Sunday, 25 October 2015

Udipi Sambhar

  This is the recipe served in the famed Udipi restaurants (the exponents of Mangalorean cuisine worldwide) with dosas and idlis. You do not need sambar powder with this recipe. Omit whichever veges you cannot find. You can make this without veggies too.





Ingredients
Tuvar dal (tuvaram paruppu) - 1/2 cup
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Urad Dal - 1 teaspoon
Red chilies - 6
Coriander seeds - 1 1/2 tablespoons
Curry leaves - 5 springs
Coconut (grated) - 1/4 cup
Shallot onions(small red onions called sambar onions in india) - 25-30 (cleaned and peeled) 
Mustards seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Hing (Asaefoetida) - 1 pinch
Green chilies - 2 (slit)
Vegetables of choice (brinjals,carrots, french beans, pumpkin, yam) - 2 cups (chopped into big chunks)
Tamarind pulp - lemon sized ball of tamarind soaked in 1/3 cup of water.
Salt - 1/4 teaspoon (or to taste)
Jaggery or brown sugar - 1 1/2 teaspoons 
Oil - 2 tblsp




Method
1. Cook the tuvar dal till tender then mash it nicely.
2. Heat 1 tblsp oil in a heavy bottomed pan and roast the fenugreek seeds till light red, then add 1/2 tsp urad dal and let it saute till they change colour too.
3. Add the red chilli and coriander seeds.
4. Add 3 springs of curry leaves and the grated coconut and roast.
5. They should all turn light brown and aromatic.
6. Cool and grind to a fine paste with a little water.
7. Heat 1 tblsp oil in a pan. Add the mustard seed.
8. When they splutter add 1/2 tsp of urad dal and the hing. Fry for a minute.
9. Add the onions and green chillies and the rest of the curry leaves.
10. Add your choice of vegetables. Fry till you get a nice aroma.
11. Add a little water. Cover and cook till the veggies are done.
12. Extract pulp from the tamarind and add to the vegetables.
13. Add salt to taste and crumbled jaggery (you can use brown sugar also i think) and cook till the raw smell of the tamarind disappears.
14. Add the mashed dal and the ground masala.
15. Mix well and add a little water if required.
16. Simmer for a few mins.
17. Serve with dosas, idlis or rice.












Wednesday, 16 April 2014

Vegetable Masala Sandwich




This morning I prepared Iyengar Bakery style ‘Vegetable Open Sandwich’ for breakfast. Makes for a colorful lunch box treat for kids. 

Ingredients
1 tablespoon of any edible oil (I used olive oil for its smell)
1 small onion finely chopped
1-2 green chilies chopped (kids usually don't like them coming in mouth so cut finely)

1 cup of capsicum finely chopped (You can take any color, I added green one)


1 cup grated carrot 


1/2 tablespoon red chili powder


1 tablespoon of tomato ketchup or sauce


1 tablespoon of lemon juice


1 cup of coriander leaves finely chopped


Method
Heat olive oil in a cooking vessel. 
Add onion and green chili and saute for 4 minutes.
Add capsicum and carrot and saute for another 6 minutes. 

Add salt to taste, red chili powder and pinch of turmeric powder. Mix well. 


Add tomato ketchup, lemon juice and chopped coriander leaves and mix. Turn of heat and remove onto a plate.
Toast whole wheat or brown bread on one side, spread some tomato sauce, spoon some of the vegetable masala all over and toast the other side of the bread in a few drops of ghee or butter.


Your Vegetable Masala Toast is ready to serve.


This can be used as evening snack also. You can use variations in stuffing such as adding leafy vegetables, mashed potatoes, peas, etc. Go on, give some idea to your creativity and prepare this dish.