Simple Meals ~ Moong Dal Sambhar & Pineapple Rasam

Here is a simple, comforting meal cooked in my kitchen, on this chilly weekend day. A spicy moong dal sambhar, a fruity rasam bursting with flavors and homemade yogurt served along with hot, steamed rice.

Ingredients: (Serves 4 - 6)
1/2 cup moong dal
1 cup mixed, chopped vegetables (I used carrot, beans & tomato)
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 Tbsp sambhar powder
1 tsp chili powder or to taste
Salt to taste
Thick tamarind juice to taste or about 3 Tbsp (a lime sized tamarind soaked in water and puree extracted.)
For tadka: 2 tsp oil, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, a pinch of asafoetida and few curry leaves

Method:
* Rinse the moong dal in water and drain. Cook moong dal along with veggies and turmeric powder adding about a cup of water. This can be done either in a thick pan or a pressure cooker. If using a pan then use water accordingly and cook uncovered. There is no need to soak the moong dal since it cooks faster.
* Heat the oil in another pan and add the tadka ingredients. When mustard & cumin seeds start to sizzle, add the cooked dal mixture, salt, chili powder, sambhar powder and tamarind. Also add about 2 cups of water to reach the sambhar consistency. Check the taste and adjust the ingredients if needed.
* Bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for a few minutes more. Garnish with cilantro and serve with hot, steamed rice / rotis.

Now lets move on to today's second recipe, pineapple rasam. This one is a tangy, spicy and sweet rasam that goes well with hot steamed rice, ghee and some papads. A totally comforting meal. All the good stuff is hidden somewhere in that watery broth and is invisible. J

Ingredients: (4 servings)
1 cup pineapple cubes
1/4 cup cooked and mashed toor dal
1/4 cup pineapple puree
2 - 3 Tbsp or as needed - tamarind juice
1.5 or 2 tsp rasam powder
Jaggery to taste
Salt to taste
1 /4 tsp turmeric powder
1 - 2 Tbsp Cilantro leaves
For tadka: 2 tsp ghee / oil, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, a pinch of asafoetida, few curry leaves, 1 or 2 green chillies, slit lengthwise and 1 or 2 red chilli broken into bits

Method:
* Heat the ghee / oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When they start to sizzle, add the chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida. Fry for a few seconds and then add the pineapple cubes. Add about a cup of water and keep cooking until pineapples are done.
*  Then add the mashed toor dal, pineapple puree, salt, rasam powder, turmeric powder, jaggery and tamarind. Bring to a rolling boil, lower the heat and simmer for a couple of minutes. Add the minced cilantro before turning off the stove.

This to going to Design a Menu - 3 by Harini - Jaya. My menu for the event is going to be

Appetizers:  Aloo tikki and Potato chaklis

Main course:  Vegetable - Coconut rice, Stuffed tindora, Moongdal sambhar and Pineapple rasam.

Dessert: Pineapple kheer

Comments