Drumstick Sambhar | Murungakkai Sambar

"Drumstick sambhar" is the most common household recipe in South India. Drumstick sambhar and  potato fry served with steamed rice drizzled with ghee is a vintage combination. Other combinations are  Drumstick sambhar with idly , dosa, and pongal.

Drumstick are inexpensive and sometimes you will even find this tree in backyard.
Both the leaves and drumstick is highly nutritious. Its a good source of Vitamin A.  

Ingredients

2 Drumstick, cut into 4'' pieces

1 cup of Toor Dal

1 tsp Mustard seeds

1 tsp Cumin seeds

1/4 tsp Asafoetida | Hing

1 sprig of Curry Leaves

1 Tomato, diced

Small piece of Tamarind

2 tsp Sambhar Powder

Salt

2 tsp Ghee | Oil

Method

• In a pressure cooker, cook toor dal with 3 cups of water up to 4 to 5 whistles. After cooker has cooled, mash dal  using a laddle

• Meanwhile, when dal is cooking,  boil little water with tamarind. After it has cooled, mash tamaring and squeese out pulp. Discard if there are any fibers or skin

• In a heavy bottom vessel, heat ghee | oil, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves

• Add tomatoes and saute for 2 minutes until tomatoes are partially cooked

• Add drumstick and saute for 2 minutes

• Add  sambhar powder and tamarind pulp. Cook for 2 minutes

• Pour the contents over dal. Adjust salt as per taste. If dal is very thick add water if required. Don't add too much water, otherwise consistency of dal will be very thin
• Pressure cook for 1 or 2 whistles. After cooker has cooled serve hot with steamed rice 

                             

Vegetable Saagu

"Saagu" is a stew made with different kinds of vegetables like carrots, beans, cabbage, potato, bell peppers or cauliflower and seasoned with mustard seeds, cumin seeds, red chili powder and coriander powder.
This stew tastes best when served with puri. Other combinations include chapathi or roti.

This recipe is my maternal grandmother's recipe. This is one of her recipes that I have included it in my recipe book. It very simple to make and one pot recipe too!!

Ingredients

2 Carrots, cubed

250 gms Cabbage, chopped

1 Bell pepper, diced

250 gms Green beans, chopped

1 Potato, cubed

1 tsp Mustard seeds

1 tsp Cumin seeds

2 Green Chilis, chopped (optional)

1 sprig of Curry Leaves (optional)

3/4 tsp Coriander powder

1/2 tsp Red Chili powder

Salt

3 tsp Oil

1/2 cup Freshly Grated coconut (optional)

2 sprigs of Cilantro, chopped (optional)

Procedure

• In a pressure cooker, heat oil, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, green chilies and saute for few seconds
• Add all vegetables - carrots, cabbage, bell pepper, green beans,  and potato. Saute for 3 minutes

• Add coriander powder and red chili powder

• Add 1/2 cup water and adjust salt as per taste
• Pressure cook for 1 or 2 whistles

                                

• Add freshly grated coconut and cilantro
• Serve with puri, chapathi or roti

Tip--

• Any kind of vegetable can be added in this recipe. If you want to exhaust all veggies from your refrigerator, then this recipe would serve best
• Also, onion can be added. But I have not used in this recipe

Pappu Koora | Spiced Moong dal

Moong dal cooked through perfection. A very light and healthy recipe  served with rice, chapathi or as a lentil soup.

Ingredients

1 cup Moong Dal

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds

 3 Green chilies, cut length wise

1 Tomato, diced

1 Green bell pepper, diced

1 small bunch of  Spinach, chopped

1 sprig of Curry leaves

Salt

1 tsp Grape seed oil | canola oil | vegetable oil

Method

• Cook moong dal with 3 cups of water in a pressure cooker

• In a pan, heat oil, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, green chilies and curry leaves. Saute for few seconds
• Add tomatoes. Saute for a minute

• Add Spinach and bell peppers. Saute for a minute

• Add it to dal. Adjust salt as per taste. Simmer for 3- 5 minutes

• Serve hot with rice, chapathi or as a soup

Channa Masala | Choley

Chickpeas filled with a blend of different spices like paprika,  turmeric, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom,  ginger and garlic. It is a traditional vegetarian curry in North Indian cuisine.

Ingredients

1 cup Chickpeas, soaked overnight or 1 can of Garbanzo beans

1 Onion

1 Tomato

1 small stick of cinnamon

3 Cloves

1 Cardamom

3 cloves of Garlic, minced

1 small piece of Ginger, ginger

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Coriander powder

1 tsp Spanish paprika or Kashmiri Red chili powder

1 Tea bag (optional)

4 tsp Oil or 2 tsp butter

Salt

Method

• In a pressure cooker, cook chickpeas with a tea bag , 1/2 tsp salt and 3 cups of water. Discard tea bag after chickpeas has cooked, but retain water for further use

• In a heavy bottom pan, heat oil, add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, minced ginger and garlic. Saute for few seconds and then add onion paste

• Fry until raw smell goes out
  
  
• Add Tomato puree, turmeric powder, coriander powder,  and paprika (or red chili powder), simmer for 5 minutes

                            

• Add boiled chickpeas with water. Adjust salt as per taste. Simmer for 10 minutes until gravy thickens

• Serve hot with Battura , onions and lemon wedges

Tips:

• Use tea bags to cook chickpeas. It helps to give color
• I used paprika because for color and taste. You can also you kashmiri red chili powder
• It tastes best when cooked 2-3 hours before serving. This allows chickpeas to absorb flavors from spices.

