A typical south-indian lunch box

Ingredients

1)Curd Rice with cucumber chops:

For the Kuzambu/Gravy:

• 1 medium sized Sweet Potato, Cut into cubes
• 1 medium size tomato
• Tamarind a ball size of medium-size lemon
• Sambhar powder - 1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons
• hing, turmeric a pinch
• Salt to taste
• Curry leaves 2 sprigs
• 1/2 teaspoon Ajwain/Omam
• 1/2 teaspoon methi seeds

For Grinding:

• 1 tablespoon freshy grated coconut
• 1 small onion
• 1/2 teaspoon gram dal
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
• curry leaves
• Roast Coriander seeds and gram dal separately with lil oil and Grind it to paste with the remaining ingredients with lil water.

Curd Rice:

• 1 medium size cucumber, chopped

Potato Fry:

• 2 Large potatoes, peeled and cubed.

Preparation

• 1)Curd Rice with cucumber chops:
  Soak Tamarind in water and extract a thick pulp. Normally soak it @ night, so it is easy for me in the morning to make sambhar/Kuzambhu. Heat a oil in kadai, add mustard seeds, when it crackles, add hing, methi seeds and ajwain. Saute it for a minute, add onion and saute. Then add Sweet potato cubes and tomato and saute well for a minute or two. Add Tamarind pulp, add sambhar powder. Let the Veggies get cooked. When Sweet potato is cooked and rawness of the Sambhar powder fades, add the grinded paste and let it cook on a low flame for 5 minutes and take it off the flame. Let it cool for 10 minutes, then mix it up with rice and serve/pack. While packing for lunch, add enough gravy, so that it doesnt dry up for the lunch.
• Curd Rice:
  Mix rice with Half Yogurt and half milk and add cucumber chops. The condiment on the curd rice is called vepillaikati/Naarthela Podi made with Neem Leaves and Citron leaves, tastes yummy!!! Add enough curd/Buttermilk so that it doesnt dry up for the lunch.
• Potato Fry:
  Heat oil in kadai, add mustard seeds, curry leaves, hing and turmeric add potatoes and 2 tsp chilli powder and salt. Cover and cook in a slow flame.

Questions

Photos of members who cooked this recipe