METHI PAAPAD
My children never fail to visit a 'temple' whenever they come down to Bangalore. The name of the "foodies' temple" is Rajdhani !
T. R. was bowled over by the dozen or more cups of vegetables and dals which came along with steaming hot kichidi, oven fresh rotis and just puffed up poories !
We savoured the dishes one by one a little at a time, trying to guess the secret ingredients which had gone into the preparation of each and every delicacy.
The soft tiny bits interlaced into a sabji seemed very familiar but unguessable. The bearer came with another serving of the mysterious sabji as he mumbled out its name.
Suddenly it dawned upon us that the soft and succulent bits in the sweet and sour sabji were nothing but shredded paapads!
Here is Methi Paapad, another version of Appalam Mendhya Kozambu!
INGREDIENTS
Fenugreek seeds / Methi seeds - 2 tbsps
Fenugreek leaves - 1 small bunch
Small paapads - 3
Tamarind - the size of a marble
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Sambar powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
Powdered jaggery - 1/4 tsp
Cooking oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 pinch
Cumin seeds - 1 pinch
Asafoetida - 1 pinch
METHOD
1. Soak the methi seeds / fenugreek seeds overnight.
2. Soak tamarind in warm water and extract the thick juice.
3. Wash and chop the fenugreek leaves.
4. Heat oil in a kadai and splutter the mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
5. Add asafoetida.
6. Add the chopped green fenugreek leaves and saute till all the water is gone.
7. Drain and add the soaked fenugreek seeds.
8. Stir till dry and add the sambar powder and turmeric powder.
9. Add the tamarind extract, salt and jaggery and cook till the fenugreek seeds are done.
10.Crush the paapads and cook in the gravy on low flame till they become soft.
Enjoy Methi Paapad with steaming hot rice or roti with a dollop of fresh ghee or butter.
