Kobbarikaya Mamidikaya Pachadi(Coconut & Raw Mango Chutney)

In India, Andhra Pradesh cuisine is very famous for it's pickles and chutneys.We Andhrites make chutney out of almost every vegetable that is handy.We even use the skin of some vegetables to make chutneys.All the chutneys made are very tasty,nutritious and healthy.

Today I am going to make a chutney with raw mango and coconut as the main ingredients.This chutney is tangy and sweet.The sourness of the mango and the sweetness of the coconut make a perfect blend and results in a very tasty mango-coconut chutney.

Let's see how this simple chutney is made.

Main Ingredients :
------------------
Coconut....................1cup(grated)
Mango......................1cup(cubed)
Green Chillies............4
Warm Water.............1tbsp
Turmeric....................1/2tsp
Salt............................to taste

Seasoning Ingredients :
------------------------
Whole Red Chilly...........1(2 halves)
Chana Daal....................1tsp
Urad Daal......................1tsp
Mustard Seeds...............1tsp
Cumin Seeds..................1tsp
Methi Seeds...................1/4tsp
Asafoetida......................1/4tsp
Olive Oil.........................1tbsp

Preparation :
.....................

In a blender/grinder/mini processor add the mango pieces,grated coconut(fresh/frozen),greenchillies,turmeric,
salt and try to grind it.If it is hard for the blades to move add little warm water and grind it well.

Now place a pan on the stove(medium heat) add oil and wait till the oil heats up.

Once the oil is hot add mustard seeds,chana daal,urad daal,cumin seeds,methi seeds,asafoetida,red clilly in the order mentioned and once they are well done switch off the stove.

Add the seasoning to the coconut-mango mix in the blender jar and pulse the grinder couple of times so that the seasoning blends in well.

Ta Da ! The yummy coconut-mango chutney is ready to be served with hot rice,idli,dosa,rotis,chapathis and also can be spread on a bread toast.

Note :
--------
1)Use only fresh or frozen coconut.Do not use dry coconut because it will give oily flavor to the chutney.

2)It would be good if the mango is sour, if it is not sour add 2tsps of lemon juice while blending.

3)If you like to add garlic to this chutney you can add 2 cloves to the seasoning and grind it.

4)You may also use chilli powder instead of red chillies to the seasoning.If you are using chilli powder add it to the seasoning pan after all the seasoning is done and stove is switched off.

5)You can also add curry leaves to the seasoning too.Some may like to add fresh cilantro to the coconut-mango mix in the grinder and grind it.

Mamidikaaya Menthi Baddalu(Quick Raw Mango Pickle)

This is a very simple and easy to make recipe.Back in India every spring when the mangoes are just available in the grocery store my mother always made the first pickle of the year with these spring mangoes.They are fresh bright green and sour.Here in the US of A we get mangoes (almost) throughout the year.The mangoes here are not very sour most of the time.But today I could get a mango that was sour enough to make this  yummy pickle.

This recipe of mango gets its name as "Menthi Baddalu" meaning methi flavored pieces.Methi powder used in this recipe gives a nice flavor to this pickle.Let us get into the details of the recipe-------------

Main Ingredients :
-------------------
Raw/Green Mango..............1(small)
Paprika Chilli Powder..........1/2 cup
Canola Oil...........................1/2cup
Mustard Powder..................1tsp
Methi Powder......................1tsp
Asafoetida/Hing....................1/2 tsp
Salt.......................................to taste

Preparation :
--------------

Peel the skin off the mango and cut it into small cubes(approx.2cups).

Now take a pan and pour the oil in it and place the pan on the stove and heat the oil till it reaches smoking point . Now add the asafoetida/hing to the very hot oil and switch off the stove.

When the oil temperature comes down a bit(it should still be little hot) add the chilli powder to the hing oil.

Meanwhile get the Methi/Mustard powder ready.Add 1tsp of methi seeds and 1tsp of mustard seeds to a pan and dry roast them on medium heat till they are done.Let the seeds cool down and then grind it into a fine powder.Methi/Mustard powder is ready.

Now the oil with hing and chilli powder is cooled down.Add the mango pieces,and methi/mustard powder to the oil and mix it.

Now add the required amount of salt(I used 3tsps salt) to the mango , spice, oil blend and mix it well.The pickle is all done.

