Alu Pitika or mashed potato is a side dish recipe from North East India.
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Alu or Aloo Pitka - A side dish recipe from Assam
Kadai Paneer - Using ready to cook mix
Ginger Garlic Potato
I have added the quantity that I have used but you can adjust it as and how you like it. This can be made both with baby potato and also equally cut regular potatoes. This makes a great side dish for rasam rice or vathakuzhambu rice or pulav or chappathi or roti.
Ingredients:
Baby Potato - 1 Kg
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Garlic - 8 pods
Mint leaves - 1/4 cup
Jeera - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup
Sambar Powder - 2 tbsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Method:
Pressure cook and peel the potatoes. Make a paste of mint leaves and jeera. In a pan add oil and when it gets hot add chopped ginger and garlic and saute a while add the potatoes and mix well. Add the mint jeera paste and mix well so that all the potatoes get coated well. Add the salt and sambar powder and mix thoroughly. Reduce the flame and cook till all the potatoes are coated with all the ingredients added.
Baingan Aloo Kuruma by Shripriya
Ingredients:
Potato - 2 boiled and cut into pieces
Tomato - 1chopped fine
Onion - 1 chopped fine
Ginger(1 inch)-Garlic(5 Cloves)-Green chillies (4 )- grind into a paste
Coconut milk - 2 cups
Garam masala powder - 1 tblspn
Salt - as needed
Coriander leaves for garnishing.
Method:
2. Add the chopped onion, and fry till it is cooked fine.
3. Add the Ginger, garlic, greenchillies paste and fry until raw smell disappears.
4. Add the tomatos and cook well.
5. Add the cut brinjals. Fry until they get nicely cooked.
6. Add the boiled and cut potatoes, garam masala powder, salt, and the coconut milk.
7. Once it boils upto desired consistency, turn the stove off, garnish with coriader leaves.
Goes well with chappathis, puris, and also plain rice.
Variations:
1. We can add chole instead of potatoes and make this as baingan chole.
2. Instead of adding coconut milk, you can grind 4 tblspns of shredded coconut along with ginger, garlic, and green chillies and add it.
Baingan Partha by Vijaya Venkatesh
Ingredients:
Big Brinjal - 1
Green chillies - 6 to 8 ( chopped finely)
Coriander leaves - 1/4 bunch (chopped finely)
Dhaniya powder - 1 tea spoon
Haldi - 1 tea spoon
salt to taste
Wheat flour - 3 cups
Method:
Kathirikkai Gothsu by Bhooma Sudhakar
Ingredients:
Brinjal – 5-6 pcs (medium size-finely diced)
Onion – 2
Tomato – 1
Tamarind extract - one cup (take a lemon size tamarind extract)
thuvar Dhal – cooked and smashed
Turmeric powder and salt as required.
Coriander seeds – 3 tsp
Urad dhal – 1 tsp
Channa dhal – 1 tsp
Red chillies – 4 (round chillies)
For seasoning:-
Musturd seeds - ½ tsp
Curry leaves – 1 string.
How to make :-
Heat the kadai, pour 2 spoons of oil and add mustard seeds and curry leaves.
When the mustard splutters, add onions and allow to saute till soft. Now add the tomatoes and mix well.
Tap in a pinch of turmeric and cook till the tomato-onion mixture is mushy.
Now add the diced brinjals and mix well. Then add the tamarind extract.
Allow around 5-8mints for the brinjals also to cook in to the mixture and get soft.
When its a little thick add the smashed thuvar dhal, add salt and pour some more water depending on what you want the final consistency to be.
Lastly add the grinded powder and mix well. keep it just for a mintute .
Normally it would be a little thicker than “Sambar” but thinner than a chutney or dip.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with Venn Pongal.
I just added smash thuvar dhal to subside the sour taste of tamarind water and enhance the flavour..so it is optional..
Paneer Manchurian - IndoChinese Dish How to make it at home?
Ingredients:
Paneer - 250 gms
Onion- 4 nos
Tomato - 1 no.
Spring Onions - 3 stems
Green Chilly - 2 nos
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp
Soy Sauce - 1 tbsp
Tomato Ketchup - 1 tbsp
Corn Flour - 2 tbsp
Pepper Powder - 1/4 tbsp
Red Chilly Powder - 1/2 tbsp
Coriander Powder - 3/4th tbsp
Cumin Powder - 3/4th tbsp
Water - 1 cup
Oil- 1/4 cup
Method :

Chop onions finely. Grind tomato to a puree. Chop spring onion leaves into bits.
In a shallow pan add 1/2 of the oil and shallow fry the Paneer cubes till they become golden brown in colour. Remove drain and set aside. The marinated paste will be left out donot throw it off, it could be used to thicken the manchurian gravy.
