Kathirikkai Rasa Vangi

Now this is quite an interesting dish..
The main dish is done Sambhaar style (baby eggplants dropped in whole with just a quarterway slit), left to settle for a bit and then the thin surface liquid is removed and used as Rasam. 
Basically a 2 in 1 dish! Amazing isnt it?!

KATHIRIKKAI RASAM VANGI

Ingredients:
Eggplants (preferably baby ones) - 5 to 6
Toor dal - 3/4 cup
Tamarind - small lemon size (juice extracted)
Curry leaves
Salt to taste
Sesame oil - 1/4 tsp

Spice powder:
Dry red chilies - 6
Coriander seeds - 2 tsps
Bengal gram (chana dal) 1 1/2 tsps
Grated coconut- 1/2 cup
Sesame oil - 1/2 tsp

Tempering:
Sesame oil - 2 tsps
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Dry red chili - 1 small
Hing pwd - 1/4 tsp
Coriander leaves for garnish

Method:
1. Heat 1/ 2 tsp oil in a small pan and roast the spices listed under spice mix till golden brown. Take care not to let them darken.
Let cool, then dry grind to a coarse powder and keep aside.

2. Wash and remove stem from the eggplants. If using the baby ones, simple make a cross quarter way through. If using the normal size ones, cut them into quarters.

3. Pressure cook toor dal with little turmeric powder till done.

4. Heat 1/4 tsp sesame oil in a saucepan and give the eggplants a quick toss.

5. Add the tamarind extract, salt and let simmer on medium till the raw aroma of tamarind leaves and eggplants are half-cooked.

6. Reduce flame, add the cooked dal and simmer for 5 mins more.

7. Now add the ground spice powder as per taste and check for salt. Add torn curry leaves as well.
Let simmer for just 2 -3 mins more.

8. Remove from flame and add chopped coriander leaves.

9. For the tempering, heat 2 tsps sesame oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, red chilli and hing. Pour over the sambhar.

10. Stir and let settle for a bit till the thinner 'rasam' is left on top and dal settles at the bottom.
Gently transfer the rasam to another vessel and voila, 2 dishes from one!
Serve hot.

Quick fix Sambhar

          Sambhar, the perfect accompaniment for Idlis and dosas. But if you are in a rush and need to put together a sambhar for your family or guests, give this quick recipe a go!! 

SHORTCUT SAMBHAR

Ingredients :
Split Pigeon peas (Arahar dal) or Masoor Dal - 1/4 cup
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Tomatoes - 2 (medium)
Sambhar Onion - 2
Coriander seeds = 1 tsp
Dry Red Chili - 1 medium or Readymade Sambhar powder
Salt to taste
Fresh coriander leaves
Curry leaves
Sesame oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek (Methi) seeds - 1 tsp
Asafoetida (Hing) powder - 1/4 tsp, optional

Method : 
1. Grind tomatoes, onions, dry red chili (avoid if using sambhar powder) and coriander seeds to a paste using sufficient water.
2. Pressure cook arahar dal with turmeric powder till done. 
3. Add 1 cup water to a saucepan along with the ground paste (and sambhar powder if using it) and salt to taste. Let simmer on medium heat till it leaves the raw aroma.
4. Mash the cooked dal with a little water and add it to the simmering mix with coriander and curry leaves.
5. Prepare tempering by heating sesame oil, add mustard seeds, let splutter. Add the methi seeds taking care not to let it become too brown. Use a pinch hing powder as well if you need some extra aroma. Add to the sambhar and check for salt. Remove and serve hot.

Veg Sambhar (Pongal spl)

