Fresh Toor, Peanut, Mocha Kurma | Kurma with Fresh Toor, Peanut and Mocha | Step By Step Recipe

Typically if I must translate the name in Telugu the tittle will go something like this, Kandulu Anumulu Veru Senaga pappu Masala Kura. Phew, it's pretty tongue twisting and long winding right. Though the taste will surely make you forget other things. Even if it does fall under the Kurma or Kura category, the way this is made is a little different. and makes a great change from the usual gravy.

These fresh beans or lentils are available during the winter season and we make the best use of this by making it in different ways. As I had said in my prep and preserve post, we freeze these fresh beans for using during Summar. Still nothing like eating it fresh!

Ingredients Needed:

Fresh Toor dal - 1 cup
Ground nuts / Peanuts - 1/2 cup
Mocha / Anumulu / Hyacinth Bean  - 1/2 cup

Onions - 2 medium
Tomatoes - 2
Gram Flour / Besan - 1 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves

To be ground:

Fresh Coconut, grated - 2 tbsp
Red Chili powder  - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder a pinch

How to make the Masala Kura:

Grind all the ingredients listed under "to be ground" together to a paste using water. When done, add tomatoes and again grind to a paste.

Wash the beans and pressure cook each separately for 1 whistle. Once the pressure falls, add the ground masala to it and continue cooking with the lid open.

In a bowl, mix the besan with water and make a lumpless mix. Add this to the boiling lentils. Simmer it.

Heat a kadai or a non stick pan, saute onions, and pour over the simmering kurma.

Serve with rotis.

 
Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 11

Bottle Gourd Dosa | Sorakaya dosa ~ 101 Dosa Varieties

Of the many dosas I love, Adai always tops with special attention. Now it becomes really hard for me to decide which one I like more. Let's just say that I love all dosa varieties. Amma makes yummy Adais and this variation with bottle gourd is really very interesting as you get to include the vegetable in your dosas.

Adais are normally considered more healthier than the regular dosas as there is more lentil in Adais than in dosas. So I found this to be even more healthy as we included Sorakaya in it. You will not find it included at all as it gets ground in the batter. You can add as grated as such, but it might make it soggy, while grinding it along with batter made it more crispy.

Bottle Gourd Dosa | Sorakaya dosa

Raw Rice - 1 cup
boiled rice - 1 cup
Bengal, Urad, Toor - 1 cup
Dry Red chilis - 4 -5
Sorakkaya - 2 cups
Salt to taste

How to make Sorakaya dosa

Wash and soak all the lentil for 3 hrs. Then grind with dry red chilies. Once ground to a smooth paste, add grated bottle gourd and run once for it to mix well.

then remove and add cumin seeds and Hing.

Heat a tawa, grease with oil. Scoop a ladle of the batter and spread as you will do with a regular dosa.

Enjoy with chutney of your choice!

This can suit a diabetic diet when taken in moderation.

Dry Yellow Peas Masala Vadai | Pattani Paruppu Vadai | Peas Fritters

There is no denying my love for deep fried snacks. If they come in round circles, with dal and crunchy bites in between, I am sold! Imagine such a delicious treat taking shape from the thought of doing away with excess stuff on hand. This recipe originally came into being because Amma had lots of Whole White Peas / Yellow peas with her. Not knowing how to use it up, she thought she might make Vadas with them. I know I love the idea.

These delicious vatana vadas make a great appetisers for the Kid's party. Of course you got to tweak the recipe a bit if you are serving it for below 5 yr olds. But otherwise the recipe is prefect and tastes simply too good. You can imagine how good if I am planning to have excess of white peas on hand..:)

The first time I actually got these peas and read about them or rather realized that there is a different type of peas all together, was when I made the Ragda Patties. The night I was to make it, I realized I didn't' have it and bought it the next day. I am still not sure if these are called white peas or yellow peas. It's called the Yellow peas in English, while called White Vatana in hindi. Now don't ask me what it's called in Tamil, I tried hooking a conversation with the salesperson and asked the name, she simply replied it's "yellow patani", can't beat the simplicity of that statement right!

Patani Vada

Yellow dried Peas / White Peas - 1 cup
Mint leaves - handful
Coriander leaves handful
Curry leaves - handful
Salt to taste
Gram flour / Besan - 1 tbsp
Red Chili powder - 1 tsp
Onion - 1 medium.

Grind to paste:

Garlic, 2- 3 cloves
Green chilli - 2 medium
Ginger  1"

Oil for Deep frying
Water just enough to make the batter

How to make the Patani Vada / Vatana Vada:

Wash and soak the peas in water overnight. Then drain water and grind the peas coarsely.

Take in a bowl, add the ginger garlic chili paste, finely chopped mint, coriander and curry leaves, besan, salt, red chili powder, onions, and mix well. The batter will have some water by now, if required sprinkle little water.

Heat oil for deep frying, take out small balls and flatten them as vadas and gently drop into hot oil.

Cook on both sides and drain on kitchen towel.

