Mixed vegetable Sambar

Following the last post of sambar powder, today's post is a mixed vegetable sambar.I grew up in a joint family and catering to every family members choice was a laborious task.Making sambar tailored to ones liking and that too for a family of 15 members is not a easy task. So the solution for this problem was a Mixed vegetable sambar .Add any vegetable of your choice or a hand full of every thing available either ways this sambar is lip smacking and you would want to lick that plate too.In India the vegetable vendor packs all the vegetables in small quantity if you order for sambar vegetable's .The soul of an aromatic sambar is the sambar powder, curry leaves and drumsticks . You can't even imagine sambar with out sambar powder and curry leaves.While sambar is relished with idli,dosa,vada it can also be had with simple steamed white rice too.If you are making it vegan then proceed as it is or I would suggest using ghee /clarified butter for  tempering and I can vouch for the difference in taste that ghee adds to the sambar.

Arbi roast | Taro root roast| Colocasia roast|Chamagadda roast

Arbi/colocasia root/Chamagadda are a few names of the taro root .Basically it is a root vegetable commonly used in Indian cooking .In Northern India it is called as arbi where as in Andhra it is known as chamagadda. After cooking it looks like potato but actually isn't.Taro root is slimy in nature like okra .The leaves of this plant are also used in cooking .Check out the health benefits of taro root here .Arbi roast/taro root roast can be served as vegetarian side with rice or any flat bread.This is and extremely easy recipe and you don't need to horn any cooking skill to execute it.Taro root can be steamed/boiled/pressure cooked.Just make sure it doesn't become wobbly /over cooked.Use the spices to your discretion.Add or minus any ingredient except salt 😉.

Usirikaya pachadi | Andhra style amla pickle | Indian gooseberry pickle

In India we have pickle for every season.Winter is the season of lime,amla(indian gooseberry),fresh turmeric.Actually there is science behind particular pickles for particular seasons.Indian meal is incomplete without pickles.As summer is horrid in India mango pickle pickle is made and devoured .Now what is the science behind it ?Green mango or avakaya is said to be a natural body coolant hence preferred for summer pickling mainly in the months of march and April .

Same is the case with winter specialities like amla and lime.Both theses are a store house of vitamin C and proved efficient in combating cold and flu virus and all the other winter ailments(seasonal).Hence amla and lime for winter pickling .In a traditional Indian house hold pickles are made in such a way that the house is never void of pickles.Like mango /avakaya pickle is made in such a way that it lasts until November- December.And once when the winter bounty of lime and amla is in the market it's time for those pickles.Again lime and amla pickles are made in such a quantity that it lasts until summer or the season of mangoes has arrived.

Hyderabadi gosht ka achaar |Hyderabadi lamb pickle

I think India is the only country where you can find pickles made from every possible fruit, vegetable and what not.India is a pickle lovers paradise.Pickles are made on a yearly basis and are preserved for the rest of the year.If there is a marriage or a gathering of the family then extra care is taken to hoard the pickle for the guest or the family visiting during the un season. Hyderabadi gosht ka achaar is a speciality of Hyderabad which is  made during Eid ul Adha(bakrid). Its not that you can not make it on other days.Definitely you can.Commonly beef is used for this pickle but here i have used mutton .

Gosht ka achaar can be relished with steamed rice or chapati .It goes really well with any thing or as it on its own.Though mutton is a perishable item it can stored in the form of pickle for a month and over.My grand mother use to tell that the story behind mutton pickle dates back to the haj pilgrimage when Pilgrims used to travel by ship and it used to take months for them to reach Mecca.So they would prefer to carry those food items along with them that would not go stale and as well lend them the taste of home.Though the scenario has changed a lot now and Alhamdulillah we reach in hours to mecca but carrying on the trend still people take along with them this pickle while travelling.