The Unbeatable Chittoor Sambar

Sambar is an authentic dish in south india.Sambar is prepared with different vegetable combinations for different purposes. Also the sambar which we serve with idli or dosa is different from the sambar which we serve with rice.This chittoor sambar is best to serve with steamed idlis. It has a unique blend of ingredients and a unbeatable flavor that is a perfect accompaniment for idlis but can also be had with rice.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup toor dal
• 1 cup pearl onions
• 1/2 cup diced radish
• 4 diced baby corn
• 1 cup 2 inch long sliced drumsticks
• 1 cup diced tomato
• 2 green chillies cut length wise
• 1 medium lemon size tamarind soaked in hot water for 15 minutes.
• Remove the pulp and keep the tamarind paste aside.
• 2 tbsp grated coconut
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp sambar powder
• 1 tbsp rasam powder
• 1 tsp poppy seeds(khus khus)
• a pinch of sugar
• salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
• 6 fenugreek seeds
• a pinch of hing (asafoetida)
• 2 tbsp coriander leaves
• 10-15 curry leaves
• 1 tbsp oil

Cooking Procedure:
Pressure cook the toor dal with 2 cups of water and once it is done then beat is nicely to make a smooth paste and keep aside.
Make a smooth paste of sambar powder,rasam powder,grated coconut and poppy seed with some water and keep aside
Take 2 cups of water in a sauce pan then add radish ,corn ,drumsticks and onion and cook till they become tender.
In the mean time add turmeric powder,salt,sugar and the grounded paste to the above .
Once the veggies are cooked add tomato,tamarind pulp and bring it to boil.
Now add cooked dal and add extra water according to your consistency and bring it to boil and let it cook for 5 more minutes.
Heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds,methi seeds, hing and when musterd seeds starts to splutter add the curry leaves and add this to the above sambar.Your sambar is ready and you are ready to serve it with steamed hot idly

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Tangy Mango Dal

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Raw mango is available in abundance during summer. It is a classic dal prepared in Andhra, the raw mango lends a unique flavor to the dal, a perfect tangy lipsmacking dal that will leave everybody at home asking for more .... specially my FIL : ) he truely enjoys it. He even claims he can have this dal everyday of the week !!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup toor dal
• 1 cup diced raw(unripe) mango
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 1 tsp oil
• 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp urad dal
• 1 tsp crushed garlic
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 green chilli sliced
• 2 red chilli
• 1 pinch hing (asafetida)
• salt to taste
• 3 cups water

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Cooking Procedure

Wash the mango,peel it and dice it into small chunks of pieces leave some chunk of mango still stuck with the seed. Keep aside the diced mango pieces with the seed.

Wash the dal with normal water n keep aside.In a pressure cooker heat 1 tsp oil add urad dal,mustard seeds,cumin seeds,hing,turmeric powder n stir till mustard seeds splutter.Then add onion,garlic,curry leaves,green chilli,red chilli n fry for a min.

Now add the dice mango pieces n dal let them fry one more min.Then add three cups of water, salt n close the lid, pressure cook for 3 whistles.Then off the flame.Once it cools open the lid mix it well.Add 1 cup water n let it boil for 5 min. Your dal is ready.

The mango seed chunk can be served with curd rice. Kids will love to hold it and bite a little tangy mango off it.

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Tags: Mango, Raw Mango Dal

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Butternut Squash Pulusu (Stew)

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Normally pulusu(stew) is a authentic andhra dish of a vegetable like pumpkin,sweet potato or bottle gourd(loki) with tamarind based gravy n spices. It has a slight tangy n sweet flavor n excellant with rice.

This dish is cooked very often in andhra pradesh the southern state of india n people usually have this stew with rice that is served with a topping of ghee(clarified butter) and accompanied with plain toor dal(known as mudda pappu in telugu).

Ingredients:

• 3 cups diced butternut squash (1 inch chucks)
• 1 cup diced onions
• 1/2 cups diced tomatos
• 1/2 conentrated tamarind pulp in 1/2 cup warm water
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp rice flour
• salt to taste

For tempering

• 1 tsp oil
• 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/8 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 3 green chilli
• pinch of hing
• 1 spring curry leaves

Cooking Procedure

Wash n peel the butternut squash n cut them to large 1 inch chucks n keep aside

Dissolve 2 tbsp of rice flour in 1 cup water n keep aside.

Pressure cook the butternut squash,onion,turmeric with 3 cups water for one whistle n off the stove n let it cool.

Open the cooker n on medium flame add tomotoes, tamarind pulp,sugar n salt n let it cook till tomato becomes lightly soft,now add the rice flour water n check the consistency n can also add little water if required n cook for another 3 minutes.It will thicken slowly.

Prepare the tempering heat 1 tsp oil,then add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds n hing once mustard start splutter add the curry leaves n green chillis n stir for 30 seconds n add this tempering to the cooker n let it boil for 1 minute.Your pulusu is ready.

I am sending this recipe to

Any one can cook series:2,FB hosted by ayeesha

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Tags: Butternut Squash, Stew,Easy Recipe

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Simple Tomato Dal

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This is a very simple n flavorful dal to prepare. It can be had with rice n rotis and it is one of my favorite dal. There are many variations by changing the dal/lentil. I used mung dal but you can also use toor dal or masoor dal. You can try all the variations n I am sure you will the notice the difference but all are tasty.

