Vegetable Brinji Sadam | Varagu Thengai Pal Payasam | South Indian Lunch Menu

Mixed Vegetable Brinji with coconut milk

Usually I love to make simple but tasty meals and to me simple is making a one pot meal. When we think of one pot meal we always think of Biryani. When it comes to vegetarian cooking I love this Brinji Sadam or you can also call it Vegetable Biryani. The one difference between Biryani and Brinji is that coconut milk is used to cook the rice along with ground spices and paste. Its filled with flavours and can be accompanied with raita and appalam/ chips. So the other day I made Vegetable Brinji, Onion Raita and Varagu (Kodo millet) pal payasam / milk kheer as it was our dear friend Sangee Vijay's Birthday :-). Sangee is a very good friend and sister to me, she is very passionate about cooking and takes great food pictures which I really admire. A patient and silent listener and good story teller (comes with experience), she is helpful and a caring person to be around with. A bunch of friends planned to do recipes from Salem and this time I was the last minute cook since we had some last minute travel plans. So I made this simple South Indian famous recipes that are not specific to Salem but to entire state. I hope you love this simple spread Sangee and have a blessed year ahead. Now lets move to the recipe.

Vegetable Biryani with coconut milk

Onion Mint Raita

VEGETABLE BRINJI SADAM | MINED VEGETABLE BIRYANI

Recipe Source - Own
Serve - 4 generously
Prep time - 15 mins
Cook time - 20 mins
Serving suggestion - Raita, potato chips/appalam

Ingredients

1 cup Basmathi rice / long grain rice 
1 cup water to cook rice
1 cup coconut milk 
Salt to taste
1 tbsp of oil
2 Bayleaf

1 large tomato chopped
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp corriander powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/3 tsp garam masala powder
1/4 tsp jeera/cumin powder
5 nos Cashew broken
2 cups chopped veggies (I used carrots, beans & potato)

To Grind

1'st Batch

handful of mint leaves
3 green chillis
2 tsp fennel seeds
1 " cinnamon stick

2'nd Batch 

1/2 cup grated coconut
1/2 cup water to grind + 1/2 cup to mix

3'rd batch

2 big onions
1" piece ginger
5 garlic pods


Method

1. Wash the rice two to three times in running water and soak in cold water for 30 minutes.
2. Grind the 3 set of ingredients to grind and set aside.
3. Keep a pressure cooker in the stove and on medium flame add oil. Add the bay leaf and wait for it to release aroma. 
4. Now add the  cashew, onion paste and saute for 2-3 minutes until it is well cooked. Now add the tomatoes saute for 3 minutes until it is nice and mushy.
5. Add in the mint paste mix well and cook further for a minute.
6. Add the spices, salt, turmeric, red chilli, cumin, coriander and garam masala powder mix well. 
7. Add the coconut milk and cut vegetables cook covered for 4 minutes. 
8. Add 1 cup water and the drained rice mix well. Check for salt and spice.
9. Cook covered for 3 whistles or for 10 minutes in medium-low flame. Switch off.
10. Let the pressure gradually come down.
11. Remove the weight/ whistle and open mix well. 
12. Serve immediately or place in a hot pack to serve later.

Vegetable Brinji Sadam

ONION PUDINA RAITA 

Ingredients

2 Big onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup washed and chopped mint/pudina
1 cup thick curd
2-3 tbsp water
Salt as required

Method

Beat the curd well in a bowl. Add chopped onions and pudina. Add little salt to taste.

Varagu Payasam | Kodo Millet Recipe

VARAGU PAL PAYASAM | KODO MILLET KHEER | MILLET PAYASAM RECIPE

Recipe - Own
Serves - 4 Generously 
Prep time - 5 mins
Cook time - 10 mins

Ingredients

Varagu / Kodo millet - 1/4 cup
water - 1 cup to cook millet
Sugar- 1/4 cup
Cardamom powder - 1/3 tsp
Coconut milk - 1/2 cup
Milk - 1/2 cup
Cashew - 3nos chopped
Ghee - 1 tsp to roast nuts

Method

1. In a saucepan boil water, rinse the kodo millet for 2-3 times and add to boiling water and cook for 5-6 minutes.
2. Add ghee in a pan roast the nuts, add milk, sugar and bring it to a boil. 
3. Add the cooked millet to this along with cardamom powder.
4. Add coconut milk and cook further for 3 minutes, switch off

Serve warm/ chilled.