In the same pan, add the Spring onion leaves and saute a bit. Add Green Chillies, chopped onions, Tomato puree, ginger garlic paste and saute till it emits a nice aroma, do the whole process in low flame. Add the Paneer Cubes and saute a while before adding the soya sauce and tomato ketchup.
If you want it dry just saute a while and switch off the stove and transfer it to a serving bowl and decorate it with finely chopped coriander leaves and spring onions.
If you want to make it as a gravy for side dish, then add a cup of water and add the left over marination paste and bring it to boil. Keep stirring so that it does not settle at the bottom.When it turns glassy, remove from flame, transfer to a serving bowl, decorate it with finely chopped coriander leaves and spring onions and serve with any Roti or Chappati of your choice or even Veg Pulav and Fried Rice.
Vendaikkai Masala/Lady's finger Masala
Ingredient:
Lady's finger - 1/4 kg
Green peas - 1/2 cup
Onion - 1 big
Tomato - 2 nos
Bengal gram dal - 2 tsp
Coriander seeds - 2 tsp
Red Chillies - 4 nos
Grated coconut - 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp
Urad dal - 2 tbsp
Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup
Method:
Cut the Lady's finger into 1 inch piece. Cut the onions into small pieces. Fry both of them in oil. Add little salt and saute well.
Grind bengal gram, chillies, coriander seeds, asafodeita, coriander leaves to a finer paste. Make a puree of the tomato. Cook the green peas along with and little turmeric powder. When it gets cooked add the grind masala, tomato puree and salt mix well. Add the sauted onion and Lady's finger and mix well.
In a seasoning laddle, heat oil add mustard seeds and urad dal and add it to the gravy. Makes a great side dish for chappati and poori.
Tomato Pickle
During tomato season it is always make use of it and make tomato pickles and store it.
Ingredients:
Tomato - 2 kgs
Red Chilly - 200 gms
Solid hing - 1 inch piece
Methi seeds - 1 tbsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Gingely oil - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Garlic pods - 24 pods
Method:
Cut the tomato into round slices and spread it in a plate or plastic sheet and dry it in sun for about a week till it becomes dry. Whenever needed soak a few slices in hot water.
Fry methi seeds and red chillies and grind them to coarse powder. Heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds and when it splitters add the tomato slices and garlic pods saute well without adding water. Add the turmeric powder, ground powder, salt and mix well. When the oil gets released out remove from flame.
Makes a good side dish for dosa or idly.
Fresh green Kothamalli Thokku
When u get a lot of coriander leaves in the market it is better to get them and do thokku.
Ingredients:
Coriander Leaves - 3 to 4 bunches
Red Chilly - 12 nos
Salt to taste
Tamarind - a lemon size
Gingelly oil - 4 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Urad dal full - 1tsp
Asafodeita - 1 tsp
Method:
Clean the bunches, remove just the leaves. Wash thoroughly and drain fully. Dry roast red chillies grind it along with tamarind and salt to a fine powder. Add the coriander leaves and grind it again to a fine paste.
Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, when it splutters add the urad dal, asafodeita powder add it to the ground powder. Grind it again.
Store it in an airtight container. It can also be stored in fridge. Can be used for 1 week to 10 days. Use it as a side dish for idly, dosa, chappati, curd rice.
Carrot Sambar for idly and dosa
Vareity is the spice of life. Not only kids even adults want different kind of side dish for the regular idly and dosas. Here is one such dish that have a different taste and aroma. Though the cooking method of this is similar to Sambar, this will not be that good to mix with rice and eat.
Ingredients:
Carrot - 2 nos
Shallowts or Small Onion - 8 nos
Tomato - 1 nos
Coriander seeds - 1 spoon
Broken fried bengal gram dal - 2 spoons
Coconut - 6 spoons grated.
Tamarind paste - 1 tsp
Masoor dal or Moong Dal or Thoor Dal - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Methi seeds - 1/2 spoon
Curry leaves a few
Coriander leaves a few
Red Chilly - 2 nos
Green Chilly - 1 no
Method:
Pressure cook the dal and mash it thoroughly. Cut carrot in round shape and pressure cook it too separately.
Grind Coriander seeds, Broken Fried Bengal Gram dal and coconut to a fine paste. In a shallow bottom pan add one spoon of oil and mustard seeds. When it splutters add the methi seeds, Green chillies. Peel and cut the onions into halves add it to the pan and saute for a while. Finely chop the tomato and add it too and mix well. Now add the cooked carrot. Mix tamarind paste to 1 cup of water and add it to the pan. Bring it to a boil and when it boils add the ground paste.
