Methi flavoured yogurt / Menthi majjiga

Preparation time - 10mins
Serves - 4
Ingredients:
2 cups yogurt / curds
1 big onion
1/2 cup fresh methi leaves / 2 tablespoons dry methi(kasuri methi)
2 pinches turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
5-6 green chillies
2-3 dry red chillies
1 pod garlic(finely chopped)
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon urad dal
1 teaspoon jeera
1/4th teaspoon/2 pinches fenugreek seed powder
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
Method:

• In a wide bowl add 1cup of water,salt to 2cups of yogurt and beat well.Keep aside.
• In a sauce pan,warm oil.Add mustard seeds.Once they splutter add jeera,turmeric,urad dal,finely chopped methi leaves or kasuri methi,dry red chillies.Fry for a minute.
• Add finely chopped onion,green chillies and saute till transparent.
• Dry roast 1 tablespoon of fenugreek seeds and just add very little(2 pinches) to the onions.Store the remaining for future use.You can use it in pickles or few curries.Takecare not to add more than 2-3pinches,as the dish gets bitter if added more.
• Switchoff the heat.Now add the buttermilk to the hot saucepan and mix well.
• Collect it in a serving dish immediately.If kept in hot pan for longtime,yogurt starts breaking/curdling.
• Serve it with steaming plain rice and papad.Very tasty and full of flavours.
• Quick and simple dish.My pick when pantry goes empty and still time for shopping!

Spinach Gooseberry dal / palakura usiriga pappu

Preparation - 20mins
Serves - 4
Ingredients:
Gooseberry/ Usiriga - 10 (medium)
1 medium onion ( finely chopped)
500gms fresh spinach/palak
1 cup toor dal
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon whole jeera
2 pinches hing / asfoetida
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chillypowder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric 
4-5 dry red chillies
7-8 curry leaves
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
Method:

• Wash and pressure cook toor dal adding 2 cups of water and blend to a smooth paste.Keep aside.
• In a sauce pan warm oil,add mustard seeds.Once they splutter add turmeric,hing,jeera,curryleaves,dry red chillies.Fry for a minute.
• Meanwhile wash spinach well and blanch it in a cup of hot water for a minute or two.
• Chop each gooseberry into 4pieces and remove the seed from inside.Add these gooseberry pieces to the warm water and spinach.Keep aside.
• Saute finely chopped onions in the same pan till transparent.
• Drain water from spinach and save for later.
• Chop the seperated spinach and add it to onions along with gooseberry pieces.Fry it on low flame for a minute.
• Now add the warm water which were saved from blanching to the pan,mix well and close the lid for 2-3mintues.
• Sprinkle salt,chillypowder.Add the smooth dal paste to it and mix well evenly.
• Switch off the flame and serve hot with roti or rice.
• Simple and unique from the routene(tomato/tamarind) palak dal as gooseberry gives a very mild tangy taste and a different flavour.
• Try this recipe when you pick some gooseberries in the season which are very rich in vitamin C and also nutritious for healthy hair!

Stuffed Karela gravy

Preparation time:30 mins
Serves-4
Ingredients:
4 karela (bitter gourd)
3 big onions
1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
3 teasoons chilly powder
3 teaspoons tamarind paste
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 cup chopped coriander
7-8 curry leaves
250 ml sunflower oil (for frying)
Method:

1. Wash karela and cut off their ends on both sides.
2. Then cut each one into two equal halves.And with a spoon scrap out the seeds from inside and prepare it with no seeds and clear for the stuffing.
3. Now cut onions into big pieces and grind them along with chilly powder,salt,coriander and tamarind paste into a smooth mix.
4. With 2 sps of oil,fry mustard seeds,curry leaves and ginger garlic paste for a minute and add them to the onion mix.
5. Meanwhile take a deep broad sauce pan and warm remaining oil in it.
6. Take each half,shallow piece of bitter guard and fill it with the onion mix tightly.
   
7. Once filled,place each piece in the pan of hot oil.
   
8. Lower the heat and close it with a lid.
9. Wait for a minute and keep turning each piece around for every 2minutes till they become soft and cooked.
10. Put the remaining onion mix over them in oil and mix well.
11. Switch off the heat after 2minutes and close the lid for 5mins.This allows the remaining onion mix to get fried.Mix well.
12. Collect it in a bowl and drain if you feel any oil in excess.
    
