Suruchi » Side Dishes

Green beans Curry- with yogurt and poppy seeds

RH — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 16:11:06 +0000

I found this great cookbook on vegetarian recipes in the library. Its called ‘The Art of Vegetarian cooking‘ by Yamuna Devi. I find most of the recipes very interesting and delicious and very different from normal, everyday, mundane stuff. None of the recipes contain onions, garlic or eggs plus are not smothered in heavy cream. Written by a person who was not born in India, but spent a considerable amount of time there learning the intricacies of the Indian cusine and mastering it. Hats off to her!!

One of the first recipes I tries form the book was a green beans curry, cooked in a poppy- yogurt sauce. It was so good, that it got me hooked to the book. The recipe calls for some nutmeg powder, which I the ultra conservative would never have dreamed of adding to anything that was not sweet. Boy! How wrong I was…..

Ingredients-

1. Green beans- about 1 lb, washed and broken into 2 inch pieces

2. Poppy seeds( khus khus)- 3 TBsp, powdered

3. Green chilies- 4 to 5

4. Ginger- 1/2 inch

5. Cumin seeds- 1/2 Tsp

6. Coriander leaves- 4 sprigs

5. Yogurt- 3/4 cup

6. Cooking oil- 3 Tbsp

7. Curry leaves- a sprig

8. Nutmeg powder- 1/4 Tsp( preferably fresh)

9. Salt to taste

Method-

Steam the cut beans till they are just done. Grind together the yogurt, poppy seeds powder, green chilies, cumin, ginger and coriander leaves. Mix the paste well with the cooked green beans.

In a kadhai, heat the oil and add the curry leaves. After a few seconds, add the green beans, salt and nutmeg powder. Stir well, and cook without covering till the liquid almost dries up. Serve with hot phulkas or any kind of roti.

Posted in Side Dishes

Green Tomato Palya

RH — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 13:00:27 +0000

Tomatoes need no introduction at all. They are absolutely one of those essential vegetables in the kitchen, that can be used to cook up something, when there are no other veggies in the fridge. Sometimes we get green, unripe tomatoes at the grocery store. They make a very delicious curry, sambhar or pickle. They are sour and a little sweetish.

This recipe is for an easy curry made from unripe tomatoes. It goes great with any kind of chapathi or paratha.

Ingredients-

1. Green Tomatoes- 5 to 6, chopped up

2. Vangibhath powder- 1 1/2 Tsp

3. Jaggery powder- 1/2 Tsp

4. Dry coconut- 2 Tsp

5. Turmeric powder- 1/4 Tsp

6. Curry leaves- 4/5

7. Channa dal- 1 Tsp

8. Urad dal- 1 Tsp

9. Mustard seed- 1/2 Tsp

10. Asafetida- a pinch

11. Salt to taste

12. Oil- 1 Tbsp

Method-

Make a tempering of mustard seeds, channa dal, urad dal, asafetida and curry leaves in a pan. Add the chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder and salt. Mix well, cover and let it cook. The tomatoes contain a lot of water, which they release while cooking, so there is no need to add any extra. In the meanwhile, grind the vangibhath powder, dry coconut and jaggery powder in a mixer and keep aside. Add the powder to the cooked tomatoes and let it simmer for a minute or two, before taking off the heat.

Ennegai badanekaayi

RH — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 01:28:50 +0000

Jowar is a staple crop of the North Karnataka region, called ‘JoLa’ in Kannada. The rotti’s made from the flour is the daily food of most people from that region. It is a very popular regional specialty served in hotels all around Karnataka. Any local who has travelled on the Mysore- Bangalore Highway must have stopped over at the Kamat Lokaruchi Hotel to enjoy the soft, hot rotti’s served with spicy Ennegai palya and other north Karnataka side dishes, in a traditional manner on a Banana leaf. North Karnataka food is nowadays a rage in Bangalore. It is such a popular cuisine that Kamat has quite a few branches around Bangalore now. It has also become a great home industry, like ‘Sanjaya’s store’ in Thyagarajanagar, which operates out of a small garage. This store is so popular that the food gets sold out in no time, and sometimes needs advance booking, for some dishes like ‘Bele Holige’.

I can close my eyes and almost feel the taste of hot Jolad rotti topped with some ghee, and the most yummy ennegai at the new Kamath in Basavanagudi, with live classical music playing in the background and a cool breeze. Oh how I miss Bangalore.

‘Ennegai’ is a general kannada word, which translates to ‘vegetable cooked in oil’. The more famous vegetable used is brinjal, which is known as ‘badanekaayi’ in Kannada . It is a classic combination with Jowar rotti, but can also eaten with other roti’s like chapathi or Akki Rotti.

