In a family of three kids, I was the only girl. Now I have three nieces to give me company :-).

It’s sad that I am missing out a lot in their growing up stage, but like my son said yesterday – today’s technology is great. So thanks to the internet, I do get to see glimpses of their lives.

I was in Bangalore when my elder brother’s second daughter was born in January. And my younger brother’s daughter was born in May. We took a road trip to go see her after my son’s vacation started. We covered New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and finally Illinois to see her.

The little kid in the family( my younger brother) has a little kid of his own now!

The high light of the trip was of course my 6 week old niece and how she smiles. But on a side track , I picked up this recipe from my brother’s MIL. It’s a version of the regular puli kuzhambu, but this has enough vegetables and beans in it to contribute to a healthy dinner.

Serve this with a cup of rice and the dinner is done!

Pictorial:

Heat 2 teaspoon oil in a pan and add 1 teaspoon of mustard seeds and half teaspoon of fenugreek seeds.

Add 5-6 curry leaves, 3-5 pods of chopped garlic and 2 chopped small onions. Saute for 2-3 minutes.

Add 3/4 cup of sliced radish. Saute for 2-3 minutes.

Add 2 cups of diced eggplant. Cook for 3-4 minutes.

Add 1 teaspoon tamarind paste (or use 2 cups tamarind water), salt and 1 tablespoon sambar powder in two cups water.

Add this to the cooked vegetables.

Cook two cups rajma or red kidney beans.

Add that as well to the kuzhambu.

Cover and let it cook for 5 minutes.

Add 1 tablespoon of fenugreek powder at this point.

Grind 1 cup coconut into a very smooth paste and add that to the kuzhambu. You can thicken the curry by using a paste of 2 tablespoon flour with 1/2 cup water instead of coconut.

Let it boil for 5 minutes. Taste test, adjust seasonings and serve hot with rice.

Recipe source:  My brother’s MIL

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

for seasoning:

• 2 teaspoon oil
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 5-6 curry leaves

for kuzhambu

• 4-5 garlic pods, chopped fine
• 2-3 small onions, chopped fine ( or 1/2 medium onion, sliced)
• 3/4 cup sliced radish pieces
• 2 cups diced eggplant pieces
• 1 tablespoon sambar powder
• 1 teaspoon tamarind paste
• salt as needed
• 2 cups cooked rajma(red kidney beans)
• 1 teaspoon fenugreek powder
• 1 cup coconut, ground to a very smooth paste with some water

Method:

1. Heat 2 teaspoon oil in a pan and add 1 teaspoon of mustard seeds and half teaspoon of fenugreek seeds.
2. Add 5-6 curry leaves, 3-5 pods of chopped garlic and 2 chopped small onions. Saute for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add 3/4 cup of sliced radish. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Add 2 cups of diced eggplant. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
4. Mix 1 teaspoon tamarind paste in two cups water (or use 2 cups tamarind water) along with salt and 1 tablespoon sambar powder. Add this to the cooked vegetables.
5. Cook two cups rajma or red kidney beans. Add that as well to the kuzhambu. Cover and let it cook for 5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of fenugreek powder at this point.
6. Grind 1 cup coconut into a very smooth paste and add that to the kuzhambu. You can thicken the curry by using a paste of 2 tablespoon flour with 1/2 cup water instead of coconut. Let it boil for 5 minutes.
7. Taste test, adjust seasonings and serve hot with rice.

This recipe goes to Blogging Marathon 55, under healthy dinner recipes.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 55