Today I have a simple South Indian vegetarian thali. Coming up with a menu is quite a task – picking dishes that complement each other is an art. So I took the help of my Dakshin cookbook. The author, Chandra Padmanabhan, has a whole chapter of suggested menus and I picked one of the simpler ones. Here’s what is in (and around) my South Indian Vegetarian thali:
Mysore Rasam Cilantro-Onion Chutney (recipe to follow soon) Green Pepper Poriyal Fresh Cucumber Salad (recipe follows) Rice ChipsI loved making these dishes as they are quite easy to make with not much prep work or cooking involved. If you have the poriyal powder and Mysore rasam powder handy, the curry and the rasam don’t take too hands on time to make. Cilantro-Onion chutney is sweet, spicy and delicious – I’m going to share that recipe soon.
I’m including the recipe for the refreshing south Indian style cucumber salad below. This salad has cucumber, soaked moong dal, coconut and a crunchy tempering with dal and seeds. The most time consuming part of this dish is soaking the moong dal which can be done while the other dishes are being prepped and cooked.The tempering with dals and seeds gives it the south Indian flair and makes it extra special. Fresh grated coconut adds sweetness to this delicious salad.
Lets check out what my fellow marathoners have cooked today for BM# 74.
