Gobi Matar Masala | Gobi Matar Curry | Cauliflower Peas Curry

Cauliflower is in season right now and one can see piles of cauliflowers on the road side hawkers selling these. It's such a beautiful sight seeing those huge flowers, all white and green, piled on each other. It literally begs to be bought. Many a time I think I should carry my camera just to capture the scene but fail to do that. 

When I decided to make Bihari dishes, I checked if they have a gobi recipe listed. Though there were other recipes, none that suited me for making for lunch or for rotis. Then I came across this Aaloo Matar that I wanted to make and decided to replace the aloo with gobi, so we ended with Gobi matar.

Gobi Matar
Adapted from here 

Ingredients Needed:

Gobi / Cauliflower, florets - 2 cups
Fresh Peas - 1 cup
Onions, finely chopped  - 2 medium
Tomato, finely chopped - 2 medium
Ginger Garlic Paste - 3/4 tsp
Cooking Oil - 2 tsp
Coriander leaves for garnish
Turmeric powder a pinch
Garam Masala Powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder  - 1 tsp
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Bay leaf - 1
Salt to Taste
Ghee - 1 tsp

 How to make Gobi Matar

Wash and soak cauliflower in hot water for 10 mins.

Heat oil in a non stick pan.

Add bay leaf and onion. Fry till onion turns colour.

Next add tomatoes, ginger-garlic paste, drained cauliflower and peas. Saute well.

Add turmeric, salt, garam masala, chilli powder and jeera powder. mix well everything well and continue cooking.

Then add 1 cup of water and cover with lid and simmer till it gets cooked. Takes about 15 mins

Finally top with ghee and coriander leaves before serving.

Notes

If you are running short of time, you can pressure cook the dish.
Potatoes can be added along or just with matar.

Update: Sending this to Priya's Cooking with Seeds Event, featuring Peas

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

Chayote with Moong Dal | Chow Chow Pesara pappu | Bengaluru Vankaya Pappu

Days have a tendency to simply disappear and this week was no doubt was the fastest! With December soon coming to closer, we have hectic work at office with deadlines looming over us. Funny part is for some departments it's a lean time and we decided to have fun events at office. Part of the fun event was me cooking for a day.  Seeing the Snack mela going on, my colleagues decided we would have a snack mela at offie. Will write about it in leisure, though result being I have been busy with that and couldn't do much in terms for this BM.

Today is the last day in the BM's first week and I enjoyed doing it with the lunch box dishes which really helps me plan for a variety in my box.

Chayote with Moong Dal  

Ingredients Needed:

Chow Chow / Bengalore Vankaya - 1 medium
Moong Dal - 3/4 cup
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Onions - 2 tbsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves few
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder a pinch
Green Chilies - 2 long
Oil - 1 tsp

How to make Bengaluru Vankaya Pappu

Wash and peel the outer skin on chow chow. Chop into 1 inch cubes. Microwave in just enough water for 10 mins.

Wash and microwave the moong dal for 10 mins. Both chow chow and moong dal can be microwave together.

Heat a pan with oil, season with cumin seeds, mustard and curry leaves. Saute with onions and chopped green chilies. When the onions turn colour, add the chow chow and moong dal. To get little thickness to the dal, add 1/2 water and salt. Bring to boil and simmer for 5 mins.

Serve with rotis

Today being the last day of BM 11, here's a recap of the posts.

• Sprouted Navaratna dal with Paneer Curry
• Chole Recipe | Chole for Bhature
• Fresh Toor, Peanut, Mocha Kurma
• Paruppu Kulambu with Aloo Roast
• Cashew Tomato Gravy
• Cauliflower Dum Biryani | Gobi Dum Biryani

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

Chole Recipe | Chole for Bhature

I always think that life changed a whole lot since I started blogging. Blogging has affected my life and my family more than what I can actually say. It took a different shape when I actually met some of them and many bloggers have been part of our family conversation. It has been a life changing experience and one that I will always enjoy. Even though I don't actually interact much as I used to previously, having started the Blogging Marathon, it has again got me close to a close knitted group, which is so generous and forth coming in sharing what they know, their experience etc. In many ways they are my closest pals.

Every edition I announce, I look forward to meeting new bloggers, wishing more bloggers join me. Yet even if one of my regular BM pals miss, I itch so much to mail them asking why they are not doing it. And trust me, I love our discussions and enjoy doing the BM every month.

