Fried Rice

This recipe comes from my aunt, who is a wonderful cook. It is a little customised to suit the tastes of our family. We all love eating this version of fried rice with Gobi Manchurian. It is very simple and easy to cook, and is healthy too.

Ingredients (For 2 people):

1. Oil for tadka
2. Ajinomoto to taste
3. Salt to taste
4. Pepper powder to taste
5. A small piece of ginger (finely chopped)
6. 1-1/2 glasses of rice (cooked in about 3-1/2 glasses of water i.e. neither too raw nor overcooked)
7. 2 small onions (chopped finely)
8. A few garlic cloves (peeled and chopped finely)
8. A cupfull of chopped vegetables - beans, carrots, cabbage, green peas, etc.

Method:

1. Heat a little oil in a kadhai and add the onions. Cook till they start turning brown.
2. Add the chopped garlic and saute a little.
3. Add the chopped vegetables and cook till they are tender, sprinkling water if necessary.
4. Crumble the rice a bit and add it to the vegetables. Mix well.
5. Add the salt and pepper powder to taste. Let it cook for a while.
6. When it is almost done, add a pinch of ajinomoto and mix well. Take off from heat.

Manathankalikkai Vettalkozhambu

This is one of my most favourite dishes in the world. The recipe was passed on to me by mommy dearest. :)

Ingredients:

1. A lemon-sized ball of tamarind
2. Salt to taste
3. Oil for tadka
4. Some manathankalikkai vetthal (I don't know the English word for this)
5. Sambar powder to taste
6. Jaggery for taste
7. A few curry leaves
8. Mustard seeds for tadka
9. Rice flour/ Wheat flour (optional)
10.Red chilli powder to taste
11. Methi seeds for tadka
12. Hing powder to taste
13. Turmeric powder to taste

Method:

1. Soak the tamarind in water for a while, and extract a thick paste out of it, adding water if necessary.
2. Heat a little oil in a kadhai and add hing powder and mustard seeds. Allow the mustard seeds to splutter, and add methi seeds. Allow to cook for a while.
3. Add the manathankalikkai vetthal and cook for a while, till they become a little soft.
4. Add the tamarind extract, salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, sambar powder and jaggery to taste. Cook on a medium flame till the raw smell goes away.
5. Once it starts to thicken, add the curry leaves and mix well.
6. If it is too watery, mix the rice flour/ wheat flour in a little water and add to the kozhambu. Mix well and cook for a while.
7. Take off from heat once it starts boiling.

Notes:

1) This kozhambu can be made with vegetables like kotthavarangai, onions and ladies finger, too. If using them, just substitute the manathankalikkai vetthal in the above recipe with the vegetable of your choice. The rest of the steps in the recipe will remain the same.
2) We use sambar powder made at home, the recipe for which I will be posting sometime soon.