CHAPATI AND SAAGU.

Chapatis are known as Indian bread. Chapatis are well known diet food in the World.  Saagu is a variety of side dish which goes well with chapatis. 

Varieties of Chapatis/Rotis can be prepared and each state has its own style to prepare. Gujarati rotis are bit thin and also known as pulka where as Punjabi roti is bit thick and roasted on tava using a clean cloth by pressing the roti while cooking.
Here is a simple Chapati which can be done easily and soft chapatis are ready to eat with vegetable Saagu. 
Saagu/Curry is a side dish which goes well with almost all the main dish. I have used coconut, jeera, green chilly, ginger, clove, cinnamon, coriander seeds and little tamarind.
No onion or garlic is used in this Saagu/Curry and it goes well with all type of rotis chapatis, poori, Naan, idli and dosa.
First let us see the recipe of  Chapatis.

Things Needed :

Chapatis :
Ingredients :
Wheat flour : 2 Cups.
Curd : 2 Tablespoons
Salt : As required.
Water : As required
Ghee/Oil : 1 Teaspoon
Oil : 2 Tablespoons

Method : 

1. Put wheat flour, salt, curd and mix it well.
2. Add water and prepare dough. Add a teaspoon of ghee and mix it nicely. Let it rest for 10 minutes.

3. Divide the dough into small ball size. Keep 2 to 3 tablespoons of dry wheat flour in a big plate.
4. Take a ball size of dough and kneed it well. Turn as ball shape and flatten with your palm.

5. Dip in dry wheat flour and roll it as chapati with chapati roller. Give a round shape.
6. Keep tava on the fire and heat. Put already rolled chapati and cook on medium flame.
7. Sprinkle some oil on the top and turn the chapati other side to cook. (Cook for a minute).

8. Chapati is ready to serve. Prepare the rest of the chapatis with same way.

Note :

Add required water carefully and let the dough be soft. Adding curd helps the chapatis to be soft. Adding ghee adds to aroma and turns the chapatis fluffy. Cook on medium and low flame carefully.
Time : 10 Minutes.
Serves : 8 to 10 Chapatis. (According to the size).

2. Vegetable Saagu/Curry 

I have used vegetables like, Carrots, french beans, chapparada averekai/Broad Beans or Papdi beans, peas and sweet potatoes.

Things Needed: 

To Cook:
Carrot : 2
Beans : 1 Handful (100 gr)
Peas : 1 Small cup
Chapparadavare Kai/Flattened beans : 1 Handful
Sweet Potato : 1
Salt : Required salt
To Grind :
Coconut : 1 Cup
Green chilly : 2
Tamarind : 1/2 Marble size
Jeera /Cumin Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Coriander seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Coriander leaves : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Cloves : 2
Cinnamon stick : A small piece
Ginger : A small piece
To Season :
Oil : 1 Teaspoon
Jeera/Cumin seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
To Add :
Ground coconut mixture
Salt : As required
Jeera seasoning:
Coriander leaves : 2 Tablespoons.

Method :

1. Wash carrots, green chilly, beans and cut it into small pieces.
2. Wash sweet potato and remove the outer layer and cut in to small and wash it again.

3. Wash coriander leaves and cut into small.
4. Grate coconut and keep it aside.
5. Put all the cut vegetables in a pressure cooker and cook for 4 to 5 minutes.

6. Grind coconut, clove, cinnamon, green chilly, jeera, Coriander seeds, tamarind and ginger with required water.
7. Remove from the mixi jar and keep it aside.
8. Keep a pan on the fire and put cooked vegetables and little water. Add salt. Cook for a minute.
9. Add ground coconut mixture and mix it well. Add turmeric. Let it cook for 2 minutes.

10. Mix it well and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

 10. Shift the ready Saagu to a serving dish and add a teaspoon of ghee/butter.

11. Add cut coriander leaves

 12. Serve with ready chapatis with cucumber or onion in the side.

 Note :

Cooking vegetables in a pressure cooker is optional. You can cook them directly. Do not over cook the vegetables. Adding garlic while grind coconut is optional. Taste may differ. Adding ghee/butter is optional. You can add l tablespoon of chenna (Huri kadale/pottu kadale) while grinding. It adds to teh thickness of the curry.
Time : 20 Minutes
Serves : 3 to 4.

Capsicum Fry..

Capsicum Fry is a dry curry and it can be served as one of the side dish. Capsicum is available in different colours and you get this veggie in the market at any time of the year. It has its own aroma and most of us love the veggie. We all know that capsicum goes well with almost all dishes.

Lets see some health benefits of having capsicum in our diet.
Capsicum help to relieve the pain. It has anti-inflammatory analgesic properties which help to give relief in pain. It is good for treating gastrointestinal disorder and improving bone health. It has a good source of antioxidant properties and beneficial for repairing tissue protein and helps the healthy tissues to receive protection from anti oxidant. Capsicum is good for hair fall, but one must take care while applying it on the hair.
Capsicum dry curry goes well with plain rice, chapatis, poori or any type of rotis and bread.
No onions or No garlic is used in this curry.
Lets see the recipe now :

Things Needed :

Capsicum : 2 ( Medium Size )

Oil : 2 Table Spoon

Rasam/Sambar powder : 2 to 3 Teaspoons

Salt : to taste

Mustard seeds : 1/2 Tea spoon

Urd Daal 1/2 Tea spoon

Jeera : 1/4 Tea spoon

Curry leaves : 4 to 6

Coriander leaves : 2 sticks

Ingh or asafatodia : a pinch

Turmeric : a pinch
Coconut : 1 Tablespoon (Optional)

Method :

1. Wash and cut capsicum in to thin pieces.
2. Wash coriander leaves, curry leaves and cut it into small pieces.
3. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add oil, mustard seeds and urid dal. Let the mustard splutter.
4. Add jeera and curry leaves. Mix it well. Add ingh/Asafoetida and cut capsicum.
5. Fry nicely on low flame till they turn soft. Add turmeric powder.

6. Add rasam/Sambar powder and salt. Mix well and let it cook for 1 to 2 minutes on low flame.

7. Add coriander leaves and shift the ready curry to a serving dish.
8. Add coconut (optional) and serve. ( I did not use coconut).

Note : 

Fry capsicum on low flame so that it cooks nicely. Add little jaggery to it give better taste.

Adding onions or garlic is optional. (Fry onions nicely before adding capsicum). Taste differ. Adding lemon juice (1 Teaspoon ) is optional.
Time : 10 Minutes
Serves : 2