Green chiles are also slit and added to lemon juice for spice. Pickled sweet potatoes can be eaten with rice mixed with some sort of dal / dhal or just with yogurt rice.

Makes: around 1 1/2 Cups of Pickled Sweet Potato. Ingredients: Purple Sweet Potato 1 Small Tender Green Chiles 4 – 5 Lemons 3 – 4 Salt 1 Tbsp Method of preparation: Peel, remove ends, wash and pat dry the purple sweet potato.

Halve and chop the sweet potato into 2 inch long strips. Remove stems, wash and pat dry the green chiles.

Slit the green chiles and keep aside. Halve the lemons.

Squeeze all the juice out of the lemons into a glass or ceramic jar. Add sufficient salt to the lemon juice and stir to dissolve.

Now stir in chopped purple sweet potato and green chiles. Cover and let the sweet potato sit for a day or two to mature.

Serve pickled sweet potato as an accompaniment to dal rice, yogurt rice etc..

Notes: Make sure to choose tender green chiles for milder spice level. Suggestions: Make sure the jar is clean and dry for pickle to last longer.

Variations: Here are the pickled variations with and . Other Names: Pickled Sweet Potato (less)

The fried ingredients are then ground into coarse paste with salt. Serve mirchi thecha with or with steamed rice and ghee or with dal rice etc… Makes: around 3 Tablespoons of Mirchi Thecha.

Ingredients: Green Chillies 8 – 9 Garlic 4 – 5 Cloves Salt 1/2 – 1 tsp Oil 1 tsp Method of preparation: Remove stems and chop the green chillies into halves. Peel, remove hard ends and halve the garlic cloves.

Heat oil in a pan, add garlic and green chillies. Fry till garlic turns light golden brown and the skin of chillies starts to brown.

Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Using a mortar and pestle, pound the green chillies, garlic and sufficient salt into coarse mixture.

Alternatively, using a spice grinder to pulse the mixture couple of times for a coarse texture. Remove the mirchi thecha onto a bowl and stores for a week or two if refrigerated.

Serve mirchi thecha with or with steamed rice and ghee or with dal rice etc… Notes: Prefer long tender green chillies for this recipe. Suggestions: Adjust green chillies according to spice level.

Variations: You can also add a few cumin seeds while frying the green chiles. Other Names: Spicy Green Chilli Relish, Mirchi Thecha, Mirapakaya Velluli Pachadi (less)

Place water in a pan. Add salt and turmeric powder and bring to a boil.

Add the vegetables and cook till slightly tender (do not overcook). Remove excess water.

Add the coconut-chilli paste, beaten curd, coconut oil, curry leaves and continue cooking for a few minutes over medium heat. Serve hot.

RELATED RECIPES Bread cutlet Cheesy, crunchy vegetable pie Vegetable dal fry Chinese-style desi noodles Stuffed vegetable idli Ingredients: 1 cup each vegetable cut into 3-inch long strips (elephant yam, green plantain, ash gourd, yellow pumpkin, raw mango, snake gourd, cluster beans, drumstick) 1 cup beaten curd 1 coconut, grated 6 red chillies 3 tbsp. coconut oil 1 tbsp.

turmeric powder Some fresh curry leaves Salt to taste (less)

Stir fry for 4-5 mins. and add water and salt.

Cover and cook till the vegetables are tender. Add the mustard paste, mix well and bring the vegetables to a boil.

Add ghee and garam masala to the gravy. Remove from heat and serve hot.

Ingredients: 2 sticks drumsticks (cut into 2-inch pieces) 1 raw banana (skinned, diced and boiled) 1 cup potatoes (diced) 1 cup pumpkin (diced) 1 cup brinjal (diced) 1 bittergourd (diced) 1 tsp. fenugreek seeds (methi) 1 tbsp.

ghee 2 tbsp. mustard oil 1 tsp.

sugar 1 tsp. garam masala powder Salt to taste (less)

Stir fry for 4-5 mins. and add water and salt.

Cover and cook till the vegetables are tender. Add the mustard paste, mix well and bring the vegetables to a boil.

Add ghee and garam masala to the gravy. Remove from heat and serve hot.

Ingredients: 2 sticks drumsticks (cut into 2-inch pieces) 1 raw banana (skinned, diced and boiled) 1 cup potatoes (diced) 1 cup pumpkin (diced) 1 cup brinjal (diced) 1 bittergourd (diced) 1 tsp. fenugreek seeds (methi) 1 tbsp.

ghee 2 tbsp. mustard oil 1 tsp.

sugar 1 tsp. garam masala powder Salt to taste (less)

When chillies start turning white, add diced pumpkin. Add salt, sprinkle water and cover pan with a lid.

