Chemmeen molagooshyam

Ingredients:
Chemmeen (Prawns) – ¼ kg
Tomatoes – 3 large, blanched and pureed
Shallots – 10, pureed
Green chillies – 4
Onions – 1 medium, sliced
Chilli powder – 2 tsp
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Salt to taste
Water – 2 cups (or as you need)
Curry leaves
Monosodium glutamate (optional)
Sugar (optional)
Tamarind pulp – ½ tsp (optional)
Oil – 1 tbsp

Method:

Boil all ingredients except oil in a vessel. When the prawns are done and the water reduces sufficiently, take off the stove. Pour the oil and garnish with curry leaves.

Molagooshyam

Ingredients:

Ashgourd

Pumpkin

Tomatoes -  2

Onions - 1

Green chillies - 2/3

Toor dal/parippu/split pigeon peas - a cup

Turmeric - half a teaspoon

Chilli powder - 2 teaspoons

Curry leaves

Method:

Cut all the vegetables into small pieces. Boil the dal with turmeric and salt (you can also add it as is but we usually boil and keep some in the fridge just so that making dishes like this are easy).

Boil the ash gourd and pumpkin pieces with turmeric and red chilli powder.

Add the tomatoes after 2 minutes, followed by the onions and the greeen chillies.

Add the toor dal after 2 minutes. Let it all mix well.
After taking off the fire, pour a tablespoon of coconut and garnish with curry leaves.

Postscript: Molagooshyam can be made with either ashgourd or pumpkin. It can also be made without either of them; i.e, with just the onions, tomatoes and chillies.

We also leave out the toor dal when we make prawn molagooshyam or dry fish molagooshyam.