Gotsu is saucy gravy made in South Indian Tamil homes to accompany rice dishes and steamed rice dumplings called idlis. Gotsu is usually made as a quick salsa like sauce to go with any dish on the menu. This tomato onion gotsu is one that my Mom used to make to accompany a lentil and rice dish called pongal. Mom’s simple rice pongal along with her tomato gotsu were always a hit in our home and was truly comfort food. One can serve gotsu warm or at room temperature over your favorite rice dish, or even over chicken or fish. Here is the recipe for Mom’s pongal recipe. For a simple and quick tomato and onion gotsu the recipe is below. Continue reading Tomato Onion Gotsu. South Indian Tamil Tomato Sauce
Tag Archives: Indian food
Pongal. South Indian Tamil Rice and Lentil Porridge
Pongal is a South Indian Tamil rice dish made with rice and lentils that are cooked like a thick porridge. Rice and lentils are cooked together with salt and turmeric until very tender and then mixed in with ghee and toasted black peppercorns. As comforting a dish as it can get, this is a pure clean flavor that tastes awesome with a side of spiced tomato sauce called gotsu. Continue reading Pongal. South Indian Tamil Rice and Lentil Porridge
Pepper Paneer Curry
Sweet, spicy, flavorful and very easy to make this curry is. When I made this sweet pepper curry I had received loads of garden fresh peppers from my neighbor in all shapes, sizes and varieties. I kept racking my brain trying to figure out what I could make that would use up all these peppers in one main dish. This pepper and paneer curry was the result. We had it with chapatis but one could have it with naan, tortillas, stuff it in a burrito, or serve it as a side dish. Give it a try! Continue reading Pepper Paneer Curry
Butternut Squash & Chickpea Curry
Take a traditional Indian chickpea curry called chole and add some fall-inspired butternut squash and what you get is this delectable butternut squash and chickpea curry. I love this curry so much I have been making it often this fall. The butternut squash adds a nice sweetness to the dish, and the addition of peppers and potatoes combined with chickpeas makes this an awesome one-pot meal. Served with naan or chapatis or ladled over steaming rice or quinoa – either way you have it this curry is delicious. Continue reading Butternut Squash & Chickpea Curry
Kale Quinoa Pilaf
This very quick and easy quinoa pilaf has been one of my favorite go-to dishes when I want to make something fast. What makes this pilaf a breeze to make is the frozen quinoa and kale blend that I buy at Costco and keep in the freezer. The frozen quinoa has four individualy wrapped packets, each with cooked quinoa and super green such as kale. This way I can use one, two, or three packets depending on how many people I am serving. All this recipe requires is cutting an onion, a pepper and a few garlic cloves. Then just cook the veggies with spices and add them to the quinoa. That’s it. For a scrumptiously delicious quinoa pilaf in as little as 15 minutes give this quinoa blend a try. Continue reading Kale Quinoa Pilaf
Saag Paneer. Spinach and Paneer with Indian Spices
Saag Paneer is a popular Indian dish chock full of finely diced spinach cooked with paneer cheese, garlic, ginger, onions and Indian spices. Saag paneer is extremely easy to make and tastes amazing. Saag paneer is usually served with chapatis, but one can easily have it as a stuffing inside a burrito or serve it as a side dish. There are many versions of saag paneer, this recipe is the simplest way to make it which is typically made in the home kitchen and the villages of India. Continue reading Saag Paneer. Spinach and Paneer with Indian Spices
Cauliflower Curry with Peas, Potatoes & Peppers
Cauliflower Curry with Peas, Potatoes and Peppers
Ingredients:
- 1 large cauliflower cut into large florets
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 inch ginger shredded
- 2 medium tomatoes finely cut
- 2 cups frozen peas
- 1 large green bell pepper cut into chunks
- 4 Yukon gold potatoes cut into chunks
- 1 small bunch fresh cilantro chopped
- Spices:
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp Cumin Powder
- 2 tsp Coriander Powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp asafetida powder (optional)
- 1/2 tsp paprika or chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder (optional)
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Salt
- Oil
Continue reading Cauliflower Curry with Peas, Potatoes & Peppers
Mixed Vegetable Pilau
This is a quick and easy rice dish that is packed with vegetables and is one of those recipes I turn to again and again when I am in a pinch and need to make dinner fast. My Mom used to make this vegetable pilaf (called pilau in Hindi) with frozen mixed vegetables when she was late coming home from work and needed to whip something up fast, delicious, and filling – a one pot meal of sorts. I’ve pretty much been making my pilau the exact same way Mom taught me years ago. Why mess with a good thing? Especially if that recipe is quick, healthy, easy and delicious. All the pilau needs is a side of simple yogurt raita to make a complete meal. Continue reading Mixed Vegetable Pilau
Cauliflower, Broccoli & Potato Curry and a look at Saturn’s Rings!
Cauliflower, broccoli and potato curry is a dish I had at my friend Radhika’s home when we all went over for dinner recently. Radhika had made a traditional South Indian Tamil meal for the evening that was outstanding. One of the veggie dishes was a broccoli cauliflower and potato curry that was so good that Rani was having seconds and thirds. It seems this curry is a favorite of Radhika’s two sons and is a dish that Radhika’s Father used to make when she was young. Continue reading Cauliflower, Broccoli & Potato Curry and a look at Saturn’s Rings!
Dinner at John and Lorraine’s in Vancouver, Canada.
On day four of our Vancouver summer holiday we had dinner at Hitesh’s long time friend John’s home. John is Hitesh’s elementary school friend from Kenya who now lives in Vancouver, Canada. The two grew up together in Mombasa, Kenya and were best friends until they graduated high school. After high school Hitesh came to study at University of Texas at Austin and then started working in Santa Cruz, California, while John went to college in London and then moved to Canada for work. Both got married and had a family and through it all they have kept in touch. They have been friends for over 40 years! Pretty awesome! When John heard we were coming to Vancouver for a holiday he invited us for diner at his home, how could we resist? Continue reading Dinner at John and Lorraine’s in Vancouver, Canada.