13. Have it with hot plain rice.You will love it for sure.
14. It takes little time for preparation but worth it!

Brinjal ginger curry

Preparation time-20mins
Serves-4
Ingredients:
3 medium sized brinjal
20gms ginger
1 medium sized onion
4 green chillies
2 dry red chillies
1 pinch turmeric
1 sp urad dal
1 sp mustard seeds
5-7 curry leaves
2 pinches salt
5 sps sunflower oil
Method:

1. Wash and cut each brinjal into 8 pieces.Put them in water and keep aside.
2. Grind ginger,onion and chillies into a paste,adding salt to it.
3. Heat oil in a sauce pan.Allow mustard seeds to splutter.
4. Then add urad dal,crushed red chillies,turmeric,curry leaves and saute for a minute.
5. Add the ginger paste to it and mix it even for few seconds.
6. Now drain cut brinjal and add them to the pan and close it with a lid.Reduce the heat.
7. After 2-3mins,saute it and close the lid again.
8. Repeat this for every 2mins,until the brinjal becomes soft and well blend with the paste in the pan.
9. Switch off the heat and serve hot with plain rice.
10. Easy and spicy curry.Try it and enjoy.

Spicy beetroot fry

Preparation time - 25mins
Serves - 4
Ingredients :
Beetroot (boiled) - 2(medium sized)
Onion - 2(medium)
1 tablespoon besan/ dry chickpea powder
1tablespoon ginger garlic paste
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1 teaspoon red chilly powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 pinches turmeric
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
4 dry red chillies
7-8 curry leaves
1/4 cup chopped coriander
3 tablespoons sunflower oil
Method:

• Warm oil in a saucepan and add mustard seeds,turmeric,curry leaves and allow them to splutter.
• Chop onions finely and add to the pan.Fry till transparent.
• Add salt,ginger-garlic paste,chilly powder and saute for a minute.
• Cut beetroot(boiled) into equal cubes and add to the onions.Fry for 2minutes on low flame.
• Now sprinkle cinnamon powder and close the lid.
• After a minute add besan to the pan and mix gently and nice.So that beetroot pieces retain their shape.
• 3minutes on low flame with frequent sauting finishes the dish.Garnish with coriander.
• Serve hot with roti or rice.
• The natural sweetness of the beetroot is equalised with spice from cinnamon and chilly.Perfect and nutritious.Try and let me know!

Gobi / Cauliflower pickle

Preparation time - 10mins
Ingredients:
250 gms cauliflower/gobi
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
2 teaspoons fenugreek seeds(finely crushed into powder)
2 spoons jeera
3 lime squeezed into juice
1 tablespoon mustard oil
100 ml sunflower oil
4-5 dry red chillies
1 tablespoon turmeric powder
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons chilly powder
Method:

• Clean the gobi florets and dry with a clean white cloth.
• Allow them to dry for an hour on a wide tissue paper or cloth.Make sure no water exists and absolutely dry.
• In a dry,wide bowl mix salt,chilly powder,fenugreek powder,sunflower oil,lime juice,jeera into a smooth mix.
• Add dry gobi florets to the bowl and mix well.
• Warm mustard oil in a pan and saute mustard seeds,turmeric and slit dry red chillies for 1 minute.
• Collect the pickle in a clean,dry porcelain jar / glass jar.Add the seasoning.
• Store in a cool dry place for 24hours.
• Serve with roti or hot steaming rice and ghee.

Aanapakaya pesarapappu koora/ Bottle gourd moong fry

Preparation time - 20mins
Serves - 4
Ingredients :
Bottle gourd - 1 (medium sized)
Moong dal - 3 table spoons
Urad dal - 1 tea spoon
1 tea spoon mustard seeds
4 dry red chillies
7-8 curry leaves
8-10 slit green chillies
1 table spoon ginger garlic paste
1 tea spoon salt
3 pinches hing
2 tablespoons sesame seeds(finely ground powder)
1/4th spoon cup chopped coriander
3 table spoons sunflower oil

Procedure :

• Wash and soak moong dal in warm water for 20mins.
• Meanwhile peel the skin and chop bottle gourd into cubes(medium sized).Keep aside.
• In a deep sauce pan warm oil.Add hing,mustard seeds,urad dal,dry red chilles,slit green chillies,curry leaves,ginger-garlic paste and saute for 2mins till they splutter.
• Now add the bottle gourd pieces to the pan,mix well with the seasoning and close the lid for 3mins.Keep mixing in between,so that it wouldnot get burnt.
• Sprinkle the sesame powder,salt and drained moong dal to the pan.Mix well and close the lid for 2 more minutes.Moond should retain the shape.
• Check the pieces so that they are soft and cooked.When done,garnish with chooped coriander and serve hot with rice or even with roti.

