Curry In Kadai ~ An Indian Cooking Blog

Sri Rama Rama Ramethi, Rame Rame ManoRame ....

Sahasthra Nama Thathulyam, Rama Nama Varanane .....

My favorite picture of Lord Sri Rama, we all have this same picture at home

Happy Sri Rama Navami Everyone. Sri Rama Navami is so special at moms place as this is kind of a big festival. At dad's shop, we will do the pooja in a grandeur with lots of prasads( naivedyams ) like Panakam, Vadapappu, Kajjayam, Vada, Pulihora, Fruits and Coconuts. All these will be served to everyone in a plantain leaf which is then placed on top of a handfan made of Palm tree leaves( Thataku Visana Karralu ). As Sri Rama Navami comes during the months of peak summer, we give out these hand fans along with the prasad to everyone. And dad still does celebrate the festival the same way even now. Here are two of the most popular Naivedyams( offerings ) for Srirama Navami, Panakam and Vadapappu. Panakam is jaggery( gur ) water with some spices. This panakam cools your body is very good during summer ( vedini thaggisthundi, chalava chesthundi )

• This Panakam is a must for Sri Rama Navami
• You need to soak Jaggery / Gur in water, once its melted add a tsp of ghee, crushed cardamom, and ground pepper. I usually put all the ingredients in a bowl even before starting the pooja, and by the time its time for naivedyam, panakam will be read

• Vadapappu is a very easy naivedyam, clean the yellow moong dal, wash with water and then soak in enough water for around 1-2 hours. Once you are able to cut the dal with your nails, then its ready for naivedyam.
• In this vadapappu, we usually add some fresh coconut pieces, chopped raw mango, lots of lime juice, red chilli powder and salt.. Mouth watering!
  

We @ Curry In Kadai, wish you all a very happy Dasara( Vijaya Dasami ). May this Dusshera light up for you and bring in happiness for one and all! For us Dussehra means celebrating it at ammamma( grandma ) house. Wow, we used to go to Kalikamma temple everyday during dussehra, and amma(goddess) would be dressed in different avatars everyday. I remember, in my grandmas place the goddesses are 5 sisters and each sister will be in different color, like yellow, white, red, etc.,


All these 10 days the goddesses or ammas come out for Oregimpu( a procession ). A person would sit behind the goddess figure and starts dancing according to the music. And sometimes the person would be possessed by the goddess( poonakam ). We when kids used to have mixed feelings, like half scared and half interested in the whole proceedings. We miss all the happenings here in US though!


Here's is a Milk porridge, Paala payasam/sirannam, rice cooked and simmered in whole milk and cooked with raisins, badam(almonds), dried coconut, cashew nuts and elaichi that is mostly offered to god as prasadam. A must in any festival in moms house!


Here are some pictures and i will post the recipe soon!!

P.S. Everyone has unique taste palette, so please adjust the ingredients according to your taste.

Bottlegourd( Sorakaya/Anapakaya) aka Lauki is a very simple vegetable yet very versatile. Sorakaya tastes very subtle, mild and easily absorbs any flavors or spices its cooked with like a sponge. I have recently learnt that Bottle gourd aids in weight management, when taken either as raw( juice ) or cooked form. Since its full of water grandma says its very good in bringing down the body heat. Mom made this for me when i was pregnant since it brings down body heat and made sure i eat this veggie regularly ( In telugu, vantiki chalava chesthundi ). One simple sumptuous way to have this vegetable is to cook with Moong Dal( Pesara Pappu ). This Bottle gourd with Moong Dal tempered with Cumin Seeds in very little ghee and curry leaves is very subtle in taste, and i promise you can finish the whole bowl as is and it tastes so good like a soup , or along with steaming hot rice or fresh chapathis. It will be even satisfying as a complete meal when taken as soup along with some fresh Papads. Dont forget to add Cumin seeds as they add earthiness to the comforting Lauki / Sorakaya Pesara Pappu.

Ingredients required:

• 1/2 bottle gourd / lauki / sorakaya
  
• 1/2 cup of moong dal / pesara pappu
  
• 3-4 garlic cloves
  
• 1 red chilli
  
• curry leaves1 tsp cumin seeds
  
• 1 tbsp ghee / butter
  
• 1 tsp urad dal
  
• 1/2 -3/4 cup of water

Method Of Preparation:

• Peel, wash the sorakaya / bottle gourd and chop into 1 inch pieces
  
• In a sauce pan, add water and bring it to boil and then add lentils( moong dal ) and chopped bottle gourd and turmeric.
  
• You can add more water if the water isn't enough for the lentils to be cooked
  
• Once the lentils are cooked( they should fall apart completely ), switch off the heat and keep aside
  
• Now do the tadka aka tempering with ghee instead of oil. Heat ghee/butter add cumin seeds, garlic, red chilli, urad dal and curry leaves. Once the urad dal and cumin seeds are golden brown, remove from heat and add the tadka to the dal.
  

