Mixed vegetable sambhar

 

The recipe for the day is a mother in law inspired Tamlilian sambhar, an origin of Tamil Nadu. My MIL usually makes both chutney and sambhar for idiles which is a staple breakfast of tamilians. Until i got exposed to her cooking, i was apprehensive of making a sambhar with mix of veggies. For me it was usually a single veggie sambhar like radish, greens or ladies finger. But for years now I'm following both my mothers, mother in-laws and off course my style of cooking ;). Getting back to cooking our sambhar.

Ingredients:

Toor dal - 1 cup

Tomatoes -2 

Potato  - 1

Carrot -1

Beans - Few / handful

Drumstick - 2

Garlic - 10 pods 

Sambhar powder -4 tsp

Tamarind extract - 3 tsp

Coriander leaves - handful, finely chopped

For Tempering : 

Cooking oil - 3-4tsp

Mustard seeds

Dry red chillies - 4
Shallots / small onion - 5-6

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves - handful

 

 

METHOD :

Wash and chop the veggies lengthwise into big chunks. Add dal, veggies and garlic pods with double the quantity of water into a pressure cooker.Pressure cook the same for upto 3 whistles and switch off.

 

Once the steam cools down, churn the dal and veggie mixture to combine well

 

Boil the churned dal, once it starts to boil, add salt, tamarind extract and sambhar powder. boil the sambhar for about 10 mins on low flame for the dal to absorb all the flavors.

 

While the sambhar is boiling, heat a small kadai / frying pan for tempering. Heat oil, add mustard seeds to splutter, thrown in red chillies, curry leaves, shallots and fry until brown.

 

Pour the tempering to the boiling sambhar, switch off the flame and add coriander leaves for garnishing.

 

Serve it with hot idlies or steamed rice.

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Pineapple gojju / Curry

 

Pineapple curry is a traditional South Indian curry , mostly done during festivals / weddings. The list of ingredients may seem too long, but at the end of it you feel it is worth time spent in making this lip smacking dish. This dish is again a balance of swirls of flavors - sweet, tangy spicy blended with coconut and pineapples.

Ingredients:  

Ripe pineapple - 1 chopped into cubes 

Cooking oil - 6 -7 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - handful

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Hing / asoefetida - pinch

Tamarind extract - 2-3 tsp

Jaggery - 1-2 tsp 

Salt - as per taste

To Grind : 

Fresh grated coconut - 1 cup

Red dry chillies - 5-6 

Channa dal - 1 tsp

Urad dal - 1 tsp

White sesame seeds - 1/2 tsp

Methi seeds - 1/4 tsp

 

METHOD : 

Firstly dry roast all the ingredients listed under " To Grind" except coconut.
Grind all the roasted items coarsely along with coconut without water and keep it aside 

 

Secondly, fry the cubed pineapples in a tsp of hot oil until it turns light brown and keep it aside.

Next step is to start making the curry by tempering. Heat oil and add mustard seeds to splutter, throw in some dry red chillies, curry leaves, asofetida, turmeric powder.
Next add the grinded masala and fry for a while.

Once all the grinded masala are fried, add roasted pineapples

Fry for few seconds and add a cup of water for the pineapples to boil with closed lid. Donot add more than a cup, the consistency of this curry needs to be thick not watery.

Once the water starts to boil add tamarind extract, jaggery, salt and give it a good mix.

Cook the curry untill the oil seperates and the curry is thick.

Now our lip smacking curry is hot and reasy to be served with hot steamed rice .

                                   
                                    

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How to prepare Tomato Onion curry / gojju

Tomato onion curry is my all time favorite curry. It always mesmerizes me with its robust taste with minimal ingredients.  This dish is a perfect blend of sweet, spicy and tangy ingredients. It is that one curry which is the best accompaniment for Rotis, Chapatis,Dosas, Pooris and rice too. 

Ingredients :

Ripe Tomatoes  : 4 finely chopped 

Onions : 2 finely chopped

Slit Green Chillies : 4-5

Curry Leaves : handful

Coriander leaves : handful, finely chopped

For Tempering :

Cooking oil : 4-5 Tsp

Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder :  1/4 tsp

Red Chilli powder : 1 tsp (can omit / change qty as per your taste)

Salt : AS per your taste

 

  

METHOD:

In a kadai heat oil, once hot add mustard seeds to splutter, throw in green chillies and curry leaves.

To this add turmeric, chilli powder and saute for a while

Add onions and saute until they turn transparent

To the onion mixture add tomatoes and saute for 5-7 mins until tomatoes leave out their juices and become soft and mushy

Finally add salt as per taste and garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Have with with fresh and hot steamed rice with little ghee for a divine touch to your taste buds ;)

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