Okra / Bendi in yogurt gravy / Bendakaya majjiga pulusu

Preparation time-20 mins
Serves-4
Ingredients:
300 gms Okra/Bendi
500 gms yogurts/curds
1 cup chopped tomato
1/2 cup grated fresh coconut
5 table spoons besan
1 tea spoon mustard seeds
1 tea spoon urad dal
1 tea spoon jeera
2 tea spoons crushed ginger
1/4th tea spoon salt
3 pinches hing
2 pinches turmeric
4 dry red chillies
4 green chillies
8 curry leaves
3 table spoons sunflower oil
Method:

1. Clean and dry bendi with a clean cloth and cut each into 3 pieces.
2. In a sauce pan heat oil and put mustard seeds,urad dal,jeera,turmeric,hing,green chillies,dry red chillies and curry leaves.Saute for a minute till flavors are released.
3. Meanwhile,take curds in a large bowl,add chopped tomato,grated coconut,salt and besan flour to it.
4. Mix it well adding a cup of water and without any lumps of besan left,into a smooth mix.Keep it aside.
   
5. Now add crushed ginger and bendi to seasoning in the sauce pan and fry for 2-3 minutes.
6. Put curds in the sauce pan and mix it along with the seasoning and lower the heat.
7. Keep it for 8 to10mins on low heat till cooked and raises up as milk when boiling.
8. Switch off the heat and garnish with coriander.
9. Goes well as a side dish for rice and even for roti.
10. Tastes good when curds are a bit tangy.So you can try doing this with the refridgerated left over curds from 2-3days.

Corn kichdi / Corn burji

Preparation time-20mins
Serves-2
Ingredients:
250 gms corn
2 medium onions
3-4 dry red chillies
4 green chillies

1/2 sp salt
1 sp mustard seeds
1 sp urad dal
1 sp jeera
5-7 curry leaves
1 spoon ginger garlic paste
A pinch of turmeric
1/4th spoon red chilly powder
1/4th cup chopped coriander
2 spoons lemon juice(optional)
3 sps sunflower oil
Method:

1. Seperate corn from the cob and grind it to a fine pasteadding little water.Keep it aside.
2. Cut onion into big pieces and grind it to a paste along with salt and green chillies.
3. Meanwhile heat oil in a sauce pan.
4. Put urad dal,mustard seeds,jeera.After they pop add turmeric,chilly powder,split red chillies,curry leaves and ginger-garlic paste.Fry for a minute.
   
5. Mix ground onion and corn in a wide bowl.
6. Spread the onion corn mix in sauce pan with seasoning and let it on a low heat for a minute undisturbed.
7. Now mix it slowly in low heat and keep on mixing till it gets completely fried for atleast 7-9mins.It should not stick to the pan.
8. Garnish with fine chopped coriander.Switch off the heat and add lemon juice.
   
9. Tastes great when served hot.Best alternative for routene rava kichdi.
10. You can even have this with roti as a side dish.Try!

Palak Chana / Spinach chick pea curry

Preparation time - 20 mins
Serves - 4
Ingredients:

• 1 cup cooked chickpeas
• 2 cups spinach puree/4 cups finely chopped spinach leaves
• 1 big onion.finely chopped
• 2 big tomatoes
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cloves
• 1/2 spoon chilly powder
• pinch of turmeric powder
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 4 green chillies (slit)
• 1/4 cup semi skimmed milk
• salt to taste
• 4-5 spoons sunflower oil

Procedure :

• In a wide pan warm 3 spoons of oil and saute cloves,bay leaf,cinnamon,fennel seeds,chopped onions for few minutes.
• Once onion gets transparent add salt,turmeric,chilly powder,ginger-garlic paste,green chillies and chopped tomato.Fry for 5 minutes.
• Add the chopped spinach/spinach puree to the pan and fry till it leaves the water and gets cooked.
• Now put the gravy mix in a plate and allow it to cool.Once cooled grind it into a smooth mix.
• Meanwhile warm the remaining oil in the same pan and saute the boiled chana for 2-3 minutes.
• Add the gravy mix to the pan.Add the milk and close the lid for 2mins.Switch off the heat.
• Garnish with deep fried garlic and coriander.Serve with roti or pilau.
  

