For Rawa Khichdi
Ingredients
Rava/Sooji/Semolina – 1 cup
Onion – three-fourth cup finely chopped
Ginger – 1 tsp finely chopped
Green chillies – 2 slit
Vegetables – three-fourth cup (mix of beans, carrot, peas and half a tomato)
Turmeric powder – quarter tsp
Water – 3 cups
For topping up – 1 tsp ghee
For roasting – 1 tsp ghee
For the seasoning
Oil – 2 tbsp
Ghee – 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Bengal gram/ kadala parippu – 2 tsp
Urad dal – 1 tsp
Curry leaves – a few
Method
Roast rava in a tsp of ghee. Heat ghee in a kadai, add bengal gram, add mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves. When urad dal turns golden brown, add finely chopped onions, slit chillies and ginger. Saute until onions turn translucent. Add all the finely chopped vegetables and turmeric powder. Saute and cook the vegetables for 2-3 minutes. Add 2 cup of hot water, when water starts boiling, reduce the flame to low and add rawa slowly, stirring continuously. Keep stirring gently, when it becomes semi solid, top it with another tsp of ghee. When all the water is absorbed, mix well, close it with a lid and cook on low flame. Cook on low flame for 6-7 minutes and switch off the flame. If preferred, you can add cashew nuts fried in ghee.
For Ratatouille
Ingredients
Olive oil – 3 tsp
Onion, thinly sliced – 1 medium
Garlic cloves, peeled and sliced – 2 tsp
Small bay leaf
Small eggplant, cut into dice – half cup
Small zucchini, cut into dice – half cup
Red bell pepper, cut into dice – 1 cup
Plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped – 1-and-a-half cup
Tomato paste – half cup
Shredded fresh basil leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt
Method
Over medium heat, add the oil to a large skillet with the onion, garlic, and bay leaf, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened.
Add tomato paste cook till smell goes now add eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant has softened. Stir in the zucchini, red bell pepper, tomatoes, and salt, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the basil and few grinds of pepper, add salt and finish.
( Ramu Butler is Corporate Chef Ramada Cochin Resort )
