
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - handful
Coriander leaves - Kothamali - small quantity

Method:

Wash and cut brinjal into small pieces and soak in water. Else it will turn into black colour. Wash and pressure cook dhal after adding brinjal, onion, tomatoes, chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, salt, hing, tamarind, ginger-garlic and cook it for some 15 to 20 minutes. Then heat oil in a pan/kadai, splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds, split black gram dal, curry leaves and add to the boiled dhal. Finally add chopped coriander leaves. Kathirikai gothsu is ready. This takes some 30 minutes to cook. It can be served for 4 people.

Note:

While cutting brinjal one must take care whether it is fresh, if it has any sort of damages just remove that portion. Soak immediately in water adding a pinch of salt or curd so that the colour won't turn black.

Optional:

Coconut gratings can be added. Green chillies can be added.

Vermicelli upma - Semiya upma

Ingredients:

Vermicelli - Semiya - 2 cups
Onion - Vengayam - 1 no. (Medium size)
Green chillies - Pachai milagai - 3 nos.
Ginger - Inji - small piece
Bengal gram - Kadalai paruppu - 1 table spoon
Split urad dhal - Udaitha ulutham paruppu - 1 table spoon
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - handfull
Coriander leaves - Kothamali - small quantity
Mustard seeds - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Oil - Ennai - 3 table spoons
Salt - Uppu to taste

Method:

Dry roast the vermicelli in a pan after adding a tea spoon of oil. Keep it aside. Peel off the skin from onion and cut into lengthwise. Wash and cut green chillies. Keep other ingredients ready. Heat oil in a pan/kadai, splutter mustard seeds, add bengal gram and urad dhal and fry for some time. Then add green chillies, onion, curry leaves, little salt and then add 3 1/2 half cups of water. One cup of semiya requires 1 3/4 cups of water. Then once the water is boiling add roasted semiya and let the mixture boil for some 10 minutes. Finally add coriander leaves. Once the mixture is cooked it can be served with any kind of chutney. This can be served for 2 people. It takes hardly 20 minutes to cook.

Note:

Always dry roast the semiya before cooking.

Optional:

Red chillies can be added instead of green chillies. Vegetables, tomatoes, green peas, turmeric, garlic can be added if we are preparing kitchadi. Rava/semolina can also be added to this.