Spicy Peerkangai Dal / Spicy Ridge gourd Dal

Ridge gourd dal is one of my new found love.. I was just shopping at an Indian Grocery store when I stumbled upon fresh ridge gourd. I remember making masiyal, kootu or sambar out of it. So decide to try something new and the result was fabulous. A very spicy and yummy dal to go well with roti, rice or eat it just like that.

Ingredients:


Yellow split Moong Dal - 1 cup
Cubed Ridge Gourd - 1 cup
Sambar Powder - 1 tbsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/4th tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Asafoetida - A pinch
Salt - To Taste
Water - 2 - 2 1/2 cups

For the Tempering:

Olive oil - 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
Chana Dal - 1/2 tsp
Red Chilies - 3-4
Curry leaves - A few
Cilantro - For Garnishing

Method:

• First, Take a pan and dry roast the Moong dal until it starts to turn light brown and a beautiful aroma emanates from it.

• In a pressure cooker or pressure pan, heat oil and do the tempering with mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal, curry leaves, asafoetida and dry red chillies.

• Add the cubed ridge gourd pieces to it and cook the vegetable for about 5 minutes on low heat.

• Then add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt. Mix it all well.

• Now add the Sambar powder and mix well.

• Then add the dry roasted moong dal and water and pressure cook for about 2-3 whistles.

• Spicy Ridge Gourd Dal is ready to be served.

• Enjoy it hot as a lentil soup or with hot Roti's.

Notes:

• Adding red chilly powder and dry red chillies are optional. If you need more spicy dal, you can add these or else you can exclude them.
• You can substitute Ridge gourd with any other vegetable such as Tindora, gourd or just tomatoes.
• Adding more curry leaves, cilantro and asafoetida enhances the taste.
• Adjust the water accordingly and prepare it in any consistency you prefer, be it thin or thick.
• Enjoy the dal..

Spinach Paratha / Spinach Stuffed Flat Bread

I have been trying to post this recipe for two months and finally I am done today! As this spinach stuffed paratha is not everyone favourite at home, I prepare only when I have big bunch of spinach and nothing to prepare anything else. but I prepared it quite a few times in last month itself for the purpose of blog.



First time, I took the stepwise picture and hungriness of mine pushed out the feelings of taking the final paratha picture. Second time, I took the final picture but it didn't match well with the stepwise pictures. Finally, I decided to make everything from start to end and clicked all. I counted the number of photos and they are 54 including the stepwise pictures. Even then, It took 2 hours for me to select good looking picture. I was little bit got irritated and asked the husband for help. but, he simply replied me to prepare one more time (!?) and take a picture of all again. I know it might take one more month to post this and I can not make this post to sit so long in my draft.



If you wonder what could be the white particles on the paratha, yes, it was flour which I used to roll the parathas. As my kitchen was little dark, I noticed them only when I brought them out to click a picture of it. This was the reason which delayed me to choose good picture. I thought not to do this again after seeing my gobi paratha post. but somehow, it was repeated. :-( When you are preparing, make sure to wipe off the excess flour in the rolled paratha.

Basic Information:
Preparation Time: 40 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Makes: 7-8 parathas


Ingredients:



For Dough:

Wheat flour / atta - 2 cups

Wheat flour for dusting - 2 tablespoons or as required

Salt - to taste

Water - 3/4 -1 cup

Oil - 1 teaspoon

Butter/Oil - 2 tablespoons / as required



For Stuffing:



Baby spinach - 4 cups, correctly packed

Potato - 1 no, large size, boiled and mashed

Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon

Salt - to taste

Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Oil - 3 teaspoons

Method:



For dough:



1) In a mixing bowl, add wheat flour and salt. Make a dough by adding water little at a time.

2) When the flour is not sticking to your hand, add oil.

3) Knead it for 5 to 10 minutes.

4) The final dough should be very firm and soft.

5) Cover using wet towel and keep aside.



For stuffing:



1) Wash spinach and pat dry them well using kitchen towel. Alternatively, you can wash in advance and dry them by spreading in newspaper. Once they are dry,chop them roughly.

2) Take pan and heat oil in it. Add cumin seeds when it is hot and allow it to crackle.

3) Add chopped spinach and stir fry them. In 2 minutes, you can see the water comes out from spinach leaves. Cook it till the water evaporates.

4) Add red chilli powder and salt  now. Continue frying till the raw smell of red chilli powder goes off.

5) Turn off the flame and add the potato. Mix them well.



For making paratha:



1) Divide the dough into equal size balls.

2) According to the dough count, divide the stuffing into balls.

3) Take one ball and roll into small circle. Place one stuffing ball in center of it and using the corner of dough cover the stuffing ball.

4) Pinch of the excess dough and gently press the  stuffed dough using your fingers.

5) Roll it to a round shape. Repeat the steps to other dough balls.

6) Heat a tawa/skillet and coat the surface with butter or oil.

7) Put the stuffed paratha and cook it.

8) Once the bottom side is cooked, turn the paratha using spatula to cook other side.

9) Repeat the above step for remaining parathas. Make sure to cover the cooked paratha with foil or dry plate to keep it soft.

10) Serve hot with curd and pickle.

Note:

1) Add 1/4 cup of cooked and mashed peas with this spinach stuffing to get other variation.

2) You can skip potato. I have added it to make the rolling process easy.

Knoolkhol Porial / Navilukosu Palya - Kohlrabi Dry Curry

KNOOLKHOL PORIAL / NAVILUKOSU PALYA

Knoolkhol / kohlrabi tastes delicious in sambaar or puli kuzhambu. Tender, non fibrous knoolkhols are suitable for preparing dry porial / curry. Knoolkhols become hard and fibrous very fast even under refrigeration. Hence it is better to use the vegetable while still fresh.

I like throwing in a few Sundaikai / Turkey berries either fresh or dried in one dish or another  at least once a month for their medicinal properties. This could be omitted or substituted with green peas while preparing knoolkhol porial depending on individual taste.

INGREDIENTS

Knoolkhol / Kohlrabi - 2

Fresh Sundaikai / Turkey Berries - a few

Salt - 1 tsp

Sesame oil - 2 tsps

Mustard seeds - 1 pinch

Split black gram dal - 1/4 tsp

Bengal gram dal - 1/4 tsp

Red chillies - 2

Curry leaves - a few

Turmeric powder - 1 pinch

Asafoetida - 1 pinch

Cooked and mashed tur dal - 2 tbsps

Fresh coconut gratings - 4 tbsps

METHOD

1. Peel and chop knoolkhol / kohlrabies into small pieces.

2. Cook in just enough water till very tender and keep aside.

3. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds.

4. When the mustard seeds splutter add the split black gram dal and bengal gram dal.

5. When the dal becomes light golden in colour add broken red chillies followed by turmeric powder.

6. Add curry leaves and asafoetida.

7. Add washed sundaikai /Turkey Berries and a pinch of salt, cover and cook on medium flame till the berries pop.

8. Add the cooked knoolkhol and the remaining salt.

9. Stir in the mashed dal, increase flame and cook till the porial is dry.

10. Garnish with fresh coconut gratings.

 

Enjoy the healthy and delicious Knoolkhol Porial / Navilukosu Palya with your sambaar rice or rasam rice.