Tomato garlic rasam / Tomato Chaaru

Preparation time-20mins
serves-4
Ingredients:
4 tomato
6-7 pods of garlic
1 sp mustard seeds
1 sp urad dal
1 sp jeera
2 spoons MTR rasam powder/home made rasam powder
4-5 curry leaves
1/4 cup chopped coriander
1 sp tamarind paste/2 spoons lemon juice
4 red chillies
2 green chillies
pinch of turmeric
3-4 pinches salt
2 spoons sunflower oil
Method:

1. In a deep sauce pan,heat oil and add mustard seeds,after they splutter add urad dal,turmeric,jeera and curry leaves.Fry for a min.
2. Then add split green and red chillies to it.Sim the heat.
   
3. Finely chop tomatoes and add to the pan and fry for a min.
4. Add salt,rasam powder and tamarind paste.Mix well.If you prefer lemon juice to tamarind paste,add lemon juice at the end after switching off the heat.
   
5. Now add 3 glasses of filter water.Allow it to boil for 5-7mins on low heat.
6. Take garlic pods and crush them with mortar and pestle.If you dont have mortar handy,you can use thick spoon to crush garlic on a plate applying pressure.
7. Add these crushed garlic pieces to the rasam and on flame allow it boil for 4-5mins,till it releases the aroma of garlic.
8. Switch off the heat and garnish with coriander.Serve hot with plain rice.
   
9. This is a healthy recipe for soothing bowels when you take a heavy meal.

Mixed dal fry

Preparation time-20mins
Serves-4
Ingredients:
1 cup toor dal
1 cup chana dal
1 big onion
4 garlic pods
6 dry red chillies
1 sp mustard seeds
1 sp urad dal
3 sps tamarind paste
6 curry leaves
2 pinches turmeric
3 pinches salt
pinch or hing
2 sps of butter/ghee
3 sps of sunflower oil
Method:

1. This is a little different way of how we cook toor dal regularly.Try this and let me know how good it is!
2. Wash toor dal and chana dal and put them in pressure cooker along with cut 4 dry red chillies,turmeric,crushed garlic pods.
3. Add 3 cups of water nd cook under pressure for 10mins/3 whistles.
4. I prefer doing this directly in a small dal cooker rather than in a vessel in cooker.
5. Meanwhile,prepare the seasoning with mustard seeds,urad dal,remaining dry red chillies and hing.
6. Now finely chop onion into small pieces and fry them in seasoning pan for 2mins until transparent.
7. Then add tamarind paste to the onions and lower the heat to minimum.Allow tamarind to lose its rawness in that pan for a minute.
   
8. When dal is cooked,blend it smooth adding salt to it with a paddle.This gives a pleasant colour and flavour with garlic,turmeric and chillies as cooked along with dal.
9. Now add the dal paste to the pan and mix evenly with onions.
10. In a different pan,warm ghee/butter and fry curry leaves for few seconds.
11. Add curry leaves with ghee to the mixed dal pan and switch off the heat.
12. This tastes yummy and simple to do as well.Enjoy with roti and also can have with plain steaming rice.

Ginger chutney / allam pacchadi

Preparation time-10mins
Serves-4
Ingredients: 
100 gms ginger
small lemon sized jaggery piece
2 spoons tamarind paste
4-5 curry leaves
2 spoons urad dal
1 spoon chana dal
1/2 spoon mustard seeds
1 garlic pod
5 dry red chillies
Salt to taste
1 pinch of turmeric powder
1 pinch hing/asafoetida
3 spoons sunflower oil
Procedure:

•  Fry half quantity of urad dal and chana dal,garlic in a spoon of oil and allow it to cool.
• Once cooled add these to the blender along with jaggery,tamarind paste,salt and chopped ginger.Blend it to a smooth chutney adding a spoon of water.
• Prepare seasoning by frying remaining urad dal,mustard seeds,dry red chillies,turmeric powder,hing,curryleaves in remaining oil.
• Add it to the chutney and serve it as a dip or side dish for idly,dosa,pesarattu or even with rice.

