Mixed Thoran

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Lent, the 40 days before Easter Sunday is a time marked with prayer and sacrifices.  I am not about to tell you how disciplined and devout I am but just that I have been trying to keep things simple.  From the Dal Makhani and Koftas you know simple has only been translating to vegetarian not light.   Yesterday, however, was marked with simplicity.  I made sautéed vegetable and spiced butter milk to go with rice.  A simple spread indeed, you will agree.  

Ingredients:
Carrot - 1
Cabbage - half or 1/4
Green Beans - a bunch
(The measurements are all approximate.  When cut into small pieces the vegetable was about 4 cups)
Green chilies - 3 - 4 (however, hot you want it reduce or increase)
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tspn
Turmeric - 1/2 tspn
Garlic - 1 clove
Ginger -  a tiny piece (optional)
Jeera/ Cumin- 1/4 tspn (optional)
Coconut - 1/4 cup
Curry Leaves - 1 sprig
Shallots - 4 or 5 (use some to grind and some for tempering)
Oil - 1 Tbspn
Salt -  to taste

Method:

1. Grind together coconut, garlic, green chilies shallots, cumin and ginger coarsely with little or no water as possible

2. Heat 1 tbspn of oil and splutter mustard followed with curry leaves and shallots and add the ground coconut mixture

3. Stir for a few seconds and add the vegetables

4. If you have cut all the vegetable fine then if you keep stirring occasionally on medium heat you can cook the vegetable in its own water uncovered.  

Notes:

1. The trick to make this dish tasty is the right cooking of the vegetables.  

2. They have to be crispy and not overcooked.  

3. Too less and too much cooking will spoil the taste. 

4. Keep tasting in between if you are doing this for the first time to make sure you switch the flame off in time

Contributor: Sunitha