This pickle tastes good when served as a side dish with daal rice or can be served with parathas.It can be eaten with hot rice and also as a condiment for yogurt rice.

Note :
--------
1) If the mango is not sour you can add 2tsps of lemon juice to the pickle.If you add lemon juice better store the pickle in the refrigerator as it might spoil if it is kept out.

2)If lemon juice is not added you can store the pickle in a bottle without refrigeration.This pickle has 15 days of shelf-life.

3)I used paprika chilli powder here so it's not spicy.If you are using a spicy/hot chilli powder adjust the amount of chilli powder accordingly.

4)I used less oil in the recipe as by next day salt with the spice in the pickle will leave out some liquid and it will rise the level of oil.

5)It can be served immediately too but you will feel the taste of all the spices separately.If this pickle is served next day then all the spices,salt and oil will nicely blend with the sourness of the mango and give more taste.

 Try this bright and colorful recipe and let me know your comments.

Benefits :
----------
1)Fenugreek/Methi seeds have an important place in Indian cuisine.It is used for various medicinal purposes and is highly recommended for diabetic and hypertension patients

2)Fenugreek is very useful for women who are lactating.

3)While making dosa batter we add a teaspoon of soaked methi seeds and grind it so that when we make dosa it gives a nice golden color to the dosa.

4)It is also suggested that methi seeds when soaked in yogurt before night and made a paste the next day and applied to the hair helps relieve dandruff.

5)When you add a teaspoon of roasted methi powder to a glass of buttermilk and drink , it helps with digestion.

These are just a few uses of the fenugreek that I mentioned.Well everything used in moderation is always good for health.

I am sending in this recipe to Cooking with Seeds : Fenugreek event guest hosted by SE of Denufoods and founded by Priya of Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes.

Bhendi Masala(Okra with Spices)

Indian Cuisine always has a special place in the International Arena.Every region in India has it's own culinary blends for every recipe made.Infact every household has a unique way to make a dish with very simple ,as well as exotic spices.Indian vegetarian cooking in particular is very appealing,colorful ,tasty and exotic.

Today I am going to use Ginger,Garlic,Turmeric,Paprika and also a  blend of aromatic spices(Garam Masala) in my preparation of the okra.Okra is a very healthy,nutrtious,fibre rich vegetable and grows well in warmer climates and is even a drought resistant plant.This is a famous North-Indian dish which is very colorful and tasty.It is a highly preffered dish ordered by the customers in the Indian Restaurants in combination with Roti/Naan/Fried Rice.

Now let's get into the recipe details:

-------------------------------------

I always keep some frozen vegetables handy so that when I am short of time or I run out of fresh vegetables these frozen veggies save my day.Today I am making a quick and easy Bhendi Masala.Today I used frozen okra/bhendi/bendakaya/lady-finger in this dish.This is a pretty simple dish to make with a blend of aromatic spices.Let's get started.........

Main Ingredients :
-------------------
Okra/Bhendi...............1.5lb(frozen)
Onion.........................1(big)
Tomatoes...................2(medium)
Lemon Juice...............2 tsp

Seasoning Ingredients :
-----------------------
Canola Oil..........................1tbsp
Cumin Seeds..................... 1tsp
Turmeric.............................1tsp
Ginger................................1inch
Garlic.................................2(cloves)
GaramMasala Powder........2tsp
Chilli Powder......................2tsp(paprika)
Salt....................................to taste

Garnish :
----------
Cilantro..............................few leaves

Preparation :
--------------
Place a cooking pan on the stove and add 1tbsp of oil to it and turn the stove on high heat(because we are going to add frozen okra and we do not want the temperature of the oil to go down) .

Once the oil is heated up add cumin seeds and then the frozen okra/bhendi to the hot oil and give it a nice stir so that the oil is coated to the okra and continue to cook on high heat for few minutes.

Slowly the okra/bhendi softens and starts to get sticky.Now add the lemon juice to it and give a stir and cover the pan with a lid.Lemon juice gets rid of the stickiness of the okra.

While the okra is cooking ,take the onion and cut it into big chunks.Now reduce the heat to medium-high.Remove the lid from the pan and add the onion chunks and turmeric to the okra and stir it well.

Meanwhile get the mortar and pestle and make a chunky paste of the ginger & garlic and add this paste to the pan of okra .Also add some salt to this ginger-garlic paste & add in the chilly powder and give a nice stir to the vegetables in the pan and continue cooking.

