Bottle gourd gravy/Sorakkai gravy/lauki masala

This side dish made with a single vegetable in a gravy form goes very well as a side dish for rotis and also rice.

INGREDIENTS

Bottle gourd/lauki/sorakaya	1 small size
Onion	1 No
Tomato	1 No
Toor dhal/Red gram	1 tblsp
Sesame seeds/Thill	1 Heaped tblsp
Red chillies	4 No
Coriander seeds	1 tsp
Fennel seeds/Saunf	1 tsp
Roasted peanuts or Dry coconut	1/2 cup
Garlic	2 cloves
Turmeric powder/Haldi	1/2 tsp
Oil	2 tsp
Salt	To taste

METHOD

Peel and cut bottle gourd into bite size cubes. Dice onion and  finely chop tomato and keep.

In a cup of water cook bottle gourd adding turmeric powder and salt till done but not very soft. Do not drain water.

Dry roast toor dhal,red chillies,coriander seeds,fennel seeds,sesame seeds,grated dry coconut and also garlic.

When cool first powder toor dhal and (roasted) peanuts and remove. Then powder coriander seeds, fennels seeds, red chilli and garlic. Finally add roasted thill/sesame seeds and coconut (if using instead of peanuts).

Heat oil in a pan add onion and saute,then add tomato and cook for a while.

Add this to cooked bottle gourd and also add powdered ingredients and mix well and bring to boil. Add salt and adjust consistency. Tasty side dish is ready to serve.

I am sending this recipe to Ramya's  ABC series - Gourds Event.

http://ramyasrecipe.blogspot.in/2012/05/abc-series-gourds.html

Eggplant/ Aubergine/ Kathirikai Masala Kuzambu

The spicy side dish for Malli biryani is different in taste. The roasted flavor of the sesame seeds is dominant and in whatever way the eggplant/brinjal is prepared, it will  kindle our taste buds.One such preparation which tastes like Bagara Biangen is shared here after trying and tasting it. I am sure the recipe of Mrs. Revathy Shanmugam will be tried by many food lovers.

INGREDIENTS

Eggplant/Kathrikai	150 gms
Onion	1 no
Tomato	3 no
Ginger and garlic paste	2 tsp
Green chili	2 no
Tamarind extract	1/2 cup
Red chilli powder	2 tsp
Turmeric powder	1/2 tsp
Salt	To taste

To make powder

sesame seeds/Thill	2 tblsp
Fenugreek seeds/methi	1/2 tsp

To temper

Oil	3 tblsp
Mustard seeds	1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds	1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds	1/2 tsp
Pepper	1/2 tsp
Curry leaves	Few

METHOD

Heat a pan/skillet and dry roast fenugreek/methi seeds and sesame seeds separately and make powder.
Heat oil in the pan, add mustard seeds and then pepper. Wait till pepper splutters. Then add methi seeds, and cumin and fry.
Add finely chopped onion and saute.
Add slit green chili, turmeric powder and little salt, just enough for onion and mix.
Add cut brinjal/eggplant pieces,and tomato pieces.
Add ginger garlic paste and saute well.
Add red chilli powder and mix.
Cook till oil separates on the sides of the pan and there is no raw smell.
Add the thick extract of tamarind and salt now.
Add little water too and cook till the raw smell of tamarind is not there.
Finally add powdered methi and sesame and mix well.
Tear curry leaves  to pieces and garnish.
Brinjal/eggplant masala kuzambu is ready. It can be had with hot rice too.

Quick Masala Channa

I prepared this side dish many number of times, as it is quickly made.I follow Mrs.Mallika Badrinath's recipe from her book, from the time I bought the book. All you need is to soak the garbanza bean/kabuli chana over night. I use soda-bi-corbonate only while soaking, and rinse the channa well in fresh water before cooking in pressure cooker.The channa when cooked will be soft and at the same time retains its shape.

INGREDIENTS

White kabuli channa	1 cup
Cinnamon,cloves,cardamom	a few
Oil and ghee/clarified butter	2 tblsps

Grind together:

Onion	2 no
Tomato	2 or 3
Garlic	6 or 7 cloves
Ginger	1” piece
Pepper corns	1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds	3/4 tsp
Red chili powder	2 tsp
Curry leaves	few
Coriander leaves	1 bunch

METHOD

Soak channa 10 to 12 hours before in water with a little soda-bi-carbonate.Wash well before cooking.
Heat ghee and oil in pressure pan or in the cooker body itself, add cardomom,clove,and cinnamon, and then ground masala.
Fry well till the ghee separates from it. Add soaked channa, enough water, salt and sugar to taste.Cover the cooker and pressure cook for 20 minutes after the vent has been kept, in medium flame.
Serve hot with finely chopped coriander leaves, finely cut onion and lime.
These type of cooking minimises our work and it tastes very good, as we are adding the salt and other masalas before itself.

Karrupu Kadalai Kulumbu/Kala Chena Masala/Spicy Black chickpeas

It is again a weekend menu.Pulkas with side dishes for lunch has become the best choice.I made two types of curries using single vegetable and a gravy with black chick peas.I made the curries which I posted earlier in my blog.One was "Carrot and fenugreek curry" posted on 4th April 2009,and the other "Pavakai curry" Andhra Style on 5th May 2009.
A gravy with masala is always a preferred side dish for roti/pulkas. When I was at Moscow during 2009, we bought beans (likeLima beans but pink in colour) which were fresh and dry.Soaking was not required but had to preboil it.I made this gravy just following south indian type of karakulumbu or kurma.Since the dish tasted very good thought of making it with Black Chick Peas/Kala Chana.All you require is to soak the peas overnight in water.

The recipe for Kadala kulumbu/Black chick pea gravy is given below:

INGREDIENTS

Black Chickpeas/Kadala	1 cup
Ginger(julienne)	1 tbls
Tamarind	1 Lime size
Red chilli powder	1/2 tsp
Sambar powder	1 tsp
Turmeric powder/Haldi	1/2 tsp
Oil	3 tblsp
Salt	As per taste

To fry and powder

Coriander seeds	3 tblsp
Fenugreek/Methi seeds	1 ½ tsp
Red chillies	8 to 10

To saute and grind

Onion (big size)	1
Tomatoes (medium)	3
Garlic	4 to 6 cloves
Coconut (grated)	3 tblsp

To temper

Mustard seeds 1 tsp and few curry leaves.

METHOD 
Clean and soak Black chickpeas/Kala chana in water overnight.
Pressure cook adding ginger julienne and salt for 3 whistles (for 20 min).Drain water and preserve. Chop onion and tomatoes.
Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup water, extract and keep aside.
In a pan heat 1 tsp oil and fry the items given under "to fry", remove and keep.
In the same pan heat oil and saute the items given under "to saute" and keep.
In a mixie first powder the fried ingredients and then add sauteed onion,tomato,garlic and coconut and make a fine paste and set aside.
Heat the remaining oil in a sauce pan,add mustard, turmeric powder and curry leaves and fry.
Add the cooked chick peas and saute. Add sambar powder and mix. Add the preserved water, and little salt and bring to boil.
Add the ground paste and mix well. Add the tamarind extract mixed with red chilli powder and bring to boil. ( I boiled tamarind extract with chilli powder separately and kept ready) Adjust consistency and check salt.Remove and serve hot.