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Radish Sambhar | Mullangi Sambhar in Mangalore Style

It brings immense joy when I make this recipe. It brings back memories of my childhood where I spent most of my childhood days in malnad region. I think of FOOD, TEMPLES, and greenery. 

"Mullangi Sambhar" or "Radish Sambhar" is prepared in Mangalore style. This recipe is loosely based on Udupi cuisine.  It is a lentil based stew prepared with radish as main ingredient with coconut and onion as its base.

Ingredients

250 gms Radish, thinly sliced

1 cup Toor dal

1 Tomato, diced

1 tsp Mustard seeds

1 tsp Cumin seeds

2 sprigs of curry leaves

Salt

Oil (Vegetable | Canola | Coconut)

For Masala

1 small piece Cinnamon

1 tsp Cumin seeds

1 Onion

2 Red Chilies

3/4 cup freshly grated coconut | desiccated  coconut

1 tsp Coriander powder

1/2 tsp Red chili powder

Method

• Soak toor dal in water for 10 minutes and pressure cook with 2 cups of water

• Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan, add cinnamon, cumin seeds, red chilies and onions. Fry until onions turns brown

• Grind coconut, red chili powder, coriander powder along with fried onions and spices. Add little water and make a smooth paste

• Now add this masala to the cooked toor dal
• In the same pan, add 2 tsp oil, then add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves.  Add radish and tomato. Saute for 2-5 minutes. Add this to dal. Adjust salt as per taste

• Simmer until radish is completely cooked (fork tender)

• Serve hot with steamed rice

Tips:

• I cook vegetables and toor dal separately because vegetables cook faster than toor dal. Vegetables will be overcooked if they are pressure cooked with toor dal
• In order to save time, vegetables can be cooked separately in boiling water 
• The recipe above can be prepared with different kinds of vegetables like beans, carrot, gourds, or pumpkins

Mushroom Masala

"Mushroom Masala" probably one recipe which is made without much effort. One reason being mushrooms cooks very fast.

The recipe and instructions are simple and easy to follow.

Ingredients

200 gms Button mushrooms, diced 

1 Onion, chopped

1 Tomato, diced

1 small piece Cinnamon

2 Cloves

2 Cardamom

1 Bay leaf

2 cloves of Garlic, crushed

1 small piece of Ginger, crushed

1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

1 tsp Spanish paprika or kasmiri Red Chili powder

1/4 tsp Roasted cumin powder

Salt

2 tsp Grape seed oil or any vegetable oil

Method

• Heat oil in a heavy bottomed vessel. Add bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, ginger and garlic. Saute for a minute in low heat setting

• Add onions and fry until it turns light brown. 

• Then add paprika and roasted cumin powder. Fry for a minute. Sprinkle water if required to prevent masala from burning

• Add tomatoes and saute for a minute

• Add Mushroom and fry for 3- 5 minutes. Adjust salt as per taste

• Serve hot with pav, toasted bread, toasted hot dog buns, chapthi or naan

Tip-

• Add water for more gravy 
• You can also add, cashew paste or heavy cream for more gravy and texture
• Spanish paprika is less spicy than red chili powder. Also, its gives deep red color to gravy. Depending on level of spiciness, you can add either one or both  by adjusting their quantities

Poondu Milagu Kuzhambu | Garlic Pepper Curry

A healthy savory vegetarian curry flavored with  garlic, pepper and tamarind. This is one of my favorite recipes of my Mom. I usually make it when I am bored of making sambhar and masala curries. 

"Poondu Milagu Kuzhambu" has many benefits. It helps to relieve nausea, stomach pain or indigestion. It is also given to lactating mothers.

Ingredients

1 tsp Mustard seeds

1 tsp Cumin Seeds

1 pod Garlic, peeled

5 Curry leaves

1 dry Red Chili (optional)

1 Onion, finely chopped

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Coriander powder

1/2 tsp Red chili powder

1 tsp Jaggery (optional)

Tamarind, (lemon sized)

1 cup Rice

2 tsp Ghee

Salt

For spice powder

2 tsp Rice

2 tsp Toor Dal

1 tsp Cumin seeds

1 tsp Pepper

1/2 tsp Methi seeds | Fenugreek seeds

5-6 Curry Leaves

Method

• For spice mix-  in a pan dry roast all the ingredients listed in spice mix. After it has cooled, make a fine powder of spice mix

• In a pot, heat a cup of water and add tamarind. Simmer for 10 minutes. After it has cooled, mash it by hand to extract pulp. Add water if required. Strain the pulp using a filter or by hand and discard contents in filter. Retain the pulp

• In a pot, wash rice with water and discard the water. Now, add some more water and wash the rice. Retain the water which will be used as rice stalk

• In a heavy bottom vessel, heat ghee, add mustard seeds, when it starts to crackle , add cumin seeds, curry leaves,  dry red chili and garlic. Fry for a minute. 

• Add onions. Fry until it turns transparent. Add Turmeric powder, chili powder, and coriander powder. 

• Add Tamarind pulp and spice powder. Simmer for 2-3 minutes
• Add rice stalk and jaggery. adjust salt as per taste. Simmer for 10 minutes

• Serve hot with steamed rice, ghee and omlet (optional)

 Tip-

• Tamarind pulp can be prepared in advance. If there is excess tamarind pulp, store in refrigerator in an air tight container
• The discarded contents while extracting tamarind pulp can be used to wash copper or bronze showpieces or utensils. Scrubbing tamarind on a copper dish helps to retain its luster