Dal Chutney

Dal Chutney
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This is one type of chutney which can be prepared with minimal and basic ingredients which are most usually present in the kitchen.
Hence it can be whipped up any time.
This chutney is made using dals - toor dal/channa dal and dry red chillies.
Tastes nice with rice, pongal, dosae or rotti.



Ingredients
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Dal - 1 cup toor dal/channa dal
Or use a mixture of both - 1/2 cup each.

Byadige Chilles - 7-8
Dry coconut/Fresh coconut.
Tamarind - about a lemon size
Garlic - 2 cloves


> Dry roast the dal on a pan on low heat till they start browning a little. Do not over roast. Transfer to a plate.
> Add a little oil and add in dry red chilles and garlic and roast for about a minute.
> Add the above and grind into a powder in a mixer.
> To this, add in salt, tamarind, jaggery, coconut and grind into a smooth paste.
> Season with mustard, hing and curry leaves.

Gongura Pachadi - 2

Gongura Pachadi - a very popular andhra side dish is something to be tasted for sure.
Gongura leaves itself is tangy in taste and so the spicy pachadi makes a nice accompaniment with hot rice and ghee.

I usually prepare it with a recipe mentioned here - Gongura Pachadi

Recently one of my cousins gave me Gongura pachadi and really loved this style as well.
So decided to share it.

Find below the recipe

> Wash the Gongura leaves well and press and rinse out all the water.
> Dry roast menthe/methi seeds (1 and 1/2 tsp for a big bunch of Gongura), dry red chilles (Byadige 8 to 10). Grind it into a powder in a mixer.
> Add the washed and rinsed (there should be very less water content) Gongura leaves into the mixer, 3-4 garlic cloves - along with the above powder and grind into a smooth paste.
> Take 2 to 3 tsp of oil in a pan, add in mustard seeds, hing, above ground paste, salt, jaggery and saute in a low flame till oil releases.
> Transfer into a container and store.

The Pachadi can be stored and used for about a week when refrigerated.
Be sure to give it a try.

Kadlebele Kootu - Channa Dal Kootu

Kadle Bele Kootu is a popular recipe we normally prepare during special ocassions or festivals as this does not need any onion or garlic in its preparation.
It will be thicker than sambhar in consistency and makes for a wholesome meal.

Ingredients
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KadleBele/Channa Dal - 1 cup
Vegetables - Carrot, Beans, ChowChow, Noolkol, Peas/Avrekai
Tamarind - soak


Grind
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Fresh coconut - 1/2 cup
Gasgase/Poppy seeds - 1 tsp
Onion Fried (Optional)

> Pressure cook dal, all the vegetables and tomato for 3-4 whistles
> Remove the veggies once cooked and mash the dal.
> Add in Sambhar powder, ground masala, tamarind water, salt, jaggery.
> Keep stirring as the mixture would be a little thick and channa dal sticks  to the pan and burns if left for long.
> Bring it all to boil and season with mustard, hing and curry leaves.

Vegetable Kootu with Toor Dal

Kootu is a type of sambhar with a thicker consistency similar to North Indian Dal recipes.

The Kootu recipe I share here tastes similar to the sambhar styles served in weddings or in temples.
I prepared the Kootu with herekai but it can be prepared with assortment of your favourite veggies.
Add in few pieces of Drumstick and be sure to relish the aroma and enjoy its unique taste.



Ingredients
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Toor Dal - 1 cup
Green Gram/Whole Moong - 2 tsp
Tomato
Herekai
Veggies
Tamarind - Soak
Salt
Jaggery


Dry Roast
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Urad Dal - 1 tsp
Chakke/Cinnamon - 1 medium stick
Jeera - 1/2 tsp
Dry Red Chillies - 5 to 6 bydaige variety
(If using different variety use chillies as per the spice level)
Dhania/Coriander seeds -  3 tsp
Dry coconut pieces - 5 to 6


Recipe
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> Pressure cook toor dal and green gram with vegetables and tomato. Add a pinch of turmeric and let it cook for 2 to 3 whistles.
> Dry roast the ingredients mentioned above. Dry roast each ingredient one after the other without letting them burn. Cool and grind into coarse powder in mixer. Our sambhar powder is ready.
> Once dal is cooked, mash the dal and vegetables lightly.
> Add the above ground sambhar powder to dal, tamarind water, salt and jaggery (optional).
> Bring them all to boil, adjusting taste accordingly.
> Season the sambhar by adding 1 tsp ghee in a small pan, add in mustard seeds, hing and curry leaves.




Serve with hot rice and a dash of ghee... and this delicious recipe is sure to tingle your taste buds.