Mixed Vegetable Sambhar

Sambhar is one of the common dish made across South India this is served with all the three meals in a day.

Ingredients:

Toor Dal : 1 1/2 cup

Onion: 1 medium sized                    
Tomatoes : 3 medium sized
Curry Leaves : 2-3 sprigs
Coriander : 1 bunch
Green Chilies : 4
Tamarind extract : 1 golf sized ball
Vegetable Choice : Pumpkin, Butter nut squash , Capsicum, Carrots, Drum Stick, Radish etc etc
Oil : 2 tsp
Mustard seeds : 1/2 tsp
Cumin Seeds : 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida/hing : pinch
Turmeric powder : 1/4 tsp
Red Chills powder : 1/2 tsp
Sambhar powder : 2 tsp
Salt to taste

Preparation :

Pressure cook (3 whistles) the dal with the turmeric and mash it and keep it aside (for people who don't like chunks of tomato boil it with the dal). Take a wok and heat oil now add mustard and cumin seeds and once they splutter add the hing, curry leaves, onions and saute till translucent now add the green chillies and the vegetables of your choice here i have used drum stick, carrot, capsicum, tomato and saute for some time now add the red chili powder and tamarind extract and let it come to a boil add this mixture to the pressure cooker with the dal now add salt, sambhar powder and water if needed pressure cook this for two whistles(depending on the vegetables used u can reduce or increase the cooking time) . Garnish with chopped coriander and serve with hot steamed rice with ghee.

Urrala Kayang, Kathrika & Murngkkai Poriayal

This is made on every auspicious occasion and is easy to make. I have been trying to get one of my friends to get interested in cooking and must say this dish was easy to make for her as well, who gets into the kitchen only after a lot of persuasion. She has sent the pics and cant stop raving about how well she cooked it.

Ingredients

Brinjal / Egg Plant : 250 gms cut length wise

Potato : 200 gms cut length wise

Drum Sticks : 2 cut length wise
Tomato : 200 gms chopped
Onion : 1 medjium sized chopped
curry leaves : few
Urad Dal / black gram : 1 tsp
Mustard & cumin seeds : 1 tsp
Red Chillie powder : 1 tbs
Coriander Powder : 1 tbs
Turmeric : 1/2 tsp
Oil : 3 tbs

Preparation

Heat oil in the pressure cooker to that add the mustard,; cumin seeds once they splutter
Add the urad dal and once golden
Add the onion and curry leaves and saute untill translucent
Now add the turmeric powder brinjal, potato, drum sticks, red chilli, coriander powder salt to tase
Saute for 2 to 3 minutes.
Now add the the tomatoes and abt 2 to 3 tbs of water and pressure cook for 3 whistles serve with Roti or rice.





Recipe : Mrs Malthi Ramaswamy
Posted : Pavithra Arcot

Khatti Dal

This is one of the simple recipes and makes a wonderful option instead of your regular sambaar.
I made it the first time when mom was in the US and was pleased with it and most of my friends who tasted it loved it.

Ingredients :

Tuar Dal : 1 cup
Tamrind : 1 small golf ball sized / 2 tbs of tamrind paste
Onion : 1 small sliced
Green chillies : 3 to 4 sliced
Ginger garlic paste : 1/2 tsp
Tomato : 2 small chopped
Red chillie powder : 1/2 tsp
Coriander Powder : 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves : Few
Oil : 2 tbs
Turmeric : 1/2 tsp
Mustard & Cumin seeds : 1/2 tsp
Red chillies : 2 to 3
Garlic pods : 2 to 3 crushed
Asefotide : a pinch

Preparation :

Pressure cook dal and then take a pan and add 1 1/2 tbs of oil to that add onion, once translucent add the ginger garlic paste, green chillies and saute. To this add turmeric, chillie and coriander powder, then add tomatoes and saute untill soft. Once this is done add the tamrind pulp or paste and to this add the dal and some water along with salt and let it boil till all is done. Once done
take the remaining oil and to that add the mustard & cumin seeds, curry leaves , red chillies , crushed garlic and asefotide and add to the dal. This dal is usually in a thick consistancy. Serve
with hot rice and ghee.





