Spring Onion Dal

Spring onions are Chinese veggies now used regularly in Indian cuisine and spring onion dal is an example:

Preparation time: 30-40 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Spring onions 1 bunch
Pigeon peas (Toor dal) 1 cup
Refined cooking oil 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Coriander 4-5 strands
Green chillies 4
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash and chop the springs and the onions and separate them.

Pressure-cook the pigeon peas to 3 whistles or until soft and mash-able.

Heat oil and add cumin seeds, as they pop add finely chopped green chillies and just the onion portion of spring onions and sauté until the onions are transparent.

Add the cooked pigeon peas, water as required (around a cup) and stir.

Add the chopped springs or the leafy portion of spring onions, chopped coriander and salt to taste. Stir once, cover and leave to boil on medium/low heat for around 10 mins, ensuring there is enough water and the dal will not stick to the pan.

Spring onion dal is ready. Yellow and green the dal is bland (depending on the number of chillies added) and pretty simple too. Enjoy with Jeera rice, plain rice or any of the Indian bread. Tell the kids its Kung Fu panda’s ingredients and Chota Bheem’s recipe. :)

Mooli Paratha

Radish parathas need no introduction. They are popular not only for their taste but also from the health perspective. One of the regular parathas or stuffed Indian breads, here’s the recipe:

Preparation time: 30-45 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Wheat flour (atta/godhampindi) 1 cup
Radish (mooli/mullangi) 2
Ghee 1 tsp
Green chillies 2
Mango powder (amchur) 1 tsp
Coriander powder (dhania powder) 1 tsp
Chopped coriander 2 tsps
Refined cooking oil to fry
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash, wipe, peel and grate the radish. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and set aside for around 5-10 mins.

The radish will leave water when salted. Squeeze the grated radish, collect the juice, and set aside the dry grated radish and water.

To the wheat flour, add the radish water/juice, a little ghee and knead to smooth dough. Do not add salt, as the water/juice is already salted. Cover with a soft cloth and set aside for at least around half an hour.

In the meantime, finely chop the coriander and green chillies (optional for additional spice).

Heat a tsp of oil and fry the grated radish until the raw smell is lost. Add the green chillies, fresh and chopped coriander, dry mango powder, coriander powder and sauté for a couple of minutes or until the raw smell is lost. Set aside to cool.

Take small lumps of the dough, roll into balls and bail to the size of a small poori. Press through the circumference with finger tips to flatten the edges. Place the radish filling in the centre, bring the edges together, neatly covering the filling and roll into a ball. Bail again, thick and even.

Heat the pan/tawa. Add the bailed paratha. Leave for a couple of minutes to heat on one side. Now turn it over and apply oil (preferably, mustard oil, for its distinct flavor) and leave to cook. Turn again and apply oil on the other side as well and leave the paratha to bake, tossing it regularly to ensure it is evenly baked on both sides and not burnt. Remove from heat onto a tissue and continue the process to make more parathas.

Serve radish or mooli parathas hot. If in India, enjoy with a nice and spicy mango pickle and if in the Middle East gulp them down with some thick curds and wherever you are, do not forget to include a fruit like the mangoes, apple or orange  for a complete meal.

Brinjal coconut curry

Yes, another brinjal recipe and wait for many more, coz this is our favorite veggie and we cook it almost every day.

Preparation time: 20-25 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Brinjals ¼th kilo
Onion 1
Refined cooking oil 1 tbsp
Green chillies 2
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Black gram 2 tsp
Pinch of asafoetida
Grated fresh coconut 1 cup
Fresh coriander for garnish
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash and cut the brinjals into cubes. Finely chop the onions, slit the green chillies and grate the coconut.

Heat oil and add mustard seeds and green chillies. As they pop, add cumin seeds and black gram. Add a pinch of asafoetida, the onions and sauté until soft and transparent.

Add the brinjal cubes and stir, evenly oiling all of them. Sprinkle water, cover and cook on medium heat until soft. This should take around 8-10 mins. Keep checking in between to ensure the brinjals are not burnt and sprinkle water and mix whenever required.

When the brinjals are cooked, add salt to taste and fresh and chopped coriander and mix well. Remove from heat and add the grated coconut and mix well just before serving.

Brinjal coconut curry is a bland one and tastes great with plain rice and spicy sambar. It is also a great Indian bread combo option. If sweltering under the Middle East sun, pour some thick yoghurt or labaan over the curry and have it along with some fresh khuboos or Arabic bread.

Brinjals are the beauties that gel with anything can be cooked anyhow and will taste glorious anyway. Coconut fat is said to be good for health, so half a cup of fresh coconut is just the required amount of fat. Enjoy the brinjal coconut curry.

