A Sunday food story and lots of weekday Beans Carrot and Beet Upperi.

While growing up in Secunderabad, we had access to fresh produce from the farms and villages close to the little sleepy place we lived in..Alwal .The vegetables that came to the market were absolutely fresh and organic. I remember my dad getting vegetables with the leaves and tendrils intact,many a times....

Its after marriage and family happened ,that I realized how nourishing and healthy each meal in childhood was. The extra attention and care from my Amma and her wonderful cooking made it 10 fold better.

I still try to copy my Amma a lot,and though my kids say I am "kinda" there...I am not satisfied.

Ammas food ...is Ammas food ..fantastic.

Our meal on all weekdays consisted of one dal[either in form of sambar/erisherry/dal fry etc] , one vegetable upperi[stir fry] , chapathis[loaded with homemade ghee] ,thick curd and fluffy rice.Some days it was an added rasam or a kadhi/morozhicha kootaan. Weekends meant a holiday for most vegetables :) or so we thought.

Amma made it a point to see that we had a dose of vegetables in form of  a vegetable pulao or a yummy mixed vegetable raita[which amma calls velitheri...or Velitha Curry,thats white curry in a complete in literal translation]

Our weekend lunch menu remained the same for eons,and even then my brother ,my uncles,Daddy and me used to look forward to Sundays ..we knew the day would start with a possible variety of  Idli /Puttu/ Noolputtu[idiappam] /Puri masala or a very relished Aloo paratha with homemade white butter.,but lunch was the same..a painstakingly made fragrant Mutton curry ,a loaded vegetable Pulao and a cold delicious Raita and a fried Pappadam. [Would you believe it if I said I am salivating ??:) ] The show stopper of Sunday lunch was a simple custard or jelly ,that my Amma would so lovingly make portions of.

After this killer lunch,we would be incapacitated for some hours .Sunday snooze was no more an option,it was the need of the day!!!!!

I sometimes wonder about the reason behind my brother and me being so excited at the mere though of ,the very expected lunch menu......I have come to the conclusion that ,the reason was my Ammas cooking!Thats all.My brother will be nodding in agreement..I am more than sure .

I will be uploading Ammas special mutton curry and Pulao soon..but now it is the chance of the humble Beans,carrot and beetroot upperi.

This stirfry is a favorite of my teenager son. He loves to roll a chapathi around it and munch on ,or has it with our staple rice and sambar.This is not the traditional upperi,I have added onions and garlic to it.

Here is the recipe...

We need 

Green beans /string beans- 1/2 kg chopped fine

Carrots -------------------3-chopped into small cubes

Beetroot-medium----------1 chopped into small cubes

Onion---------------------1 chopped

Garlic---------------------2 chopped

Mustard seeds--------------1/2 tsp

Urad dal--------------------1/2 tsp

Raw rice--------------------1/2 tsp

Curry leaves-----------------a few

Dried red chilly--------------2

Turmeric -------------------1/2 tsp

chilly powder---------------1/2 to 1tsp

Coconut oil----------------- enough to saute

Grated coconut--------------1/2 to 1 cup

salt to taste

Method

Heat oil in a kadhai..

Splutter the mustard.

Add urad dal, red chilly ,raw rice and fry for a few seconds.the urad dal turns golden brown and the rice puffs up :).

Add curry leaves,onions and garlic.Fry till the onions n garlic turn translucent.

Add the turmeric and chilly powder and saute for a minute.

Now add the cut vegetables ,add salt and mix well

Cover and cook till the vegetables get cooked .

Add the grated coconut and mix well.Done...

Serve hot with rice or chapathi.It makes a mean sandwich when mixed with sauces of your choice.

Serve with love :)