Recipe : Mrs Malthi Ramaswamy
Posted By : Pavithra Arcot

Tomato Dal(Tomato Parup) / Tomato Lentil

I make this Dal when i want to eat something very good to lift up my spirits and does not take a long time to make. The aroma while cooking is heavenly. Mom pairs this dal with Dondaka/vendaka(ladies finger or Okra)/Karnakayg(Indian Yam) fry. Its Tangy from the tomatoes and tamrind mixed with the smell of garlic and the spicy thai green chillies and tempered with one part oil and one part ghee which takes it one notch higher

Ingedients

Tur Dal                         - 1 cup
Tomatoes                     - 4 to 5 large chopped(remember its tomato dal)
Garlic Cloves               - 3 to 4 large cloves chopped/sliced thinly(In US the gralic cloves are double the
                                      size what we get in India)
Green Chillies               - 6 to 10 chopped (according your level of heat)
Turmeric                      - 1/4 tsp
Onions                         - 1 Medium chopped
Red chilli powder         - 1 tsp(remember we also have green chilli's)
Dhania powder            - 1 tsp
Tamrind Paste             - 1 tsp (or one lemon sized bal of tamrind soaked in water use the squeezed water)
Salt to taste
 

Tempering/Thadka

Jeera(cumin)        - 1/2 tsp
Rai(Musturd)       - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves        - 10 to 12
Hing                    - a pinch (optional)
Dry red chillies    - 1(optional)
Garlic Cloves      - 2 to 3 Sliced thinly
Oil/ghee
   

Preparation
Pressure cook all the ingredients with water(this dal is thick in consistency).
Now for the tempering i usually use one part oil and one part ghee.
Heat the oil add Jeera and Rai let it splutter.
Add the red chilli
Add curry leaves(this splutters a lot so be careful)
Add the Hing and cloves and add it to the dal
Garnish with lots of fresh corriander leaves...
adjust Salt after tasting

Serve with rice/roti/bread...just tastes yummy

Remember follow a recipe and then adjust the ingredients to your taste as every one's palette is different :)


Recipe By: Mrs Malathi
Posted By: Brinda

Spinach Dal(Palak Kheere Purp)

This is one of my favorite....courtesy my mom...I just love this with Dondaka fry or Vendaka fry...and newly made Mango Pickle...hmmm just yummy and makes my mouth do salsa...

Ingredients

Tur Dal – 1 cup
Spinach - 1 Big Bunch
Garlic Pods – 5 to 6 chopped very finely or can be grated also
Green Chillies (Thai Chillies) - 5 to 6 chopped finely (Use according to ur level of taste/heat)
Mustard seeds (Rai) - 1 teaspoon
Jeera (cumin seeds) - 1 teaspoon
Onions - Ones Small – chopped finely
Curry leaves - 5 to 10 leaves
Coriander (Kothmir) - a handful
Turmeric Powder - ¼ teaspoon
Oil - 2-3 teaspoons
Vadvam - 1 tablespoon(optional)
Tamrind Pulp - 2 teaspoon,
Red Chilli Powder - to taste
Dhaniya Powder - 1 teaspoon


Preparation
Pressure cook or cook the dal with turmeric,Spinach, Garlic,Green chillies,Tamrind Pulp,Red Chilli Powder
salt Dhaniya Powder,till it is well done(3 to 4 Whistles). Now in a pan heat the oil and Ghee add the Mustard and Jeera,
now add the curry leaves, add the Vadavam and add to the dal...
Server it steaming hot with rice or roti...


Recipe By: Mrs.Malathi
Posted By: Brinda

Picky Dal or Dal Thadka

I first tasted this dal(lentil) made by my maternal grandfather the late Mr. Padma Rao, whom we fondly called as thatha(Grandpa in Most south Indian Languages) …probably the only dal he could make, but tasty it was, we called it picky dal. I remember vaguely that most of my family was traveling to another state for some wedding, so thatha pitched in to look after us. Whenever I cook this I always remember him, whatever I am today he had a big role to play, he was the one who made Math fun for me. This was also the first dish I made after my wedding. And this tastes just yummy….

Ingredients

Tur Dal – 1 cup
Garlic Pods – 5 to 6 chopped very finely or can be grated
Green Chillies (Thai Chillies) - 5 to 6 chopped finely (Use according to ur level of taste/heat)
Mustard seeds (Rai) - 1 teaspoon
Jeera (cumin seeds) - 1 teaspoon
Onions - Ones Small – chopped finely
Curry leaves - 5 to 10 leaves
Coriander (Kothmir) - a handful
Turmeric Powder - ¼ teaspoon
Oil - 2-3 teaspoons
Ghee - 2 table spoon(optional)

Preparation

Pressure cook or cook the dal with turmeric till it is well done. Now in a pan heat the oil and Ghee add the Mustard and Jeera, now add the curry leaves, then add the garlic, green chillies and onions and fry for some time. Add the same to the dal, add water (which ever consistency you like, I like my dal on the thicker side) and salt to taste boil it for 5 mins, put off the stove add the coriander and serve hot with rice or roti.

Recipe By: Mr. Padma Rao

Posted By: Brinda