Ingredients for the Ennegai Palya-

1. Small Brinjals- 10 to 12

2. Onion- 1 Large chopped finely

3. Tomato- 2 chopped finely

4. Oil- 5 Tbsp

Grind the following ingredients to a fine paste with very little water-

1. Fresh Coconut- 2 Tbsp

2. Garam Masala Powder- 1 tsp

3. Seasame-1 Tbsp

4. Cinnamon- 2 inch stick

5. Tamarind- 1/2 Tsp Paste

6. Coriander Jeera Powder- 1/2 Tsp

7. Red Chilli Powder- 1/2 Tsp

8. Turmeric powder- 1/4 Tsp

9. Onion- 1/4 of the chopped onion

10. Fresh ginger- 1 inch piece

10. Salt- to taste

Method-

Keeping the stem intact, slit the brinjals perpendicularly into 4 pieces, taking care that the brinjal does not fall apart. Fill the brinjals with the half the freshly ground paste. The brinjals can cook faster and with less oil, if they are drizzled with a little oil and cooked in the microwave on high for 5 minutes.

Heat the remaining oil in a thick bottom pan. Saute the onions till they are translucent, add the chopped tomatoes, and the remaining paste. Stir the mixture, till the oil starts floating. Add the half done brinjals, cook till completely done, by covering the pan. Enjoy with any hot rotti, and some spicy chutney Pudi.

Serving Suggestions-

Matvadi/Maatodi Palya

RH — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 13:35:16 +0000

Whats in a name? I was not sure of which pronunciation is regarded as correct, because in our house it is called Matvadi Palya, and at my In laws its called Maatodi Palya.

‘Palya’ is the kannada word for a cooked side dish or accompaniment.

Matvadi palya is made with Channa daal, and either Methi( Menthya soppu) or with cluster beans( gori kaayi in kannada). I am not aware of any other vegetable that may be used, though it would be fun to experiment.

The recipe is as follows-

Ingredients-

Methi- 1 big bunch, washed throughly and chopped roughly

Channa Daal- 1 Cup soaked in water for an hour

Fresh grated Coconut- 2 Tbsp

Red Chilies- 4 to 6

Jeera/Cumin- 1 Tsp

Asafetida- 1/8 Tsp

Mustard Seeds- 1/2 Tsp

Curry leaves- 5 to 6 leaves

Turmeric Powder- 1/4 Tsp

Salt- to taste

Oil- 3 Tbsp

Lemon Juice- from 1/2 a lemon

Method-

Grind the Channa Daal, coconut, chilies, jeera, and some asafetida in a blender to make a course paste. Heat the oil in a kadai. Add the mustard seeds. Add the asafetida when the mustard stops spluttering. Add the curry leaves, and the chopped methi leaves. Saute the methi leaves till they wilt completely and the oil starts separating. Add the salt and the turmeric powder. Add the channa daal paste and stir continuously till the daal is completely cooked, and starts drying out, and forms small clumps. Turn off the heat and add the lemon juice. Matvadi Palya is ready to be served.

If using Cluster beans, chop into small pieces. Cook in water, till completely done. Follow the same procedure as above, except, saute the cooked beans in oil for a minute or two, and then add the channa daal paste. The rest is exactly as above.

Serving Suggestion-

Soppina muddhi palya- Spinach curry

RH — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 15:14:57 +0000

‘Soppu’ is the kannada word for green leaf vegetables. There are many different varieties of greens, like Menthya(fenugreek), sabasige(Dill), palak(Spinach), pudina(Mint), etc, used in making innumerable numbers of dishes. One of the popular varieties in Bangalore is the Dantina soppu or Green Amaranthus. The pictures can be seen here http://www.missouriplants.com/Greenalt/Amaranthus_spinosus_page.html

The young stems and green leaves of the plant are used for making delicious sambhar and curry (Palya in Kannada). It is very nutritious, with high iron content, and is said to be an excellent food for people who are anemic. It is a great food for pregnant women.

This recipe is for a curry made using the Dantina soppu. I usually substitute palak for this, since Dantu is not easy to find in Grocery stores here. This dish goes great with hot rice and ghee.

Ingredients (To serve 4)-

Amaranthus or Palak- 1 large bunch, finely shredded

Green Chilies-2 or 3

Toor Dal- ½ cup

Peanuts- a fist full

Tamarind- ½ Tspn paste or a small lemon sized ball soaked in water

Jaggery or sugar- ½ Tspn

Vangibhath powder (Any store bought brand) – 1 Tspn

Sambhar powder (Any store bought brand) – 1 Tspn

Jeera- ½ Tspn

Fenugreek seeds- ½ Tspn

Fresh Coconut- 1 Tbspn

Curry leaves- 1 sprig

Mustard Seeds- ½ Tspn

Asafetida- a pinch or two

Oil/Ghee for Tempering

Salt- To taste

Method-

Dry roast the jeera and the fenugreek seeds. Add these to the greens. Pressure cook the greens, toor dal, peanuts, green chilies, jeera and fenugreek seeds with a little oil, turmeric, and some salt, for 2 whistles. Do not add too much water. The peanuts should also be cooked.