              In continuation with Pongal celebrations, comes 'Maattu Pongal' , the day when, in villages, people worship their cattle. I keep hearing about many interesting stories & rituals attached to festivals from my mother, who spent a good part of her growing-up years in a village. 
              One such story/ritual related to Pongal was that during this harvest season all the farmers living in the lane adjacent to our ancestral home, would simply dump their produce in the house's backyard. This was then left stacked up in a special store room in the house, free for any neighbour to take their pick and stock. As a thanksgiving, on the day of Maattu Pongal, the ladies of the house would prepare a huge urn-full of a special tamarind and vegetable stew, using the very produce given by the farmers, and this would be then supplied to the latter, as much as they could take.
              Simple rituals like these brought together people of all walks & occupation, and helped strengthened the bonds at a time when social life had a much more human touch to it!!
             This is a mixed stew that we prepare on Maattu Pongal, but slightly different to the one mentioned above. This one is a relative of the Sambhar family and includes a bit of every possible & complimentary vegetable as part of the tradition. We live in times when we hardly appreciate the seasonality of vegetables anymore. But those days were special, when tired of the monotony of Bhindi (Okra) and Tinda (Apple gourd) in the summer months, we used to look forward to winters, when vegetable shopping was a sinful pleasure :)

SPECIAL VEGETABLE SAMBHAR 

Ingredients :
Chopped vegetables - 1 cup
[Potato, Raw banana, Red pumpkin, White pumpkin, Lima beans or Mochai, Fresh green peas, Broad Beans, French beans, Capsicum, Sweet potato, Carrot]
Tamarind - size of a small lemon (using enough water extract juice to make 1.5 cups)
Curry leaves - a few
Pigeon peas (Tuvar/ Arahar dal) - 1/4 cup (cooked using a little turmeric powder)
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Fresh coriander leaves

For Sambhar powder - (If you have a readymade Sambhar powder available, you can use 2 tsps of that)
Coriander (dhaniya) seeds - 2 tsps
Fenugreek (Methi) seeds - 1 tsp
Bengal gram (Chana dal) - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds (Sarson) - 1/4 tsp
Dry red chilies - 2 (medium)

Seasoning - 
Sesame (Til) oil - 2 tsps
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp
Dry red chili - 1 small
Asafoetida (Hing) powder - 1.5 tsps

Method :

1. Cook vegetables in a large saucepan using just enough water, little salt to taste and haldi powder. The veggies need to be just 3/4th cooked. If using a pressure cooker, take care to shut off flame immediately after the first whistle and keep aside to let the pressure drop. Drain the water.

2. Heat a small pan, dry roast mustard seeds till they start to splutter. Now add the methi and coriander seeds, followed by chana dal and red chilies. Roast for 3-5 minutes. Take care not to let the methi seeds become too brown else they will taste sour. Let cool and dry grind in a mixer.


3. Add vegetables to a large saucepan or wok, add tamarind juice, salt, curry leaves, about 2 tsps of ground or Readymade sambhar powder and let boil till tamarind juice leaves its raw flavour & aroma. This should take about 10 minutes.

4. Whisk the cooked tuvar dal, keep the consistency slightly thin but not too watery. Add this to the sambhar mix, stir and let simmer on low for 7-8 minutes more. Add chopped corainder and stir again.

5. Prepare the seasoning by heating the til oil, adding mustard seeds, methi seeds, the red chili and finally the hing powder. The hing powder added in the end gives the sambhar the "kick" it needs!! Add this to the sambhar, and remove from flame. Serve hot with rice.

Sambhar (Type I)

Sambhar, the ultimate accompaniment for Dosas and Idlis. Sambhar, a lentil preparation that's prepared in so many forms across South India. Some use tamarind, some use only tomatoes, Udupi style, made with ground spices or just ready-made Sambhar powder, the list is almost endless and delicious.

Following are 2 variations that we usually make at home, one by grinding fresh spices and the other slightly simpler as it uses Sambhar powder.

SAMBHAR

TYPE I (Using Ground spices)
[Type II using Sambhar powder can be found here]

Ingredients :
Oil - 1/2 tsp
Coriander seeds (Sabut Dhaniya) - 2 tsps
Dry Red Chilies - 3
Asafoetida powder (Hing) - 1/4 tsp
Fenugreek (Methi) seeds - 1/4 tsp
Grated coconut - 2 tbsps
Tomato - 1 small
Split Bengal gram (Chana dal) - 1 1/2 tsps
Split Pigeon peas (Arahar dal) - 1/2 cup
Boiled/Blanched vegetables of your choice - typically drumsticks, capsicum, white radish or Knol Khol(Kohl Rabi). If using capsicum, you can directly cook it in tamarind water, no need to pre-cook.
Tamarind - lemon size portion
Salt to taste

Tempering :
Mustard seeds (Rai) - 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek (Methi)seeds - 1/2 tsp
Sesame (Til) Oil - 1 tsp
Asafoetida powder (Hing) - pinch
Curry leaves - as required

Method :
1. Pressure cook arahar dal with a little turmeric powder. Extract tamarind juice using water as required, we need about 1 1/2 cups.