Meanwhile let us cut the tomatoes into big chunks and add them to the pan of okra.Also add the garam-masala & salt as needed(remember that we already added salt to the ginger garlic paste).Give a quick stir to the vegetables and let cook for few more minutes and turn off the stove.It's ready to serve.

Simple & easy to make , hearty & nutritious to taste.This dish goes well with hot jeera rice , peas rice , plain rice , rotis and naans.

Note :
--------

1)Fresh vegetables are always good but sometimes frozen vegetables are also a good option.

2)I use McCormick Paprika chilli powder.It's not at all spicy but gives a good color to the dish.If you are using very spicy chilly powder adjust the chilli powder in the recipe according to your taste.

3)I always use fresh ginger-garlic paste in my cooking ,you can use store bought paste too.

4)I use home made garam-masala powder you can use store bought powder too.

5)Garam Masala Powder is an aromatic blend of various spices like cinnamon,cloves,cardamom,coriander seeds,cumin,nutmeg,poppy seeds,bay leaves and few more.These spices are roasted and ground into a powder which gives a very unique aroma to every dish in which it is used.

6)All these herbs and spices used here give great benefits to the body by promoting good digestion and also the Garam Masala powder and Ginger-Garlic when used in cooking during Winter Season help the body to stay warm.In Summer it is better to use these spices in moderation.

Truth/Myth :

-------------

When we were little if any little kid said 'no' to eating the okra/bhendi curry ,elders in the family used to say that eating the okra helps us improve our mathematical skills.

I am sending this recipe to  Susan(The Well-Seasoned Cook) who is guest hosting the Haalo's Weekend Herb Blogging(WHB #223)  the long-running weekly food blogging event, founded by Kalyn over four years ago.

Quinoa-Moong Daal Dosa(Oil-Free Quinoa Pesarattu)

This is one more heart healthy and protein rich dish.Very quick and easy to make ,very tasty and nutritious to eat.Ok let's see what ingredients we need to make this dosa--------

Main Ingredients :

-------------------

Quinoa Grains..................2cups

Moong Daal.....................1cup

Water...............................3cups

Flavor Ingredients :

--------------------

Ginger............................2inches

GreenChillies..................6(small)

Salt................................to taste

First we need to rinse the quinoa grains and  moong daal well and soak in separate bowls for 1 hour.

After an hour place the soaked quinoa in the food processor/blender/mixie and grind quinoa,1 inch ginger and 3 chillies with required salt to a nice paste with water and take it into a bowl.

Now add the soaked moong ,1 inch ginger and 3 chillies with required salt  and water and grind that into a smooth batter and add it to the quinoa batter.Mix the 2 batters in the bowl very well so that the flavor is unique.If the batter is thick we can add some water to it.

Now place a griddle on the stove and heat it up and once it is ready add 2 ladles of batter to it and spread into a dosa.Make sure that the dosa is well done on both the sides.

Once done take it into a plate and serve it with dalia chutney or ginger chutney or peanut chutney or sambar.The choice is yours.

Make this protein rich dosa pretty soon and let me know what you think.

Note :

--------

1)One important thing to do is you need to rinse the quinoa very well before you soak or cook as this grain tends to have some bitterness on the outer skin.If you don't rinse it would taste bitter.

2)I did not use any oil in this dosa.We don't need to.If you want you may use oil.

3)You can eat this dosa just by itself as it has flavors of ginger and chilli.

4)Eating the quinoa pesarattu when it is hot makes it more tasty.

This goes to CF-WG : Quinoa Event hosted by Priya Mitharwal.

I am sending this Quinoa-Moong Daal Dosa(Oil Free Quinoa Pesarattu) to JIHVA-Breakfast event being guest hosted by Suma of Veggie Platter which was originally founded by Indira of Mahanandi.

Apple-Banana-Chocolate----Honey------Walnut-Yogurt-Cake(Eggless)

I have been planning to do this cake for a long time and finally I did it.This is the recipe I came up with....What is this?The name looks like the representation of an alphabet chart. Right ?Well ,A for Apple and B for Banana are really fruits of health and the first fruits kids enjoy from the time they start to eat.So I thought I should start my dessert section with kids in mind even the youngest ones.Also when we think of cake it sounds like a pile of carbs.We can try to reduce that and make it better and healthy.The thought of cake makes us think that it must be made of egg.You are wrong.This is an eggless cake. 

