Category: Dals

Turai with Chana Dal

Garden dreams – When they come true, it’s a glorious feeling.

One of my lifelong garden dreams has been growing turai at home. This summer, beautiful turai vines smiled with pretty yellow flowers and it has been turai tanmayam ever since. Total number of turai harvested so far was around 60 from four turai vines. Garden goddess is in good mood, it’s the only reason I could think of for this blessing.

Turai is such a lovable vegetable with succulent, white flesh and delicate, sweet flavor. Tender turai doesn’t take much time to cook and digests easily, nourishing the spirit. We love our turai and we have been cooking many great turai recipes to our hearts content for the past one month.

The following turai recipe is Vijay’s creation. Tasty turai, little bit tomato and some chana dal, cooked together, it was a good meal and a simple solution to overwhelmed brain with excessive turai.

Homegrown Turai
Homegrown Turai

Turai with Chana Dal
(for 2 or 4, for 1 or 2 meals)

    3 fresh and tender turai, arm length each
    1/4 cup chana dal, soaked in water for about two hours
    2 semi ripe tomatoes
    4 green chillies, finely chopped
    1/4 teaspoon, turmeric
    1/2 teaspoon, salt or to taste
    For cumin tadka: 1 tablespoon peanut oil,
    pinch each-cumin and mustard seeds and few fresh curry leaves

Peel turai ridges. Rinse the vegetable well. Cut into bite-sized pieces.
In a heavy pan, heat peanut oil. Add and toast cumin, mustard seeds and curry leaves to fragrance.
Add the rehydrated chana dal to the skillet. Saute the dal to pale red.
Add tomato and cook to soft.
Add turai pieces. Sprinkle turmeric. Mix well. Cover and cook the turai for about five minutes or until the pieces become soft.
Stir in salt. Sprinkle a tablespoon of grated coconut if you wish. Cook another couple of minutes and turn off the heat.
Serve the turai with chana dal warm with rice, chapati or bread for a light and tasty meal.

Turai with Chana Dal
Turai with Chana Dal ~ for Meal Today

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Gongura Adugula Pappu

My gongura love has many avatars. One that frequently appears on Mahanandi is amma’s beloved gongura pappu. Today’s gongura avatar is from my mother-in-law’s kitchen, a Nandyala standard and Vijay’s all-time favorite. It’s a simple mélange of familiar toor dal and fresh gongura, does not use lot of ingredients, but relies on slow cooking for a rich and satisfying flavor. The key for this recipe is toor dal should not be overcooked, and it should hold its shape. Back in the old days, the dal is placed on the bottom, topped with gongura and simmered in earthen-ware pots on firebricks. Bottom is adugu in Telugu, so the name “adugula pappu“. This pride of Nandyala is an artisan food. I feel fortunate to prepare it at home with garden-fresh gongura and share it today on Mahanandi.

Garden Fresh Gongura
Garden-fresh Gongura

Gongura Adugula Pappu
(for 2 or 4, for 2 to 1 meal)

Ingredients:

    Fresh gongura leaves, coarsely chopped, about 6 cups, tightly packed
    1/2 cup, toor dal (kandi pappu)
    1 medium sized, red onion or shallot, chopped to chunks, about a cup
    6 to 8 green chilli, Indian or Thai variety, about 3-inch length each, finely chopped
    1/4 teaspoon, turmeric
    1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste

    For Hing Tadka:
    2 tablespoons, peanut oil
    10 to 12, fresh curry leaves
    1/2 teaspoon each – chana dal and urad dal
    Pinch each – cumin and mustard seeds
    1/8 teaspoon, hing (inguva)

Method:
1. Soak toor dal in two cups of water for one hour. Drain.

2. In a large pot, heat a tablespoon of peanut oil over medium heat. Add the onion and green chilli. Saute until soft and translucent, about five minutes. Add the gongura leaves. Saute the leaves until they collapse.

3. Add the soaked toor dal to gongura. Sprinkle turmeric and salt. Mix well with a whisk or sturdy spoon. Cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the toor dal is tender for about 15 to 20 minutes. Moisture from fresh gongura is enough to cook the toor dal to tender, and adding extra water is not necessary. But if there is a need, add little. The key for this recipe is toor dal should not be overcooked, and it should hold its shape.

4. Do the hing tadka. In a small pot, heat peanut oil. When oil is hot, add curry leaves, chana dal, urad dal, cumin and mustard seeds, one after another, and toast to fragrance. When mustard seeds start to pop, add hing. Stir for couple of seconds. Add the gongura-toor dal mix to this hing tadka. Gently mix well.