Brussel sprout onion fry

Preparation time-20mins
Serves-4
Ingredients:
20-25 brussel sprouts
2 medium sized onions
3 dry red chillies
2 sps jeera
2 pods garlic
3 pinches salt
pinch of turmeric
5 curry leaves
1/2 sp chilly powder
1 sp garam masala
1 tea spoon ghee
3 sps sunflower oil
Method:

1. Wash and cut each sprout into 2 halves.
2. Finely chop onions,crush garlic and red chillies.
3. Meanwhile in a sauce pan heat ghee,add jeera and curry leaves,allow them to pop.
4. Then put 2 sps of oil in the same pan and when hot,add turmeric,crushed chillies and garlic.
5. Add chopped onions.Sprinkle salt and saute for 2mins till light brown.
6. Now put chilly powder and garam masala in the pan and mix evenly.
7. Collect fried onion mix in a plate.
8. Add the remaining 1 sp oil to the pan and arrange flat side of each half of the sprout on the pan.
9. When done,now spread the fried onion mix over the sprouts and close the lid.
10. On low heat allow them to get brown for 2-3mins undisturbed.This helps sprouts to catch the flavour of masala and get cooked.
    
11. Then turn them around mixing with the masala on top.
12. Check for the sprout to be soft and cooked.
13. Serve hot with plain rice or roti.
14. Tastes very good.Try and let me know your comments please.

Raw banana fry

Preparation time-15mins
Serves-4
Ingredients:
2 raw banana
1 sp jeera
1 garlic pod finely chopped
3 pinches salt
3 pinches red chilly powder
5-7 curry leaves
2 spoons finely chopped coriander
4 sps sunflower oil
Method:

1. First take a bowl of water and keep them handy.
2. Apply 2 drops of sunflower oil to your palms and then peel off the banana skin with peeler.
3. Oil prevents banana sticking to hand and thus ease of handling.
4. When peeled,now cut each banana into equal circles approximately and drop them in bowl of water to keep the color unchanged.Otherwise they turn little dark.
5. Meanwhile heat oil in a sauce pan and saute jeera,chopped garlic and curry leaves.
6. When oil is hot,put drained banana pieces and allow them to fry on low heat.
7. Keep tossing them for 2-3 mins and now add salt and chilly powder.
8. Check when the outer surface turns golden brown and inner piece is soft and cooked.
9. Turn off the heat and serve hot with hot plain rice.Garnish with coriander.
10. Simple and easy!try and let me know different ways you do.
    

Alu Korma / Potato Korma

Ingredients:
6 medium sized alu(boiled)
2 onions
1 cup chopped tomatoes
2 cinnamon small sticks

3 pods garlic
4 green chillies
1/2 cup chopped coriander
10 cashew nuts
2 cloves
2 sps salt
2 spoons dessicated coconut
1 cup coconut milk
1 sp red chilly powder
1 sp garam masala powder
5 sps sunflower oil
3 sps butter
Method:

1. Boil alu deskin and cut them into four pieces each.
2. Finely chop onion,garlic and green chillies.
3. Warm oil.Fry onion,garlic,green chillies,tomato and cinnamon sticks and cloves.Allow it to cool for 5mins.
4. Grind the cooked tomato-onion mix adding salt and cashew nuts.
5. Put oil in the pan and saute slit green chillies,chilly powder,garam masala for a minute and then add the ground tomato mix.
6. Sim the heat,add alu pieces and mix them even with the gravy.
7. Now pour coconut milk and add dessicated coconut to the gravy and close the lid for 2-3mins.
8. Warm butter and roast 3-5 cashews and add it to the kurma and switch off the heat.
9. Garnish with coriander.Tastes yummy.Goes well with paratha,roti and fried rice too.My favourite party time dish.Give a try and let me know your way...

Brinjal/Eggplant chutney

Ingredients:
brinjal-4 small
onions-1(medium sized)
green chillies-7
tamarind paste -1spn
garlic-2 to 3 pods
1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander
salt to taste
mustard seeds-1spn
urad dal-2 spns
dry red chillies-3 to 4
3 sps sunflower oil
Procedure:
1.Heat 2 sps oil in a sauce pan and add chopped onion,allow to fry till golden brown
2.Add sliced brinjal and stir fry for 10-15min(till brinjal softens,do not over fry)
3.Keep it aside and allow to cool for 5min.
4.Then add salt,green chillies(slit),tamarind paste to the fried contents.
5.Grind all the contents to a paste(fine or medium consistency as desired)
6.For seasoning,put 1 sp oil in a saucepan and add mustard seeds,urad dal and red chillies .
7.Then add garlic(crushed) to the seasoning in the end and mix well with the brinjal onion paste.
8.Garnish with coriander.
9.Tastes good with tiffins and even hot plain rice.

