Dal powder for Idli etc.

Here is a simple recipe which is a very handy non spicy side dish for idli, dosa etc.

There has been a repeated request from some of the young readers for this recipe.
Powders sometimes known as "gun powder" are available in market.  They happen to be very spicy and people who are not used to spicy food or children cannot enjoy.

Main ingredients in this recipe are chana and urad dals coriander seeds. Red chiles are optional.

If you do not want to roast and powder chiles, you may just add some chile powder to the dal and coriander mixture. If roasting red chiles, it is advisable to add a few drops of oil to the pan, to avoid strong fumes. If not using red chiles, you need not add any oil.

Powder, if kept dry, can be saved for nearly one year. The powder can be used for stuffing baigan (eggplant), kundru (ivy gourd/tindora) etc. It can be used as a taste maker in any vegetable pan fries  like potato etc.

                                 
























Ingredients:

•      1 cup chana dal
•      1 cup urad dal
•      1 and 1/2 cup dhania (coriander seeds)
•      1 cup or more peanuts
•      A few red chiles or chile flakes (according to your choice)
•      1/2 teaspoon oil
•      Salt to taste

Directions:

1.      Heat oil in a thick pan.
2.      Add red chiles and roast for 2 or 3 minutes.
3.      Transfer the chiles to a plate.
4.      Heat the same pan and roast chana dal without adding any more oil.
5.      Keep stirring till the dal changes colour and gives out a nice aroma.
6.      Transfer to the same plate.
7.      Similarly dry roast urad dal and dhania seeds separately and transfer to the plate.
8.      Roast peanuts and let them cool.
9.      Peel and add to the mixture.
10.      When the mixture is at room temperature, grind in a blender or in a mill.
11.      The powder need not be too fine.
12.      Add salt and mix thoroughly.
13.      Transfer to an airtight jar.
14.      Can be kept for nearly an year, if handled safely.

Sandita (cucamelon) patholi with dal paste steamed (Andhra) (Sandita patholi with steamed moong dal paste)

Patholi in Andhra cuisine refers to a dry subzi. The main ingredient is either yellow split dal, pesara pappu (moong dal) or chana dal or toor dal, soaked for about an hour and ground to a coarse paste. The ground paste is added to any vegetables like cluster beans, kundru, sandita, or leafy vegetables like methi (fenugreek) or drumstick leaves and pan fried. Patholi is a popular side dish for either steamed rice or roti. Usually it is served along with buttermilk pulusu or raita.

Patholi is known by different names in different parts of India eg. paruppu usili in Tamil Nadu, or a popular Malvani dish Vatli dal in Maharashtra, Goa and Konkan region. In Goa and Konkani cuisine, patoli is a steamed sweet dish with rice flour, coconut and jaggery wrapped in turmeric leaves!!

Coming to making of patholi from Andhra Pradesh, this is a different version from the one I posted earlier. In this version, the ground dal mixture is steamed like idli and then the idlis are either grated or processed in a vegetable processor.  This process is less oil consuming. You can prepare more of the dal mixture and store in a freezer to use later. The dish looks nice and appealing.

Ingredients:

•      1 cup moong dal (split green dal without skin)
•      1 cup sandita (cucamelon)
•      1 small onion
•      2 or 3 red chiles
•      1 Tsp. mustard seeds
•      2 Tsp. jeera seeds
•      Pinch of asafetida
•      3 Tbsp. oil
•      A few curry leaves

Directions:

1.      Soak moong dal in enough water for one hour.
2.      Drain the water and grind in a blender with one or two red chiles and some jeera seeds.
3.      Avoid adding any water, as much as possible.
4.      The mixture can be coarsely ground.
5.      Prepare idlis with this batter using an using idli plates.
6.      Cool the idlis and either process them in a vegetable processor or grate them manually.
7.      Set aside the mixture.
8.      Wash and cut sandita in to quarter pieces.
9.      Peel and dice the onion.
10.      Heat oil in a thick deep pan.
11.      Add red chile to the hot oil.
12.      After a minute, add mustard and jeera seeds and mix.
13.      Add asafetida.
14.      When mustard seeds splutter, add curry leaves.
15.      Add onion pieces and sauté till they turn translucent.
16.      Add sandita and mix well. 
17.      Cook for 3 to 4 minutes till they are partly cooked.
18.      When the pieces are soft, add the dal mixture.
19.      Add salt.
20.      Keep stirring and cook on low heat for 5 to 6 minutes.
21.      Turn off the heat and keep it covered for a few minutes.
22.      As the dal mixture is already cooked, time taken to finish the dish is less than time taken in the traditional procedure.
23.      Popular combination for this subzi is Roasted eggplant chutney or raita
24.      In fact, the prepared mixture can be kept in small packs in the freezer and used anytime.

 



  

Boppasikaya potato kura (Green papaya potato subzi)

Papaya is native to the tropics and easily available in the tropics of Americas, Central America, Mexico and is widely grown in India, Australia, the Philippines and Hawaii etc.

Ripe papaya is usually eaten raw after peeling the skin and removing the seeds. Papaya fruit is a significant source of vitamin C and folate. Papayas have a high amount of pectin.

In traditiona medicine, it is believed that papaya can raise the platelet levels and so papaya is used as a medicine in Dengu fever.  Papaya leaves are believed to be useful in treatment of malaria.

The unripe green fruit can be eaten cooked in many subzis and stews. Here is a recipe to make a tasty subzi with grated papaya, potata and onion.

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Ingredients:

•      1 medium size green papaya
•      2 potatoes
•      1 large onion
•      2 green chiles
•      1/2 Tsp. grated ginger
•      A few curry leaves
•      Salt to taste.

Seasoning:

•      1 Tsp chana dal      
•      1 Tsp. urad dal     
•      1/2 Tsp. mustard seeds    
•      1/2 Tsp. jeera seeds     
•      A pinch of asafetida     
•      2 Tsp. oil

Directions:

1.      Wash and peel papaya.
2.      Cut into half and remove seeds, if there are any.
3.      Grate the papaya pieces.
4.      Wash and peel potatoes.
5.      Cut them into cubes.
6.      Dice the onions.
7.      Heat oil in a thick pan.
8.      Add chana dal, urad dal.
9.      When the dal is getting brown, add mustard seeds and jeera seeds.
10.      When mustard seeds splutter, add hing, green chile pieces and ginger.
11.      Add curry leaves.
12.      Add onion pieces.
13.      When onion pieces are translucent, add the potato pieces.
14.      Keep stirring and cook for 4 to 5 minutes till potatoes are cooked.
15.      Add grated papaya and mix well.
16.      Add salt.
17.      Cover and cook on low heat.
18.      Keep stirring till the papaya is cooked.
19.      Transfer to serving dish.
20.      Makes a good accompaniment for rice and chapati.