Maanga (raw mango) vatha kuzhambu

Ingredients:
One medium size raw mango cut into long strips
Marble sized ball of tamarind - about 1 tsp tamarind paste
2-3 green chillies, slit vertically
1 tsp Sambhar powder
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp methi (fenugreek) seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp asafoetida (hing)
Marble sized ball of jaggery (gud)
2 tbsp oil
2 1/2 cups water
Few curry leaves

Method: 
1.  In a kadhai or pan add the oil. When it is hot, add the methi and mustard and when they crackle add the curry leaves and fry for a few seconds.
2. Add the raw mango pieces and sambhar powder, green chillies, hing and fry for 2 mins.
3. Add water and all the other ingredients and bring to boil. Reduce flame to simmer and cover and let boil till mango pieces become soft and water reduces by a third. Serve with hot rice and potato fry.
4. The kuzhambu us supposed to have a tangy and spicy taste with just a hint of sweetness from the jaggery. You can adjust the amount of sourness by reducing the tamarind paste or using raw mango that is slightly tangy rather than really sour.

Vegetable stew - mediterranean style

This stew goes beautifully with pita bread and chickpea salad.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped red onion
Choice of vegetable - 4 cups (i prefer mushrooms, zucchini, peas, broccoli and baby corn)
2 large garlic cloves, crushed (can add more garlic if you prefer)
1 pack of tomato puree about 200ml
1/2 cup green olives, pitted and sliced
1 tbsp each of dried rosemary and parsley
Salt, red chili powder to taste

Method:
1. Heat the oil and fry the chopped onions till they start turning golden. Add garlic and fry for few seconds.
2. Add all the vegetables and cook for a few minutes
3. Add the tomato puree, olives and rosemary and parsley. Add salt and chili powder to taste. Cover and cook for about 15 mins till all the vegetables are cooked.
4. Serve hot with pita or toasted garlic bread.

Sambhar

Ingredients:
1 lemon-sized ball of tamarind, soaked in warm water for 10-15 minutes and squeezed well to separate juice and rinds
1 cup tuver dal
1 cup chopped vegetable of your choice (brinjals, lady finger/okra, capsicum)
1 medium tomato chopped into big pieces
1 medium onion chopped coarsely (optional)
3 tbsp chopped coriander and curry leaves
2 tbsp sambhar powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp methi (fenugreek) seeds
1/2 tsp hing (asafoetida)
Salt to taste
1-2 green chillies if you like it spicier

Method:
1. Steam the tuver dal in a pressure cooker with 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder till soft. Mash it well.
2. In a kadhai/wok add the oil. Add mustard seeds and when the crackle, add the methi, hing, green chillies and onions. Fry for a few mins till onions soften. Add the vegetable and fry for a few minutes until they are well roasted and soft. If using lady fingers, fry them separately till brownish and semi crisp and set aside. Add them towards the end of the preparation so that the sambhar doesn't become gooey.
3. Add the tomatoes and sambhar masala and fry for a few seconds. Add the tamarind juice and 1/2 cup of water. Add salt, cover and cook for 5-10 minutes till tomatoes start dissolving.
4. Add the tuver dal at this point, adjust seasoning and if very thick add another 1/4 cup of water. Let boil for 5 mins (add lady fingers at this stage). Add the chopped coriander and curry leaves, boil for 2-3 more minutes. Serve hot with rice.

Pepper Rasam

This is a yummy dish for a cold evening or on a rainy day. It is also the vegetarian equivalent of chicken soup for handling a cold :-)

Ingredients:
1 lemon sized ball of tamarind, soaked and juice extracted
1 tsp each of chana dal, udad dal, black pepper corns, dhaniya, jeera, half a dry red chilli dry roasted and ground to a fine powder
1 tomato, chopped into 1" pieces
2 tbps coriander leaves, chopped finely
Salt to taste
1 tsp each of ghee, jeera, mustard and asafoetida powder

Method:
1. Add one glass of water to the tamarind paste
2. Add the chopped tomatoes, salt to taste and enough of the roasted and ground spices to make it spicy enough to tickle the tongue :-)
3. Put it in low heat and boil it for 10 mins. Add chopped coriander leaves
4. Remove from fire. Heat the ghee, add the mustard and when it splatters, add jeera and asafoetida. Remove from flame and pour this into the piping hot rasam
5. Serve with hot rice and any dry vegetable like aloo or bhindi