Rajma - Aloo / Kidney Beans & Potato Curry

I am reposting this for Jihva - Rajma, guest hosted by Divya and the event creator is Indira. Irrespective of eating habits, beans are an integral part of Indian cooking. The protein rich beans are used to create a wide array of delicious dishes ranging from enchanting breakfasts to delectable dals / sambhars (Indian stews), scrumptious subjis (Curries), delightful desserts and many more. Today on VeggiePlatter, it's time for the gorgeous, red kidney beans to shine. This beans have been used to create a palate pleasing curry which goes well with rotis / pooris.

Ingredients: Rajma / kidney beans - 1 cup or substitute with canned beans. Chopped potato, onion and tomato - 1 cup each ( or two of each vegetable) Grated ginger & cumin seeds - 1 tsp each Cumin powder & coriander powder - 1/2 tsp each (optional) Chillie powder - 1 tsp Salt to taste Oil - 2 Tbsp Chopped cilantro for garnishing

Cooking Part: Wash and soak dry kidney beans in water overnight or 8-10 hours. Drain the water. Cook the beans with sufficient water in a pressure cooker till done.Throw away the water used to cook the beans. Alternatively cook in a sauce pan on stove top till the beans are soft but not mushy. Turn off the stove. If using canned beans, skip the cooking part.

Heat oil in a wok / deep pan. Add cumin seeds and fresh ginger to it. When they start to brown, add the onion and turmeric powder. Saute till onion turns translucent and then add potato & tomato to it. Cook till potatoes are done. Add a cup of water if needed. Add the cooked beans, chillie powder, salt, coriander powder and cumin powder to the onion - potato mixture. Taste and adjust the quantities of the spices if neccessary and also add some water if the curry is too thick. Let it simmer for 10 - 15 minutes on low to medium flame. Turn off the stove. Garnish with cilantro.

Originally published on May, 24 2007 as 'R' entry for Nupur's A - Z of Indian vegetable series. Comments

Masoor Dal Sambhar

I opt for masoor dal when I need to cook a quick meal. This orange hued dal which turns yellow on cooking is one of the fastest cooking bean. It neither needs prior soaking nor a pressure cooker (to speed up the cooking process) as in the case of other beans. Besides those quick fix meals which are done in about 20 minutes, I reserve this dal even to those ocassions when I am feeling lethargic but still need a substantial meal. I usually prepare a sambhar or simple yet delicious dal tadka using masoor dal.



Though toordal is the commonly used bean to prepare sambhar, some other beans such as masoordal works well too. Sambhar - the signature South Indian vegetable - lentil stew gets its flavor and oomph from sambhar powder - the spice mixture used in the dish.
Coming to sambhar powder, there is no standard recipe as such. Probably, there are as many variations as the number of households in the region. Even in our families, everyone doesn't follow the same recipe for the sambhar powder. Each have their own cherished recipe which they follow and enjoy. The recipe which I am giving is from M's SILs which I personally like.
Sambhar Powder Recipe:
Ingredients for sambhar powder:
Chanadal - 1/4 cup
Coriander seeds - 1 cup (Quantity can be decreased / increased by 1/2 cup depending upon the spiciness preferred.)
Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp
Shredded copra - 1/2 cup
Red Chillies - 10- 15

Method:
Dry fry the chana dal in a saute pan on low-medium flame till it turns reddish. Remove the chanadal and add the coriander seeds to the same pan and fry them. Pay attention as they burn easily. When they start to turn brownish and release aroma, add the fenugreek seeds & the red chillies. Saute them for a few seconds and turn off the stove. Cool the mixture and grind it into fine powder using a spice grinder. Store it in an airtight container.
Note: Decrease / increase the quantity of ingredients proportionately depending upon how much sambhar powder needs to be prepared.



