Eggplant Kootu

Ingredients

• Indian eggplant - 4
• Moog dhal - 1/4 cup
• Onion - 1/2 medium
• Green chilies - 2
• Urad dhal, cumin seeds and curry leaves for seasoning

health tip

Eggplant is an excellent source of dietary fiber, vitamins B1, B6 and potassium. It is also a good source of copper, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, niacin and folic acid. The skin is rich in antioxidant called Nasunin which helps nourish the brain cells. Potatoes are rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, copper, potassium, manganese, and dietary fiber. They are very high in carbohydrate. Dhal adds protein to the dish.

Eggplant Kootu

method

1. Wash the mung dhal and place it in a deep vessel with some water. Let it cook for 5 minutes. The mung dhal doesn't have to be soft at this time.
2. Dice the eggplants and onion. Slit the green chilies.
3. Add the veggies to the mung dhal and cook them together till the veggies get tender. Add some salt.
4. Heat some oil in a seasoning pan and season it with urad dhal, cumin seeds and curry leaves. Add the seasonings to the kootu and mix it well together and garnish it with chopped coriander leaves.
   The whole process can be simplified by cooking all the ingredients except seasonings in a pressure cooker for one whistle. Season the kootu when the pressure goes off.

Cabbage Porriyal

Ingredients

• Cabbage - 8 leaves
• Medium Onion - 1
• Green Chilies - 4
• Channa Dhal - 1 handfull
• Mustard, Urad dhal and curry leaves for seasoning

health tip

Cabbage is rich in vitamin C, K and A. Steamed cabbage has more cholesterol lowering capacity than raw cabbage. Short cooked and raw cabbage has anti-cancer benefits.

Cabbage Porriyal

1. Discard the dark green leaves from cabbage and use the pale green leaves by peeling the leaves layer by layer. Peeling the leaves instead of cutting the whole cabbage helps to store it for longer time. Wash the leaves in water. Cut the middle hardy part and trash it. Fold the leaves lengthwise and slice it into thin strings.
2. Slice the onions and slit the green chillies halfway from the middle.
3. In a wide bottomed pan heat some oil and season it with mustard and urad dhal. When the mustard starts to splatter add a hand full of channa dhal and curry leaves and green chillies.
4. When channa dhal turns golden brown, add sliced onions. After a minute add the cabbage and saute it till it shrinks in quantity. Add some salt to taste. There is no need to add water. Depending on your personal preference, you can turn off the stove when the cabbage is little crunchy or let it cook till it gets softened.
5. This porriyal goes well with rasam and sambar.
   Shredded coconut or scrambled tofu can be mixed in with the hot porriyal to enhance the taste.