Preparation time :5 min

Cooking time:15 min

Serves :3 to 4 people

Ingredients:

• 1 cup moong dal
• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 1 tsp oil
• 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp urad dal
• 1 tsp crushed garlic
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 green chilli sliced
• 2 red chilli
• 1 pinch hing (asafetida)
• salt to taste
• 3 cups water

(Click image for enlarged view)

Cooking Procedure

Wash the dal with normal water n keep aside.In a pressure cooker heat 1 tsp oil add urad dal,mustard seeds,cumin seeds,hing,turmeric powder n stir till mustard seeds splutter.Then add onion,garlic,curry leaves,green chilli,red chilli n fry for a min. Now add tomatoes n dal let them fry one more min.

Then add three cups of water, salt n close the lid, pressure cook for 3 whistles.Then off the flame.Once it cools open the lid mix it well.Add 1 cup water n let it boil for 5 min. And ur dal is ready !!

This dal and another 5 more dishes

Masala pav

Brussel Sprout Curry

Cottage Cheese Stuffed Tomato Fritters

Tomato Chutney

Tomato Rice

Indian Salsa (Tomato Onion Chutney)

goes to "Healing Food - Tomatoes" Event hosted by PJ and started by Siri.

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Tags: Tomato Dal, Tomato Pappu, Tomato Mung Dal, Lentil Gravy

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Palak Methi Dal (Spinach Fenugreek Lentil)

Yesterday I prepared this dal for dinner ,I had some spinach n methi leave left in my fridge which are insufficient for a standalone dish so I mixed both and made a yummy dal ...it came out very well , we all enjoyed it , hope u all too....

Ingredients

• 1 cup toor dal
• 1 cup chopped palak (spinach)
• 1 cup chopped fresh methi leaves(fenugreek leaves)
• 1/2 cup choped onions
• 3/4 cup chopped tomatoes
• 1 tsp grated ginger garlic
• 1/4 tsp chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1-2 green chilli slit
• 1 tbsp oil
• pinch of sugar
• salt to taste

For tempering

• 1 tsp ghee/ olive oil for vegans
• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
• a pinch of hing

Cooking Procedure

Wash dal nicely n add 3 cups of water n keep it a side

Heat oil in pressure cooker ,add onions,grated ginger garlic,green chilli,turmeric powder n fry till onion become translucent.

Add chopped tomato and fry till it become soft

Add all masala n fry for a minute, add all greens(spinach,methi leaves) and fry for one more minute

Add dal with water n close the lid ,let it cooker with pressure for 3 wistles n 3 more mins

Once the pressure of the cooker reduces open the lid n again boil it in medium flame ,check the consistency if u need add little water according ur choice

Now prepare the tempering by heating 1 tsp ghee in a pan n add cummin seeds n hing ,once cummin seeds splutter add this tempering to the dal n stir nicely ,let it boil for one more min n then take the cooker off the flame

Garnish with chopped cilantro n serve hot with rice or rotis

This dal goes for the the wonderful event Think Spice Think Fenugreek host by Priya started by Sunita

Another wonderful event My Legume Love Affair hosted by Siri and started by Susan

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Tags: Spinach , Palak , Methi , Fenugreek , Toor , Dal, Vegan, Vegetarian, Side Dish, Indian, Food

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Green Gram Lentil ( Hari Moong Ki Dal)

First time i had this dal at my in-laws place after marriage. My mother-in-law taught me this recipe and according to her ,she learned this from her father ,isn't it quite interesting : )

Ingredients:

• 1 cup green gram
• 1/3 cup chopped onions
• 1/4 cup chopped tomato
• 1 tbsp garlic ginger paste
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tbsp chana masala
• 1 tbsp ghee/oil for vegans
• a pinch of sugar
• 1 tsp chopped cilantro for garnish
• salt to taste

Cooking Procedure:

Heat ghee in a pressure cooker,add cumin seeds and when it starts to splutter

Add onion,ginger garlic paste,green chilli and turmeric powder and stir till onion turns translucent

Add tomato and fry for another minute

Add all powders and mix well

Add green gram along with 3 cups of water ,stir once nicely and close the pressure cooker.

Let it cook for 3 whistles then lower the flame and cook for 5 more minutes.

After opening the cooker let it boil on medium flame for 2 more minutes.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rotis along with chopped onion.

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Radish Sambar

Sambar is an authentic dish in south india.We used to prepare different types of sambar with different vegetable combinations for different purposes.we serve sambar with idli,dosa or steam rice .The sambar which serve with idli or dosa is different from the sambar which serve with rice.This radish sambar is best to serve with steamed rice .

Ingredients:

• 1 cup toor dal
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 1/2 cup diced radish
• 1 cup diced tomato
• 2 green chillies cut length wise
• 1 medium lemon size tamarind soaked in hot water for 15 minutes.
  Remove the pulp and keep the tamarind paste aside.
• 1 tbsp grated coconut
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp sambar powder
• a pinch of sugar
• salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
• 6 fenugreek seeds
• a pinch of hing (asafoetida)
• 2 tbsp coriander leaves
• 10-15 curry leaves
• 1 tbsp oil

Cooking Procedure:

Pressure cook the toor dal with 2 cups of water and once it is done then beat is nicely to make a smooth paste and keep aside.

Take 2 cups of water in a sauce pan then add radish and onion and cook till they become tender.

In the mean time add turmeric powder,salt,sugar,samber powder to the above .

Once the radish is cooked add tomato,tamarind pulp,coconut and bring it to boil.

Now add cooked dal and add extra water according to your consistency and bring it to boil and let it cook for 5 more minutes.

Heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds,methi seeds, hing and when musterd seeds starts to splutter add the curry leaves and add this to the above sambar

Your sambar is ready and you are ready to serve it with steamed rice.

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