2. Heat 1/2 tsp oil in a small pan and roast coriander seeds, dry red chilies, fenugreek seeds and chana dal till golden brown. Take care not to over-roast.

3. Now add hing and coconut bits. Stir once and remove. Let cool. Grind in a mixer along with 1 small tomato. Keep aside.

4. Use a thick-bottomed saucepan and add the tamarind extract to it. Add salt to taste, curry leaves and if using capsicum, add it as well. Let simmer on low flame till raw aroma leaves the tamarind extract. (roughly 7-10 minutes). If using other cooked vegetables(minus capsicum) add them at this point.

5. Add the ground spices paste and stir. Check salt. Now add the cooked pigeon peas/Arahar dal and stir well so it becomes a homogeneous mixture.
Note : If consistency is slightly runny, dissolve 1 tsp rice flour in 2 tsps water and add to the sambhar. Let simmer for 5-6 minutes more and switch off the gas flame.

6. For tempering, heat 1 tsp oil and add mustard seeds, let crackle. Add methi seeds and give it a very quick stir taking care not to let the methi become too brown else it will spoil the overall taste. Add hing and curry leaves. Remove and pour over the sambhar.

Transfer Sambhar to the serving bowl and garnish with dhaniya leaves. Serve as desired.

Sambhar (Type II)

Picking up from the earlier recipe for Sambhar using fresh ground spices, the second method is using ready made Sambhar powder. Since we are using a dry powder this variation needs little extra portion of lentils (Arahar dal) to add to the texture, consistency and quantity, but cooking time is reduced.

SAMBHAR

TYPE II (Using Sambhar powder)
[Type I using ground spices can be found here ]

Ingredients :

Tamarind - lemon size
Boiled/Blanched vegetables of your choice - typically drumsticks, capsicum, white radish or Knol Khol(Kohl Rabi). If using capsicum, you can directly cook it in tamarind water, no need to pre-cook.
Salt to taste
Sambhar Powder - 2 tsps
Split pigeon peas (Arahar dal) - 3/4 cup (Pressure cooked)
Curry leaves for garnishing

Tempering :
Mustard seeds (Rai) - 1 tsp
Hing - 1.4 tsp
Fenugreek (Methi) seeds - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp

Method :

1. Extract about 1 1/2 cups of tamarind juice. Add it to a thick-bottomed sauce pan.

2. Add salt to taste, curry leaves and sambhar powder at this stage itself. If using capsicum, add it in as well. Let simmer on low flame till raw aroma leaves the tamarind juice. (roughly 7-10 minutes). If using other cooked vegetables(minus capsicum) add them at this point.

3. Add the cooked arahar dal and stir till the dal is well mixed with the tamarind extract. Let simmer for 10 more minutes and remove from the fire.

4. Prepare tempering by heating 1 tsp oil, add mustard seeds and let crackle. Now add hing and finally methi seeds taking care not to let the seeds become too brown. Pour over the sambhar and transfer to a serving bowl.
Garnish with chopped fresh dhaniya and serve.

Methi Sambhar

The versatility of methi...
Methi or fenugreek leaves are known to have quite a few health benefits. They are said to be a rich source of Vitamins E & K along with minerals such as iron, calcium, zinc, magnesium and many more.

Consider keeping a stock of lightly roasted and powdered methi at home.  Having a quarter teaspoon of this mixed in half a glass lukewarm water first thing in the morning is said to regulate blood sugar levels, neutralise acidity, is an excellent source of fibre and controls body heat.

 Soak a teaspoonful of methi seeds in a quarter cup water overnight. Drain and drink up the water on an empty stomach the next morning and grind the soaked methi seeds to a paste. Apply this on the scalp, leave for about 20 minutes and rinse off. Follow it up with a mild shampoo +conditioner wash. This will not only help control hair-loss due to body heat but also helps nourish the hair roots.

