Black Eyes Peas/ Alasandalu Masala

I always try to include as much of lentils and peas varieties in my diet and menu as they are packed with lots of protein and fiber and rich in flavor when combined with simple ingredients. 

I pair this black eyed peas masala or curry with chapati's or roti. They can also be combined with vegetables to make a delicious curry. This is a very simple recipe and it tastes good when you add more tomatoes to it.

Ingredients:

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1 cup Black Eyed Peas / Alasandalu soaked in water for about 3-4 hours or overnight.

1/4 inch Cinnamon stick

4 Cloves

2 Green Cardamom

1 Bay Leaf

1 big Onion Chopped

1/4 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste

3-4 Medium size tomatoes chopped

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Cumin powder

1 tsp Chili powder

1/2 tsp Garam Masala powder

Salt to taste

1/4 cup Cilantro

1 tsp Oil

1 pinch Asafoetida

Method:

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1. Drain off the water from the peas and keep is aside.

2. In a pressure cooker (Note: you can cook in a pan with lid too, I usually cook it in a pressure cooker to save time and also that the masala is well absorbed into the peas) add oil and when it's medium hot add asafoetida, bay leaf, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon stick and stir it until yo can smell the aroma of the raw garam masala .

3. Reduce the flame to low add ginger-garlic paste and saute it until it turns light brown.

4. Now add the onions and saute it until it turns translucent.

5. Now add turmeric powder, chili powder, cumin powder, salt and tomatoes and cover and cook until the tomatoes are soft and the oil is seen in the corners, make sure you stir is occasionally.

6. Now add the peas and mix well and stir it for about a min, add water if needed or about 1/2 cup and close the pressure cooker with whistle and cook it for 1 whistle.

7. Off the flame and let the pressure release fully from the cooker and comes to room temperature.

8. Open the pressure cooker carefully, put it again on to the stove and add garam masala powder and cook for about 1-2 mins and you can add more water you if feel it's too dry.

9. Off the flame and garnish with cilantro and serve hot with chapati or roti.

Raw Banana/Plantain Fry

I love raw banana when prepared as a side dish. Today I am thinking of making a fusion kind from both states of   Andhra and Kerala. In Andhra they make this side dish with the roasted split chana dal powder  and chili powder, where as in Kerala they use obviously grated coconut, but I decided to use both in this recipe. It turned out very tasty. So I thought of sharing it with you all too.

Ingredients:

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2 medium size Plantains peeled and cubed to small pieces.

1 medium size Onion chopped

2 green Chilies crushed

1/4 cup grated coconut

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

1/4 cup Roasted Split Chana Dal

3-4 Dry Red Chilies

2 pods of Garlic chopped

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1/4 tsp Mustard seeds

1 pinch Asafoetida

Salt to taste

1 tbsp Oil         

Method:
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1.  Keep the cubed plantain pieces in a bowl of cold water and some salt added to it to avoid the plantain to change color.
2. In a mixer grind coconut, cumin seeds and green chilies to a coarse paste. (No need to add water)
3. In a wide saute pan, add oil and when it's hot add mustard seeds and when they start to sputter add asafoetida and chopped garlic, add onions and saute them until they are translucent.
4. Add the plantains to the saute pan with onions, making sure that you drain off the water completely.
5. Add turmeric powder and salt and reduce the flame to medium low and mix well, cover and cook it for about 10-12 mins. Stirring it occasionally to make sure it does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
6. When the plantain is 3/4 cooked, add the coarsely ground coconut mixture and mix well and cook again for about 5 mins or until the plantain is cooked completely.
7. In a mixer powder the roasted chana dal and dry red chilies and add this to the plantains and off the flame just before adding.

8. Mix well and serve this hot or warm with steamed rice and sambar or any Indian curry.

Dum Aloo / Potatoes in Yogurt based gravy | Indian Curry Recipes

I believe quite a few many of us have a list of dishes to try which we have either bookmarked in browser or our mind. We would totally forget about it until we see it again in some other place like another blog or magazines. My bookmarked list is growing and I would want to try everything soon. Dum Aloo was one such dish which is in my "To Do" list. My "To Do" list is something in addition to