Enough talking , let's get into baking this lovely,kid friendly and health friendly cake.This is how it goes

"A B C-----------Z--this is the cake I would like to eat , mommy won't you make it for me"(sing it like an alphabet song).

Dry Ingredients :

-----------------

Baking Soda....................2tsp

Baking Powder................2tsp
Sugar..............................1/2cup
Wheat Flour....................2cups

Wet Ingredients :

-------------------

Apple Sauce....................1 (4oz cinnamon flavor)

Banana Mashed...............1(very ripe)

Canola Oil.......................1cup

Honey.............................1/3cup

Milk................................1/3cup

Vanilla Essence...............2tsp(pure)

Yogurt............................2cups

I call the following ingredients as Enrichment Ingredients because these both ingredients enrich the flavor of the cake---- as chocolate chips are for the sweet tooth as well as for good health and the walnuts are for the healthy brain and heart(everything in moderation is healthy). 

Enrichment Ingredients :

-------------------------

Chocolate Chips..............1/3cup

Walnuts...........................1/3cup

Preparation :

-------------

First , Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

While the oven is preheating, take a large bowl and sift 2cups of wheat flour , baking soda and baking powder together.

In an other bowl take all the wet ingredients and whisk them all together with a hand-mixer.Now add the sugar and whisk it well till they all blend well.

Now add the whisked wet ingredients to the sifted dry ingredients and mix it well with the hand-mixer and make a nice batter.Now add the chocolate chips and walnuts to the cake batter and fold them in nicely.

While you are you can take help of your kids in getting the baking pan ready.I used muffin pan and a loaf pan to bake.So my 3yr old helped me by lining up the muffin tin with paper cupcake liners and my 6yr old helped by lining the loaf pan with a parchment sheet .

Once my cake batter was ready I filled all the compartments of the muffin pan and poured the remaining batter in a loaf pan.

My oven is preheated ,in goes the muffin tray and the loaf pan.I set the oven timer for 30minutes.The baking has started.After 15 minutes I opened the oven door to check how the process is going on. If you open the oven door during baking process make sure that you increase the oven temperature by 5degrees F(i.e. 355degrees F) for the rest of the 15 minutes.

                                   

Once the timer sarted(30 minutes completed) to beep, I checked if the cake in the muffin tray and loaf pan is done or not by priciking it with a tooth pick and the tootht pick came out clean.So I switched off the oven and took the muffin tray and loaf pan out of the oven and let it cool.The cake has puffed up well and looks very yummy and attractive.Once they cool down the muffins and the loaf of cake come out very easily without disturbing the shape.

Finally, the yummy Apple-Banana-Chocolate-----Honey------Walnut-Yogurt-Cake is ready.

Notes :

----------

1)Kids & Adults can equally enjoy this cake.

2)Just FYI , I wrote all the ingredients in an alphabetical order.

3)This cake is not too sweet, it is just right.(If you want it to taste more sweet like  the cakes from the  bakeries you can add more sugar.)

4)Nothing in this world is 100% perfect.Same way I feel that a Dessert(as it is a sweet dish it sure has high calories)can't be 100% Healthy---but we can substitute healthy ingredients while making the dessert and make it  right.

 For example in this recipe, I used healthy ingredients like

1)Wheat Flour(instead of All Purpose Flour)

2)Canola Oil(instead of Butter)

3)Yogurt(instead of Eggs)

4)Honey(to lessen the usage of sugar)

5)Walnuts( for good heart & brain health )

6)Banana( rich in phosphorous)

7)Apple Sauce(not only a comfort food but also protects against breast cancer)

8)Chocolate Chips(are very rich in copper,magnesium,calcium and minerals---only if taken in moderation)

So all in all we have made ourselves a healthy cake.We can eat a piece for morning breakfast too.(You can serve this with ice-cream or with caramel sauce.Use your imagination there are many possible ways)You know we are trying to keep it healthy.So enjoy it just by itself.

Wish you all Happy Baking.

I am sending this recipe to Sunday Snacks-Healthy Snacks Event being guest hosted by Divya, which was initially started by Hima and later taken over by Pallavi.

I am sending this recipe to  Kids Delight Wholesome Breakfast Event hosted by Srivalli.

I am sending this to CFK-WWF Event hosted by Priya Mitharwal and started by Sharmi .

