Tomato Pepper Rasam & Potato Bell pepper stir fry

This was one of the first things I learnt to make from my granny. I was definitely no cook back then and the fact that I had learnt it was sheer joy! Very easy to make and need I say delicious! A great meal for a busy day of the week, because dinner/lunch is ready in a snap.

Tomato Pepper Rasam:

You will need:

2-4 Tomatoes cubed
1 tsp Black pepper powder
½ tsp Cumin seeds
6-8 cloves of Garlic
½ cup grated coconut
1 tsp Tamarind paste (or 1 1/2 tsps tamarind juice)
Few curry leaves
Chopped coriander for garnishing
Salt to taste
Mustard seasoning (mustard fried in oil with little hing)

Boil tomatoes and squash to a pulp. Strain and reserve the water. Grind cumin seeds, black pepper, garlic and coconut gratings. Add this to the tomato pulp with reserved water as required. Add tamarind juice and salt. Bring to a boil .Add the curry leaves and mustard seasoning. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve with steamed white rice.

Potato Bell Peppers Stir- Fry:

You will need:

1 large potato diced
1 large green bell pepper diced
1 tsp Corriander powder
1 tsp Cumin powder
1 tsp Red chilli powder
Salt to taste
3 tbsps oil
½ tsp Cumin seeds

Heat oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds and sauté till it becomes crisp. Add the cubed potatoes. Cook on medium heat and cover occasionally to help steam the potatoes. The oil makes it crisp on the outside. Once the potatoes are done add the cubed bell peppers. Sprinkle salt to soften the bell peppers. Saute till peppers are done. Add the cumin powder, chilli powder and the coriander powder. Mix well to coat all the veggies. Stir fry for a minute more and serve.

I like my potatoes and bell peppers spicy so I've used more of the red chilli powder, hence the red colour. You can cut back on the dry spices based on your preference for spiciness.