Hariyali Dhal - spinach and dhal complement eachother! Chana dhal - ½ cup ( cook for 2 whistles in 1 ½ cups of water & drain) This is a minimum oil dish. Spinach (palak) - 2 cups ( boil plenty of water in a pan, add this & cook for 2-3 mtes. Drain, refresh in ice cold water, drain & blend to a puree) Heat in a pan: Oil - 1 tsp & add Jeera - 1 tsp Hing - ¼ tsp Kasuri methi ( crush between palms) - 1 tsp Next add: Onions, chopped - ¾ cup Green chillies, minced - 1 tbsp Ginger-garlic paste - 2 tsp Saute till onions turn pink & add Coriander powder - 1 tsp Garam masala powder - ½ tsp Salt Cook for 2 mtes & add spinach puree with Milk - ¼ cup & drained water, ½ cup Cook for 3-4 mtes. Add dhal & simmer for 4-5 mtes. Serve hot with any pulao.
Avarekalu (mochai) Sambar - no dhal or tamarind! An ILite gave me this recipe. Soaked, Peeled and Boiled Mochai -1cup Boiled and cubed potato-1 Tomatoes, chopped-3-4 Grind to a paste (without frying) Red Chilli – 6-7 Gram Dhal- 2 tsp Urad Dhal-1tsp Dhania – 4 tsp Cinnamon-1/2” Khus Khus – 2 tsp Copra – 2 tbs Cook chopped tomatoes, salt, haldi till soft. Add cooked mochai, potatoes and paste. Simmer to boil. Add enough water to get desired consistency. Simmer for a few mins and serve. No tempering is necessary. This can be made with thuvarangai also. The first is with that & second with averakalu.
Gonkura Pappu - the Andhra way! Tur dhal - 1 cup Cleaned gonkura leaves - 2 cups Green chillies - 2-3 or to taste To temper: Oil + ghee - 1 tbsp Mustard seeds - 1 tsp Urad dal - 2 tsp Red chillies - 2,3-broken Curry leaves & hing Boil dhal with 2 cups of water, leaves, green chillies & haldi till soft. Cool & whisk. Temper as given above & blend thoroughly. Garnish with onions, chopped & sauted in ghee. Goes very well with rice-ghee or rotis.
Drumstick theeyal - a nice new recipe!! Cut drumsticks 2” long. Drumstick pieces - 2 cups Small onions - 10-12 Tomatoes - 2,3, chopped Roast in ½ tsp oil: Small onions - 7, 8 Saunf - a tiny pinch (more by choice) Coconut - ½ cup Dhanya powder - 1 tsp Red chilli powder - 2 tsp Hing & curry leaves Grind to a fine paste: Tamarind paste - 1-2 tsp Salt To temper; mustard seeds - 1 tsp Heat 1 tbsp oil & fy onions & tomatoes first till soft & then add drumsticks & hadi. Saute & add ttamarind paste + salt + 1 cup o water. Cook till drumsticks become soft. Add paste , simmer to boil for 2-3 mtes. Remove & temper.
Omum Kuzambu - for postpartum use as well. This is a digestive, but, tast kuzambu! Preserves for up to 10 days in the fridge. Mix hot white rice + ghee+ dhal (kalathukku paruppu) & eat with this rice!! First dry roast; Methi seeds, ajwain, jeera - each ½ tsp Dry ginger - 1” Pepper - 1 tsp Hing - ½ tsp Curry leaves - few And then add Coconut - 2 tbsp Roast till the coconut becomes dry. Grind fine with: Tamarind paste - 2 tsp (or to taste) Dhaniya & red chilli powder - 1 tsp, each Mix with salt & ½ cup of water. Simmer to get desired thickness. Temper with mustard seeds. Keeps for a week in refrigerator.
Coriander Leaf Sambar - aroma & flavor besides taste!! Clean, chop & wash coriander leaves thoroughly. Chopped leaves - 1 cup Tamarind paste - 2 tsp (or to taste) Cooked thur dhal - ½ cup To roast in 1 tsp oil & grind to a paste: Red chillies - 3,4 Gramdhal - 2 tsp Dhaniya - 4 tsp Methi seeds & jeera - ½ tsp each Hing - ½ tsp To temper: Oil - 2 tsp Mustard seeds - 1 tsp Chopped tomatoes - 2 Slit green chillies - 2 Salt Heat oil & temper mustard seeds. Next add tomatoes, green chillies & coriander leaves. Saute till they get mushy. Add tamarind paste with 1 cup of water & salt. Boil for 5 mtes & add cooked dhal & the paste. Add water to get the desired consistency. Boil & simmer for 5 mtes.
Brinjal-Drumstick Masal Kuzambu - make it spicy!! Brinjals, onions, tomatoes - 200 gms, each, cut into long pieces drumsticks - 2, cut 2” long Ginger - garlic paste - 2 tsp Chilli powder - 2 tsp Dhaniya powder - 3 tsp Haldi, Salt Green chillies - 3, 4 Roast & powder: Groundnuts - 4 tsp Gram dhal - 2 tsp Tur dhal & urad dhal - 1 tsp, each Curry leaves - few To temper; Oil - 2 tbsp Saunf & jeera - ½ tsp, each Heat oil, temper as given & sauté onions. When glossy, add tomatoes, green chillies & fry. Add red chilli powder & dhaniya powder. Fry lightly & add brinjals & drumsticks. Add haldi, water, salt; cover & cook till soft. Mix enough powder with little water & add, to thicken. Simmer to required consistency.
Beetroot-Peanut Pitlai - a less common combo!! Soaked & boiled raw peanuts - 1 cup Peeled,cubed & boiled beetroot - 1 cup Cooked tur dhal - ½ cup Tamarind paste - 2 tsp Sambar powder - 1 tsp Salt Roast in ½ tsp oil & grind to a paste: Red chillies - 4, 5 Dhaniya - 3 tsp Gram dhal & uurad dhal, each - 1 ½ tsp Methi seeds - ½ tsp Small onions - 2,3 (optional) Tomato - 1, chopped hing & curry leaves Add 1 cup of water to tamarind paste with salt, haldi & sambar powder. Cook for one whisle. Open, add cooked peanuts + beetroot, ground paste & cooked dhal. Adjust the thickness to desired consistency by adding little water. Cook for one whistle. Temper with mustard seeds in ½ tspoil & garnish with choppd coriander .
Rayar Sambar - has an inviting flavor!! Make sambar, the usual way, with sambar powder. At the end, add either of the following pastes, give 2-3 boils, remove & keep covered for the flavours to penetrate. 1 – grind ½ cup of chopped fresh coriander leaves fine & add. 2 – chop 3-4 small onions. Pour boilng water over the same & allow to stand for 2-3 mtes. Drain & add chopped fresh coriander leaves & grind. This is excellent with tiffins.
Sukku / Dry ginger Kuzambu - to drive away the Deepaval ‘blues’! This is good for digestion & makes you feel light on the stomach. The levels of dry ginger powder & pepper powder depend on how spicy, you want it. Small onions (or big) chopped - 1 cup Garlic, chopped - 2 tbsp Tamarind - 2-3 tsp ( to taste) Dry ginger powder - 1 tbsp Pepper powder - 4-5 tsp ( to suit your spice level) Gingelly oil - 2 tbsp Salt Heat 1 tbsp oil & sauté onions & garlic. Next add tamarind paste + 1 cup of water with the dry ginger powder. When it starts boiling, simmer & cook for 5 mtes. Finally add salt+pepper powder & cook just for a 2-3 mtes Remove & temper 1 tsp mustard seeds in 1 tbsp gingelly oil.