Sambhar Recipe:
Ingredients required:
1/2 cup masoor dal
2 cups chopped veggies (I used carrots, green beans, radish, tomato & fresh soy beans)
3.5 cups water
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sambhar powder
1&1/2 tsp chili powder
Lime sized tamarind ( Soak the tamarind in a cup of water or nuke it in a microwave along with little water for about a couple of minutes. Squeeze the tamarind well with your fingers or put through a sieve and collect the thick pulp. Throw away the husks & residue.)
For tadka / popu: 1 tsp canola/peanut oil, 1 tsp each of mustard & cumin seeds, a little asafoetida and curry leaves

The cooking part:
Wash the masoordal in two changes of water. Then add it to an Indian style wok/deeper sauce pan. Add the vegetables, water and turmeric powder to it and cook it on medium - high heat till the dal is cooked.
After the dal is cooked, add the salt, chili powder, sambhar powder, 3 Tbsp tamarind puree and mix well. Taste and adjust the salt/tamarind if needed and add a little water if the sambhar is thicker. Bring it to a rolling boil, turn down the heat and let the sambhar simmer for about a couple of minutes more.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a small pan and add mustard seeds & cumin seeds to it. When mustard seeds start to pop, add the asafoetida & curry leaves and turn off the stove.
Add this to the sambhar and mix well.
Serve this with hot, steamed rice and a tsp of ghee.



This goes to Think Spice - Think Coriander Seeds, guest hosted by Priya and the event creator is Sunitha.

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Vankaya - Bangaladumpa Koora / Eggplant With Potatoes

Brinjal / Eggplant is often called the 'King of the vegetables' in India. Back in our home state, Andhra where it is called 'vankaya' (Telugu), it is one of the lovingly cherished, native vegetables. It's presence is a must during all the celebrations including wedding feasts. There are zillions of recipes using eggplants on the web and each family probably has umpteen number of their own favorites. Our family too have a considerable amount of recipes involving these beauties. I have posted earlier a handful of eggplant recipes including the traditional 'Sivangi Pulusu' & some 'Chutneys'. I still need to cover many dishes which are commonly prepared at my Mother's and at the rest of the Gandlurs' kitchens. Today's recipe is a simple preparation where eggplants are paired with another commonly found veggie, the 'Great' potato. Both bring their flavors to the dish making it extra special. For variation, try substituting koora podi or vangibhath powder for chili powder. For this koora/subzi you need the following ingredients: 6 brinjals/eggplants (I have used the smaller, purple variety. Substitute the green colored ones or even the slender ones) 2 medium sized potatoes Salt 1 tsp Chili Powder - 1 - 1&1/2 tsp depending upon the heat preferred For tadka /popu: 2 Tbsp oil, 1 tsp each of chanadal, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder and a few curry leaves The 'How' part: Cut the green stalks before chopping eggplants. I usually don't cut the eggplants into cubes since they shrink after cooking and almost would be a mush. I like eggplants holding their shape after they are done. I therefore prefer to cut them lengthwise into two halves. Then go again lengthwise into thin slices. I do the same with peeled potatoes and cut into long slices. Put the cut vegetables in individual bowls filled with water until use. Heat oil in a saute pan and add the chanadal and mustard seeds. When mustard seeds start to pop and the dal start to turn reddish, add the remaining tadka ingredients and saute for a few seconds. Add the potato slices and salt to the pan and mix well. Cover the pan and cook for about 10 minutes on low flame. Then in go the eggplant slices sans water. Continue to keep the pan covered on low flame till the eggplants are done. Then add the chili powder and mix well. Taste and adjust the salt and chili powder quantities if needed. Let the eggplant - potato mixture cook for a minute and then turn off the stove. Comments

Spicy Red Potatoes (Microwave)

   
The ubiquitous potato is probably the most liked vegetable around the globe (at least from my perspective.) Each may have their own cherished potato recipes/food which they love. I have my own and do like potatoes while preparing quick, simple curries - the Indian style.Today's recipe is such a simple one from my Mother where the cooked potatoes are perked up by adding koora podi (spice & lentil powder) and fresh lime juice. Recipe for the koora podi (curry powder) is given below. I have used the red potatoes just for the color and the regular ones can be substituted for them. Similarly stove top can be used instead of a MW.  

The following ingredients yield about 3/4 cup of koora podi: 
3 tbsp. chanadal / roasted chickpeas
1.5 tbsp. uraddal / skinned black gram
1.5 tbsp. coriander seeds 
1/4 cup shredded dry coconut (copra) 
10 dried red chillies 

Preparation:
Toast chana dal and urad dal individually in a microwave / saute pan till they turn reddish brown. Saute the coriander seeds till they turn slightly brownish and add the red chillies at the end. Cool and grind all the ingredients into a fine powder. Store it in a air tight container.  