These make a lovely add on for a party table - Kid's Delight Party

Avarakkai Paruppu Usili | Broad Bean with Lentil Dry Saute | Step by Step Recipe

Today we are starting the second group of the Blogging Marathon. I decided to do one theme a day. Well next couple of days are hectic and I really don't think I have time to make same theme for the week. I know I often repeat this, but days are really passes off fast. I almost think that planning the breakfast, lunch and dinner occupies major part of my day. I know my colleagues tease me that with the number of dishes I make, it's only natural that time passes off quickly.

I know I enjoy making and more than that planning it well ahead to get it completed on time. Since the school began for the boys, I have made it a point to ask them what they want. It's been a repeat request the entire week. I have managed to work around that. I know I ought to work on a proper menu and give them option.

Coming to the recipe today, I decided to post a speciality dish from Tamil Nadu, Parrupu Usili. As a kid there was a time when I used to look forward to attend wedding specialty for this dish. It's quite common to make this with Toor dal and of course there are different ways. I have already posted two methods to make it. While those are easy to make, this method of steaming and grating seems to be the most authentic method or at least that's what is claimed.

One can make this parrupu Usili with different vegetables like Beans, Cluster Beans, Banana Blossoms, and Indian Broad Beans. today I will be sharing a recipe made with Broad Beans.

French Bean Paruppu Usili, quick method
French Beans Paruppu Usili in Microwave

Step by Step Recipe for making Parrupu Usili

Broad Beans Paruppu Usili

Soaking Time : 30 - 40 mins
Preparation Time : 10 mins
Cooking Time : 30 mins

Ingredients needed:

Bengal Gram - 100 gms
Broad Beans - 150 gms
Red Chillies - 4 - 5 long
Salt to taste

Seasoning
Mustard seeds + Urud dal - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves few
Asafetida a pinch

Method to prepare.

Soak Channa dal in water for 30 mins.

Chop the broad beans to fine pieces. Microwave for 7 mins.

Drain water from the channa dal and grind along with red chillis and salt to a fine paste without adding too much of water. Divide into small balls and steam in a greased plate in a idli cooker for 10 - 15 mins.

Once it is cooled, grate into a fine powder.

Heat a kadai and add mustard, curry leaves. Once it splutters, add both the dal mix and cooked beans. Cover and cook in sim for 10 mins. Stirring frequently to ensure it doesn't get burnt. Sprinkle water if it gets dry.

It takes about 5 -7 mins to get done.

Serve with sambar and steamed Rice.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#6

Dosakaya Pappu | Indian Lunch Box Recipes

Reading my post on Dosakaya Kootu, I realized that it's been almost 10 months since I started using Facebook regularly. Last June I seem to have done this, yet here I was thinking it's been just a while ago. And this pappu also gets done often, though somehow never came on the board. Since I have chosen to blog on 30 minutes meals, I can't but get those hidden dals that get done on a regular basis right! 

Pappu is our most favorite dish and the one that gets done in different circumstances. It's what we make when we return from a trip. It's what we make when we feel we have to revive our taste buds. Yet we keep making it often. It's like the parupu podi that Amma makes. Last night when it was fish for the rest of the family, I declined anything saying I will eat fruit for dinner. Within minutes I saw Athamma busy roasting something and tempting aroma was sneaking to the hall. I saw she had immediately made the podi for me. I was so touched. She was wondering if it tasted as good as how Amma makes, I said it surely did and had a blast. I was remembering how that podi and these dals are such must on our table.

Dosakaya Pappu

Preparation Time : 10 mins
Cooking Time : 15 mins
Cuisine : Andhra Cuisine

Ingredients Needed

Toor Dal - 1 cup
Dosakaya / Yellow Cucumber - 1 medium
Dried Red chillies - 5-6
Onion - 1 small
Tomato - 2 medium
Garlic - 4 cloves
Tamarind - small marble sized
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric a pinch
Salt to taste
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard, urud dal - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves few
Water for cooking
 
Method to prepare:

Clean the dal and keep aside. Chop onions and tomatoes. Crush the garlic cloves along with the skin.


Peel the dosakaya and cube into small pieces.


Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add mustard and urad dal. then curry leaves and cumin seeds. Once it splutters, sauté onions, red chillies and garlic. Once onion browns, add dal, dosakaya pieces and fry for few mins.

Then add tomatoes, tamarind, turmeric, and water for cooking. Cover it with lid and pressure cook for 3 to 4 whistles till the dal is cooked well.

When the pressure is off, take the dal masher or pappu guthi, mash the dal well with the red chillies. Add salt. and cook on high flame for 2 mins.

Serve with steamed Rice.

This is the same way we make most dals, only difference would be when you add the vegetable and how mushy you cook it.
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Check out my Blogging Marathoners doing Group 3 BM#4 along with me  

Diabetes Diet/Management: Kamalika, Smitha, Suma  
Kid Friendly Recipes: Anusha, Cool Lassi(e)  
Seven Days of Soup: Priya Suresh  
Seven Days of Indian Bread: Jayasree, Pavani  
Seven Days of Cakes:  Priya Vasu  
Seven Days of Preserves: Gayathri Kumar, Vaishali  
30 Minutes Meals: Priya Mahadevan, Srivalli