Didir Tomato

After such a long post, we decided to come up with something short and simple and that is what didir tomato is all about. Didir in Kannada translates to instant and here it is: an instant tomato pickle. The idea came up after reading the title of the blog 'Tangy Tomato Twist'. Love the title, and love the pickle!

Preparation time: 35-40 mins 

Serves: 2 

Ingredients: 

Tomatoes 2 

Red chilli powder 2 ½ tsp 

Salt 2 tsp 

Refined cooking oil 2 tsp 

Mustard seeds 1 tsp 

Pinch of asafoetida 

Method: 

We need tomatoes that are not fully ripe or fully raw. The hard ones those are a little green and slightly red because these have the tangy flavor and are hard and easy to chop. 

Wash, wipe dry and finely chop the tomatoes. 

Add 2 tsp salt and 2 and a half tsp of red chilli powder, cover and marinate the tomatoes for around half an hour. This way the tomatoes leave a little water and absorb the salt and spice. 

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. As they pop, remove from the heat and let the oil cool for a couple of minutes. Add a pinch of asafoetida. 

Add this seasoning to the tomatoes and cover the lid, for the aroma to seep into the tomatoes. 

Didir tomato is done. An adapted version of didir uppinkai, didir tomato is both a rice and phulka supplement. We enjoyed some ghee topped steaming rice, plain dal or mudda pappu and didir tomato. It took us just 15 minutes in the kitchen. You should try it too, on a lazy weekend afternoon. 

Poori, Hyderabadi Chole and Chennai Potato

Namo Narayana 

Thank you all for this 250th post. We shall write more for you to cook and celebrate even more. 

On a personal note, a very happy 1st wedding Anniversary to Neeharika and Manoj Kasyap. 

Pooris are the most popular Indian bread for both the north and south Indians. Pooris are the ideal ‘tiffin’ for all occasions. No south Indian Thali is complete without the four small and crispy pooris in any south Indian restaurant. Here, we complement the poori with some of its most popular combos across India and in particular south India. Each recipe in this post is a cheer to those who made our poori experiences exciting. 

Poori 

Most of our relatives in Bengaluru would serve pooris to us whenever we visited them. We have had round ones, semi-circled ones and even triangle pooris. The Poori recipe is dedicated to all of them. Thank you Kamal Kiran for the puffy pooris and crispy clicks. 

Ingredients: 

Wheat flour 1 cup 

Refined cooking oil 1 cup 

Pinch of salt (optional) 

Method: 

Add a pinch of salt to the wheat flour (optional). Add a few spoons of oil, water as required and knead to smooth dough. 

Take small lumps of the dough and bail flat and round. Do not dust too much flour while bailing, else the pooris absorb a lot of oil. 

Deep fry in pre heated oil, one at a time pouring hot oil over the poori for the poori to puff up. If more than one is fried at a time, then the pooris turn crisp and don’t puff. 

Remove onto a tissue to drain off excess oil. 

Hot and yummy pooris are done. 

Hyderabadi Chole 

The Punjabi chole is quite popular, but for us Hyderabadis there is nothing that can beat our Hyderabadi chole, especially the one at the St. Ann’s canteen, Mehedipatnam. It was one of the major attractions for us to attend college and all the plates were polished clean every time. This one’s to the st. Anns canteen and all our classmates who enjoyed the chole with us. 

Ingredients: 

Chick peas (kabuli channa/chole channa) 1/4th kilo 

Onion 1 

Green chillies 2 

Onion paste 2 tsp 

Tomato paste 2tbsp 

Cloves 2 

Cinnamon stick 1 

Cardamom 2 

Refined cooking oil/Butter 1 tbsp 

Tea bag 1 

Red chilli powder 1 tsp 

Chole masala/Garam masala 1-2 tsps 

Fresh coriander for garnish 

Method: 

Wash and soak the chickpeas overnight. Drain and wash again and pressure cook to 6-7 whistles/ Boil until soft and mash able. Set aside to cool. 

Take a handful of chickpeas from this boiled ones and grind to a fine paste. 

In a cooking pot/vessel, add the remaining chickpeas and a teabag and leave to boil. 

Heat the oil and add cloves, cinnamon stick, green chillies, chopped onions and onion paste. Cook until the onions turn transparent. Add tomato paste and cook thick. 

To this, add the tea bag flavored chickpeas, chickpea paste, red chilli powder, garam masala/chole masala as available and salt to taste. Add water as required, mix well, and leave to cook to smooth gravy. Sprinkle some chopped coriander while the chole is cooking for the flavor and aroma. This should take around 5-8 mins. 

Serve hot and spicy Hyderabadi Chole with the hot pooris or savor it as is. 