Reduce the flame and bring it to a boil and when it starts bubbling add the mashed dal. If the sambar is thick add another 1 cup of water. Remove from flame and add finely chopped coriander leaves and curry leaves.
Heat oil in a seasoning laddle and add asafodeita and red chillies to it. Pour it on top of the sambar. Mix thoroughly before serving.
Serves a great side dish for idly and dosa.
Brinjal Rasavangi by Sowpernica
Ingredients:
Brinjal – ½ kg (finely cut)
Jaggery – a small bit
Oil – 1 ½ teaspoon
Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon
Salt – 1 ½ teaspoon
Tamarind – a small piece
Hing - ¼ teaspoon
Turmeric powder - ½ teaspoon
Roast & Grind:
Coriander seeds – 3 teaspoons
Channa dal – 3 teaspoons
Red chillies – 2
Curry leaves – 6
Coconut – ½ cup (grated)
Method:
Heat a teaspoon of oil in a kadai.
Add mustard seeds & allow spluttering.
Add cut brinjal pieces, salt, turmeric powder, hing & jaggery.
Soak tamarind in little water & prepare tamarind water. (approx ½ tumbler)
Sprinkle this water & keep closed.
Repeat step 5 until till the pieces look cooked.
Roast ingredients mentioned with ½ teaspoon of oil & grind to smooth paste.
Add the ground paste & mix well.
Allow boiling for 5 more minutes.
Garnish with curry leaves & serve hot with rice.
Kaju-Badam-Peanut-Paneer Masala
Gobi Mussalam|Gobi Musallam
After learning the name of the dish I make quite often as Baingan Mussalam, I was quite intrigued as to what other veggies can be used to make this Mussalam. Found from the net that Potato, Baby Potato and Cauliflower can also be used to make Mussalam. But each vegetable have a different type of cooking the same Mussalam.
Ingredients:
Cauliflower - 1 small
Onions - 2 nos
Tomato Puree - 1 1/2 cups
Chilly Powder - 1 tsp
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Cinnamon stick - 1 no or Cinnamon Powder - 1/2 tsp
Cloves - 4 nos
Green Chillies - 2 nos
Garam Masala Powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Cashew nuts - 8 nos
Ghee - 1/4 cup
Milk - 1/4 cup (optional)
Salt to taste
Oil - 1/4 litre
Coriander leaves - finely chopped 1/2 cup
Method:
In a pan dry roast coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, clove and grind it to a fine paste adding little water along with cashew nuts and garam masala.
Cut the Cauliflower into small florets. Boil the florets in water along with little salt and turmeric powder. When half done, drain and when the water is drained, fry the florets in a small deep fry pan till they become brown in colour.
In a shallow pan add ghee and when hot add ginger garlic paste and saute a little. Add the ground paste and onion simultaneously and fry till the oil is separated. Add turmeric powder, chilly powder and add 1/2 cup of water. Mix everything thoroughly. Add the tomato puree and another 1/2 cup of water. Add salt and reduce the flame to let the gravy become thick and oil floats on top. Add little oil (or milk) and the fried cauliflower pieces. Bring it to boil and keep it in low flame for another 3 mins.
Garnish it with coriander leaves, fried cashew nuts.
Serve this hot with Roti/Chappati.
Baingan Mussalam|Baingan Mohalai Gravy a very rich side dish recipe
I came to know that Baingan Mughalai gravy and Baingan Mussalam are one and the same after getting clarified from some of my friends. Though any kind of vegetable can be used along with the basic gravy, when Baingan is used it really gives a wonderful taste. A must try for all Brinjal lovers.
Ingredients:
Brinjals - 8 nos small sized
Onions - 2 nos big
Tomato - 4 nos.
Tomato puree - 1 cup
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilly powder - 1 tsp (or to taste)
Salt to taste
Ghee - 1/4 cup
Oil for deep frying.
Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup
Fresh cream - 3 to 4 tbsp
Method:
Wash and clean the brinjals and cut them to 6 pieces length wise. Heat oil in a pan and fry the brinjal pieces till they become golden brown in colour. In a hard bottom shallow pan add ghee and cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds crackle add the finely chopped onions and saute it till it turns golden brown in colour. Add the ginger garlic paste, coriander powder, turmeric powder, chilli powder and mix well. Add a cup of water to mix all the ingredients thoroughly. Bring it to a boil, reduce the flame add the finely chopped tomatoes and mash well with all the other ingredients. Cook it thoroughly till the oil separates from gravy. Add brinjal, tomato gravy and required quantity of salt. Mix well and cook for about 5 mins in low flame.
Remove from flame and transfer it to a serving bowl, mix the cream. Garnish it with coriander leaves. To make the dish rich can also garnish with fried cashew nuts.