So when there is something to share and rejoice it becomes a communal celebrations all together. This post is very special as it's dedicated to welcome a new member into our group - a special baby shower for welcoming PJ's Junior 2. When we got to know of the wonderful news, we wanted to do something special for her. Vaishali popped the question I was wanting to ask, and it opened a flood of enthusiasm among the entire group. An occasion such as this can even make a person who just joined us, to be part of this lovely thing. I was so trilled to know that Mireille Roc was as eager as us in wishing PJ.

We wanted to celebrate by cooking something from PJ's space. The way each of them have responded and recreated was simply awesome. I must thank  Aarthi  for taking efforts in collecting all the images and creating a collage.

Here's wishing PJ the very best and hope you enjoy this!

Check out what the other bloggers have made from her blog

Aarthi
Cool Lassi(e)
Gayathri Kumar
Kalyani
Kaveri
Mireille Roc
Pavani
Pradnya
Priya Srinivasan
Priya Suresh
Suma
Vardhini
Veena
Vaishali

PJ has a huge collection, yet I settled to a dish that will always be a favorite for my kids. I always wanted to use tea bags and tamarind for the chole to see how it tastes. So this was a good chance.

Chole for Bhature

Ingredients Needed:

For boiling the Channa
Channa /Chickpeas - 1 cup
Tea bag -1
Bay leaf - 1

For the gravy

Oil - 1 tbsp
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Onion, puree -1
Ginger Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Tomatoes, puree - 2 medium
Coriander powder -1 tsp
Tamarind, thick extract - 1 tbsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves to garnish.

How to make the Chole

Wash the chickpeas and soak overnight. Drain the water and pressure cook the channa with the bay leaf and tea bag. Pressure cook for 4 whistles. Remove the teabag and the bayleaf from the cooked chickpeas and keep the cooked channa aside.

Heat oil in a pan and put in jeera and when it splutters add onion puree and saute till soft.

Next add ginger garlic paste and cook till raw smell goes off.

Then add the tomato puree and cook till the oil comes out.

Next add the coriander powder, tamarind extract, coriander powder, chilli powder, salt and cook everything gets cooked well.

Now add the cooked chickpea along with the water and bring to boil. Then simmer and continue cooking till the gravy thickens.

Serve with Bhaturas.

Notes: You can mash handful of cooked channa to make the gravy thick.




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

Paruppu Kulambu ~ Paruppu Kuzhambu | Simple Aloo Roast | South Indian Thali ~ Step by Step Recipe

There are really times when you see something and realize that there is still so much you got to learn. I felt that way when I saw my colleague who got this for his lunch. He had cooked up this dal and seeing how nice it looked, I asked him what it was. He said it was Paruppu Kulambu, imagine I have lived all my life here and I haven't heard something like this. On closer investigation I understood it was the Mudda pappu or thick toor dal cooked plain and served the way  it is served in Andhra. He was calling it by a different name. Still it was a lesson I liked learning.

Within couple of days I had the chance to make it myself. It was a saturday and hubby dear wasn't coming for lunch. I decided I will try this simple dal and pair it with yet another simpler aloo Roast. As you might have guessed Aloo roast anytime tastes great, especially the way I made with extra few more drops of oil. Plus the fact it had garlic added. When I was making the meal, I was reminded of the fact that this could very well be called Cooking up a meal. Infact after I made it, I almost wanted to change the theme to Cooking up a meal. But imagined how it might actually be. With simpler dishes it's always easy to plan such things.

End of the entire cooking adventure I was left with a urge to capture a typical classic homely comfort, a simple dal, curry, rasam, curds and semiya payasam! A comforting meal for a weekend special. The entire meal got completed in 30 minutes, maybe few mins more for clicking the Step by Step Pictures. Planning to collect such Thalis for those tough times when we run out of ideas!

 A South Indian Thali!

Paruppu Kulambu ~ Paruppu Kuzhambu

Wash and pressure cook the toor dal.

Once cooked, add more water as required and make it thin.

In a pan, heat oil and ghee.

Add the tempering ingredients and cook.

Keep stirring till done.

 Pour over the cooking dal.

Bring it to boil again.

..till you get the right consistency!