Simple Tomato-Cucumber Daal

This recipe is for all the newbies in kitchen so that they don't have to worry too much about what to do next.Kind of one-pot dish.

Tomato and Cucumbers are a world-wide favorite.First,I started out to make daal with tomato but I saw that there was half a cucumber in the fridge and added that too.Hence the Tomato-Cucumber Daal recipe.This is a very simple and easy recipe.

Traditionally vegetables and daals(pulses/legumes) are cooked separately and then finally combined and seasoning is added ,that gives us an authentic feel and taste.Well , I am going to break the tradition a bit here and try to speed up the things a little bit as time is a factor these days.Enough talking let's start the recipe.

Main Ingredients :

-------------------

Toor Daal..................1cup

Tomatoes...................2(medium size)

Cucumber..................1/2

Green Chillies.............2

Water.........................3cups

Seasoning :

------------

Mustard Seeds...........1tsp

Cumin Seeds..............1tsp

Red Chilly..................1(broken into 2)

Asafoetida/Hing..........a pinch

Curry Leaves..............1 sprig
Tamarind Pulp............2tsp
Turmeric.....................1tsp

Garlic.........................2 cloves

Oil..............................2tsp

Ghee..........................1 tsp

Salt.............................to taste

Garnish :

---------

Cilantro

Preparation :

--------------

Take toor daal in a steel vessel that can fit in a pressure cooker and rinse it very well till the water is clear.Now soak the daal in water for 15 minutes.Meanwhile let us prep the vegetables.Wash the tomatoes,cucumber,chillies,curry leaves and cilantro.Dice the tomatoes and de-skinned cucumber into small cubes.Slit the chillies and keep them aside.

Now drain the water from the soaked toor daal and add 3cups of water,diced tomato,cucumber and slit chillies to the toor daal.Now to this mix add the turmeric,tamarind and required amount of salt.Once everything is put in the vessel, take the vessel and place it in the pressure cooker and on medium heat cook it for 6 whistles.

Once the pressure in the cooker is down take the vessel with the cooked daal out and place it aside.In a pan add the oil and ghee and once it heats up add mustard seeds,cumin seeds,red chilli,asafoetida(instead of asafoetida you can use chopped garlic in the seasoning) and curry leaves.Once the seasoning is ready add it to the tomato-cucumber daal mixture and let the daal boil for 5 more minutes so that all the flavors blend well.

Switch off the stove and pour the daal into a serving container and garnish with some cilantro.
This daal goes very well with rotis,chapatis,pulkas and hot rice.

Note :
------

1)It is always said that when you add salt and tamarind in the daal and try to pressure cook, the daal will not  be cooked.I disagree with this, as when I am short of time I place all the ingredients together and pressure cook for 6 whistles and the daal is very well done.

2)To make it a one pot dish I take a small pressure pan ,first I add the oil and seasoning then I place the  water,daal,vegetables,turmeric,salt and tamarind.Close the lid and cook for 6 whistles.Ta-Da the entire dish is ready to serve .

3)Some might like to add onions to this dish.You may do so but sweetness of onion will dominate the flavors of tomato and cucumber.

4)I added only 2tsp of tamarind pulp in the daal so that the original flavors of the vegetables are not compromised.If you want it more sour add 2 more spoons of tamarind pulp.

I am sending in this recipe to Cooking Basics Event conducted by Mahimaa of http://www.indianvegetariankitchen.com/2010/02/cooking-basics-event.html

Eggplant with Ginger & Chilly / Vankaya Allam Pachimirchi Karam Kura.

Eggplant/Brinjal/Aubergine is called as the KING of vegetables.In the state of AndhraPradesh brinjal is cooked in various ways.It is given a special place in the food plate of every household.Guttivankaya is a very famous dish of AndhraPradesh.For every special occassion a dish of brinjal has to be made, that is the kind of royal place given to this vegetable.

I will be posting a lot of recipes with Eggplant in the near future.Today we are going to try a new recipe.This eggplant curry is made in combination with ginger and chilli.It is a very simple recipe with extraordinary taste.This recipe has always been a favorite of my family for generations.The eggplant used in this recipe are the purple long slender variety.