Preparing the curry: 
* Cut about 5 red potatoes into cubes (about 2 cups). Along with about a cup of water (add more if you need), cook those potatoes in a microwave till done but not into a mush. Drain the water. 
* Take a microwave safe bowl and add about 2 tsp oil. Heat it for about a couple of minutes and then add a tsp each of chanadal and mustard seeds. Again heat it until the dal turns reddish and the mustard seeds start to splutter. 
* Remove the bowl and add the cooked potatoes, about 2 tsp of koora podi and about a tsp of salt. Mix well and put back in the microwave and let it cook for 2-3 minutes. You can stir once in the middle. Squeeze the juice from a small lime and add it to the potatoes. Mix well and serve with rice or rotis.  

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Announcing 'Microwave Easy Cooking' Event - October '09 Edition

Though I have been blogging for almost close to three years, the hosting of a cooking event always intimidated me. I assume it to be a difficult task even now and therefore never came up with an event or had mustered courage to ask the event runners when they announce for hosting opportunities. My son, Shreyas who follows and helps to run this blog has been more enthusiastic and braver than me and was nudging me from the day one to host an event. When Srivalli asked me whether I could host the "MICROWAVE EASY COOKING", popularly known as MEC event, I therefore readily accepted it. Thanks, Srivalli for giving me the opportunity this month to host the event, which has popularised the use of MW across numerous kitchens. Now let us move to the theme of the event. Being a vegetarian all my life, I cherish the nutritious, fat free vegetables/fruits which play a key role in my diet and and in my life. I therefore decided to celebrate the 'Fresh Produce' for my first ever hosting event. Since vegetables/fruits are easily accessible to everyone around the globe and all human population consumes them, I hope the theme is appealing to everyone. :)) I invite all food lovers, both bloggers & non bloggers to participate in the event and make my first event successful. I am using the term 'Fresh Produce' to include all/any fresh vegetable/fruit/herb. To start with, here is a list of vegetables and fruits. Guidelines for participation 1. Prepare any vegetarian/vegan recipe using 'Fresh produce' and post it on your blog from now till the last date of the month. I will accept any cuisine, any course as long as they are vegetarian / vegan recipes and feature the theme ingredient. Please note that dry fruits, dried beans and eggs are not allowed. I will loosen up my rule a little bit regarding the frozen stuff, if you think it is convenient for you. However try to use the fresh stuff. 2. As the name of the event suggests, the entire cooking needs to be done in a Microwave oven. Feel free to use a blender/food processor for grinding/mixing but no stove top cooking please. 3. Deadline to send entries for the event is 31 st October’09. Please provide a link to this announcement page and to Srivalli's main announcement page. Please use the logo below if you chose to. 4. Send a mail with MEC - Fresh Produce in the subject line to toveggieplatter[at]hotmail[dot]com with the following details. . Your name . Your blog name . Name of the entry . URL of your post . A photograph of the final dish 5. Multiple entries are welcome. Recipes submitted to other events are also allowed. 6. Recipes from archives can also be sent only if they are re-posted with a link to this announcement page and Srivalli's event page. 7. If you don't own a blog and would like to participate, send an email with the recipe and the above-mentioned details and I will gladly include them in the round up.

A round up of submitted recipes would be posted sometime in the first week of November. Waiting for the delicious entries from all the food lovers and hoping I would not be disappointed. Post a Comment

Spinach Raita

 I prefer raitas to go along with my rotis, especially during my lonely lunches on weekdays. Raitas are usually simple, quick, convenient and nutritious. What more you can ask for in a side dish? I have used low fat yogurt and frozen spinach in this version which can be put together in around 10 minutes.

Ingredients:
5 oz / 150 gm frozen spinach
2 cups yogurt (fat-free will do.)
2 tsp. oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds
4 to 6 dried red chiilies (Adjust according to spice preference.)
a sprig of curry leaves
2 pinches of asafoetida powder 

The following are the simple steps for this healthy and tasty raita.
* Thaw and lightly cook spinach in the microwave without adding extra water. After spinach is done, drain any extra water if present.
* Meanwhile, lightly beat the yogurt using a whisk or a fork.
Now for the tadka part in microwave. Heat oil and mustard seeds in a microwave safe bowl. When the seeds start to crackle and pop, add chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida. Heat for a few seconds more.
* Add the cooked spinach, tadka and salt to the yogurt. Mix well and serve.

