Paruppu Urundai Kuzhambu / Fried dal in spiced coconut gravy

Fried dal cubes cooked in the spicy and tangy coconut sauce, perfect with rice and rotis as well.

Ingredients :

For Paruppu Urundai :

1. Toor dal - 1/2 cup
2. Urad dal - 2 tbsp
3. Green chillies - 3 nos
4. Salt to taste
5. Oil for deep frying
6. Finely chopped onions - 1/4 cup
7. Finely chopped corriander leaves

For the Gravy :

1. Oil - 1 tbsp
2. Cinnamon stick - 1 small size
3. Cloves - 2 nos
4. Onion - 1 medium sized
5. Tomato - 1 no
6. Coconut - 1/2  (grounded to smooth paste)
7. Chilly powder - 1 to 2 tsp 
8. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
9. Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
10. Finely chopped corriander leaves

Direction to cook :

1.   Soak the toor dal & urad for atleast one hour.  Grind together with green chillies adding little water.  Add salt to taste, finely chopped onions & corriander leaves.  Steam cook the batter for atleast 15 mins over medium heat.

2.   Once cooked & cooled, cut them into small pieces and deep fry them in the oil till light golden brown in color.  Keep aside.

3.   Heat oil in the pan, add cinnamon stick, cloves & finely chopped onion.  Saute till tender.

4. Add ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, chilly powder & grounded coconut paste.  Add enough water & bring it to boil.

5.  Once the gravy is cooked, add the fried dal cubes to the gravy & bring it to boil for 10 mins over low heat.  

6.   Garnish it with finely chopped corriander leaves.

Serve with rice or rotis.

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Chickpeas Pulav

Most of the days, I will be running out of time in the mornings.  Rice being the stable food at home, has its different ways to serve.  To make it more healthy, we try to add vegetables & present it more nutritious.  Addition of chick peas & potato makes the dish really tasty & quick to make.   I like to serve it with onion raita or with pakoda.  Its optional to use pulav masala for this dish.  Fried bread pieces can be used for garnishing.  It taste yum !!!

Ingredients :

1. Basmati Rice - 1 cup
2. Water - 1 cup
3. Chick peas - 1/2 cup (Soaked in water overnight)
4. Oil - 1 tbsp
5. Cinnamon stick - 1 no
6. Cloves - 3 nos
7. Cardamom - 1 no
8. Bay leaf - 1 no
9. Onion (sliced lengthwise) - 1/4 cup
10. Potato - 1 large sized
11. Chilly powder - 1 tsp (to spice)
12. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
13. Salt to taste
14. Lemon juice - 1/4 tsp
15. Pulav masala - 1/4 tsp (optional)
16. Corriander leaves & roasted cashewnuts for garnishing

Direction to Cook :

1.   Heat oil in the pressure cooker, add cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom, bay leaf & sliced onions.  Saute till tender.

2.   Add cubed potatoes, turmeric powder, chilly powder, salt to taste & basmati rice.  Saute it well until aromatic and the rice becomes translucent. 

3.   Drain & add the chick peas, lemon juice, pulav masala, water & little corriander leaves.  Pressure cook it till done.

4.   Garnish it with corriander leaves & roasted cashew nuts.

Serve it warm.

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Vangibath (Brinjal Rice)

Happy valentines day to all my viewers. This is my most comfort & tasty rice variety, which I cook very often for my DH lunch box.  I always prepare the vangibath powder & store it in the freezer for a week or more.  It makes my cooking very simple & easy.  Best way to serve this rice is with papads or with raitas as well.  

Ingredients :

1. Green / purple Brinjal - 100 gms (or eggplant - 1 medium sized)
2. Basmati rice - 1 cup
3. Oil - 1 tbsp
4. Channa dal - 1 tsp
5. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
6. Tamarind pulp -1/2 tsp
7. A pinch of jaggery
8. Onion - 1 no
9. Potato - 1 small sized
10. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
11. Vangibhath powder 
12. Dry coconut powder - 1 tsp
13. Roasted cashewnuts for garnishing
14. Salt to taste

For vangibhath powder :

1. Red chillis - 2 nos (or black pepper corns)
2. Corriander seeds - 1 tsp
3. Poppy seeds - 1/4 tsp
4. Urad Dal - 1 tsp
5. Channa Dal - 1 tsp
6. Dry coconut powder - 1/2 tsp
7. Cinnamon stick - 1 no
8. Clove - 2 nos
9. Sesame seeds - 1/4 tsp
10. 1/4 tsp hing

Dry roast the above ingredients & grind it to smooth powder.

Direction to cook :

1.   Cook the rice & allow it to cool.

2.   Meanwhile, heat oil in the pan.   Add channa dal, mustard seeds, finely chopped onions & then cut potato slices.  Cook till tender.

3.   Slice the brinjals in lengthwise & add them to the above mixture.  Add turmeric powder & salt to taste.

4.   Add tamarind pulp & coconut powder.  Cook till brinjals are done.

5.   Now add grounded vangibath powder & a pinch of jaggery.  Add cooked rice & mix them throughly till nicely combined.

6.   Add roasted cashewnuts.

Serve with papads or raita.

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