Methi dal - Menthu kura Pappu - methi varan

I tasted this dal for the first time after shifting to hyderabad .During our visit to sri sailam we had stayed in a hotel named as grand akka mahedevi which is is on the way to srisailam.It was then i got opportunity to taste real andhra food for the first time in  my life .I still remember the tasty finger licking taste of the andhra food served to us .Andhra cuisine is characterised by spicy as well as tangy taste which is just superb.
 
Price was also reasonable full meal consisting of dal ,sambhar,rasam,curd,bhajia,chutney,2 veggies ,chapati & unlimited rice & that for 99 rs only .


I tasted this dal & was in love of this dal & cabbage chutney .Highly impressed I coundnt resist from asking the recipe to owner of hotel.It was then he called the cook & she told me about this delicious methi dal made from toor dal & methi leaves.


Also known in telugu as Menthu kura Pappu which is a very nutritious  tasty healthy Andhra dal dish that calls for the use of tur dal and fresh methi leaves.

Ingredients:
 
1 cup fenugreek, methi leaves(menthu kura) washed and picked
1 cup tur dal (pigeon peas /kandi pappu)
1 medium sized onion chopped finely
1 tomato, finely chopped (optional)
4-5 green chillis slit length wise
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 whole dry red chillis(deseed and tear into pieces)
5 garlic flakes slightly crushed
1 tsp chopped ginger
10 -15 curry leaves
1 tsp cumin seeds(jeera)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp salt
oil
chopped coriander leaves for garnish
2 cups water

 


Method:
 
1.Soak toor dal in water for minimum 1 hour.

2.heat oil in pressure pan .Now add the chopped onions,  ginger and green chilli's and fry for 2 minutes on medium heat. Add the chopped tomatoes and saute for 3 mts. 

 


3.Next add drained toor dal turmeric,salt &  2 cups of water in a pressure cooker.

4.Mix fenugreek leaves (menthu kura) on top and pressure cook up to till three to four whistles or until tur dal is soft.


 

5.Wait until the pressure is released and remove the lid.

6.Mash with ladle till well combined and add tamarind pulp and salt 

7.Heat 1 tbsp oil in a kadhai  and add the mustard seeds and let them splutter.Now add the cumin seeds, slightly crushed garlic, whole red chili pieces and curry leaves and fry for a minute. 


8. Garnish with coriander leaves.

9..Serve hot with rice and ghee, papad 

Spring onion flowers | Vegetable carving for garnishing - table decoration

 
Blogging has changed my life in many aspects & have given it a different dimension.Have learnt many things out of which one is vegetable carving for garnishes & side table decoration.
I have learnt few simple carvings from nita mehta thai & chinese cook book.Today I am blogging about spring onion flowers which i used to decorate babycorn pulao & schezwan sauce.





Ingredients

Spring onions with leaves

Sharp knife

Source :nita mehta thai & chinese cook book

Method :

1.While buying the spring onions make sure that they are fresh. No wilted, broken or crumpled leaves. The bulbs should also be  medium sized (not too small or too thin), round, healthy and perfect with no damages etc.


2.Clean the onions and leaves thoroughly with water taking care not to damage any part of them. Drain them on a soft thin cloth till they are completely dry.


3.Now separate the bulbs from the leaves, just cutting at the base portion of the greens. But see that the greens remain as a bunch and do not get separated. The bulbs should be at least 5cm (2").


4.Now slice of the root portion of the bulbs taking care that the layers of bulb do not get separated. Remove the outer layers(dry ones) on the bulb.Holding the root side away from you and leaving at least 1cm or so at the top, make vertical slits from top to bottom.

5.The slits should be deep enough to reach the center and a little apart from each other. Slowly rotating the bulb, continue to make the slits.

6.Now slightly  open the layers and immerse in ice cold water for 15 minutes or till the onion blooms. Remove and drain these flowers.


7.  This will make a good arrangement on a dining table or a side table. Depending on the space available make a bigger or a smaller arrangement.

How to give tadka phodni chaunk tempering ?