Note: 
If substituting fresh spinach, wash and roughly chop. Sprinkle a little water and cook in the microwave. If using stove top, you can first do the tadka in a pan and saute chopped spinach till done.

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Rava - Semiya Payasam

Semolina - Vermicelli Payasam:
I prefer quick and easy payasams for neivedyam and yesterday I prepared rava - semiya payasam. This is another delicious, simple payasam from my kitchen for those with a sweet tooth. The filling semolina and vermicelli combine with the coconut which lends a rich, sweet flavor and adds a little crunch to the dish. 

Ingredients for 8-10 servings:  
A fistful or 2 Tbsp of each - semiya(vermicelli), rava(semolina) and shredded, fresh/frozen coconut  
Milk - 4 cups  
Sugar - 1/4 cup or to taste  
1/2 tsp cardamom powder  
1 tsp ghee (clarified butter)  
1 Tbsp cashew nuts & raisins  
The 'how' part:  
Heat the milk, preferably in a non stick sauce pan. Mean while, dry fry the vermicelli and the semolina separately till the vermicelli browns uniformly and rava starts to brown. Add the vermicelli, rava and coconut to the milk and let them cook till done. (You know that it is done when the vermicelli is cooked.) Add some more milk if the payasam is thick. Add the sugar and cardamom powder and cook for a couple more minutes till sugar is dissolved. Heat ghee in a small pan and add cashews and raisins to it. Stir them with a spoon till cashews turn golden brown and raisins plump. Turn off the stove and add them to the cooked payasam. Serve them hot or chilled. 

Related Post: Carrot - Vermicelli Payasam 

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Happy Dasara and Steamed Green Beans with Moongdal & Senaga Guggillu

Happy Dasara to everyone. I prepared a simple neivedyam as Dasara (navarathri) began today. It included green beans koora, eggplant-tomato sambhar, puliyogare, semiya payasam and senaga guggilu. And today I am posting recipes for a couple of them. The first one is steamed green beans with moongdal.

Beans - PesaraPappu Koora: Green bean is one of my favorite vegetable and so is frequently cooked in my kitchen. I use them in various ways and here is one easier method to cook green beans.

Ingredients:
A fistful of moongdal
2 tsp. canola / peanut oil
2 tsp. oil
1 tsp. chana dal / split chickpeas
1 tsp. urad dal / skinned black gram
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. cumin seeds
A sprig of curry leaves
4 dried red chilles (more or less to taste.)
1/4 cup shredded fresh / frpzen coconut
Salt to taste
Method:
* Wash and soak a handful of moongdal (skinned, split green lentils) in water for an hour or two. Then drain the water and keep the moongdal aside.
* Wash, trim the ends and chop the green beans into 1/4 inch bits. (String before chopping, if necessary. Usually the beans I find here, need no stringing.)
* Add the chopped beans and about 2 tbsp. of water to a pressure cooker and cook for 2 -3 whistles. When the valve pressure is gone, remove the beans and drain them in a colander.
* Heat oil in a sauté pan. Add chanadal, uraddal, mustard seeds & cumin seeds in that order. When the dals turn reddish, add red chillies ( broken into bits), curry leaves and sauté them for a few seconds. Then add the cooked beans, moongdal, salt and coconut to the pan. Saute them for about 3 to 4 minutes on low flame and turn off the stove.

Now the other recipe is for Senaga Guggillu / Kala Chana Salad. Guggillu / Usli / Sundal or what ever you call them depending upon where you live is nothing but a (South) Indian style bean salad. Dried beans are soaked, cooked till tender and then seasoned with spices and flavored with some shredded, fresh coconut and lime juice at the end. Senagalu - the brown chick peas are one of the favorite beans used to prepare the guggillu. Often served as prasadam at temples in Southern India, this is a fulfilling snack anytime of the day.

