My Traditional cooking
From the previous day itself, the mind keeps on working on the menu for next day. Atleast for me. I had a friend in Trichy, who used to plan the menu for the whole of the following week. we friends all used to admire her planning skills.
our children all studied together so we used to meet almost everyday. we all tried emulating her, but in vain. it takes great discipline I guess. but always she was calm and composed.
she used to say since she has employed a cook, she needs to be occupied and cannot go without cooking just because she has not bought vegetables and filled the pantry. Appaaaa we used to wonder how she was so organised. for me she was one of the inspiration, but still trying to follow her. more than 20 years now. not possible. need to change with the times.
so today’s menu is raw banana and bitter gourd sambar, palak poriyal and drumstick and potato masala.
as usual first rice is kept one stove. the next stove measured 1 cup tuvar Dhall, washed, measured water, added turmeric in the pressure cooker and let it cook.
two stoves occupied.
soak tamarind for sambhar.
in another stove, keep a heavy pan in simmer, and start cutting one onion and 2 tomatoes.
you can temper with soamp or leave it. just a add tsp of oil, add onions and tomatoes and cook in simmer. while it is cooking, chop the drumsticks, peel the potatoes and chop them too. now the onions and tomatoes will be half cooked. add these together with chilli powder, turmeric and salt. pour a half glass of water. cover and cook.
in another pan cook the greens like I have mentioned in my previous post.
while the Dhall is cooking, chop one raw banana into thick slices, and also one bitter gourd into slices. chop onion and tomatoes for sambhar. add curry leaves, coriander leaves, and green chillies ready too,
open the Dhall cooker after 3 whistles.
now add the vegetables, tamarind, green chillies, salt, chilli powder, coriander powder, to the cooker. mix well and see to that there is sufficient water and close the pressure cooker and leave it for one whistle. since raw banana and bitter gourd are tender vegetables one whistle is enough.
a healthy lunch with more than 6 vegetables and a green. team it up with lemon pickle and don’t forget to dribble that ghee on top of the sambhar.
what more nutrition you need?