Green Bean and Potato Salad

I have started to go to farmer's market regularly and am finding myself with some good stuff. The bean and potatoes used in this recipe are from the market.

Ingredients:

Green Beans - 1/2 lb, cleaned ends trimmed and cut into 1 to 2 inch pieces
Potatoes - 3 medium, peeled and cubed

For dressing:
Olive oil - 1/4 cup
Lemon Juice - 1/8 cup
Ground Mustard - 2 Tbsp.
Slat and fresh pepper to taste

Procedure:
- Bring 1 quart of water to boil. Salt the water.
- Add green beans and cook for 2 to 3 minutes till the beans are cooked just enough.
- Remove from water and pat try on kitchen towels.
- Add potatoes to the hot water and cook them . DO not over cook so potatoes get all mushy.
- Mix all the ingredients for dressing and whisk them or just run it through a food processor. Adjust seasoning.
- Mix beans and potatoes in a salad bowl and add the dressing.

Semi-Mexican Salad

I made this salad last night. Was a hit with my dad. I am specifically mentioning my dad because he hardly eats salads and when he does it's because he thinks he has no choice:). It's semi - Mexican because it has beans and taco seasoning :).

- you can add any kind of cooked beans you like.
- I used frozen corn that I microwaved for 2 minutes

Ingredients:
Corn - 1 cup
Black beans - 1.5 cups or one 14 oz can washed and drained
Mango - 2cups finely diced
Cucumber - 1 seedless finely diced
Olives - chopped roughly ( optional)

For Dressing:
Lemon juice - 2 Tbsp.
Salt and pepper - as needed
Balsamic Vinegar - 1/2 tsp.
Taco Seasoning - 1.5 tsp. ( store bought)

Procedure:

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Whisk the dressing ingredients together and pour on top of the salad right before serving.

BlackEyed peas Kozhambu and Dondakaya vepudu

So the first one is a tamilian thing and the second one a telugu thing.

Kozhambu is like pulusu in telugu. Don't ask me the hindi version. In English,hmmmm I guess you can call it a stew:)

This recipe was taught to me by my mother-in-law. She is an awesome cook.


BlackEyed peas Kozhambu

Ingredients:

Dried Black eyed peas: 1 cup
Onion - 1 cup minced
Tomatoes - 1 cup minced
Garlic - 3 cloves minced
Fenugreek seeds -1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 6
Turmeric - pinch
Sambar powder or Kozhambu masala - 1 tbsp or according to your taste
Salt - to taste
Oil - as needed

Procedure:

Cook blackeyed peas in a pressure cooker with 2 to 3 cups of water.
Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds. Once they sputter, add cumin and fenugreek seeds. Then add curry leaves and garlic. Add the onions immediately. Saute till onions are translucent or medium brown. Add turmeric, salt and half of sambar powder.
Fry for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, black eyed peas and 1 cup of water and cook covered for 5 minutes. Add rest of sambar powder and cook on low flame till tomatoes become soft and adjust seasoning if needed.

Notes: If you don't like garlic add asafoetida(hing or inguva)instead.
If the tomatoes are not sour add a tablespoon of tamarind juice.
For the blackeyed peas, I use the dry ones.They cook fine without soaking in water for long.

Dondakaya (tindora) Fry:

I forgot what dondakaya is called in tamil. Will ask my husband later;)

Ingredients:
Dondakaya - 2 cups - cut length wise
Turmeric - pinch
Salt - to taste
Red chilli powder - to taste
Curry leaves - 4
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Garlic - 1 clove crushed
Oil - as needed

Procedure:

Boil the dondakaya till soft in salt water and keep aside. Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds. Once they start sputtering, add the curry leaves and garlic. Add the dondakaya pieces. Add turmeric and saute them till they are medium crisp. Add red chilli powder and saute till the raw smell of chilli powder is gone.