Avocado Toast

This is a very basic avocado toast with simple ingredients. It is very easy to make on a busy morning. We just need around 5 minutes to whip up this healthy protein-rich breakfast. All you need is a ripe avocado and a couple of slices of bread. I have added chili flakes and pepper powder for spiciness in this recipe and this can be added or removed as per your spice preference. The avocado used should be just ripe and not too mushy. It is preferable to consume it immediately after preparing it. Even though lemon juice added will prevent the discoloration of avocado, I believe the taste of avocado alters with time.

Ingredients:

• Bread slices - 2
• Avocado - 1 
• Lemon juice - 1/2 teaspoon 
• Chili flakes - 1/8 teaspoon
• Pepper powder -1/8 teaspoon 
• Black sesame seeds - 1/8 teaspoon
• Butter - 1 teaspoon (optional)
• Salt - a pinch

Method:

1. Toast the bread slices with butter. This is completely optional. If you want, you can just toast it without butter.
2. Take the avocado, cut it in half, and remove the pit. Scoop out the flesh and transfer it to a bowl.
3. Mash the avocado with a fork. I like mine to be completely smooth. 
4. Add a pinch of salt, pepper powder, chili flakes, and sesame seeds to the mashed avocado and mix well. 
5. Spread the avocado mix on toast and serve.

As part of the "Sshhh Cooking secretly" challenge, a theme is selected at the beginning of the month by one of the participants. All the members are grouped in pairs. The participants will exchange 2 secret ingredients with their partners who are supposed to prepare a dish that matches the theme of that month. This month's 'Protein-rich breakfast' theme is chosen by Renu. Do check out her recipe of Tofu Bhurji she made for this theme. 

Priya Vijaykrishnan is my partner for this month. She gave me pepper powder and lemon juice as my ingredients and I gave her coconut and curry leaves as her secret ingredients. Priya prepared very healthy black lentil crepes. Do check out her blog for a wide variety of traditional dishes like Thiruvadhirai kali.  

Tindora fry | Ivy Gourd Stir fry - Andhra style

Dondakaya Vepudu as it is called in Telugu is a delicious dish of tindora/ivy gourd with roasted peanuts. The spice mixture with roasted gram dal and coconut gives it a good flavor. This is a perfect side dish with steaming rice or chapathi.  

 Ingredients: 

1. Tindora/Ivy gourd - 1 lb
2. Peanuts - 4 tablespoon
3. Coconut grated - 3 tablespoon
4. Dried red chili - 4 or as per your spice preference
5. Roasted chana dal - 1 tablespoon
6. Garlic - 3 cloves
7. Ural dal - 1 teaspoon
8. Curry leaves - 2 sprig
9. Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
10. Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
11. Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
12. Chili powder - 1/2 teaspoon
13. Oil - 3 teaspoon
14. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash and thinly slice ivy gourd and set aside.
2. Take a wide pan and heat 2 teaspoons of oil. 
3. When the oil is hot, splutter mustard seeds followed by urad dal, cumin seeds, 2 dried red chilies, and curry leaves.
4. Add the cut ivy gourd and cover and cook for 15 minutes on low flame. Stir occasionally.
5. Add turmeric powder, chili powder, and salt, and cook for another 10 minutes. 
6. While the ivy gourd is cooking, let's make the spice powder. 
7. For the spice powder, grind coconut, dried red chili, garlic, and roasted gram dal into a coarse powder. 
8. Once the ivy gourd is cooked well, add the spice powder. Mix well and cook covered for another 5 minutes.
9. In a small pan, heat a teaspoon of oil and roast the peanuts.
10. Add the roasted peanuts to the ivy gourd and turn off the flame.
11. Ivy gourd with peanuts stir fry is ready to serve. 

I am tagging this dish for the Vegan recipes theme of Sshh Cooking secretly challenge. This month's theme was selected by Radha. Radha made a Vegan Jackfruit Kofta curry, a great alternative to malai kofta. My partner for this month is Seema who gave me peanuts and garlic. I gave her secret ingredients as walnut and pepper powder and she came up with a vegan walnut mushroom mince.