5. Serve gongura adugula pappu hot with rice and some ghee for a taste of tradition.

Gongura Adugula Pappu with Rice and Masala Vada
Gongura Adugula Pappu with Masuri Rice and Masala Vada ~ Meal on a Summer Day

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Methi Turai Dal (Menthi Beerakaaya Pappu)

Methi in my garden is now fully grown. Thanks to the frequent rains and pleasant weather we had for the past few weeks. I dug out few plants and plucked the fresh leaves and tender stems to prepare methi dal for today’s meal. I also added turai, because I thought mildly sweet turai would complement methi’s herbal flavor. Individually also they are best friends with toor dal. Together, methi and turai made an excellent team-toor dal day.

Methi is easy to grow in garden beds or in small containers, tastes good and known to balance blood sugar levels. If you have never tried growing methi, please do try this season. Go to an Indian grocery and purchase a packet of methi seeds. Soak some in water for a day. Wrap the soaked seeds in a wet muslin (cheese) cloth for a day or two. Seeds start to sprout. Plant the methi sprouts in soil where it gets sunlight. Water once a day. Within a month methi will be ready to harvest for dal, curry or roti.

Fresh Methi and Turai

Methi Turai Dal (Menthi Beerakaaya Pappu)
(for 2 or 4, for 4 to 2 meals)

Ingredients:
3/4 cup, toor dal (kandi pappu)
2 cups, fresh methi leaves and pinched tender stems
2 cups, turai pieces (peel the turai ridges and thinly slice)
1 small red onion or shallot. chopped
8 to 10, Indian or Thai green chillies, finely chopped
1 tablespoon, tamarind pulp
1/4 teaspoon turmeric

Method:
In a pressure cooker, take toor dal. Wash and clean the dal. Add the methi leaves, turai, onion, green chilli, tamarind and turmeric. Add about 2 cups of water. Mix. Close the lid and pressure-cook the dal to soft consistency. Allow the pressure to come down and then remove the lid. Add salt, about half teaspoon or to taste, and mash the cooked ingredients gently with a wood masher or a sturdy whisk.

Season the dal with garlic tadka. For garlic tadka, heat a tablespoon of peanut oil in a medium-sized pot. When oil is hot, add 2 finely chopped garlic cloves, 8 curry leaves, and a pinch each – cumin and mustard seeds. Saute the ingredients to fragrance. Add the methi-turai dal to this garlic tadka. Mix well and serve the methi-turai dal with rice or roti.

Methi Turai Dal with Rice
Methi-Turai Dal and Turai Curry with Rice ~ For Meal Today and
for Suma’s Delicious Dals From India Event

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Celebrating Spring: Potato Sambar

You know, when something is good, it becomes a classic. This potato sambar, for example. I remember two generations before me, my mother and grandmother, enjoying this delicious and hearty dish. Idly and potato sambar – “more amma…” I would always ask for more when I was a child. Who knew digging into the earth for potatoes would unearth all these precious memory jewels as well! Fresh produce patriotism plus the nostalgia – that’s what this potato sambar is for me now.

I realize that potatoes are not for everyone in this calorie-conscious atmosphere. But baby and new crop potatoes are truly wonderful, and I do think they are worth that extra mile walk.

Toor Dal Mash, Pearl Onions, Tomato and Red Potatoes for Potato Sambar
Toor Dal Mash, Pearl Onions, Tomato and Red Potatoes for Potato Sambar

Potato Sambar
(for 2 or 4, for 4 to 2 meals)

Ingredients:
3/4 cup, Toor dal
2 medium sized, fresh potatoes. Cut into 1/4-inch thick rounds (no dice)
10 pearl onions, peel the skin and cut off the ends
1 ripe tomato, finely chopped
Half lime-sized tamarind
1 tablespoon, sambar powder
1/4 teaspoon each, red chilli powder and turmeric powder
1 teaspoon, salt or to taste
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves for garnish

For Curry Leaf Tadka:
2 teaspoons, peanut oil
One sprig of fresh curry leaves, 6 small dry red chilli pieces, 1/4 teaspoon each – mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and hing

Method:
Toor dal: In a heavy cooking pot or pressure cooker, take toor dal. Wash and clean the dal. Add two cups of water, quarter teaspoon of turmeric. Mix, cover and cook until the dal is soft and then mash it to smooth paste. Keep it aside.

