Nuvvula Podi / Spicy Sesame Powder

Here is a simple flavored podi / spicy powder from my kitchen, as part of the 'Condiments - Spicy Powders' themed blogging marathon this week. This is a very simple and easy recipe made with the basic ingredients. It can be used to eat along with rice and ghee or to flavor any south Indian style curry. This is how my mother prepares this powder though I skip the garlic from the recipe.  

Ingredients:
1 cup white sesame seeds
8 dried red chillies (or adjust the quantity as needed.)
Salt to taste
1 or 2 garlic cloves

Directions:
* Toast sesame seeds and red chillies on low flame, stirring continuously until the sesame seeds start to turn light brownish in color. Turn off the stove and let them cool completely.
* Grind the toasted sesame seeds, chillies, salt and garlic cloves together finely and store it in a container with tight fitting lid.



This post is an entry for Blogging Marathon #101 under 'Condiments' theme.

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Tawa Bhindi

Tawa subzi was what on my mind when I picked 'tawa recipes' as my theme for this week's BM. I went and bought even the needed vegetables only to back out at the last minute when I realized that too much work and time were involved in the preparation. At least in my case since I was planning to cook for one and that too for myself. And so instead I picked this spicy and delicious tawa subzi prepared with okra after I happened to come across it here. Tawa bhindi is stuffed okra curry that is prepared on a tawa / griddle. This curry uses a flavorful homemade tawa masala though a store bought version can be substituted for it. I did not play around the original recipe while preparing this tawa bhindi though I have reduced the quantity of red chili powder in the masala recipe given below. Tawa masala with a tbsp. of chili powder turned out to be a super spicy one, the kind which leaves you in tears especially if you use up all the masala prepared. And so, I recommend to go easy with the tawa masala, taste and adjust the quantity as needed in the tawa bhindi recipe. However I would like to add that this spicy masala is a flavorful one and would be a great addition to vegetable preparations and okra here can be replaced with other vegetables. 

Ingredients for tawa masala
1 tsp. oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. cumin seeds
2 or 3 cloves
1 inch piece of cinnamon
2 tbsp. coriander seeds
2 tsp. kasuri methi / dried fenugreek leaves
1 to 1.5 tsp. red chilli powder
1 tsp. amchoor / dried mango powder
1 tsp. chaat masala
1 tsp. salt

Preparing tawa masala:
* Heat the oil in  a pan and add mustard and cumin seeds. When the mustard seeds start to crackle and pop, turn off the stove and add the remaining ingredients to the pan. Toast for a minute and let the mixture cool.
* Grind the ingredients finely and store it in an airtight container. Keep refrigerated and use as needed.

Ingredients for tawa bhindi:
1 lb. okra / bhindi (25 medium sized okra)
1/4 cup tawa masala or as needed 
 3 to 4 tbsp. oil

Method:
* Wash the okra and wipe them dry thoroughly. Otherwise the slime builds while chopping. 
* Chop off the edges of okra and make a slit along the entire length of it without chopping it into two pieces. Stuff the okra with a pinch or two of tawa masala and don't go overboard with the stuffing. Gently wipe away if any stuffing sticks on the okra as we don't want the mixture to burn while cooking the okra. Prepare all the okra this way and keep them aside.
 
* Heat oil on a tawa / skillet and add the stuffed okra. Toss them well to coat with the oil. Cook them on medium flame turning intermittently, until they are done to the desired crispness. Add oil if needed in between. (Cook in a saute pan if you are uncomfortable with cooking on a tawa.)
* Sprinkle a little salt and some tawa masala over the okra and toss well before turning off the stove. (Go easy with the salt since the tawa masala has already salt in it. The original recipe did not have this extra sprinkling of masala over the okra.)
* Serve with rotis / rice.

 
This goes to Blogging marathon #70, under the theme 'Cooking on a Tawa'. Check here to find out what the other marathoners are cooking as part of the BM.

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