Stuffed Capsicum-Aloo

Preparation time-30mins
Serves-4
Ingredients:
2 Capsicum(medium sized)
2 aloo(medium sized)
2 small onion
4 green chillies
4 dry red chillies
4 curry leaves
1 sp whole jeera
1 sp dhania powder
1 sp chilly powder
1 sp salt
1 sp butter/ghee
5 sps sunflower oil
Method:

1. Finely chop onions and potato into small cubes.
2. Take a deep sauce pan and warm sunflower oil.
3. Then put jeera,red chillies,slit green chillies and curry leaves and fry them for a minute.
4. Add onions to the pan and sprinkle salt.Fry them for 2mins till transparent.
5. Add potato cubes to it and allow them to cook by closing the lid on low heat for 5mins.
6. Mix them adding chilly powder and dhania powder and close the lid for 5 more mins on low heat.
7. Meanwhile cut the stalk of the capsicum like a cap.So, that you can fill the prepared aloo stuff in the hollow part of the capsicum.
8. Now,take a pinch of salt and apply on the inner surface of each capsicum with your finger.
9. Same time apply ghee on the outer surface of each capsicum and now stuff it with the aloo and onion curry.
10. When done,place the stuffed capsicum in preheated oven for 15mins.
11. Or you can even keep them in a deep sauce pan with 2sps of ghee for 15-20mins on medium heat.
12. Check the capsicum is soft and ready to serve.
13. Tastes great with roti or you can have it with rice and even with pasta.
14. My choice for weekend meets which makes my dish look special.
15. Try and leave me your tips.

Radish Sambar

Preparation time-20 mins
Serves-4
Ingredients:
1 cup toor dal
500 gms radish
2 onions
2 sps tamarind paste
2 sps MTR sambar powder
3 green chillies & 2 red chillies
1 sp urad dal
1 sp mustard seeds
4 pods of garlic; 8 curry leaves
pinch of hing and a pinch of turmeric
4-5 pinches salt
1/2 sp chilly powder
coriander to garnish
3 sps sunflower oil
Method:

1. Soak toor dal for 10mins in water and then cook it under pressure for 3 whistles.
2. Allow it to cool and then blend the cooked dal into fine paste adding salt to it.
3. Meanwhile in a deep sauce pan,heat 2 glasses of filter water mixing tamarind paste in it.
4. Chop radish into thin circles,I would like to chop the bunch leaves as well.This gives a different taste to it.
5. Now cut onions into medium pieces (not fine).Add radish,radish leaves(if you like)and onion to the boiling tamarind water.Add sambar powder now.Close the lid and allow them to cook for 5-7mins.
6. Add blended dal to this pan after the radish pieces are soft.
7. Put turmeric,chilly powder,slit green chillies,chopped garlic in it and close the lid and allow it to boil for 5mins on low flame.
8. Prepare seasoning in a different pan by heating oil,mustards seeds spluttering then add urad dal,red chillies,hing and curry leaves.
9. Add seasoning to prepared sambar.Garnish with coriander.
10. Tasty and soupy dish.You will surely like it when had with rice.My family enjoys papad with sambar.This serves as a dip even for dosa and idly.

Dal Palak/Palakura Pappu

Ingredients :
1 cup washed toor dal
500gms Spinach leaves
1 tomato (finely chopped)
1 big onion (finely chopped)
3 garlic pods finely chopped
1 tea spoon red chilly powder
1/2 tea spoon turmeric powder
2 table spoon of tamarind juice
2 table spoon oil
1/2 tea spoon mustard seeds
1/2 tea spoon urad dal
1/2 tea spoon jeera
5-7 curry leaves
pinch of hing (asafoetida)
2 green chillies,4 dry red chillies

Method :
1)Pressure cook toor dal for 3whistles and let it cool.
2)Blanch washed spinach leaves in hot water for 15mins.
3)Warm oil in a pan and add mustard seeds,urad dal,dry red chilles,curry leaves and hing.
4)Once they pop fry onion and tomato adding salt,turmeric powder,chilly powder and chopped garlic.
5)Add the drained spinach leaves after chopping them to the same pan and mix evenly.
6)Add tamarind juice,slit green chillies and close the lid for 5mins till the spinach gets cooked well.
7)Now blend the cooked dal in to a smooth paste with a spoon and add it to the pan.
8)Mix all the ingredients well and serve hot.
9)Very proteinaceous side dish with chapati or rice.