Tamarind: Soak half lime-sized ball of tamarind in one cup of warm water for 15 minutes. Squeeze it out between your fingers to extract the juice and discard the pith and seeds.

Prepare the Sambar: In a big pot, heat to medium and add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the chillies, mustard seeds, fenugreek, hing and curry leaves and saute for 2 minutes. Add the onion and brown lightly. Add the potatoes and tomatoes. Cook, partially covered until potatoes are fork-tender.

Add the tamarind extract, mashed toor dal that was kept aside to the vegetables. Stir in sambar powder, red chilli powder and salt. Add a cup of water. Allow this to boil and then simmer for 10 minutes. Garnish with cilantro leaves and remove from heat.

Serve potato sambar warm with rice, idlies or vada. Or fill a cup with sambar and sip with a spoon. However you serve, potato sambar makes a nutritious and satisfying meal.

Potato Sambar and Rava Idly
Potato Sambar and Rava Idly ~ A Meal, Last Weekend

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Chanadal Chaaru (Sanagabedala Rasam)

As I get older, like many of you, I am becoming thankful for our culinary heritage. I think our cuisine is the best kind diet out there, simply because it doesn’t need or depend on farm-raised animal and ultra-processed products for flavor and sustenance. Natural plant based ingredients have divine powers and most of the Indian recipes are based on that valuable khajana. Example is the following recipe. This lentil based chaaru is a frequent guest at family table, and all it needs is a fistful of chana dal, few vegetables and good, old spices. Chana dal is known to reduce and maintain blood sugar levels, plus it is a low calorie lentil. For those of you who are on diet, trying to control sugar levels or thinking of some new rasam, this chana dal chaaru is the best fit for a filling stomach.

Chana Dal (Sanaga Bedalu)
Chana Dal (Sanaga Bedalu)

Chana dal Chaaru
(for 4 to 6 servings)

Ingredients:
1/3 cup of chana dal
1 small shallot or red onion, sliced thinly lengthwise
1 small ripe tomato, cut to small pieces
2 tablespoons – tamarind pulp or lemon juice
1 tablespoon, rasam or garam masala powder
1/2 teaspoon each – chilli powder and salt
1/4 teaspoon – turmeric
For Hing tadka: a tablespoon of peanut oil, one sprig of fresh curry leaves, pinch each – asafetida (hing), cumin and mustard seeds

Method:
1. Take chana dal in a pressure cooker. Rinse and add about 2 cups of water. Pressure cook the dal the soft. Mash the dal to smooth with a wood masher.
2. Add onion, tomato and tamarind to the mashed dal. Stir in rasam powder, chilli powder, salt and turmeric. Add about half cup of water. Partially cover the pot and simmer the chaaru for about 10-15 minutes on medium heat.
3. At the end, do the hing tadka and add it to the rasam. For hing tadka, heat peanut oil in a small pan or vessel. Add and toast curry leaves, hing, cumin and mustard seeds in that order. Stirring, toast to fragrance. Add this hing tadka to the simmering chana chaaru. Mix well.
4. Serve hot or warm over cooked rice with some papad or pickle. Or good as it is to sip like soopa.

Chana Dal Chaaru
Good for Diabetics, Chana Dal Chaaru for Meal Today and for
Home Remedies Event at Talented Ruchika Cooks

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Pesara + Attu = Pesarattu

Aficionados of Andhra restaurants are passionate about pesarattus. The golden, crispy texture and the creamy upma filling make the pesarattu a favorite breakfast item to many. It’s easy to understand the name Pesarattu if you are familiar with Telugu language. You see, moong beans are called Pesara and the other name for dosa is Attu in Telugu. When you put the two together, Pesara + Attu = Pesarattu. When you spell it out loud, the name has a nice lyrical quality to it. It’s a good name.

Pesarattus are mainly three types depending on the moong beans (pesalu).

1. Pesarattu with sprouted moong beans: Super nutritious, supreme in taste and my favorite.
2. Pesarattu with split moong beans: The official pesarattu of Andhra. Excellent taste.
3. Pesarattu with yellow moong dal: Golden in color and good taste.

Depending on the filling, pesarattu can be made to our wish and nutritional needs. Traditionally, upma, ginger pickle and spicy powders are applied to the pesarattu just before the pesarattu is fold over. Or simply, cut onions and few cumin seeds are sprinkled over the pesarattu just before it is removed from the skillet. However, we can also fill them with anything we like. For variety, in recent months, I started experimenting by adding different fillings, for example, some minced herbs like mint, methi or dill, steamed or sautéed vegetables and fruit preserve or honey. There are so many combinations; it is really easy to start your own taste of tradition with pesarattu.