The methi leaves when used either in their natural or dried form transform the aroma and taste of any dish amazingly. Though ready made Kasuri methi is available in the market we can make it quite easily at home too.
Sort out the good leaves from the stems, wash and pat dry. Spread out on a plate or newspaper and leave out in the sun to dry naturally for minimum 2 weeks till it completely dries up.
Alternately you can use the microwave method, spread the washed and pat-dried leaves on a micro-proof dish and run on 60% power for about 5 minutes,  remove and lightly shuffle the leaves,  increase the power to 80% and micro for 2 minutes more. Remove and let dry for about 10 minutes till it cools to room temperature. Store in an air-tight container for future use.
The next time you want to give the boring rotis a skip, try adding a bit of kasuri methi to the atta. Add a generous spoonful to any bland curry to instantly spice it up.

An interesting dish that my mum prepares is methi sambhar that tastes simply divine with just about anything.

                                                             METHI SAMBHAR

Ingredients :
Methi leaves - 1 bunch (leaves separated)
Toor dal ( Split pigeon peas) - 1 cup
Imli - 1/2 lemon size
Sambhar powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Haldi - 1/2 tsp
Chopped dhaniya
Curry leaves
For tempering :
Oil
Rai - 1/2 tsp
Hing - 1/2 tsp

Method :
1. Wash and pat dry methi leaves. Chop roughly. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan and lightly fry the leaves for about 2 minutes. This helps reduce the bitterness of the leaves.

2. Cook the methi leaves till tender. Mash lightly. Wash and pressure-cook the toor dal with haldi till well done.

3. Extract tamarind juice and add to a thick bottomed vessel.

4. Add salt to taste, curry leaves and mashed methi leaves, let simmer on low flame till raw aroma leaves the imli juice.

5. Add the sambhar powder and stir. Simmer for 5 minutes more. Mash the cooked toor dal and add to the vessel. Stir and continue to simmer.

6. Now add the chopped dhaniya and check for salt. If the sambhar is a little runny, dissolve 1 tsp rice flour in 2 tbsps water and add to the vessel. Let cook for 5-7 minutes more.

7. Prepare tempering by heating oil and adding hing, followed by rai. Once it splutters add it to the sambhar.
Serve hot.
Note : Another variation to try, grind together some shallots, unroasted coriander seeds and coriander leaves and add that to get a 'Hotel Sambhar'-like feel !!!

Gawar Phali Dal

A South Indian take on dal using Gawar Phali or Cluster beans.

  CLUSTER BEANS (GAWAR PHALI)  DAL

Ingredients :

Tender Cluster Beans - 250 gms (Cut into 1/2 inch long pieces)
Arahar Dal (Split pigeon peas) - 1/4 cup
Chana Dal - 1/4 cup
Tamarind - pea-size (Juice extracted)
Salt to taste

To roast and grind :
Oil - 1/2 tsp
Dhaniya seeds - 2 tsps
Dry Red chilies - 2
Chana Dal - 1 tsp
Urad Dal - 3/4 tsp
Hing - a pinch
Grated coconut - 1 tbsp

Tempering :
Oil - 1/2 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves

Method : 

1. To prepare the masala, heat 1/2 tsp oil in a pan and add red chilies, followed by dhaniya seeds. Saute for a bit. Now add the rest of the ingredients and fry for about a minute. Cool and grind to a paste (using little water) in a mixer.

2. Pressure cook Arahar dal till soft. Pressure cook chana dal separately up to 1 whistle. The reason being, we want the chana dal to be only partially cooked.

3. Heat 1/2 cup water in a saucepan and add the cluster beans. Cook till tender. Preserve the water.

4. Add the tamarind extract and salt to the beans, cook till it comes to a boil.

5. Now add the ground masala paste and mix well. Cook for about 2-3 minutes.

6. Add the arahar dal and stir well so it becomes a homogeneous mixture. Finally add the chana dal and mix lightly. Let cook for 5 minutes and remove.

7. Prepare the tempering by heating 1/2 tsp oil, adding the mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves. Pour over the dal. Serve hot with rice or chapatis.