I love any vegetable in the form of kootu, as it requires only very less oil and rich in protein. From the beginning, instead of giving only pappu, I used give any veg kootu to my kid. He loves to have kootu rice with ghee. I usually prepare this kootu as a side dish for any kulambu. Today i prepared pachai mochai kulambu along with kootu.

Ingredients:

Snake Gourd - 3 pcs

Bengal gram Dhal - 1/2 cup

Onion - 1

Green Chillies - 3-4

Red Chillies - 2

Aesfoetida - a pinch

Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Mustard and urad dhal for seasoning.

Method:

Pressure cook the dhal. Cut the gourd, onions and chillies.

In a kadai, add 1/2 tsp of oil and add the seasoning items and cumin seeds.

Once the mustard splutters add the onion and chillies and saute well.

Now add the snake gourd and saute for a while.

Now add the cooked dhal, salt, and turmeric powder. Close with a lid and cook till the veg is done.

Add curry leaves and coriander leaves for extra flavor.

If you want, you can also add a small tomato for this.

Serve this kootu along with kulambu or rasam rice.

This is my all time favourite. I think this is the simplest recipe which delivers a heavenly taste. I had a school time friend, who had a regular menu of this potato fry with curd rice. I have seen her taking this for the entire year, other than weekends. I am also a great fan of this dish, but for health reasons, I restrict from making this often. But this is the right time for my kid to enjoy the taste of this fry. He loved it a lot, when I gave him for the first time. Previously I used to give him only baked potato, with little salt and pepper. But after tasting this fry, he is not willing to take baked potatoes anymore. So nowadays I am giving potato in this form alone. 

Coming to the recipe, it doesn't involve complex procedure or ingredients. 

Potatoes - 3

Chilly Powder - 1 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp

Salt - As per taste

Oil for cooking.

Method:

Peel off the skin of the potato with a peeler. Slice them into thin discs. 

In a kadai, heat some oil and add the mustard seeds. 

Add the potato and fry it for 5 mins. 

Add all the powder and salt. close with a lid and cook for 5 more mins. 

In simmer, fry it for some more time, until they become crisp. 

Serve hot with sambar rice or curd rice.
 

I am sending this potato fry to 15 minute cooking event conducted by Mahimaa

The season here is too worse and we have been constantly travelling every weekend for some or the other reasons. And this has fetched my kid with a severe cold. I took him to hospital and he was given with so many medicines, which I found very difficult to feed him every 6 hours. The antibiotics which are usually priscribed will reduce the appetite and also for some kids they may lead to constipation. Agian we have to help the kids to get rid of constipation. Really pathetic. On seeing all these my mom suggested to try some home medicine which will cure the cold and also helps in digestion. It also clears the congestion in the chest.

Being a working woman, am scared of testing anything with the kid as I will not be able to avail leaves to take care. But as my mom insisted for the welfare of kid, I couldnt deny and went ahead with it. I was astonished by the end results. He got cured the very next day and started having his food properly, coughs reduced....dont think am exaggerating, it really worked out well. I just thought of sharing the same with the blogosphere. 

Ingredients:

Leaves of Anisochilus Carnosus(Karpooravalli in Tamil)- 3

Tulsi Leaves - few

Pepper Corns - 3

Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

Omam - 1 tsp

Method:

Crush both the leaves. Put in to a kettle having half cup of water. Put all the other ingredients and boil well. The water should reduce to 2 tbsp consistency. 

Filter it and pour into a medicine feeder and give it to the kid. 

Get back to me to share how it worked for you.