Main Ingredients:

------------------

Eggplant/Brinjal.............4(long purple variety)

Ginger..........................2inch

Green Chillies................4

Cilantro........................few leaves(optional)

Salt..............................to taste

Oil...............................1tbsp

Preparation :

-------------

First wash the eggplants,ginger,chilly , and keep them aside.Fill a bowl with water and add some salt to it.

Take the eggplant cut them into thin long pieces and place them in the bowl of salt water so that eggplant pieces don't turn brown.

Now take a skillet and put it on medium setting on the stove and add oil and wait for it to heat up.Take the eggplant pieces from the water and place them in the skillet.Add salt to the eggplant and give it a nice stir and cover the skillet with a lid and let cook for 2 minutes.Once again take the lid off stir the eggplant and place the lid back and let cook.

Meanwhile in mini chopper or in a mortar & pestle make a chunky paste of the ginger and chilly.

Now take off the lid from the skillet and add the ginger-chilly paste to eggplant pieces and give it a stir and place the lid back and let cook for 5 more minutes and the dish is ready to serve.

This recipe goes well with hot rice,chapathis,pulkas or parathas.

Note:

------

1) Any guest who visited my grandparent's house always wanted my grandmom to prepare this dish for sure. She always cooked with fresh eggplants from their farm so they tasted more yummy.

2) Also grandma used to add home-made butter in the end to enhance the flavor of this curry.Well these days as we are diet-conscious and also do not have stamina to digest fat-rich foods,I omitted the butter part.

Allergies:

----------

Well being a KING is not easy.The KING always has to face the complements and criticisations equally.Same way our KING vegetable Eggplant has it's own positives and negatives.

Pros :  Makes cooking very interesting and moulds itself into every recipe we make and results in a very tasty and lovely dish.

Cons :  An Eggplant can sometimes cause allergic reactions to people.So people with allergies please check before you eat .

I am sending this Eggplant/Brinjal with Ginger & Chilly to the Vegetable Marathon Event(Eggplant) being hosted by Anita Konasani of Anita's Kitchen.

Sambar Powder

Sambar is a very famous and common South Indian recipe.Sambar powder is very commonly used in all South Indian homes.Every household in South India has it's own variation for this recipe while the end result is yummy-tasty sambar.

This is one of my mom's recipes.My mom always makes sambar with fresh ingredients but when I was coming to USA for the first time, she made the sambar powder and gave it to me as we did not know if all the required ingredients were available here(USA).I should tell you that I have lived in the USof A for the last 10yrs and never bought any sambar powder from a store.The credit goes to my mom because she used to make the sambar powder when she visited and I would store it for at least an year or two in the freezer.For the last few years I started making it myself and store it for an year .

Main Ingredients:
-------------------
Urad Daal...............1cup
Chana Daal.............1cup
Red Chillies.............1/2cup
CorianderSeeds.......3/4cup
Black Pepper...........1/4cup
Methi Seeds.............1/8cup
Cumin Seeds............1/8cup
Mustard Seeds.........1.5tsp
Oil............................2tsp
Salt...........................to taste

Heat oil in the skillet and add the chanadaal, urad daal ,red chillies, coriander seeds, black pepper, methi seeds, cumin seeds and mustard seeds one after the other and coat them with the oil and roast these ingredients until they turn golden brown.Once they are roasted transfer them into a plate and let it cool.After it is cooled powder it in the grinder and add enough salt according to your taste.

Now the sambar powder is ready for storage.This powder has longer shelf life and also you can store it in freezer for years.

Note:
-------
1)We use very less oil in roasting the ingredients just enough to coat them.
2)If you store the powder in the freezer immediately after making it you can feel the fresh taste of the powder every time you make sambar even after an year of making it.

Spinach/Cranberry/Bottle Gourd Sambar

This is a very heart healthy,fibrous dish.Spinach,Cranberries and BottleGourd make a tasty ,nutritious and pretty combination for a sambar.You can call this a soup too as you can eat it just by itself.It's a complete dish on it's own.

Main Ingredients:
----------------
Toor Daal...............1/2cup
Spinach...................10oz
Cranberries.............1cup
BottleGourd............1cup
Water......................4cups
Green Chillies..........2

Seasoning:
-----------
Turmeric................1tsp
Mustard ...............1tsp
Cumin...................1tsp
Asafoetida.............pinch
CurryLeaves.........1 sprig
Red Chilli..............1
Garlic....................2cloves
Sambar Powder.....1tbsp
Ghee/Oil................2tsp
Salt.......................to taste

Preparation:
------------
Rinse the toor daal very well and let soak for 30 minutes.
 
