Okra And Eggplants In A Tangy Tamarind Sauce/ Gotsu

This I think is the best combination for most of the South-Indian breakfast dishes, be it Idli, Dosa, Pongal or Upma.

Ingredients:

Serves Two

7-8 Okras chopped to about an inch in length
3-4 Eggplants chopped into small quaters
2 medium sized tomato finely chopped
1 finely chopped onion
1 cup tamarind pulp
1 cup tomato Puree
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp chilli powder
1 tbsp Sambar powder
1 tsp mustard seeds
5-6 fenugreek seeds
3-4 dried red chillies
a few sprigs of curry leaves
a dash of aesofatida
salt to taste
Sesame oil
Cilantro

Method:

To a saucepan, add 3 tbsps of sesame oil. Once hot enough, add the mustard seeds and let crackle. Add the fenugreek seeds, chillies and lastly add the curry leaves and aesofatida as the chillies turn browner. Now drop in the onions and saute till they turn transparent and add the giner-garlic paste and tomatoes. Saute till they tomatoes liquify and add the okras and brinjals. Toss briefly and pour in the tomato puree and the tamarind pulp. Add turmeric powder, chilli powder, sambar powder, salt to taste and simmer till the oil seperates on top. Check whether the okras and eggplants have cooked. Else simmer for a little longer. You might have to add water, if its too thick.  Serve hot, garnishing with a handful of fresh, finely chooped Cilantro.

Spicy (Ven) Pongal

There are different recipes for this dish, manily based on the amount of lentils and pepper used.The recipe below is how we as a family like it.

Ingredients:

Serves Two

2 cups Parboiled Rice
1 cup split green grams (pasiparuppu/ moong dal)
2  tbsps black peppercorns
1/2 cup ghee/ clarified butter
1 tbsp split cashewnuts
10-12 curry leaves
2 tsps cumin seedser
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Method:

Mix the rice and grams together with seven cups of water and salt to taste; and pressure cook on medium flame for 7-8 whistles. Now once the rice - lentil mixture is cooked, in 1/4 cup of ghee, temper the cumin seeds, peppercorns, cashewnuts and once the cashew nuts turn golden, add the curry leaves.  Mix the pongal well, mashing it all a bit in the process. Add the remaining 1/4 cup ghee just before serving. Serve hot. It is best had with Coconut Chutney and/ or Okra-Eggplant Gotsu (tangy tamarind sauce).