Monday blues...

It is always hard to get back to routine on a Monday after the weekend. It was the same when I had to go to work and it is the same now when I don't. It always takes a little warming up to get back to your schedule.
Was not especially motivated to cook anything spectacular so today the menu was a simple dhondakai (gherkins) curry and chapati followed by mangai saadam (raw mango rice). I include a green leafy stir-fry with my meal everyday. Have been skipping it the last couple of days so I did that today.

Mango Rice, Stir fried greens, Dhondakai fry and Chapatis

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dhondakai Fry

500 gms Dhondakai washed and slit in four lengthwise

Salt, turmeric pd, coriander pd and chilli pd to taste

A pinch of cumin seeds.

Heat a little oil in a frying pan and add the cumin seeds. After they have spluttered, add the dhondakai pieces and fry for a few minutes. Add half a cup of water and cover and cook till the vegetable is soft and half cooked. Now add a little more (2 tbsps oil) and fry on sim till the vegetable becomes crisp. Add the spice powders and salt and fry for 2 mins more till they have lost their raw smell. That's it!

Maangai Rice

1 raw mango peeled and grated

1 cup cooked rice

1 dry red chilli

2 green chillies slit

A pinch of mustard and cumin seeds

A pinch of hing (asafoetida) pd

A tsp of urad dal

Salt, turmeric pd and chilli pd to taste

Half cup of ground nuts toasted in a little oil

Handful of curry leaves

Heat a little oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. After they splutter, add the cumin seeds and dry red chillies and the urad dal. After the urad dal has slightly changed color, add the hing, curry leaves and green chillies. Now add the grated mango and cook on low flame till the raw mango gets cooked and the oil separates. Now add the salt, turmeric and chilli pd and cook for another minute. Add the rice and ground nuts and mix till well incorporated. Garnish with coriander leaves (optional) and serve.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hope Tuesday brings the motivation to churn something interesting.. See you all tomorrow.