Paruppu Kulambu 

Ingredients Needed:

Toor dal - 1 cup
Turmeric a pinch
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves few

For Seasoning

Mustard, Urad dal - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves few
Red chilies - 2 -3
Ghee and oil - 1 each

How to make Paruppu Kulambu

Wash the toor dal and take it in a pressure cooker.
Pressure cook the dal with enough water. Once the pressure falls, add salt and more water to make it thin.

Put it back to heat and bring to boil.

Simple Aloo Roast / Potato Curry

I am sure there will hardly be a person who will not profess undying love to this tuber! I was resisting for a long long time, until recently I have given up and confessed by love, atleast to this roast! It does surely grow on you, the more you resist, the worse you fall.

Microwave for 7 mins after making marks on the washed potatoes.

Heat a non stick pan with oil, add mustard, urad dal and curry leaves

Add boiled and cubed potatoes.

Simmer and cook adding few drops of oil every few mins.

Add crushed garlic and sambar powder, salt.

combine and cook

After 15 mins you are done!


Simple Potato Roast

Ingredients Needed

Potatoes - 4 medium
Salt to taste
Sambar powder
Garlic - 2 big cloves
Curry leaves
Mustard, urad dal
Oil - 3 -4 tsp

Meanwhile heat a pan with ghee and oil, temper with seasoning and pour over the dal. Finally garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

While the dal is getting cooked, you can microwave the potatoes by marking slits on it and microwaving for 7 mins. Once done, cool and peel the skin. Chop it into fine pieces.

Heat a non stick pan with oil, add curry leaves, mustard, Urad dal. When the mustard pops, add the cubed potatoes. simmer and add crushed garlic, sambar powder, salt. Simmer and cook on open till the potatoes turn crispy.

Add few drops of oil as you cook, so that the potatoes are well roasted. Continue cooking till you get the aloo very crisp.

This takes about 15 mins or so.

Cumin Pepper Rasam!

Tags: South Indian Recipes, Tamil Recipes, South Indian Thali, Simple Dals, Potato Roast

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

Cashew Tomato Gravy | Fried Cashews in thick Tomato Gravy | Lunch Box Recipes

For the second day it's the gravy that was served for the Cauliflower Biryani. Well technically I should have posted it along with the rice, but didn't have the heart not making this a star dish! The first time Amma made this gravy, she had actually made with Paneer and along with a Veg biryani and the combination was a hit. Imagine I didn't click pictures nor take the recipe from her until very late.

When I asked her for the recipe, saying that Paneer was awesome, she was saying it's quite simple to assemble. I never came around making the Paneer cashew tomato gravy, though finally settled with a plain cashew fried in tomato sauce. When you are confused on what to make for the biryani, especially when you are planning a feast this will surely fit the bill.

The days are cold in the morning, it's very chill when you get out at 6 in the morning. I love those moments venturing out, however I love sleep in too. Life surely offers you such complicated things to decide!..:)

Let's enjoy this gravy for now.

Cashew Tomato Gravy

Ingredients Needed:

Whole Cashew Nuts - 10 -15
Butter - 1 tbsp
Onions - 1 big
Ginger Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Tomatoes - 2 medium
Red Chili powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder  - 1 tsp
Water - 1 & 1/2 cups
Coriander leaves handful
Salt to taste
Oil - 1 tsp

How to make Cashew Tomato Gravy

For the tomatoes, toss the tomatoes over flame, when the skin turns colour, remove. Cool and remove the skin. Grate the tomatoes to get fine paste.

Heat a tbsp of butter in a non stick pan, take the whole cashew nuts and saute to golden colour. Remove and keep aside.

Then saute finely chopped onions, then ginger garlic paste, Stir till the onions turn colour, add red chilli powder.

When the onion mix gets cooked, add grated tomato paste. coriander powder. Saute well, then add a cup of water, bring to boil. When it starts boiling, simmer and cook for 5 mins. Then add finely chopped coriander leaves, finally the fried cashew nuts. Cook for couple of minutes and remove.

Serve with Cauliflower Dum Biryani.