Chaunk (Hindi: छौंक); sometimes spelled chhaunk, chounk, chonk, chhounk, or chhonk; also called tarka, tadka, bagar, phoron in Bengali, Thaalithal (தாளித்தல்) in Tamil, oggaraṇe (ಒಗ್ಗರಣೆ) in Kannada, vaghaar (વઘાર) in Gujarati, Thalimpu (తాళింపు) or popu ( పోపు in Telugu), Baghaar (Urdu: بگھار) ,phodni in marathi


It is  translated as tempering is a garnish and/or cooking technique used in the cuisines of India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, in which whole spices (and sometimes also other ingredients such as minced ginger root or sugar) are fried briefly in oil or ghee to liberate essential oils from cells and thus enhance their flavors, before being poured, together with the oil, into a dish.

Chaunk is added at the end of cooking, just before serving (as with a dal, sambar or stew), or else prepared at the beginning of cooking, before adding the ingredients to a curry or similar dish.

Ingredients typically used for chaunk include cumin seeds, black mustard seeds, fennel seeds, fresh green chilis, dried red chilis, fenugreek seeds, asafoetida, cassia, cloves, urad dal, curry leaves, chopped onion, garlic, or tejpat leaves. When using multiple ingredients for a chaunk they are often added in succession, with those requiring longer cooking added earlier, and those requiring less cooking added later. In Bengali cuisine, a mixture of whole spices called panch phoron is used for this purpose.



Chaunk is believed to not only add flavor but also to aid in digestion, unless the person consuming the dish has trouble with digesting fatty foods.

Method:


You need to have a tadka pan as shown in above image.

1.Heat the oil/ ghee oil in tadka pan.

2.Next Add cumin seeds/mustard seeds.

3. When they begin to change colour add ,curry leaves or red chilli pieces or garlic.

4. Next add hing (asafoetida). switch off gas remove pan from gas 

5. Add this seasoning to the dal or veggies.


6.Alternately you can prepare tadka  at the beginning of cooking, before adding the ingredients to a curry or similar dish.

TADKA ON TOP

TADKA AT BEGINNING

Tips:


1.Be careful while giving tadka as some ingredients may splash
2. Also the temperature of oil is important if oil gets too hot then tadka may get burnt.
3. If you feel that oil has become too hot then remove pan from gas wait for 1 minute & then proceed from step number 2.

Beetroot Patties |beet Tikki |beetroot cutlet recipe

WISHING ALL READERS A HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!!!!!!!!!

Starting new year with a healthy starter recipe made with beet root


Tikki, a popular north indian snack is nothing but small patties or croquettes, deep or shallow fried. They can be served with  chutneys, ketchup, yogurt or just as it is with hot steaming masala chai or coffee. 

Now tikki using potato and beetroot is definitely a new & amazing idea .Serve these with green chutney as appetizers, over lettuce leaves to make a yummy salad or even slide them inside the buns to make a vegetarian burgers 

Beetroot have some great benefits. It’s known to fight cancer, loads of vitamin A, great for iron, great for liver and loads of other benefits. 

Ingredients:

   2 tbsp oil for shallow frying
   2 medium sized beetroot 
    3 potatoes boiled and mashed
    2 green chilies chopped finely
    8 to 10 roasted cashewnuts
    1  inch ginger minced Or chopped finely
    1 tbsp cumin powder
    1 tbsp fennel seed powder
    1 t/s turmeric
    1 tbsp chat masala
    1 tsp dry mango powder or 1 tsp lemon juice 
    1 tbsp coriander seed powder
    4 tbsp corn flour
    black salt as per taste

    Coating
    3 tbsp semolina + 2 tbsp cornflour

Method:

1.Peel  beetroot and grate them. Keep them aside.


2. Boil potatoes separately. Peel their skin and mash them.




3.  Take a mixing bowl combine all ingredients . Mix all with your fingers and incorporate all evenly. The mixture should be not very sticky. If it’s too sticky put some more corn flour. Ensure it’s not too dry.




4.Make small tikki &  slightly flatten them.now press a roasted cashew in centre of tikki . Mix semolina and flour together. place each tikki on the semolina and ensure that they are evenly coated on all sides by the semolina dust off excess. 



5. Take a non stick pan . Add oil once oil is hot reduce the flame. Shallow fry the patties from both sides until crisp and well-cooked.




6.Place them on tissue paper to absorb excess oil. 







7.serve hot with some dahi pudina chutneys or sauce.

8.Serve hot with tomato sauce and green mint pudina tandoori chutney.

Tip:

1. Also spice can be reduced Or increased by reducing Or increasing chilies.

2.You can make TIKKI CHAT by spreading  sweetened curd and green chutney over it. Sprinkle some chopped onion, sev and black salt