Today’s recipe is with yellow moong dal. Warm, golden hued and in good flavor, topped with cumin seeds, these pesarattus are easy to prepare, make a filling meal for those of us who are on diet and can add some variety to routine weekday fare.

pesara bedalu
Pesara Bedalu (Yellow Moong Dal)

Pesarattu with Pesara Bedalu:
(for 10 to 12 Pesarattus)

Ingredients:
2 cups, yellow moong dal
2 tablespoons, rice (uncooked, any variety will do)
4 green chillies (Indian or Thai variety)
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, skin peeled and coarsely chopped
We also need a well-seasoned dosa skillet, quarter cup oil or ghee and a tablespoon of cumin seeds to prepare pesarattu.

Method:
1. Clean the dal and rice. Take them in a big vessel and cover with water. Soak for at least six hours. When it is time to prepare pesarattu, pour the soaked the dal and rice over a colander and drain water.

2. Take the soaked dal and rice in a mixer or food processor. Add salt, green chillies and ginger. Blend the ingredients to silky- smooth batter. In between, mix and add about a cup of water for easy blending. Remove to a vessel. This is pesarattu batter.

3. Place a dosa skillet over stovetop. Heat over medium-high heat. Rub the skillet surface lightly with half-cut onion or oil. When the skillet is hot, pour a ladleful of batter and spread it thinly into a circle. Sprinkle half teaspoon oil or ghee, and few pinches of cumin seeds over the pesarattu. As the bottom starts to get red, gently lift up the edges with a spatula and turn to the other side. Cook for couple of seconds and turn it over again. Fold to half and remove to a plate.

4. Serve it right away when it is still hot with some chutney, curry or pickle.

pesarattu
Pesarattu with Peanut Chutney, Red Chilli Pickle and Almonds ~ for Meal Today, and for
JFI-Breakfast at Talented Suma Gandlur’s Veggie Platter

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Masala Vada

Vada’s exquisite flavor and deep aroma brought to perfection over the centuries, evoke and accentuate the subtlest nuances of taste. Its warm appeal have long been celebrated in a cuisine which demands that the eye as well as the palate find satisfaction. Its gritty, yielding texture has been prized for being addictive in nature and gentle on the tongue. Vada varieties are many in South India, and masala vada is one of the most popular and my favorite. Composed of chana dal and spices, grounded and fried, held with the fingers, vadas are eaten like a snack or part of the main meal with much gusto.

There are several versions of masala vada and the following is from my home, a basic vada recipe without onions.

Chana Dal

Masala Vada
(for about 16 to 18 vadas)

Ingredients:
2 cups, Chana dal (sanaga bedalu)
6 dried red chilli, about 2-inches long each
1/2 teaspoon each- cumin and ajwan (vaamu)
1 teaspoon, salt
1 or 2 sprigs of fresh curry leaves
1×1 inch piece of fresh ginger, skin peeled, coarsely chopped
Peanut oil, about 3 cups to deep-fry the vadas

Method:
1. Soak chana dal in water for at least 4 hours. Strain dal to remove water. In a clean cloth or kitchen towel, spread the dal to air-dry for about 30 minutes. This helps to make the masala vadas properly and they absorb very little of oil in which they are fried.

2. Keep a fistful of chana dal on the side. Take the remaining dal in a blender or food processor or in a mortar. Add dried chilli, cumin, ajwan, salt, curry leaves and ginger pieces. Process the ingredients until they form a coarse mixture. Don’t grind too smooth. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Add fistful of chana dal we kept aside to the mix and combine well. Coarse texture and intact chana dal are the two essential elements in a memorable vada experience. (The batter can be made in advance and refrigerated before frying.)

3. On your clean palm (hand), shape the mixture into one to two inch round patties of about half-inch thickness. Heat oil suitable for frying. Gently add the vadas to hot oil and and fry to golden color in batches. This is traditional method. Alternatively, fry the vadas on a lightly oiled skillet until they are lightly browned on both sides.

Serve the vadas hot as a tasty snack or part of the vindu bhojanam. They stay good for a week when refrigerated.

Masala Vadas
Masala Vada for Manchi(u) Roju

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Fruit Kosambari with Pears

February Food Fun:
Include Fruits and greens regularly
Make a habit of Kosambari

Sweet pears in season are tossed with fresh lettuce from our backyard garden in this delicious kosambari. For an Indian twist, I have added some dates, chickpeas and chat masala powder. Fruits, greens and some protein, this free-spirited kosambari has all the food fun I wanted in a February. A guilt free meal and God bless simple recipes like Kosambari.