For 4 servings, wash and soak 4 fistfuls of dried, black chick peas overnight. In the morning, drain the water, wash the chickpeas twice and cook with about 4 to 6 cups of water in a pressure cooker. After the valve pressure is gone, remove the chickpeas from the cooker. Drain the water and wash the chickpeas with fresh water once or twice. Heat about a tbsp. of canola/peanut oil in a sauté pan. Heat about a tsp. each of chana dal / split chick peas and mustard seeds. When chana dal turns reddish, add a few curry leaves and two finely chopped green chillies. Saute them for about 30 seconds and add cooked chickpeas, 1/4 cup of fresh, shredded coconut , salt and a tbsp. minced cilantro. Saute them for a couple of minutes more. Remove and add juice squeezed from a lemon. Stir well and serve. Kitchen Tip: While buying green beans, make sure they look fresh and green and when bent, they snap with a crisp sound.

Other related posts:
Kala Chana Sprouts Salad
Carrot & Beans with Moongdal

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Easy-Breezy Breakfast on a Lazy Weekend - Godhuma Dosa / Wheat Flour Dosa

I prefer to cook (especially the breakfasts) simple on weekends. On the other hand, my husband who is is not a sugary cereal / bread person prefers Indian breakfasts so that he can devour them leisurely. In the bargain, I vote for dosas -the no ferment, instant kinds. I prepare the batter and if I am not in the mood, he chips in.
While the rice flour dosas are from my mother, these wheat flour dosas are from my MIL's kitchen. Easy to prepare batter and the lacy, crisp dosas would make them any one's favorite. Serve them hot with any chutney or pickle and you would have a decent breakfast (or even a meal). :)

 

How to prepare batter for about 10 - 12 dosas:Mix about a cup of wheat flour / atta and 1/2 cup of rice flour and 2 tsp of salt in a steel bowl /container. Add about 3 & 1/2 cups of water to the mixture and prepare a thin, lump free batter. (I gave the water measurement just for an idea and the cup is about 235 ml, the same one I used for the dry ingredients. However use discretion while adding water just noting that it should be watery like rava dosa batter.)
Heat about 1 tsp oil in a small pan and add 1 tsp mustard seeds. When they start to pop, add a pinch of asafoetida powder to it and turn off the stove. Add this to the flour mixture and mix well.
Use the batter immediately to make dosas.

Making the dosas:
You need the above batter, oil (canola or peanut) and a griddle to make dosas. Heat a griddle or a shallow pan. Sprinkle a few drops of water on the hot pan. If the water sizzles, the pan is ready. Take a ladle full of batter and pour it from a little height on to the griddle. Start pouring the batter from outside circle of the griddle. The wheat flour batter is sticky and so spreading it with the back of the ladle as traditional dosas should be avoided. It will spread on it's own and fill any gaps in the middle with dosa batter. Pour about half a tsp of oil around the edges of dosa and let it cook on medium flame. When the dosa turns browner (the side closer to the griddle), flip it and again pour another 1/2 tsp oil around the edges and let it cook for a minute and remove it.
Repeat the same with the remaining batter.


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Chayote Chutney / సీమ వంకాయ పచ్చడి

    
I am sharing here another vegetable chutney that goes well with rice. The mild sweetness of the chayote is well balanced with the lentils and the spices used in this lip smacking chutney. 

Ingredients:
1 small sized chayote
4 tsp. oil 
1 tbsp. chana dal / split chickpeas
1 tbsp. urad dal / black gram
1 tsp. mustard seeds
A pinch of fenugreek seeds
4 -6 dried red chillies (depending upon their heat)
1/16 tsp. turmeric powder
3/4 tsp. sized tamarind ball
2 pinches of asafoetida powder
Salt to taste

Method:
* Peel a chayote, quarter and remove the center seed. Cut into cubes. (I had about a cup of chayote cubes) 
* Heat the oil in a small saute pan and add chana dal, urad dala nd mustard seeds. 
* When the dals turn reddish and the mustard seeds start to pop, add fenugreek seeds and chillies (Fenugreek seeds burn faster and so are added at the end.) 
* Stir them once and add the chayote, tamarind and turmeric. Lower the heat, cover the dish and cook the chayote till it is done (becomes softer.) 
* When the chayote is cooked add asafoetida and turn off the stove. Set the pan aside and let the contents cool.
* Grind the ingredients coarsely, adding salt. 
* Transfer the chutney to a bowl and serve with hot rice and a tsp of ghee.   
* Cover the remaining chutney and keep it refrigerated. It stays fresh for 3 - 4 days.
   

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