Murungai keerai/drumstick greens powder (Repost)

When it comes to podis, there is nothing to beat Kandipodi in Andhra cuisine which is called Parruppu podi in tamil. Also in the list are Karivepilai podi (Curry leaves podi), Thengai podi (Coconut podi), Pudina podi (Mint Leaves Podi) and Murungai keerai podi ( Drumstick Leaves podi).

In the South Indian hotels especially in Andhra, we find these podis along with pachadis (gongura and avakai) on the table ready for our service. And in all Andhra house hold, no meal is complete without having hot rice with ghee mixed in podi. The recipe is known as "annamlo podi" (literally meaning powder with rice). Since we grew up in Hyderabad, we are used to start with dry type rice with podi and fried curries as the first dish in our lunch. It is easy to make children eat when there is podi at home. This can be preserved for 3 weeks or more once it is prepared.

Here is the recipe using drumstick leaves which we rarely use to make poriyal. The podi is simple

to prepare and when mixed with rice, it tastes good and the green color is attractive. I used black sesame seeds here. The powder appears brown.

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INGREDIENTS

Murungai/drumstick keerai      2 TBLSP

Sesame seeds                      1/4 CUP

Urad dal                                  1/4 cup

Red chillies                            15 TO 20

Garlic (without peeling the skin) 10 CLOVES

Tamarind                         gooseberry size

Salt                                  to taste

METHOD:

Clean drumstick/murungai leaves and wipe with cloth.

Dry in shade on a kitchen towel. 

Dry roast the dried leaves till crisp.

Make powder and use 2 tablespoon of the powder for preparing the podi.

Dry roast urad dal, sesame seeds separately. 

In little hot oil fry red chillies.

When it is cool, powder together urad dal, sesame seeds and red chillies.

.Finally add powder of leaves, salt and tamarind ( i used dried tender leaves of tamarind/chintha chiguru) and garlic and grind to powder..

Have it with hot rice with ghee or sesame oil.

Roasted leaves

powdered leaves

Roasted ingredients

Drumstick podi

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Vegetable salad with dip

As we all know vegetable salads are packed with nutrients and fibre and are a great way to get our daily serve of vegges.The dish may be served at any point during a meal. The recipe needs patience to cut vegetables and can be had with just salt and pepper. But to make it more appealing and interesting there are many ways to prepare and present it. It is tempting when viewed in  the TV cookery shows. To mention one such, is the daily programme telecasted in DD Podigai channel which are really worth watching. All the hosts give their best. These cannot be viewed on net. So I thought I should share those recipes which I noted down.
I am posting a salad to start with. The simple salad was prepared by Ramesh Ganapathy. I liked the accompaniment of a dip for this.
I regularly make salad  at home with a salad dressing. First I learnt this when I watched Mallika Badrinath
demonstrating it. She told to use a small bottle for this purpose and assemble the dressing ingredients and shake well. It should be refrigerated and used along with chilled cut raw vegetables for best result. Later to my surprise I saw Salad Dressing Mixer in a Supermarket in Arizona, and bought it. I was doubly happy to posses it as it had the recipes and a neutral millilitre scale printed on the bottle. Less I knew about Vinaigrette, French dressing, Russian dressing then.  After watching the Food network channel regularly,I started making different types at home.   There are many  salad dressing available in supermarkets too.

Ingredients for the Dip:

Paneer/Cottage cheese	100 gm
Curd/yoghurt	2 tablespoon
Green chilli	1
Lime juice	½ teaspoon
Tomato sauce	1 tablespoon
Mint leaves/Pudina	½ cup
Paste of sauted green bell pepper and onion	2 tablespoon
Mustard seeds	1 tsp
Salt	to taste

Vegetables for the salad

One each of Carrot, Bell pepper (3 colors), Beetroot and Cucumber.

Method

Cut vegetables for salad  in lengthwise and refrigerate them and use them just before serving.

Cut one small size onion and green bell pepper and saute in little oil and keep.

In a mixie jar take crumbled paneer, green chilli, salt, mustard seeds, mint leaves and the sauted onion and bell pepper and grind to smooth paste.

Add tomato sauce, curd and lime juice and blend again to mix well.

Remove and serve this dip with chilled vegetables.

It tastes yummy.

Boost your energy, immunity and vitality by eating raw vegetables that are high in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

The TV host always concludes his show saying it is a (anbu kattalai) humble order rather than a request to his viewers to try this. I tried couple of times and am happy to share this too.