Ganagavelli / Kulfa/ Purslane Curry

Ganagavelli - Telugu
Purslane - English
Kulfa - Hindi


References : 

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portulaca_oleracea
2. http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/purslane.html

This is wonderful herb or a leafy vegetable. Its quite nutritious too. This leafy vegetable was not my favorite . That means i never bought it. My mom used to make it frequently and i ate it only when cooked with meat.
Though i loved to touch it - feels a bit silky, juicy and very soft. Kind-of salty  and sour. Out of blue i reckoned it and was amused my to realize my mouth was watering. Took a walk and bought this one. I never cooked it . Though i did reckon my sister mentioning it. Hence i called her for the recipe and any suggestions.

Suggestion : 

1. Cut out the fatter parts of the stems. Basically you find them at the end.
2. Need not separate the leaves and can use the rest of the stems

Recipe:

Ingredients:

1. Oil - 1 TbSp( Suit yourself - i'm quite low on oil usage in cooking)
2. Mustard Seeds : 1 Tsp
3. Jeera : 1 Tsp
4. Garlic : 10 Pods Chopped(I over do - its optional)
5. Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 Tsp
6. Curry Leaves - 5 - 10 (Optional)
7. Green Chillies - 3 - Slit
8. Onion - Medium Sized - 1 ( Chopped)
9. Turmeric Powder - 1 Tsp
10. Tomatoes  - Medium Sized - 2 (Cut into cubes)
11. Gangavelli/Purslane Herb - Chopped - 2 Cups / 4 Fistful
12. Salt - 2 Tsp(According to taste)
13. Red Chilly Powder - 1 Tsp
14. Jeera Powder - 1 Tsp

Method:

1. Heat a wok and add oil
2. Add mustard seeds - let splutter
3. Add Jeera - minced garlic
4. Add green chillies, curry leaves.
5. Stir once.
6. Add onions and let them turn pink.
7. Add turmeric powder, salt, ginger garlic paste. Stir well.
8. After a 30 seconds add chopped leafy vegetables
9. Stir well and cover for 2 minutes
10. Add chopped tomatoes , red chilly powder, jeera powder.
11. Stir and check for seasonings.
12. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
13. Check if the tomatoes are cooked.
14. If required add one table spoon of water and stir
15. Continue till the tomatoes are cooked.

Serve hot with roti / rice.

Spiced Sprouts

Its a tradition to share sprouts as part of "Thamboolam".
After the puja i was left with so much of them.
Hence i've decided to spice it up and server for breakfast.

The other day we were at a dinner at my bro's place.
He brought this store brought sprouts. 
Mixture of them - green moong, chana and all that can be sprouted.
We've done a quick saute with green chillies, curry leaf and squeezed in lemon.
vOILA!!! Served as best snack for drinks. Chicken kebabs took a second ceat.
This power packed highly nutritious is damn-yummy.

Ingredients:

• Sprouts - 2 Cups(Moong Dal, Green Moong Dal, Ground Nuts, Chana...)
• Green Chillies - Finely Chopped - 2
• Garlic - Minced Garlic
• Curry Leaves - Chopped - 10
• Ghee - 1 Tb Sp
• Mustard Seed - 1/2 Tsp
• Jeera - 1/2 Tsp
• Lemon Juice - 1/2 Lemon or the whole acc to your taste
• Salt - 1/4 Tsp
• Onion - Medium - Finely Chopped - 1
• Coriander for garnishing

Method:

• Heat a pna and add ghee.
• Once the ghee is hot - add mustard seeds, Jeera.
• Let em splutter - add minced garlic, curry leaf , green chillies
• Note: I'm a garlic freak n i take every opportunity to do that.
• You may avoid using garlic.
• Add sprouts - stir well.
• Add salt, onions.
• Stir well.
• Squeeze in lemon juice and garnish with chopped coriander.
• Serve hot.

Amarnath Leaves(Thotakura) with Dry Prawns

Dry Prawns are a favorite in-house.
They go well when cooked with cabbage, bottle-gourd, ridge gourd or plain tomato.
However my favourite remains the one with Amarnath leaves/thotakura.
I love all greens and amarnath leaves/thotakura are no exception.

Though my mom used to prepare this - i fell in love with it all over again when my pedhamma prepared it.
Since then it has become a regular at our home.

As always every recipe i put down will have one or the other memories.
The prawns i used today were from Kakinada.
My good friend S got them. 
Kakinada is a b'ful sea coast place in Andhra Pradesh.
You get a variety of fish, prawns there.
We've been there couple of years back.
We had great time in the sea shore, spending time with my nieces, not to forget the food.
We've been to Uppada - place known for sarees. I did blow out.

Coming back to the recipe this does need much spices or seasonings.
I use lot of garlic, green chillies n thats it.
Prawns n amarnath diffuse the flavors n tastes yumm.

Easy to cook.
Preparaton Time : 10 Mins
Cooking Time : 10 Mins

Ingredients:

• Green Chillies - Slit : 6
• Garlic Pods - Minced : 7
• Onion - Medium - sliced : 1
• Turmeric - 1/2 Tea Sp
• Ginger Garlic Paste - 1/2 Tea Sp
• Salt - 1/2 Tea Sp
• Oil - 1 Tb Sp
• Coriander - For garnishing
• Amarnath Leaves : 2 Bunches
• Dry Prawns - 20

Method:

• Wash amarnath leaves n prawns(seperately) in salted water.
• Heat a pan and add  oil( I'm very low on oil - you might add more acc to your taste)
• Once the oil is hot - add garlic n green chillies.
• Add sliced onions n salt.
• Stir well.
• Once the onions are translucent add turmeric , ginger-garlic paste.
• Stir well.
• Add washed dry prawns.
• Stir well.
• Add chopped amarnath leaves n stir well.
• Keep covered for around 10 minutes or till done.
• Do check at regular intervals and stir if required.

Garnish with coriander and serve hot with rice or roti.