Cook till pumpkin is soft (it should neither be mushy nor lose shape). Take off heat, add grated coconut and serve.

Recipe courtesy: foodiliciousnan RELATED RECIPES Stuffed kundru curry Beetroot curry with onion Colacasia curry Sheep`s head curry Pakistani Style Fish curry Ingredients: 2 cups - pumpkin, diced 3 - green chillies (finely chopped) 1-2 tbsp - grated coconut (the more, the merrier) 1 tsp - mustard seeds 1/4 tsp - asafoetida 1/2 tsp - fenugreek seeds 2-3 sprigs - curry leaves (tender ones) 1-2 tsp - oil Salt (less)

When chillies start turning white, add diced pumpkin. Add salt, sprinkle water and cover pan with a lid.

Cook till pumpkin is soft (it should neither be mushy nor lose shape). Take off heat, add grated coconut and serve.

Recipe courtesy: foodiliciousnan RELATED RECIPES Stuffed kundru curry Beetroot curry with onion Colacasia curry Sheep`s head curry Pakistani Style Fish curry Ingredients: 2 cups - pumpkin, diced 3 - green chillies (finely chopped) 1-2 tbsp - grated coconut (the more, the merrier) 1 tsp - mustard seeds 1/4 tsp - asafoetida 1/2 tsp - fenugreek seeds 2-3 sprigs - curry leaves (tender ones) 1-2 tsp - oil Salt (less)

Add coconut milk. Stir and simmer for few minutes.

Switch off the flame and allow mixture to cool Mix in the elaneer water and pulp mixture, and chill. Serve chilled, garnished with fried raisins and cashews.

Note: The dish tastes great even without the optional flavours, as you simply get yummy Elaneer flavour. Recipe courtesy: Chitra Amma's Kitchen RELATED RECIPES Microwave aval payasam Pasi paruppu payasam Semiya payasam Mambazha payasam (Mango kheer) Microwave Vermicelli Payasam Ingredients: 2 cups - full cream milk 1/2 cup - thick coconut milk 1.

5 tbsp - condensed milk Elaneer (tender coconut) with flesh puree in a mixer Optional flavourings and garnish 1/2 tsp - cardamom powder Saffron, a few strands A few raisins and cashews fried in ghee (less)

Add coconut milk. Stir and simmer for few minutes.

Switch off the flame and allow mixture to cool Mix in the elaneer water and pulp mixture, and chill. Serve chilled, garnished with fried raisins and cashews.

Note: The dish tastes great even without the optional flavours, as you simply get yummy Elaneer flavour. Recipe courtesy: Chitra Amma's Kitchen RELATED RECIPES Microwave aval payasam Pasi paruppu payasam Semiya payasam Mambazha payasam (Mango kheer) Microwave Vermicelli Payasam Ingredients: 2 cups - full cream milk 1/2 cup - thick coconut milk 1.

5 tbsp - condensed milk Elaneer (tender coconut) with flesh puree in a mixer Optional flavourings and garnish 1/2 tsp - cardamom powder Saffron, a few strands A few raisins and cashews fried in ghee (less)

Ugadi Pachadi is a combination of 6 tastes. Bitter / Chedu (from neem flowers), Sweet / Teepi (from jaggery), Sour / Pulupu ( from tamarind), Salty / Uppu ( from salt), Spicy / Karam ( from green chile) and ogaru / astringent (from tender mango).

Makes : around 2 Cups of Ugadi Pachadi. Ingredients: Neem Flowers 2 Tbsps (Fresh or Dried) Tender Raw Green Mango 1 – 2 Fresh Coconut 3 (4 inch Pieces) 1/4 Cup (Grated) 3 – 4 inch Sized Ball Red Chili Powder a Pinch Salt a Pinch Method of preparation: Soak tamarind in a 1 1/2 Cups of water and extract all the thick pulp.

Strain the tamarind and collect all the liquid in a mixing bowl. Add grated jaggery to the mixing bowl which has the tamarind liquid.

If using dried neem leaves, soak in few tablespons of warm water before adding to the above mixing bowl. Wash and finely chop the raw mango discarding the seed.

Finely chop the fresh coconut pieces. Mix all other ingredients into tamarind and jaggery liquid.

Mix thoroughly and adjust any seasoning if required. Serve a small bowl full of ugadi pachadi.

Notes: If using banana, make sure to add it just before serving. Suggestions: Adjust the amount of ingredients to make it more sweet, sour or spicy.

Pluck the leaves of the neem flowers and add it for much milder bitterness. Variations: Mashed banana can also be added to ugadi pachadi.

You can also add chopped sugarcane, roasted chana dal, ? Other Names: Ugadi Pachadi (less)