Ezhukari Kuzhambu / Kootu | Seven Vegetables Kuzhambu | Pongal Kootu

This dish gets its name from the fact that it is prepared with 7 vegetables. It is a South Indian dish, actually a Tamil dish, which is often prepared on Thiruvathirai Day as a side dish for Thiruvadhira Kali (a sweet mung dal and rice dish made on this festival day). Although its name means seven vegetables, often nine, eleven, or even more are used! It is a blend of sweet, salty, tangy and spicy flavours that meld so well together, and is a perfect clean-out-the-fridge dish.

It is a dish that is also made on Thai Pongal, where it is called Pongal Kootu and as an accompaniment to Sakkarai Pongal. For this dish it is made thinner than for Thiruvathirai.

But you can also make this dish at any time – don’t keep it only for a festival dish. The recipe is one of Meenakshi Ammal’s from her cook books Cook and See. One of our very special projects in the kitchen is to cook through these books, as they are very traditional Tamil recipes.You can find all of Ammal’s dishes that we have made here. Most of them are from Vol 1 so far.

I love this dish cooked just with potatoes. It is divine. Today I made it with Colacasia, Chenai Yam, Cluster Beans, Pumpkin, Potato, Ridged Gourd, and Drumstick. Delicious!

Similar dishes include Poritha Kootu, Poritha Kootu with Simple Spices, and Moringa Leaf Dal.

Browse all of our recipes for Thai Pongal. All of our Indian recipes are here, and our Indian Essentials are here. Or explore our Mid Autumn dishes.

We use Australian measurements: 1 tspn = 5ml; 1 Tblspn = 20ml; 1 cup = 250ml.

Swede, Fennel and Tart Apple Salad | Rutabega, Fennel and Tart Apple Salad

Swede – the unloved vegetable on the green grocer’s shelves. We are on a mission to show that this vegetable deserves as much love as other Winter vegetables. Known also as rutabega, a fancy name for sure, it is often mistaken for turnip, but turnip is a completely different beast.

The turnip is sophisticated, while the swede is common and a bit bogan. Turnips are white with purple tops, crisp and slightly bitter. They are perfect eaten raw in salads or as snacks, and are delightful if cooked but still retain some crunch. The swede is pretty unusual in that it’s yellow, less bitter than its sister vegetable, turnip, and some will say that they are sweeter. They have been described as strongly flavoured but today’s swede tastes a little of turnip and a little of apple. They can also be eaten raw in salads, or, more commonly, are cooked.

This is a salad where Swede is used raw and mixed with Fennel and tart Apple. It is a salad that really celebrates winter vegetables. You will love it. I have given you two forms – the first is a crunchy salad, and the second option is to add some yoghurt and pine nuts. Both are great.

Similar recipes include Fennel Salad with Orange Vinaigrette, Fennel and Apple Salad, and Fennel Salad with Fresh Prunes.

Or browse all of our Fennel dishes, and all of our Swede recipes. All of our many Salads are here.  Or explore our collection of Late Winter dishes.

Sarson ka Saag | Puree of Greens

When there is an abundance of greens available, what is better to make than Sarson ka Saag. Our green grocer stocks mustard greens now, so for the first time they are easy to obtain. We don’t get bathua greens though. It is traditional to use these but we have to substitute with other greens.

The dish is easy to make – the greens are cooked with spices until tender, then coarsely pureed. Some people prefer to be pureed to a smooth paste, but traditionally the greens would be hand-ground with a wooden mixer called a mathani to get a puree. However, you can make this to whatever is your preference.

Similar dishes include Khar, Sri Lankan Mustard Greens, Mustard Greens with Daikon, and Turnips with Mustard Leaves.

Browse all of our Mustard Greens recipes, our Chilli Greens recipes and all of our Spinach dishes.  All of our Indian recipes are here, and our Indian Essentials are here. Or explore our Late Spring recipes.

Poha with Crispy Potatoes | Batata Poha

Another recipe from my cooking sessions in India, scribbled almost illegibly as I tried to keep up with the dishes appearing in front of me. It is a simple Poha dish with potatoes. It’s also a common dish, probably because it is so very delicious and relatively cheap to make. Eaten primarily as a snack with coffee or chai, it is dish for the monsoon season – excellent in rainy weather.

Are you looking for similar dishes? Try Kanda Poha and Lemon Poha.

You can browse all of our Poha recipes and all of our Indian dishes. Our Indian Essentials are here. Or browse our Early Winter collection of recipes.

Beetroot Vadai

These are wonderful vadai that incorporate beetroot, and are a specialty of Chetinand (an area of Tamil Nadu). They make delicious snacks,  but can also be served as an accompaniment to a meal.

