Sunday mornings are meant to be for lazing, relaxing and recuperating after a strenuous week. And so it was almost a family tradition that Sunday breakfasts were eaten out. It seems like Sunday breakfasts at restaurants is a family tradition for many, because the restaurants I frequent are filled to bursting on Sundays.

When I used to live in India, our Sunday breakfasts consisted of Idly (Steamed rice cakes) and Vadai (Crispy fried lentil doughnuts!) served with Coconut chutney, Sambar (Spicy tamarind lentil sauce) and a spicy tomato onion chutney. We used to stand in line for a table at some of the popular joints in Chennai for this breakfast. By the time we finished, it was usually noon and we would be replete and more than ready for a siesta. I know, I know, eating heavy meals and sleeping it off sounds indolent and slothful, but I do think that we sometimes need days like this when we do nothing other than eat and sleep!

Since we moved to the US, Idly-Vadai-Sambar-Chutney is a distant dream, unless I am willing to spend a couple of hours in the kitchen preparing all this. So, we’ve substituted our Indian breakfast with our 2nd favorite breakfast, the Omlette. There are many mom and pop or family restaurants sprinkled all around the US, where you can get a delicious omlette. The scene  is pretty much the same: you have to wait in line for a table at some of the good restaurants. The difference between the breakfasts, though, is that for one, it is relatively simple and quick to make an omelette at home, while, like I mentioned before, the Idly-Vadai is quite a big production of pre-preparation. In addition, the cost of an Omlette breakfast in a restaurant can run into nearly $6 or $7 per person, while the effort of making an Idly-Vadai breakfast will easily justify the cost of eating this meal at a restaurant.

So, continuing with our series of Cooking on a Shoestring Budget, try out this Fusion Omlette at home. Breakfast can be served within 10 minutes, you can control the butter in the dish and best of all, the whole breakfast, including coffee, will cost less than $1.50 per person.

Here is what you need:
2 eggs or 2 egg whites and 1 yolk
1/4 red onion (chopped fine)
1/4 green pepper (chopped fine)
1 green chili (chopped fine)
couple of sprigs of cilantro (washed and snipped fine)
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
Pinch turmeric powder
Grated cheese (optional)

Here is how you make this:
Separate the egg whites from the yolks. In a bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric beater until frothy. Add salt, pepper and turmeric powder and yolks. Beat for a few more minutes.

Heat oil in a non-stick pan. When the oil is hot, add the beaten egg. Sprinkle chopped onion, green pepper, green chili and cilantro. Sprinkle cheese if desired. Cook on one side and fold over and cook the other side.

Remove from pan and serve with pan-toasted whole wheat or 7 grain bread.

Cost:
2 eggs: $0.20
Oil : $0.10
Filling (veggies): $0.20
Cheese: $0.05
————————–
Total : $0.55

Add a couple of slices bread and coffee and your meal is less than $1.50! Better still, use organic or cage-free eggs and your meal is still much less than a restaurant breakfast.

People in some communities in Southern India, usually eat a 3-course meal for lunch everyday. Now, this information could probably make you wonder how they manage to keep slim. But that is a long story meant for another blog post.

They generally start off with rice, vegetables and a spicy tamarind sauce called “sambar“, pronounced “saaam-baaar” and made with tamarind, lentils, some vegetables and a special spice mix called, guess what? sambar powder!

My mother makes the sambar powder at home in huge quantities so she can provide a year’s supply to me and my sisters. The 2nd course is another spicy sauce in soup-like consistency made in a large variety of flavors. This is called “rasam“.

The grand finale of the meal is the most important “thair sadam” pronounced “thaaa-yir saaadam” or yogurt and rice. If one is in a hurry and has no time for the 3-course meal, the first two courses may be omitted. But no responsible Indian housewife will let her child or husband go out the door before filling their stomachs with thair sadam. It is considered the panacea of all illnesses, the most complete and healthy dish.

Now, on a day-to-day basis, South Indians will just ladle home-made yogurt onto rice, mix and eat it with some pickle or vegetable of the day. But there are times when the same bland thair sadam is made into a festive dish. Today’s recipe is this festive thair sadam. I made this with brown rice, but feel free to try it with either white or brown rice. If you’ve been following my blog so far, you’ll probably know that I am a big fan of brown rice, but this is one rice dish that I would recommend you try with white rice first, since it tastes simply fantastic!