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

Cauliflower Dum Biryani | Gobi Dum Biryani Recipe

Blogging Marathon steps into it's 11th edition today and I am so pleased to share this edition with 18 other bloggers. I want to thank each of the enthusiastic blogger who has shared so many editions with me. Time simply flies and it's time for another edition no sooner we complete. It was no different this time too. I tried very hard to select interesting themes

For a change I thought I will select a state myself and get bloggers do that. And continue couple of themes for this edition too as it was well sought. One can never get bored of Lunch box ideas and we have again some interesting ideas coming out of this this edition too. Plus this being a holiday season, I thought we should have some holiday special.

Cauliflower Dum Biryani, Cashew Tomato Gravy and Cucumber Raitha ~ Our Meal 

I will be doing Lunch Box dishes for the first week. First to come is a delightful dum biryani with cauliflower. This can be a weekend special. And my kids loved it so much! We were amazed because we didn't expect them to like cauliflower in the rice.

Kids are having their exams and it's been hectic trying to get them serious. And they are already looking forward to their vacation.

Cauliflower Dum Biryani

Ingredients Needed:

For the Cauliflower:

Cauliflower, florets -  200 gms
Curds/ Yogurt - 50 gms
Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Garam masala  - 1 tsp
Cumin powder 1 tsp
Salt to taste

For the Rice:
Basmati Rice - 1 & 1/2 cup
Water - 2 & 1/2 cups
Pinch of salt.

For the Dum Biryani

Clove - 2
Cinnamon - 2"
Onions - 2 medium
Coriander powder  - 1 tsp
Green chillies - 3 nos
Mint & coriander leaves - 1 cup together loosely packed.
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tsp
Butter - 1 tsp

How to make Cauliflower Dum Biryani:

For the Cauliflower:

Wash and parboil cauliflower for 5 mins. Drain the cauliflower and mix with curds, ginger garlic paste, garam masala, cumin powder and salt. Marinate for 15 mins.

For the Rice:
Wash and soak rice for 15 mins. Then cook with water. Make sure the rice is 95% done.

Making the Dum Biryani:

Heat oil add clove, cinnamon, onion julienne, slit green chillies, mint & coriander leaves. Sauté till the onions are done. Then add cauliflower marinade, sauté well. Then add coriander powder, simmer and bring to boil. When the cauliflower is cooked and the masala is almost dry, add cooked rice, mix everything well. Cover with a tight lid and simmer for 10 mins.

Serve with Cashew Tomato gravy and Cucumber Raitha.

Cucumber Raitha:

Cucumber, grated - 1
Curds/ Yogurt - 1 cup
Salt to taste
Green Chillies - 1 medium
Oil - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp

How to make Cucumber Raitha

Wash, peel and grate the cucumbers. Beat the curds, mix salt, add finely chopped green chilies and grated cucumber. Season with oil and mustard.

Serve with Cucumber Raitha.

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

Vazhakkai Roast Recipe, Paruppu Sambar | Lunch Box Recipes

Today we are doing the last day of the Blogging Marathon Edition 10. Can't really believe another seven days simply flew! I really enjoyed doing this edition as I did two of my favorite themes. Of course all themes are my favorite. However sharing my lunch box has always been an interesting thing for me. So I really enjoyed this week.

After raining cats and dogs, it's much better today. Though kids weren't happy that it didn't rain, they waited with batted breath to know if the schools were declared holiday again. The most funny thing was, Chinnu refused to wake up and Peddu tells me the trick to say that there is no school today. The moment I said that, Chinnu actually woke up and came up. But on seeing the polished shoes, he refused to budge. It was really so funny to see them doing these things. Though we failed to understand how they will keep themselves occupied at home.

Anyway today's recipe is going to be another version of Sambar. I was thinking, it's been an ever flow of different Sambars at home. I really tired of making only sambars. I must really be more innovative I am sure. I hope I haven't bored you guys by sharing so many versions of sambar, but trust me, each one comes out differently and very delicious. Especially when paired with the Plantain Roast that was made, the combination was deadly.

I remember this variety of Banana Roast being always seen in my friends boxes. Amma usually makes the other versions, with this being on rare occasions. I decided to make this for lunch.

Paruppu Sambar, Vazhakkai Roast with Rice ~ Our Meal

Paruppu Sambar

Ingredients Needed:

Toor Dal - 1 cup
Tamarind Water or Tamarind paste - 2 tsp mixed in 2 cups water.
Green Chillies - 3 -4
Onion, chopped - 1 medium
Fenugreek, roasted and powdered - 1/2 tsp
Asafetida / Hing a pinch
Sambar powder - 1 & 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder a pinch
Tomato - 1 small
Coriander leaves - few springs

For Seasoning
Mustard Seeds, Urad Dal - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves few
Oil - 2 tsp

How to make Paruppu Sambar

Wash and pressure cook toor dal with turmeric and few drops of oil. Once done, keep it aside.