Goes well with Rotis, Chappatis or even jeera rice.
Dal Lucknowi Chappati side dish
Wanted a change from the regular Dal fry or the other dal dishes. Had a few of green gram dal, moong dal etc. Suddenly remembered seeing Dal Lucknowi dish prepared in one of the cookery show.
Ingredients:
Thuvar Dal - 1/2 cup
Moong Dal - 1/2 cup

Milk - 1/2 cup
Green chillies - 2 nos
Garlic cloves - 4 nos
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Red Chillies - 4 nos
Turmeric Powder - 1 pinch
Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup
Curry leaves - 1/4 cup
Salt to taste
Asafodeita - 1 pinch
Ghee - 2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Method:
Wash and pressure cook the dals along with turmeric powder for about 5 whistles. Let it cool, remove and mash well. Transfer it to a hard bottom vessel add salt and mix thoroughly and bring it to a boil.
Heat seasoning laddle and add ghee to it. Add mustard seeds and when they splutter add cumin seeds, slit green chillies, red chillies, chopped garlic and saute well. Chop the curry leaves add it to the dal and pour the seasoning on top of it and mix well. Add milk and cook for just a min or two. Remove from flame, add finely chopped coriander leaves.
Can be served with hot rice or roti
Baby Potato fry Chettinad Style
Baby potatoes are always every one's favourites but making same recipes every time is quite boring. While searching the net, I came across a recipe which is prepared in Chettinad style.
Ingredients:
Baby Potatoes - 1/2 kg
Shallots - 250 gms or 24 nos (medium sized)
Curry leaves - 1/2 cup
Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup
Urad Dal - 1 tbsp
Red Chillies - 6 nos
Black pepper corn - 12 nos
Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Method:
Boil the potatoes and peel them. Prick them with a tooth pick to make small holes in each one of them.
Dry roast urad dal, red chillies, black pepper, cumin seeds and curry leaves. Grind them to a fine powder (Alternatively Chettinad Masala powder can also be used).
Peel the shallots (sambar onion) and if they are large cut them into halves. Heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds and when they splutter add the shallots and fry till they turn glassy. Add the potatoes, salt, ground masala powder and mix well. Cook on low flame and keep turning the potatoes so that it turns golden brown all over.
Chop the coriander leaves finely and add it to the potatoes and mix. Serve with rice or with rotis.
Note: If you are serving it with rotis, cut the baby potatoes into half before adding to the pan.
Lemon Dal Recipe
Ingredients:
Thoor Dal - 1 cup
Turmeric Powder - 1 pinch
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Urad Dal whole - 1 tbsp
Red chillies - 2 nos
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Garlic - 3 cloves
Asafodeita - 1 pinch
Lemon - 1 no
Curry Leaves - 1/4 cup
Coriander Leaves - 1/4 cup
Salt to taste
Method:
Pressure cook thoor dal with turmeric powder. When cooked, let it cool, mash thoroughly.
Peel and chop the garlic pods. Heat ghee in a pan and add mustard seeds, when it splutters add urad dal, red chillies, garlic cloves and cumin seeds. Add the thoor dal, salt and 2 cups of water. Cook till the dal boils. Add finely chopped curry leaves and coriander leaves.
Remove from flame and add lemon juice.
Serve it with chappati or hot white rice.
Red Garlic Chutney - A spicy side dish recipe for Idly and Dosa
Grated Coconut - 1 cup
Garlic - 8 cloves
Red Chillies - 4 (round vareity)
Tamrind Paste - 1 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Hing - a pinch
salt to taste
Method:
Heal 1 tsp of oil in a pan and saute the red chillies along with garlic for a minute. Add the coconut to the pan and fry till it turns golden brown. Let it cool and grind it to a paste along with tamrind paste and salt. Add little water, to make it a paste.
Heat oil in a seasoning laddle and add mustard seeds to it, when it splutters add asafodeita(hing) and pour it on top of the chutney.
This can be served with Idly or Dosa. (Especially for dosa that is made on the very day when the batter is prepared).
Idly/ Dosai Milagai Podi using Til - A simple side dish recipe II Ellu Milagai podi
Ingredients:
Urud dal 1 Cup
Channa dhal 1 cup
If it is round (gundu) red chillies make it 1 1/2 cups and if it is long ones make it 2 cups
Solid Hing - 1 small piece
Salt as per your taste (But if you use rock salt it will taste much more better)
Til (Ellu) Black - 1/2 cup
How to make it?
Fry all the ingredients one by one.
Soak Til for 1/2 an hour, dry well, fry it separately after frying all the other ingredients untill it pops. There should be no water left.
When the fried items cools down grind it in mixie coarsely.
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