Tomatilla Curry (Green Tomato Curry)

We usually get raw tomatoes or green tomatoes in India very easily but we used to bring this vegetable very rarely. I came across these fresh green tomatoes here in US and thought of giving it a try. You will get these in Mexican Stores or Farmers Market. They are called as Tomatilla. I dont remember how we used to make it back home in India. I just tried my version and liked it. The sour raw tomatoes give a very different taste. I hope you will love this sometimes in your meal. Here is the recipe -

Ingredients -
1. 8-10 tomatillas washed and chopped into pieces
2. 1 large onion chopped finely
3. ginger-garlic paste
4. 1/2 tspn mustard seeds
5. 1/2 tspn cumin seeds
6. 1/2 tspn turmeric powder
7. a pinch of asafoetida
8. 3-4 curry leaves
9. 1 tspn chilli powder
10.1 tspn Garam Masala Powder
13.Roasted peanuts grinded finely
11.Salt as per taste
12.1 tspn sugar
13.Oil
14.A bunch of washed and finely chopped coriander.

Method -
1) Heat oil in a wide skillet and put mustard seeds. Once they crackle add the cumin seeds, curry leaves, asafoetida and turmeric powder and stir for few seconds.
2) Add the chopped onions and stir well till the onions become translucent.
3) Add the grinded peanuts and roast them with the onions.
4) At this point add the garam masala powder and saute till the oil leaves the masala.
5) Add the chopped tomatillas and mix them well. Add salt, chilli powder and mix them well with the tomatillas.
6) Cover the lid and let it cook for 5-6 minutes stirring after every 3 minutes.
7) Also add little sugar at this time as the tomatillas are very sour and will not taste good without sugar.
7) The tomatillas cook very quickly so be sure to check them in between as to avoid them from being mushy.
8) Garnish it with coriander and its ready to serve with hot chapatis.

Egg Rassa (Curry)

Eggs are a wonder food. They are nutritious, inexpensive and easily available. Egg Rassa or Egg Curry is everyone's comfort food. It is prepared by many different ways but this is my version of Egg Rassa giving it a Kolhapuri tinge of taste. The spices give an authentic taste. Those who do not eat eggs, they can add any vegetables in the curry. Potato, Peas and Cauliflower is a very good combination.

Ingredients -
1) 6 hard boiled eggs
2) 1 large onion grinded to a paste.
3) 2 large tomatoes.
4) 4-5 garlic cloves
5) 1 inch ginger
6) 1 tspn mustard seeds
7) 1 tspn cumin seeds
8) a pinch of asafoetida
9) 1 tspn turmeric powder
10) 1 tbspn seasame seeds (My granny puts this. It can be optional)
11) 1 tbspn cumin-coriander powder
12) 1 tbspn Kolhapuri Masala (You can put chilli powder instead)
13) Salt as per taste
14) Oil
Spices -
1) 4-5 cloves
2) 2 cinnamon sticks
3) 4-5 peppercons
4) 1 bay leaf

Method -
1) Cut the eggs into 2 halves.
2) Grind all the spices except the bay leaf to a fine powder.
3) Grind the tomatoes, seasame seeds, ginger and garlic together.
4) Take a wide skillet and heat oil in it.
5) Add mustard seeds. Once they crackle add cumin seeds, asafoetida, turmeric powder and bay leaf. Stir for few seconds. Add the grinded spices and saute for sometime.
6) Now add the grinded onions and saute till they turn brown.
7) Then add the tomato-ginger-garlic paste and saute till the tomatoes are mushy.
8) At this stage add all the powders (cumin-coriander powder and Kolhapuri Masala). Saute till the oil leaves the masala.
9) Add water as per your desired consistency.
10)Now add the eggs, salt as per taste and bring it to a boil.
11) Garnish it with chopped coriander.
12) You can serve this with rice or chapati along with the onion-yogurt relish.