Dry roast methi and powder it. Keep this aside.

Heat a pan with oil, do the tempering with all the seasoning ingredients. When the mustard pops, add the chopped onions and green chillies.

Then add the tamarind water, sambar powder. Bring to boil.

When the water is boiling, add cooked dal, salt, asafetida powder, fenugreek powder.

Add chopped tomatoes. Continue boiling for about 5 to 10 minutes and stir occasionally . Add fresh Coriander leaves.

Serve with steaming rice and papad.

Notes:

If you want you can roast fenugreek in more quantity and store it.
Vegetables can also be used in this sambar.

Vazhakkai Roast

Ingredients Needed:

Raw Banana / Plantain - 2 medium
Salt to taste
Sambar powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder a pinch
Asafetida / Hing a pinch
Oil - 4 -5 tps (or less)
Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds, Urad dal - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves few

How to make Vazhakkai Roast

Wash and peel the outer skin of the bananas, soak in water as you continue chopping.

Once both the bananas are chopped, drain it well and mix with all the ingredients and marinate for 10 mins.

Heat a non stick pan and grease with 1 tsp oil. add the mustard, Urad dal and curry leaves. When the mustard pops, add the marinated plantain pieces. Sprinkle oil little by little and keep stirring.

This takes about 15 - 20 mins for the plantain to get cooked and crispy.

It was wonderful having you all join me, will look forward to another session of Blogging Marathon.

This is the recap of BM#10

Preps and Preserves!

• How to prep / clean Snakegourd or Pudalankai
• How to store Coconut | Ready to use Coconut Paste, Grated Coconut
• How to Preserve Amla in Honey | Amla in honey preserve
• How to peel Ridge gourd | Beerakaya Thokku Pachadi
• How to make Chilli Flakes | How to roast peanuts in Microwave
• How to Store Curry Leaves? | Preserve Curry Leaves
• How to Freeze Beans - Fresh Pigeon Pea / Toor Dal

Lunch Box Recipes

• Mixed Vegetable Kurma ~ Madras Style | Mixed Vegetable Kurma
• Seppankilangu Puli Kulambu | Colocasia Curry in Tamarind
• Soya Vegetable Biryani | Soya Chunks Biryani Rice
• Keerai Paruppu Masiyal | Thotakura Pappu
• Mutter Paneer Recipe, Tomato Biryani
• Pappu Pulusu – Pappu Charu Andhra Style

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#10

Pappu Pulusu – Pappu Charu Andhra Style - Lunch Box Recipes

This is another method to make the famous Andhra way of making a lentil vegetable stew with Tamarind base. Normally the pappu charu is not that sour but mildly made using tamarind, however in this method Amma makes use of little more of tamarind pulp that renders a little more hint of tamarind in the gravy.

Pulusu is anything that's thin in texture and we normally use tamarind in the base. Some years back, Pappu charu was the default Sunday night comfort meal. After the hectic lunch preparation, it was this mild simple comfort food.

This is was my lunch when I had made a different menu for the family. I paired it with Hing and red chilli powder seasoned potato chips.

Pappu Pulusu ~ Tamarind based lentil Stew with Vegetables

Ingredients Needed

For the Pulusu

Toor dal - 1 cup
Onions - 1 medium
Tomato - 1 medium
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Tamarind pulp - 1 lemon size.
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tsp

Vegetables used:

Drumstick - 1, chopped into small pieces
Arbi / Colacasia / Samagedda (Chama dumpa) - 3- 4 nos
Snack gourd / Potlakaya - 1 small

Tempering ingredients:

Mustard seeds, Urad dal - 3/4 tsp
Curry leaves few
Green Chillies - 3 nos
Dry Red Chillis - 1

How to make Pappu Pulusu

Wash and cook Arbi till done. Arbi can be cooked in a pan of water or in microwave. Once cooled, peel skin and chop into rounds of 1" thickness.