To the cooked mixture, add the tamarind, the vangibhath powder, sambhar powder, jaggery, and the coconut. Heat the oil in a small hand held kadai, add the mustard seeds, after they stop spluttering, add the asafetida, and the curry leaves. Add the tempering to the Curry and check for seasoning.

Avarekaalu Melogra

RH — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 11:58:58 +0000

Avarekaayi (lilva beans) is a great favorite of the old Mysore region. It is so popular that it even has an annual mela dedicated to it, showcasing the various delicacies that can be prepared from it. If anyone has plans of visiting next year, this article should have some details- http://www.hindu.com/2008/01/12/stories/2008011260861100.htm

Avarekaalu, itself is used to make anything from delicious sambhar, Akki (Rice)Rotti ,idlis, dosas , fried snacks (Ambode,Masala Vade) or even sweets like payasa( which I have never tasted , by the way). It is also used by soaking the beans in water for a few hours, and squeezing off the outer fibrous skin. This process is called ‘hithkodu’ in Kannada. This resulting seed is called ‘Hitakavarebele’. Though the process is tedious, the outcome is very rewarding.

Here in the US, we get the frozen beans at any season of the year. It is very convenient, since the seeds do not need to soak in water for very long, before removing the skin.

This is a recipe for Avarebele thovve, or melogra, it goes great with hot rice and ghee or as a side dish for Chapathi.

Ingredients (to serve 4)-

Avarekaalu- 2 cups or one packet frozen

Valore beans/Chapparada avarekaayi – 10 to 15, also called Hyacinth beans in English

Curry leaves- 1 sprig

Tamarind- ½ Tspn of paste or a lemon sized ball soaked in water

Mustard seeds- 1 Tspn

Asafetida- a pinch

Turmeric Powder- ¼ Tspn

Oil- 1 Tbspn

Salt- to taste

Dry roast the following ingredients and grind into a fine powder-

Urad dal- 1 Tbspn

Jeera-1/2 Tspn

Peppercorns- 8 to 10

Coriander seeds- 1 Tbspn

Khus khus- 2 Tspns

Red chilies- 5 to 8 depending on the spiciness

Dry or deccicated coconut grated- 2 Tbspns

Asafetida- a pinch

Method-

Soak the avarekaalu in water for an hour and remove the skin by pressing between the thumb and the middle of the forefinger. Break the valore beans into 2 inch pieces.

Cook both the beans, adding a little oil, turmeric and salt. After the beans are cooked, add the tamarind, and the melogra powder, and simmer for a few minutes. Make the oggarane by heating oil or ghee in a small hand kadai, add the mustard seeds, when they stop spluttering add the asafetida and the curry leaves. Add to the melogra. Check for seasoning.

Potato Saagu or Bombay Saagu

RH — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 17:28:37 +0000

Saagu is a type of semi-solid curry accompaniment with any type of chapathi, roti or dose. Saagu can be made in different ways with different ingredients. This recipe is for the potato Saagu, the picture of which I have included with the set dose.

Ingredients (to serve 4)-

Potatoes- 4 medium sized boiled, peeled and crushed (not mashed up)

Onion- 1 medium chopped

Tomato- 1 chopped

Green Chilies- 2 to 3

Ginger- 1 inch piece grated

Curry Leaves- 1 Sprig

Urad dal- 2 Tspn

Channa dal- 2 Tspn

Mustard seeds- 1 Tspn

Jeera(Cumin)- 1 Tspn

Turmeric powder- ½ Tspn

Fresh Coriander leaves- 2 sprigs finely chopped

Lemon juice- from ½ a lemon

Salt- to taste

Oil- 2 Tbspns

Grind the following into a very fine powder to make a Saagu masala-

Coriander seeds- 1 Tbspn

Red Chilies- 4 to 5 depending on the spiciness

Asafetida- 2 pinch

Sugar- 1 Tspn

Method-

Heat the oil in a thick bottomed open pan. Add the mustard seeds. When the mustard stops spluttering add the jeera, channa dal and urad dal. As the dal start getting brown, add the grated ginger, green chilies and the curry leaves and sauté for a few seconds. Add the chopped onions and sauté till they become translucent. Add the chopped tomatoes and the turmeric, saagu masala powder and salt and 2 cups of water. Cover and cook till the tomatoes become soft. Add the potatoes. Check for seasoning. Turn off the heat and add the lemon juice and garnish with the coriander leaves. Serve hot.

Potato saagu is ready to be savored with some dose, or chapathis.