Potato Curry 

“Oru poori potato”.. This is something every person in Chennai and surrounding areas would have often heard and said at the restaurants. The best available at Palm grove, Nungambakkam. A bite of the crispy poori with soft and dissolving potatoes spiced with onions and dipped into coconut chutney is sheer bliss. This recipe cheers all the Chennai restaurants where we enjoyed this bliss, Palm grove in particular. 

Ingredients: 

Potatoes (Aloo) 2 

Onion 1 

Green chillies 2 

Red chilli 1 

Refined cooking oil 1 tbsp 

Mustard seeds 1 tsp 

Cumin seeds 1 tsp 

Black gram 1 tbsp 

Curry leaves 4-5 

Chopped coriander 1 tbsp 

Chopped ginger 1 tsp 

Pinch of turmeric 

Pinch of asafoetida 

Salt to taste 

Method: 

Pressure-cook the potatoes without peeling them to 4 whistles/ boil until soft. Set aside to cool. 

Finely chop the onions, green chillies, ginger and coriander. 

Peel the potatoes and cut into small cubes. (Some of them are mashed in the process, but not a worry, we add the mash too to curry). 

In a pan/kadai (bandli/mookudu), heat oil and add mustard seeds and a red chilli. As they pop, add cumin seeds, black gram, curry leaves and a pinch each of turmeric and asafoetida. 

Add the chopped onion, green chillies, coriander and ginger. Sauté until the onions are transparent and the raw smell is lost. 

Add the potato cubes along with the mashed portions, salt to taste and around half to three fourths cup of water and cook to a soft, dry and semi-liquid curry. When left for a couple of minutes, this liquid will absorb into the potatoes resulting in a softer curry. 

Enjoy a bite of the yummy poori potato and say ‘aha’! 

And hey! Three Cheers to our blog readers, viewers and followers! 

Amtekai tokku

 Amtekai are called wild mangoes and found in bunches during the mango season or summer in coastal Karnataka and thus are popular all over Karnataka. Though not a variety of mango because of the shape, look and feel; it is often regarded as a part of the mango family.

Amma and Nana specifically drove down to Bengaluru, bought amtekayi at Jayanagar complex and amma made this yummy pickle for the blog. Thank you Amma for the recipe and Nana for all the great clicks and tasting it or rather polishing it off too!   

Ingredients:  

Indian wild mangoes (Amtekayi) 1 bunch (about 20)
Red chilli powder 2 tbsp
Salt 1 tbsp
Refined cooking oil 2 tbsp
Red chillies 2
Mustard seeds 2 tsp
Pinch of asafoetida

Method:

Wash and wipe the amtekayi dry and clean.

Cut into pieces and coarse grind using the blender/mixie.

Remove into a bowl; add 1 tbsp salt and 2 tbsp red chilli powder. Mix well to evenly spice the coarse mixture, cover and marinate for around half an hour.

Heat oil and add mustard seeds and red chillies and leave to pop. Once they pop, set aside to cool for a couple of minutes and add the asafoetida. Pour the seasoning over the marinated mixture and mix well.

Amtekayi tokku is a regular rice supplement. Tastes great with a cup of bland sambar rice and curd rice. Sour and spicy, it is truly a Kannadiga delicacy. If in Karnataka this summer, you know what to buy and take home.

As the rains splash in, we draw the curtains for this rather long mango maniac summer season on thrillingtreats. And what better than the spicy Amtekai tokku ?

Gongura pappu/ Sorrel leaves dal

Sorrel leaves or gongura is a popular leaf especially in AP and surrounding areas. Called puntikura in Telangana, it is a favorite of the locals. Thanks to Mrs. Shyamala for the fresh gongura she excavated for us in Dubai. Here is the quick dal:

Preparation time: 25-30 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Sorrel leaves (Gongura) 1 bunch
Onion 1
Pigeon peas (kandipappu/ toor dal) 1 cup
Red chilli powder 1 tsp
Green chillies 2
Refined cooking oil 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds ½ tsp
Curry leaves 4-5
Pinch of asafoetida (hing)
Salt to taste

Method:

Pressure-cook to 4 whistles the pigeon peas/boil until cooked soft.

Wash and pluck the Sorrel leaves from the stems and finely chop the onion and green chillies.

In a pan/kadai (bandli/mukudu), heat the oil and add green chillies and mustard seeds. As they pop, add cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves and pinch of asafoetida.

Add chopped onion and sauté until golden brown. Add the sorrel leaves and cook to a pinkish brown lump. This should take a couple of minutes.

Add around half a cup of water and leave the sorrel leaves to boil for a few minutes.

As they feel cooked, add the cooked pigeon peas, water as required, a tsp of red chilli powder and salt to taste and stir smoothly.

Cover and cook for around 5 minutes or until the Dal thickens.

Sorrel leaves dal or Gongura pappu is a rice supplement and does make a great combo with Indian bread too. Tangy and hot, it is a great recipe, especially when the temperatures are dropping to welcome the refreshing showers.

