Southekai Palya - Cucumber Dry Curry

SOUTHEKAI PALYA

I was always under the impression that cucumbers were only meant to be used in salads, kosumaris, thair pachadis, koottu and all other kuzhambus. I was pleasantly surprised when I tasted a dry curry or porial prepared out of cucumber at my friend's place. Her Southekai palya was so delicious that I could not resist preparing it at home the very next day! Every one started liking it and since then Southekai palya has become a part of our weekly menu.

INGREDIENTS

Fresh green cucumbers - 2
Cooking oil - 2 tsps
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Split blackgram dal - 1 tsp
Pea nuts - 2 tbsps
Red chillies ( broken ) - 2
Curry leaves - a few
Asafoetida - 1 pinch
Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
Salt - 2 pinches
FreshCoconut gratings - 2 tbsps

METHOD

1. Wash and cut off one inch at both the ends of the cucumber.
2. Use the cut cap of the vegetable and rub the exposed end of the cucumber with circular motions.This will remove any bitterness in the cucumber. Repeat on the other end and throw away the cucumber caps.
3. Wash again to remove the froth caused by rubbing and cut the cucumbers into cubes along with the peel.
4. Discard the seeds if they are too hard. But if the seeds are tender they can be retained.
5. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds.
6. When the mustard seeds splutter add blackgram dal and roast till golden in colour.
7. Add ground nuts and let them crack.
8. Stir in broken red chillies followed by asafoetida.
9. Now add the cucumber.

10. Add turmeric powder and salt, stir, cover with lid and cook on medium flame.
11. Open the lid and keep stirring now and then till the cucumbers are cooked but crisp.

11. Increase flame so that excess water evaporates and then switch off flame.

Garnish with fresh coconut gratings and enjoy the juicy tasty Southekai palya with your meal.

Jeera Rasam/Cumin (South-Indian) Soup

Weather is turning very Chilly, everybody has started coughing. Poor Kids, everyday they wait @ morning 6:30 am for the school bus, it would be still dark, Chiilllllll, and all would love a extended sleep tugged under their blankets!!!!! But, no way, cant miss the day, all we can do is just boost up their immunity by cooking up something healthy!!!!

Jeera Rasam/Cumin (South-Indian) Soup, gives you all the freshness needed when you are lazing around with a runny nose, body-ache, a very bad-cold.

Ingredients

1 tsp Cumin seeds/Jeera

1/2 tbsp tuvar dal/Pigeon pea

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 green chilli

a small piece of ginger

2 cloves of garlic

2 sprigs curry leaves

a fistful of fresh coriander leaves

1- 1/2 tsp Rasam Powder

Salt to taste

Seasoning

1 tsp of oil/ghee

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

a pinch of hing and turmeric powder

Instant Rasam Powder

1-1/2 tsp Cumin

1 tsp Pepper

3/4 tsp Coriander seeds

1 tsp tuvar dal
1/2 tsp gram dal

1/2 tsp moong dal

Grind all these ingredients together. I usually make a a large measurement, about a cup and store it in a air-tight container.

Method

Soak Cumin/jeera and tuvar dal/pigeon pea for 15-20 minutes. Drain grind them with tomatoes, green chilli, ginger, garlic, curry leaves and coriander leaves and 1/2 cup of water.

Heat a pan with a tsp of oil, splutter mustard seeds, add hing and turmeric powder. 

Now add the grounded paste to this, add 1 cup of water, rasam powder and salt. Mix well.

Let the mixture boil, Keep the flame low, Wait for the rawness of the rasam powder to escape, approx 10-12 minutes.  

Check the consistency, if its very thick, add another 1/2 cup of water or else just put off the flame. 

Garnish with dash of Pepper powder. Enjoy with Steaming Rice and a dollop of Ghee !!! Sending this to CMT-Daal/Kaadi/Sambar/Rasam, Jagruit's Event guest hosted by me.

Arachivitta Kuzhambu / Potato Sambar

Arachivitta Kuzhambu/Sambar is a hot favorite in my home. It is also prepared with many other vegetables and tastes the best with Idlis, Dosas and with plain White Rice. It involves grinding of a simple masala for the Sambar which gives the Sambar a fresh taste and a nice rich flavor.

Ingredients:

Potatoes - 2 Medium Sized

Tamarind paste - 1 Tsp

Toor Dal - 1/2 Cup

Turmeric powder - A Pinch

Asafoetida - A Pinch

Salt - To taste

For the Masala:

Cumin Seeds - 1/2 Tsp

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 Tsp

Dry Red Chillies - 3-4

Urad Dal - 1 Tsp

Chana Dal - 1 Tsp

Coriander seeds - 1 1/2 Tbsp

Freshly Grated Coconut - 1 Cup

For the Seasoning:

Ghee/Clarified Butter - 1 Tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 Tsp

Curry Leaves - A Few

Cilantro - A Few to garnish

Method:

• Peel and cut the potatoes into bite sized pieces.

• In a pan add 1/2 cup of Toor Dal, a pinch of turmeric and a pinch of salt and add water .

• Add the cubed potatoes to the dal and pressure cook the dal for upto 3 whistles.

• In another pan, add a few drops of oil. Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, Urad Dal, Chana Dal, Dry Red Chillies and Coriander seeds.

• Dry roast this spice mixture until aroma from the spices start to get released.

• Now add freshly grated coconut to this spice mixture.

• Dry roast the coconut with the spice mixture for about 3-5 minutes until the coconut gets roasted.

• Grind the mixture into a paste by adding a little water. Let the paste be a little coarse.

• Take 1 tsp of tamarind paste and dissolve it in 1 cup of warm water.

• Take a pan and add tamarind water. Add asafoetida and salt to the tamarind water.Be careful with the salt as we have already added some salt while boiling the dal.

• Let the tamarind water come to a boil. Then add the ground paste to this water and mix it well.

• Allow this mixture to come to a boil. Then add the boiled Dal and potatoes to this and mix it well. Allow this Sambar to boil well for about 10 minutes.

For the seasoning:

• Take 1 tbsp of ghee and add 1 tsp of mustard seeds to it.Once the mustard seeds pop up add curry leaves. Mix the seasoning well and turn off from heat.

• Add this mixture to the Sambar.

• Garnish the Sambar with finely chopped cilantro.

• Serve hot with Idlis, Dosas or with White Rice.

Notes:

• You can also use vegetables like shallots, drumsticks, chayote, green beans or white pumpkin to prepare this dish.
• If you are using tamarind instead of tamarind paste, then you can take tamarind about the size of a lime.
• You can use Oil also to do the seasoning. Ghee gives it a much richer taste.
• Adding salt while boiling the dal is optional. You may choose to skip the addition as per your preference.