Chop drumstick into small pieces. Microwave for 5 -7 mins in microwave. Prep the snake gourd and wash well. Chop into small pieces. Snake gourd can be cooked in the gravy itself. Keep all the vegetables aside.

Pressure cook toor dal till done with turmeric and few drops of oil. Keep it aside.

Heat a pan with oil, add mustard, urad dal, curry leaves. When the mustard pops add the finely chopped onions. Saute till the onions turn colour. Add green chilies, red chilies. Saute for couple of minutes.

Then add finely chopped tomatoes. Add salt, turmeric powder, simmer till the tomatoes turn soft. Then add the vegetables, saute in oil for couple of minutes.

Next add the red chilli powder, followed by the tamarind pulp. Add 1 cup water and bring to boil. When it starts boiling, simmer and cook with lid covered for 15 mins.

Serve with steaming rice and potato chips

Boiling Vegetables in Microwave
Check out how to boil Drumstick, Arbi, Potatoes in Microwave.
Pappu Charu Recipe 1

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#10

Keerai Paruppu Masiyal | Thotakura Pappu | Amaranth Leaves with Toor Dal ~ Lunch Box Recipes

Though I love green colour, I can hardly say the same when it comes to eating greens. I know I really should not be saying such things openly now, now that my kids can hold it against me! Anyway though I don't like the idea of eating greens, when I prepare them, I enjoy it much. It's like you need some reasons not to like something right! This being the reason it's not often that I willing make a dal with greens or stir fry, but believe me I make greens at least once a week.

We regularly make the greens in the traditional andhra pappu style. I have seen my tamilian friends bringing this masiyal and always wanted to make it. So this time I thought I will prepare the greens with dal in Tamilian style. While making the dal I remembered Amma making the regular dals in this style, meaning cooking the dals directly in the pan of rolling water and then making a mashed dal. These days with the comfort of pressure cooker, one can't imagine cooking it directly, though the taste will surely be so much better.

I packed this for my lunch and trust me, it was so yum!

This method is called masiyal, which means you churn the dal using a dal churner or masher. The other method of making this is the simple Keerai Masiyal, where the dal/pappu is not added.

Keerai Paruppu Masiyal, Vazhai Thandu curry with Steaming Rice ~ Our Meal

Keerai Paruppu Masiyal

Ingredients Needed:

For the Greens:

Greens / Keerai - 1 bunch – (You can use any greens, I used Aarai keerai)

Green Chilies - 3 nos

Tomatoes - 2 medium

Salt to taste

Tamarind juice - 2 tsp

For Tempering / Seasoning

Mustard seeds, Urad Dal - 1 tsp

Jeera – 1 tsp

Red Chilli - 2 nos

Asafotida Powder - a pinch

Oil- 2 tsp

For the dal

Toor dal – ½ cup

Oil - few drops

Turmeric powder a pinch

Asafotida Powder - a pinch

How to prepare Keerai Paruppu Masiyal

Wash and pressure cook the toor dal with a dash of hing, turmeric powder and oil. Pressure cook for 3 whistles till the dal is well cooked. Once the pressure falls, churn it well adding little water. Keep it aside.

For the cooking the Greens/ Keerai

Pick the greens well and wash about 3 - 4 times in water to make sure the dirt is removed. Let it drain for couple of mins. Chop the leaves if required. Then take the greens in a hollow pan, along with finely chopped tomatoes, green chilies, salt. Cover and cook on high flame. There is no need to add more water than couple of tbsp of water. The greens will start to let out more water and simmer after 5 - 7 mins. Once the greens are cooked, switch off and allow it to cool a bit. Then holding the vessel, remove the green chilis if you want, churn well using the churner.

Once the greens are churned and reache a semi smooth paste, put it back on the flame, add the cooked dal, 1 cup of water. Bring to boil.

In another pan, heat oil. When the oil is hot, add mustard, urad, cumin seeds, dry red chillies, curry leaves. When the mustard pops, add the onions and saute till the onions turn brown. At this stage, add this tempering to the boiling dal. Cover immediately with lid and switch off the flame.

Serve with steaming rice and vegetable.

Some traditional dals with greens:

Thotaku Pappu - Andhra Style
Fenugreek Dal ~ Menthi kura Pappu
Gongura Pappu ~ Ambadi Dal
Palak Pappu ~ Spinach Dal

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#10