Mango Onion Soup

Seems like the monsoons have hit South India and people are enjoying the first showers. Here is a hot and yummy soup with the last few mangoes available. As for us sweating it out in Dubai, we have it chilled.

Preparation time: 30-35 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Raw mango 1
Onion (ullipaya) ½
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Chat masala (optional) 1 tsp
Salt to taste

 

Method:

Wash and peel the mango. Cut into cubes the mango and half onion.

Pressure cook to 4 whistles or boil until soft and mash able. Set aside to cool.

Dry roast and grind to a fine powder the cumin seeds.

Add the cooked mangoes, onion to the blender and blend thick.

Pour into a cooking pot/vessel, add around a cup of water, powdered cumin, pinch of chat masala (optional) and salt to taste and leave to boil for around 5 mins or until the soupy texture seeps in.

Garnish with fresh coriander and serve hot or chilled with papads and chutney.

Welcome the rains while we continue enjoying our mango-filled summer here.

Cabbage goruchikudukaaya kura/Cabbage and Cluster beans curry

Surprisingly this is our 1st post with cluster beans though it is a regular veggie at home. Will come up with more soon, for now Cabbage gorikai palya as it is called in Kannada is here:

Preparation time: 35-40 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Cabbage 1/4th kilo
Cluster beans (goruchikkudukaya/Gorikai) 10-12
Split green gram (pesarapappu/moongdal) 1 cup
Green chillies 2
Curry leaves 4-5
Refined cooking oil 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds 2tsp
Pinch of asafoetida
Salt to taste
Fresh and grated coconut to garnish

Method:

Wash and soak the split green gram for around 30 mins.

Finely chop the cabbage. Finely chop the cluster beans, removing the fibers all along.

In a pan/kadai (bandli/mukudu), heat oil. Add cumin seeds and green chillies. As they pop, add curry leaves and a pinch of asafoetida.

Add the chopped cabbage, cluster beans and sauté for a couple of minutes. Drain off water from the soaked green gram and add the green gram. Cook for a couple of mins.

Add water enough to immerse all the ingredients. Cover and cook on medium heat for around 10 mins or until the cabbage, cluster beans and green gram feel cooked and the water has evaporated. (Add water if required and cook until all the veggies turn soft and cooked).

Add salt to taste and mix well. Garnish with fresh and grated coconut before serving.

Cabbage goruchikudu kura or cabbage cluster beans curry is a dry rice and Indian bread supplement. A healthy inclusion into regular day-to-day menus.

Totapuri hasi gojju/Raw gojju

Another of our favorite totapuri mango recipes. Simple, spicy and tangy, totapuri hasi gojju or raw gojju is a quick to make recipe.

Preparation time: 10-15 min

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Totapuri raw mango (chilakamooti mamidikaya) 1
Coriander 2 strands
Green chillies 2
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Tamarind ½ blob
Jaggery equal to the tamarind used
Refined cooking oil 1 tsp
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Pinch of asafoetida
Salt to taste

Method:

Peel and chop the totapuri mango into average sized cubes.

Grind to a fine paste: the coriander, green chillies, cumin seeds, tamarind and jaggery. Add a tsp of water for the jaggery to blend in smoothly.

Pour the paste over the totapuri, add salt to taste and mix well.

Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. As they pop, add a pinch of asafoetida and pour the seasoning over the totapuris.

Totapuri pachi gojju is served with hot pooris or any Indian bread or even ghee topped hot rice. Grab that last totapuri at the store and taste the gojju soon.

Budidagummadikaya vadalu/Ash gourd Crisps

Summer evenings and a craving for something crispy just sounds contradictory. But this is also the most normal thing to happen. Ash gourd is a popular coolant and vadas make it just as crispy as required.

Preparation time: 15-20 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Budidagummadikaya/Ash gourd 1/4th kilo
Bengal gram (senagabedalu) 1 cup
Green chilli 2
Coriander strands 2
Grated coconut 2 tsps
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Refined cooking oil 1 cup
Salt to taste

Method:

Ash gourd slices are available at most supermarkets making them easy to cook.

Soak the Bengal gram for around 15 mins.

Wash, peel and finely chop the ash gourd. Alternatively, if an electric grater is available, grate the ash gourd.

Blend to a coarse paste, the Bengal gram, green chilli, coriander, grated coconut and a pinch of salt.

Transfer the paste into a bowl and add the grated/finely chopped ash gourd, cumin seeds and mix well to a thick and soft batter. Adjust the salt as required.

Take lumps of batter and drop into pre-heated oil. Deep fry and remove onto a tissue to drain off excess oil.

Budidagummadikaya vadalu or ash gourd crisps make a great combo with cool lemonade or hot masala chai. We prefer munching them with a plate of dal and rice.