Eat and enjoy with the crisp curried potatoes or the green beans. This recipe is dedicated to my friend, Jeff, since this is one of his favorite dishes.

Here is what you need:
1 cup cooked rice (white or brown) (make sure the rice is a bit overcooked and very tender)
1 1/2 cups thick unsweetened yogurt
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar (optional)

To Garnish:
1 tsp Olive oil
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
1/2 tsp split, peeled urad dal (optional)
1 pinch asofoetida powder
1 habanero or jalapeno pepper (chopped fine) (optional, if you dont like spicy food)
1 sprig curry leaves

Here is how you make this:
Cool rice completely after it is cooked. Mix in the yogurt, salt and sugar. Heat oil in a pan. When oil is hot, add the mustard seeds. Wait until they crackle and add chopped habanero pepper. Fry until crisp. Now add the curry leaves. Fry until crisp. Add urad dal and brown. Add asofoetida powder and take the pan off the stove.

Pour garnish over the yogurt rice and serve with crisp curried potato or green beans.

Back in the days before the world became global, and the local produce store carried vegetables from all over the world regardless of season, we used to eat seasonally and locally grown vegetables. In Southern India, with its arid conditions, it was wonder if you managed to get 7 or 9 different kinds of vegetables on the same day.

This was the time of the year when it was at all possible with vegetables growing in prolific variety during the winter months. That is the reason the 7 / 9 vegetable stew was such a specialty. And that was why it was made on Thiruvadarai day along with Thiruvadarai Kali and offered to Lord Nataraja

Continuing on my series of festival recipes and reader recipes, here is the Thiruvadarai Kootu recipe from my aunt Chandra. You can make this stew with 7 or 9 different kinds of vegetables. The kinds of vegetables used in this stew are yellow and white pumpkin, green beans, colocasia or taro root, elephant yam, potato, sweet potato, cluster beans, carrots, peas, fresh lima beans, zucchini, okra and eggplant.

Most of the tubers and roots in this list contain complex carbohydrates that help keep weight and blood sugar under control and protect against cardiovascular diseases.

Even though the recipe below is slightly complicated, it is well worth trying. The tantalizing tastes that are evoked by the Thiruvadarai meal is simply beyond description. The sweet in the Kali, the textures of different vegetables, the tartness in the tamarind and the spices that go into making the stew, all contribute to an immensely satisfying and healthy meal.

Here is what you need:
5 – 7 cups chopped vegetables
1 cup tuvar dal (yellow lentils)
2 cups + 1 cup water
1 tsp tamarind paste (available in any Indian grocery store)

For the masala:
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp bengal gram dal (split yellow peas)
4-5 dry red chilis
1/2 tsp asofoetida powder (available in any Indian grocery store)
2 tbsp coconut powder
1 tbsp olive oil

For garnish:
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp bengal gram dal (split yellow peas)
1/2 tsp urad dal (split and peeled black lentils)
1/2 tsp asofoetida powder
2 stalks curry leaves
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp salt

Here is how you make this:
Steam the vegetables. Some of the root vegetables like colocasia, yam, potato and sweet potato need to be cooked separately because they take longer to cook. Cook the eggplant, peas, carrots and pumpkins together. Add 2 cups water to the Tuvar dal and cook until soft and well done. Mash with a spoon. Dissolve the tamarind paste in cup water and set aside.

For the masala: Heat olive oil in a pan. When the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds. Brown for 10 seconds. Now add the coriander seeds, red chili and bengal gram dal. Roast for 1 minute or until lightly brown. Now add the asofoetida powder and coconut powder. Roast for another 30 seconds. Take the masala mix off the stove and cool. Place in a blender with enough water to make a thick paste. Grind to a fine paste.

Mix the tamarind water and the vegetables and bring to a boil. Now add the prepared masala paste, salt and cooked tuvar dal. Bring to a roiling boil and take off the stove.

To garnish: Heat olive oil in a pan. When the oil is hot, add the spices in this order: Mustard seeds first and wait for them to crackle. Now cumin seeds, bengal gram dal, urad dal, asofoetida and curry leaves. Stir fry until curry leaves are crisp. Pour over the prepared kootu. Serve hot with Thiruvadarai Kali.

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