Like all of India’s deep fried snacks, these are healthy-ish, meaning that they are made from wonderful, fresh and balanced ingredients, yet are deep fried. Of course, eat in moderation. If you can.

Vada are interesting food items – a compact way to get lentils, vegetables and spices into the diet. They are eaten  with a meal or as a snack during the day, grabbed from a walla on the street, or packed into tiffins to take to work or on long trips. Perfect balls of healthy ingredients that are always at hand.

Similar recipes include Broad Bean and Cabbage Kofta, Coriander Vada, and Medu Vadai.

Browse all of our Vada recipes, our Beetroot dishes, all of our Indian Snacks, and our Patties. All of our Indian recipes are here, and our Indian Essentials are here. Or explore our Late Spring recipes.

Okra Patia | Parsi Okra with Tomatoes

Here we are with another Okra dish, this time from the Parsi cuisine. It is a Patia, or Patio, dish, which cooks the okra in a thick tomato and spice base. In this recipe, we saute the okra before adding to the tomato base towards the end of cooking. You can also saute the okra quickly and add earlier in the cooking for a more traditional approach.

We took the outline of the Patia recipe from My Bombay Kitchen, and adjusted the recipe, substituting okra for the non-vegetarian items. You could also use eggplant with this recipe.

Parsi dishes are always delicious. Try Parsi Kitchari, and Vermicelli Payasam.

Are you looking for similar recipes? Try Greek Okra in Tomatoes and Olive Oil, and Okra Curry.

You can browse all Okra recipes, and all Parsi dishes. All of our Indian dishes are here. Or explore our Early Winter collection of recipes.

Achari Gobhi | Cauliflower Cooked with Pickling Spices

Achari means pickling, and achari dishes are made with the same spices that are generally used for pickling vegetables. Using mustard oil gives the cauliflower great colour and favour – grab an Indian Mustard oil at your Indian grocer, or your Supermarket might carry an Australian one. Similar to most achari dishes, amchur is used to give a delicious tang to the dish.

This is a simple sabzi dish to prepare when you feel like eating a chatpata snack.

Are you looking for other Cauliflower dishes? Try South Indian Cauliflower Soup, and Rice and Cauliflower Pilaf.

Similar recipes include Achari Mushrooms.

Browse all of our Cauliflower dishes, all Subzis, and all of our Achari dishes. All of our Indian recipes are here, and our Indian Essentials here. Or simply browse our Mid Winter dishes.

Potato Fry | Potatoes with Cumin and Mustard Seeds

Sometimes there are bits and pieces of a vegetable left over, not enough to make something substantial, but too much to discard. This dish is perfect for those bits of potato. Just cube them and fry them in ghee and spices. They are delicious as a snack or a side dish, and it is a quick, no fuss dish.

Similar recipes include Cauliflower, Turnip and Swede Subzi, Poha with Potatoes, Aloo Gobi, Potato Subzi, Okra Fry, and Cabbage Fry.

Browse all of our Potato dishes and our Vegetable Fry recipes. Our Indian recipes are here, and the Indian Essentials here. Or browse our Late Winter recipes.

Creamy Winter Bake of Carrots and Parsnips

Carrots and Parsnips are a classic combo in English cooking and they do go well together. Two roots, side by side, creamy white and rich orange, they certainly are a picture.

In this dish the two vegetables are grated, sweated in butter, mixed with cream and topped with breadcrumbs and cheese. So English! But so very good too as an accompaniment to a main meal, or on its own with some flatbreads for a late supper.

Similar recipes include Carrot and Parsnip Soup and Carrot and Parsnip Mash.

Browse all of our Baked dishes and all of our Gratins. Carrot dishes are here and Parsnip recipes here. Or explore our collection of Late Winter recipes.

Palak Bhajiya | Spinach Fritters

Spinach and other greens are some of the easiest things to grow in the garden, so we always have them in abundance. One easy way (and delicious way) to use them is to make this great Indian snack, generally eaten during the Monsoon season. Spinach leaves are coated in a chickpea flour batter and deep fried. So put on your rainy weather gear, pick the palak, and make this bhajiya with lots of friends and lots of laughter. In the UK Bhajiya is called Bhajji (confusingly), and this practice is spreading. We could just call them Pakoda and be done with it.

Similar recipes include Pakora – Vegetable Fritters, and Onion Rings.

Please, browse all of our Pakora/ Bhajji, and all of our Snacks. Our Indian dishes are here, and our Indian Essentials here. Or take some time to explore our Late Winter dishes.