While the daal is soaking ,take spinach and rinse it well and chop it and keep it aside.

Peel the bottle gourd and cut into small cubes.Now take fresh cranberries and wash them and keep aside,also take 2 small green chillies and slit them open(deseed if you don't like it spicy).
 
Take a steel vessel that can be placed in the pressure cooker and fill it with the soaked toor daal,chopped spinach,cubed bottle gourd,cranberries,greenchillies and also add 1tsp turmeric to them.Now add 4cups of water and place the vessel in the pressure cooker and cook for 3 whistles.
 
While the pressure in the cooker is settling down, take a pan for seasoning.Add ghee/oil to the pan,once it is hot add mustard seeds,cumin seeds,asafoetida,chopped garlic,red chilli and curry leaves.
 
Now open the pressure cooker and take out the vessel with the main ingredients and add the fried seasoning  sambar powder and salt(as per your taste).Give it a nice stir and let the sambar simmer on the stove for 15 more minutes so that all the ingredients mix well.

Finally pour the smabar into a serving dish and it is ready to serve with hot rice or roti.

Note:
------
1)This sambar can be served as a mian dish too.You can serve it as a soup.
2)We do not add tamarind to this recipe as cranberries give the sour taste to the sambar.
3)You can add onion to this recipe if you like(onion adds sweetness to the dish).
 
  This sambar is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals and one more heart-healthy dish.

I am sending this recipe for the Healing Foods Event:Spinach being guest hosted by Divya  and started by Siri .

I am sending this recipe to Think Beyond The Usual : Fruit event started and hosted by Nithu.

Khatta-Meetha Chana Daal Rasam

This is the first recipe I submitted to an Event after I started blogging in Feb 2010.I submitted this recipe to the MLLA #20 a monthly event guest hosted by The Crispy Cook and originally started by The WellSeasoned Cook.I am very happy to know that I was pronounced the winner of this event http://wheat-free-meat-free.blogspot.com/ today March1st 2010. 

This is a rasam with no rasam powder in it.This sounds crazy right.I call this as rasam because it  is liquidy.My family liked this recipe and I believe you would like it too.Try it and let me know.

Main Ingredients :
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Chana Daal......................1 cup
Water..............................2 cups
Sugar/Jaggery..................1/2 cup
Tamarind Juice.................2 cup
Ginger-Garlic Paste..........2 tsps
Bay Leaves......................2
Cinnamon Stick................1

Seasoning :
--------------
Mustard Seeds...........1 tsp
Cumin Seeds..............1 tsp
Red Chillies................2
Canola Oil.................1 tbsp
Salt..........................to taste
Turmeric..................1/2 tsp

Garnish :
---------
Cilantro

Preparation :
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Take a cup of chana daal and rinse it well and pressure cook with 2 cups of water for 2 whistles.

Daal should not be mashed completely.Mean while get 2 cups of tamarind juice ready.

Once the pressure is off take the daal out from the cooker and keep it aside.

Now take a pan and heat it up with 1 tbsp of oil and add mustard,cumin,red chilli,turmeric,bay leaf and cinnamon stick in an order.

Once the seasoning is ready add ginger garlic paste to the seasoning and fry for 2 minutes.

Now add the tamarind juice to the pan and once it starts boiling add cooked chana daal with water to the boiling tamarind juice and nicely give a good stir to the entire mix.

Now add salt as per your taste and finally add sugar or jaggery to the chana daal rasam and let cook for 20 more minutes.

Finally ,take it into a serving bowl and garnish it with cilantro.
Tasty Khatta Meetha ChanaDaal Rasam is ready.This dish tastes good with rice.

Note : If you are using thick tamarind concentrate then use just 1cup ,if you are using tamarind juice(if it is thin consistency) use 2 cups.You can adjust sugar,tamarind and salt as per your taste too.If you want the rasam to be thinner consistency you can add more water.

I am submitting this recipe to Rachel of  The Crispy Cook  hosting MLLA #20
(http://wheat-free-meat-free.blogspot.com/2010/02/announcing-my-legume-love-affair-20.html)
 for Susan of  The Well-Seasoned Cook creator of MLLA.
(http://thewellseasonedcook.blogspot.com/2008/09/my-legume-love-affair-host-lineup.html)