Ambaadichi daal aka Gongura Pappu

I make variety kind of green leafy veggies with dal but everything my son eats is spinach.  Any leafy veggie is spinach for him.  While eating it his comment will be "this spinach is tasting different" and I say,"Yaah I bought it from different shop".  That's my way of making him eat all leafy veggies.  I don't know how long I can do this, but till the time he is eating its ok.

Ingredients:

2 cups of chopped gongura leaves

1/2 cup of dal

1 medium sized onion diced

4 or more according to your taste garlic cloves crushed

1/4 tsp of turmeric

1/2 tsp chili powder

3-4 green chillies

salt to taste

For the tadka/seasoning:
1 tsp urad dal
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp of Asafoetida/hing
3 red chilies

Oil

Method:
Take the dal, turmeric and the leaves in a pressure cooker.  Add green chillies, onion and garlic.  Cook until 3 whistles . Once done , remove from heat and keep aside.

I use garlic while cooking dal and the leaves because it gets mashed with dal and becomes very difficult to pick it out.  My DH & Kids don't like the garlic seen in dals or any curries except for Kaara Kuzhambu.  But I really love the flavor of curshed garlic in the tadka, this is done at my mom's place.

In a wok , heat the Oil and do the tadka/seasoning by adding Urad dal, mustard seeds, hing, red chilies.  Once the mustard seeds pop,then add the tadka to the dal mixture .

Add salt, chili powder and let the dal simmer for atleast 5 minutes and remove from heat. Serve hot with rice and a dollop of ghee.

Happy Republic Day

Happy 60th Republic Day to all my readers and their families.  I request all of you to stand up and sing our national anthem today.  Thanks you.

Mung Daal Halwa for ICC

When I saw this month's ICC, I was excited.  Because I have never tasted Mung Daal halwa ever in my life.  But then we went on vacations I totally forgot about it.  Suddenly on the day of Bhogi, a day before Makar sankranti or Pongal, I wanted to prepare something sweet.  I remembered about this month's indian cooking challenge.  Immediately, I decided to prepare this mung daal halwa.  And when we tasted it was my right choice on the cold winter day.  Thanks to Srivalli for starting such an event ICC.

Ingredients Needed:

1 cup Moong dal
1 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Clarified Butter / Ghee
1/2 cup Khoya
Cashew nuts and raisins for garnish

Method to prepare:
Lightly roast the 1 cup of moong dal, wash, soak overnight and ground to a fine paste adding very little water.
Take a thick bottom pan, heat 1/2 cup ghee and fry the moong dal paste till it turns brownish and releases the ghee. Add sugar and khoya.
Stir fry until both the sugar and khoya are well absorbed. Turn off the heat, then mix in cashew nuts and raisins.  I could not use the raising because I was out of it.

Tip: You can make any quantity with this as long as you keep this ratio constant : equal amounts of dal and sugar, half the ghee and khoya.

Sheera/Sooji Halwa/Rava Kesari for New Year

Hi everybody, In the year 2010, this is my first entry.  I was missing for so many days because of other obligations.  Thanks to all those who enquired about me.  Thanks for caring.  We all are well and doing good.  I am still not out of the vacations we had this winter to Hawaii. 

On the new year day I made this simple halwa since I was still not in the mood of any elaborate cooking.  This is my elder son's most favorite dish.  Anyways, here is the recipe of sooji halwa.

Ingredients:
1 cup upma rava/sooji
1 cup milk
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup Ghee/clarified butter
A pinch of cardamom powder
1 tbsp Raisins
few broken cashewnuts and almonds(Optional)

Method:
In a kadhai, heat ghee and roast the rava/sooji and the nuts if using on the medium low flame.
At the same time on other gas or in microwave keep the milk for boiling. 
Roast the rava till pink.  Add raisins.
Add the milk in rava keep stirring.  Add the sugar, raisins and the nuts.
Give a big stir and cover the kadhai.  Keep on low flame for 5 minutes.  Switch off the gas. 
Serve hot.

Tips:
Always use boiling milk for sooji halwa or else you will find lumps in the halwa.
Add nuts to the kadhai with rava so that no need to roast them seperately.
Add raisins before adding milk.

Happy New Year 2010

I wish all my readers and their families and friends a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year 2010.  May all your dreams come true.  Have fun and enjoy.