Pear and Lettuce

Fruit Kosambari with Pears
(serves two)

1 small bunch of fresh lettuce
2 pears
1 cup, cooked chickpeas
1/4 cup, dates
1 tablespoon chat masala powder
salt and black pepper to taste

Rinse the lettuce well. Pat them dry with a clean towel. Tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces. Peel the skin and slice pears into big pieces. Quarter the dates.

In a bowl, take the lettuce. Add pears, dates and chickpeas. Sprinkle chat masala powder, salt and black pepper powder. Toss to coat.

Serve immediately with a cup of rasam or sambar on the side for a light meal.

Fruit Kosambari with Pears
Fruit Kosambari with Pears and Dates ~ For Meal Today

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Lemongrass Rasam

What can be better in a bittercold winter than a bowl of hot, savory rasam! I like rasam and I also enjoy experimenting. The result is today’s recipe. To a traditional toor dal based rasam, I have added lemongrass. The bright, lemony herbal flavor of lemongrass could really cheer up casual rasam, I thought, and it did. Recipe is easy. Simmer the cooked dal with lemongrass and other regular rasam additions. No tomatoes, but ghee tadka is incorporated at the end to harmonize everything. Serve the rasam hot in a bowl and sip. Heaven must taste like this.

Lemongrass

Lemongrass Rasam
(serves 4)

Ingredients:
2 fistfuls of toor dal and 2 cups of water
1 shallot, finely chopped lengthwise
1 tablespoon, finely sliced lemongrass
1 tablespoon each, tamarind pulp and jaggery
1 teaspoon each, salt and rasam powder
1/2 teaspoon, chilli powder
1/4 teaspoon, turmeric
few sprigs of fresh cilantro, finely chopped

For Ghee Tadka:
1 tablespoon, ghee
1 small sprig of fresh curry leaves
pinch each, cumin, mustard seeds and asafetida

Method:

Take toor dal and water in a pressure cooker. Cover and cook until the dal is tender. Gently mash the dal to smooth.

To the cooked dal, add shallot, lemongrass, tamarind pulp and jaggery. Also stir in salt, rasam powder, chilli powder and turmeric. Add a cup of water. Partially cover and simmer for additional 10 minutes until you see froth coming up on top of the vessel. Switch off the heat and garnish with cilantro leaves.

Meanwhile, heat the ghee in a small skillet. Add curry leaves, cumin, mustard seeds and asafetida in that order. Saute, stirring constantly. When mustard seeds start to pop out of skillet, pour this sizzling tadka over lemongrass rasam. Mix well and serve immediately. Sip the rasam or eat mixed with rice. Comforting and nourishing, the rasam experience will warm the wintered soul.

Lemongrass Rasam
Warm Bowl of Lemongrass Rasam ~ for Meal today

© Recipe and Photos Copyright 2009 Indira Singari.

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Gobi Chole (Cauliflower with Chickpeas)

“Have you ever met a vegetable that you didn’t like?”

“There is no comparison to the comfort you bring.”

“You are a charming legume.”

“Cuddle with me.”

The result of this legendary love affair between cute cauliflower and charming chickpea is a hearty stew called Gobi Chole. This classic of Bharath cooking is very easy to make and very forgiving. No need to fuss or fidget over the ingredients or lack of. All it needs is love.

Cauliflower and Chickpeas

Gobi Chole
(for 2 or 4 for 2 or 1 meal)

1 tablespoon, peanut oil
1 tablespoon, kasuri methi
1/4 teaspoon, cumin seeds
1 onion – finely chopped lengthwise, about 1 cup
4 ripe tomatoes – finely chopped, about 2 cups
1 small head of cauliflower, florets cut, about 3 to 4 cups
1 cup, cooked chickpeas
1 tablespoon each, garlic-ginger-cilantro paste and garam masala powder
1 teaspoon each, salt and red chilli powder or to taste
1/4 teaspoon, turmeric

Place a large, wide pot over high heat and add oil. When hot, put in the kasuri methi and cumin. Let them sizzle for few seconds. Add onion and sauté to soft brown. Add the tomatoes. Stir and cook until they collapse to soft mush.

Add the cauliflower florets and chickpeas to cooking tomatoes. Stir in ginger-garlic-cilantro paste, garam masala powder, salt, red chilli and turmeric. Add about a cup of water. Cover, and turn the heat to low and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.

