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.

Chinese vegetable noodles/Hakka noodles

Cooking noodles has become part of Indian cuisine- be it an instant one or  mixed with vegetables and using the chinese sauces.I am sure there will not be a child or adult who says NO to vegetable fried noodles or manchurian when visiting a multi cuisine hotel.Even when it comes to making at home for an occasion the choice would be for chinese recipes.And we know all mothers like to please their children with their favourties.I too did the same.I made this for my son's birthday.

INGREDIENTS

Noodles (2 packets)	400 Gm
Cabbage(shredded)	2 cup
Capsicum(thinly sliced)	1 cup
Carrot (thinly sliced)	1/2 cup
Beans(thinly sliced)	1 cup
Green onions/scallion(chop whites separately)	1/2 cup
Garlic(chopped)	4 cloves
Soy sauce	3 tsp
red chilli or green chilli sauce	1 -2 tsp
pepper powder	1 tsp
vinegar(distilled white)	1 tsp
Ajino moto/MSG(optional)	t/2tsp
salt	To taste

METHOD

Cook noodles in 2 litres of boiling water adding salt and 2 tbls oil.When done drain and pour some cold water to arrest further cooking.Drain completely to ensure that they do not contain any moisture.When cooked 400 gms noodles will give 16 cups.

Heat 3 tbls oil in a big pan.On high heat, sitr fry garlic.

Add cabbage, capsicum,white of onion,beans,carrot and stir fry for 3 min.

I steam cooked beans and carrot till they were half done.So when frying them for a short while( with other vegetables)that was enough to keep all the vegetables crisp.

Add soy sauce, chilli sauce, pepper, salt and mix.

Add noodles and mix everything well.

sprinkle few drops of vinegar.

Garnish with green of scallions/spring onion.

I placed the prepared dish in pre heated oven for 10 min.for a dry vegetable noodle.

Serve hot with manchurian side dish.(I made manchurian with bottle gourd)

Note: If using ajino moto that can be added while frying garlic.

Bottle Gourd Manchurian/Lauki Manchurian

I was inspired by this Manchurian recipe ever since I saw it in a TV channel demonstrated by Mrs.Mallika Badrinath. It was an all time favourite for my kids then.I used to offer them as an incentive, after my full busy  working week on a weekend.When bottlegourd was bought in my home it means Manchurian dish will follow.Seriously I never tried making anything else with it.I have not tried Manchurian with mixed vegetables or Gobi.Though it takes long time for this dish to be ready, it tastes yummy and it will be finished in no time.

INGREDIENTS FOR VEGETABLE BALLS

Bottle gourd	1 medium size
Plain flour/Maida	1-2 cups
Green chilli and ginger paste	2 tsp
Onion chopped	1/2 cup
Salt	To taste
Oil	For frying

METHOD

Peel, cut and grate bottlegourd.Add a tsp of salt and leave for 5 min.

Squeeze and drain excess water and take  this in a bowl.

Add flour ,green chilli paste, chopped onion and salt and mix to make a dough.

The measure of flour given is adjustable and you can  feel the dough texture while mixing.You can add more or reduce.

Make balls to desired size and keep.

Heat oil in a pan and deep fry adding few balls at a time.Remove and place them on a kitchen towel.

Now the sauce should be prepared for these balls to soak in it.

The manchurian can be prepared dry with just enough sauce or as a wet one by making a gravy.

The method for the sauce preparation is the same for both.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE GRAVY

Onion (finely chopped)	1 cup
ginger and garlic paste	1 tsp
white pepper powder	1 tsp
worcestershire  sauce	2 tsp
soy sauce	2 tsp
red chilli sauce	2 tsp
vinegar	1tsp
corn flour	1 tblsp
Fried garlic (finey chopped)	2 tsp (for garnish)
Fried green chillies (finely chopped)	2 tsp (for garnish)
Salt	to taste
Sugar	1 tsp
Oil	1 tblsp

METHOD

Heat oil in a sauce pan,add a teaspoon of sugar and wait till it turns burn.Do not turn with spatula.

Now add chopped onion and mix. If Ajino motto is used add it and fry on high heat..

Put back flame on medium.Add ginger garlic paste and saute.
Add little salt, white pepper powder and mix.

Keep the sauces ready.Take each sauce as per measure mentioned and mix them with little water(few spoons) and add one after the other.

Finally take corn flour in a bowl and mix with 1 1/2 glass water and mix well.

Pour this into the pan and give a quick stir.

Wait till glazy texture is formed and put off flame.

Now drop the fried balls in this sauce and mix well.

If a gravy consistency is required more of onion can be added and corn slurry can be increased.

Garnish with fried garlic pieces and fried green chillies.

Malaysian Brinjal/Eggplant Curry

This Brinjal curry is very easy to make and takes very less time.The method used to prepare gives a gravy consistency which can be used as a side dish for roti. I viewed the recipe in a tamil channel prepared by Mrs.Revathi Shanmugam.The name given to this is apt as this is a Malaysian dish.I tried this several times and it was liked by all my family members and guests too.I  never knew brinjal would taste so good when just cooked in water with the combination of onion and tomato and simple ingredients of salt and chilli.

INGREDIENTS

  

Brinjal/Eggplant	250 Gm
Onions	2
Tomatoes	4
Green Chillis	4
Red chilli powder	1 tsp
Turmeric powder	1/2 tsp
Ghee	2 tsp
Curry leaves	few
Salt	To taste

METHOD

Cut brinjal into thin long pieces. Cut onion to slices.Slit green chillies. Chop tomatoes and keep.

In a vessel heat water and bring to a boil.

Add turmeric powder and red chilli powder. Add the cut brinjal,tomatoes,green chillies and half of onion.

Let the water level in vessel be just to immerse the vegetables.

Cover and cook.Add salt .

When vegetables are cooked soft  and the curry looks like a gravy(it should not be watery),put off flame.

Heat ghee in a pan,add the remaining half of onion, curry leaves and fry.Add little salt and mix.

Add this to the curry and mix.

Serve hot with roti or rice.