Spicy Eggplant

Eggplant is one vegetable that can be cooked in some hundred different ways. This is one simple and easy recipe that can be made when your taste buds crave for something spicy.

Ingredients:

Eggplant	4
Red chillies	3
Cumin seeds	2 tbsp
Cilantro leaves(finely chopped)	2 tsp
Garlic	1 pod
Lemon Juice	1 tbsp
Oil	1 cup
Salt	as required

Procedure:

I used round small eggplants. But any kind of eggplant can be used for this recipe.

Cut the eggplants length wise in to half and deep fry them in oil and keep them aside.

For the filling, fry cumin seeds, garlic and red chillies in a pan without oil.

Then grind them in a spice grinder with sufficient salt and add this powder on the fried eggplant pieces.

Sprinkle lemon juice and garnish with cilantro.

Serve with hot steamed rice.

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Panakam and Vadapappu for Sree Rama Navami

Panakam in sanskrit means sweet drink. It is made by adding jaggery to water.

Vadapappu is a salad made with moong dal. Panakam and vadapappu are made and served to god on the festival of Sree Rama Navami.

Foodzone wishes you all a very Happy Sree Rama Navami.

Panakam:
Ingredients:

Jaggery	3 medium sized blocks
Sonti(Dry Ginger)	1/4 tbsp
Water	3 cups
Pepper corns	4
Cardamom/Elachi	2
Lemon juice	1 tsp

Procedure:

Add jaggery to the water and let it dissolve completely in the water.

Gently mash cardamom and pepper with pestle and add them to the jaggery water.

Add lemon juice and dried ginger. Serve chilled.

Vadapappu:

Ingredients:

Moong dal	5 tbsp
Carrot	1
Kheera/Cuke	1/2
Grated coconut	1/2 tbsp
Green Chillies	2
Cilantro(finely chopped)	1 tbsp
Salt	as required
Lemon Juice	1 tbsp

Procedure:

Soak moong dal in water for an hour.

Finely chop green chillies, Kheera and grate the carrot.

Drain the water from the moong dal and add the green chillies, grated carrot, cucumber and grated coconut to the moong dal.

Add salt and lemon juice.

Garnish with finely chopped cilantro.

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Egg fried rice

Ingredients:

Eggs	3
Basmati Rice	1 cup
Mint leaves	10-15
Onions	1/2 Large - sized
Cloves	3
Salt	as required.
Oil	2 tbsp
Cinnamon	small piece
Cardamom/Elachi	1
Ginger Garlic Paste	1 tsp
lemon juice	1/2 tbsp
Pepper	1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder	1/2 tsp
Green Chillies	3

Procedure:

Cook the rice with 1.5 cups of water and let it cool.

Cut the onions length wise.

Remove stems from green chillies and cut them length wise.

Finely chop the mint leaves.

Add oil to the pan and saute the onions  until they are golden brown in color. Add little salt while sautéing onions.

Now add ginger garlic paste, green chillies, mint leaves, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon stick and fry for 2 minutes.

Now break the eggs and add them to the onion mixture. Mix the mixture thoroughly and cook until the egg mixture becomes like scrambled egg.

Now add the cooked rice to the egg mixture and mix well adding more salt, garam masala powder and pepper.

Add the lemon juice and mix well.

Serve with raita.

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