To thicken the gravy, I usually blend two tablespoons of coconut, cashews or poppy seeds, depending on what I have at that moment in the kitchen and add the smooth paste to simmering gobi chole along with other seasoning. Alternately, blend and add few tablespoons of cooked chickpeas for a low calorie thickener.

Serve the warm gobi chole over hot chapati/paratha/naan or rice. Simple relish made with onion and chillies, and some homemade dahi adds an authentic dabha experience.

Gobi Chole
Gobi Chole for Meal Today

© Recipe and Photos Copyright 2009 Indira Singari.

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Celebrating Autumn Cabbage: 5 C’s = A+

Cabbage
Carrot
Coconut
Chana dal
Curry leaf Tadka

The 5 C’s. When combined and cooked together would create an A+ dish.

This great cabbage curry is a childhood favorite. The refreshing flavor of a full-grown fall cabbage is accentuated by the addition of carrot and coconut sweetness, nutty chana dal crunchiness and curry leaf tadka’s ethereal aroma.

Served over couscous, chapati or rice, the 5 C’s makes a delicious and complete meal. It’s great all on its own too. This quick and easy recipe will be even more convenient if a mandoline or food processor is used to shred the cabbage and carrots.

Cabbage with Carrot Curry

Cabbage and Carrot with Indian Spices
(for two or four – for two or one meal)

Cabbage: Shred 1 small cabbage, about 6 cups
Carrot: Peel the skins and grate carrots, about 2 cups
Coconut: grate the fresh coconut, about 2 tablespoons
Chana dal: 2 tablespoons, Rehydrate by soaking in water for 30mts.
For Curry Leaf Tadka: 1 tablespoon peanut oil, 1 sprig of fresh curry leaves and from masala dabba, a pinch each – cumin and mustard seeds
Onion: 1, finely chopped
Spices: Turmeric, salt and chilli flakes – to taste

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add curry leaves and toast to gold. Add cumin and mustard seeds and when seeds start to pop, add the onion and chana dal. Saute, stirring often until they are light brown.

Stir in cabbage and carrot. Saute until cabbage has slightly wilted. Add coconut, turmeric, salt and chilli flakes. Mix well and cook for another five minutes on medium heat. Turn off the heat before the whole thing turns into a mush pile. You know what cabbage says – If you want to love cabbage, eat it raw or cook it just right – but don’t over cook it.

Serve the curry hot over couscous/chapati, or with rice and dal for tasty meal.

© Recipe and Photos Copyright 2009 Indira Singari.

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Guava Kosambari (Guava Salad)

I grew up with guava, which is a very popular fruit in South India. It was amazing how bags of guava came out of woodstock at the end of summer – whether by the way of my grandparents’ neighbors, relatives visiting from the village, or one of my parents friends. The donors were probably as glad to give them away as we were to receive them, and I remember the happy anticipation of waiting and slicing fresh guava, sprinkling salt and pepper and enjoying the tasty slices. Up here people seem to prefer their guava crunchy-free, a creamy puree long cooked in pastries. The flavor of fresh guava is delicate, and I prefer them as they are, uncooked may be in combination with some other raw ingredients.

Today’s recipe, guava kosambari, is inspired by a why not attitude. Kosambari, the salad of south India is a traditional Raw Rocks kind of meal starter. Usually prepared with moong dal, cucumber and carrots, and peppered with salt, pepper and lime juice. The cool, raw energy of kosambari seems to be enhanced by the excitingly sweet guava in guava kosambari. It was genuinely good food.

Guava
Guava

Guava Kosambari
(for two adults for two meals)

3 Guavas: cut to bite-sized pieces.
(The guavas I added in this recipe are small, about lime sized and have very delicate paper like thin skin that didn’t need peeling.)
1/4 cup – yellow moong dal, rehydrated
(Soak moong dal in water for about 2 hours to rehydrate.)
1/2 cup each – diced carrot and cucumber
Salt, black pepper and lime juice – 1/4 teaspoon each or to taste
1 tablespoon – finely chopped fresh cilantro

Take guava, moong dal, carrot and cucumber in a bowl. Sprinkle cilantro, salt, pepper and limejuice. Combine gently. Refrigerate for half an hour for the flavors to be charmed by each other.

Serve the guava kosambari as a meal starter or an evening snack with a cup of tea or ragi ganji.

Guava Kosambari (Guava Salad)
Guava Kosambari on a Guava Leaf ~ For Meal Today

© Recipe and Photos Copyright 2009 Indira Singari.

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