Mom makes the best Sorakaya Thiyya Pappu. I prefer a lot of lauki( sorakaya mukkalu ) chunks in the dal, so adjust the proportions to your preference. Usually mom makes Chinatakaya Pachadi( Tamarind Pickle ) to eat along with this Pappu, since this dal/curry is mild in taste, Chintakaya thokku( tamarind pickle ) is very sour and spicy in taste along with crunchy onions. Not to mention again, mom makes the best chintakay pachadi(( thokku ). This pappu( curry ) is not even spicy not too many spices and no masalas , yet there is some magic in this lovely dal.

Moms Lauki Moong Dal Curry is on its way to:

• Delicious Dals hosted by Suma
• Vegetable Marathon-Beans hosted by Silpa
• Mothers Day Event hosted by Jyoti
• Cooking With Seeds - Cumin hosted by Priya
• My Legume Love Affair - 23 hosted by Susan
• Green Gourmet Event-1 hosted by Preeti

Here i am with my simple sumptuous one pot wonder meal with rice, lentils, beans and vegetables warmed up with some exotic spices making it a wholesome, no-fuss, quick and easy meal , fit for any busy day.. When i say quick it doesn't mean any less in flavor and taste..I made this Nutritious fiber and protein rich Bisibelabath / Vegetable Khichidi by adding everything into my pressure pan and bubble into one simple delicious delight .

Ridge Gourd called Beerakaya in telugu and Turia in hindi and Peerkangai in tamil is a popular veggie in India. It is basically from the Cucurbit family ( gourds family ) like chayote, cucumber, squash etc.,. It looks rugged and strong from outside, but the inside is spongy and neither too moist like cucumber nor too dry like squash. This veggie tastes very mild, sweet and never boring. you can saute with garlic and onion or cook with tomatoes for a robust side dish. Recharge your favorite dal or vegetable curry by swapping out any squash for ridge gourd. Ridge gourd is a virtual factory of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Riboflavin, Zinc, Thiamin, Iron, Magnesium and Manganese. This veggie is also low in saturated fat and cholestrol.

To tell the truth when i was a kid i never liked this vegetable and used to make faces when my mom tried to give us this because of its goodness . Also she used to say that it cools the body heat( vedi thaggisthundi ) in many folds. I remember she used to save all those peels and make chutney the same day. Yes the peel is full of fiber and the chutney tasted great( no complaints for the chutney though!). I started to love this vegetable only after coming to US( since indian grocery was too far then i hardly had chance to cook them ) .I usually make beerakai thellagadda neyyi talimpu( ridge gourd sauteed with ghee and garlic ), beerakai pappu( ridge gourd with lentils ), beerakai pulusu koora( ridgegourd in tamarind sauce ), beerakaya pachadi( ridge gourd chutney ), beerakai pottu kura( ridge gourd peel curry ), beerakaya pottu pachadi( ridge gourd peel chutney ). My sister is the best cook i know of after my mom and this recipe is actually from her! She cooks in authentic andhra style and that too she does everything in a gif! Kudos to my sweet sister!


The following recipe calls for Toor dal ( lentils ) spiced with green chillies and tamarind for the sourness. This dish is so simple yet quickly adds up to good health and great taste. Look for sharp ridges and when pressed your nail should be able to easily slip into the gourd which says they are tender and ready to be cooked, unlike the mature ones which are used to make Loofahs.


Coming to the recipe, you need:
1 arm sized ridge gourd peeled and chopped into 1 inch squares
1 big onion chopped 1 inch pieces
8-10 green chillies cut length wise
4-5 garlic pods( crushed )
1 cup Red gram( toor dal/ tuwar dal/ kandi pappu)
2 tomatoes
lemon sized tamarind
2 cups water

For tempuring or tadka
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
dash of hing
a pinch of turmeric
10 curry leaves
2 tbsp oil


Preparation:
Peel the ridge gourd( save the peels for the chutney ) and chop into pieces
In a dry pan add some ghee/ butter and fry the washed and dried toor dal. Frying the dal gives unique texture, flavor and sweet aroma to the dish.
In a pressure pan, add oil, and do popu or tadka
Once the seeds start to dance around, add curry leaves, hing and turmeric
Add the garlic, onions, green chillies and saute for a min.Now add tomato and ridge gourd pieces( beerakaya mukkalu ) and saute for a min.

Add the cleaned and soaked toor dal, soaked tamarind, water and pressure cook for 2-3 whistles( takes anytime between 5-10 min ). Or you can cook seperately until the toor dal falls apart.

Remove the weight and cook for 5 more min. Add coriander just before serving
Adjust salt to taste


Serve this beerakaya pappu aka ridge gourd and lentils curry with steamed rice, chapathis, rotis or whole wheat bread. Nothing is more comforting than a bowl of rice and this dal! This post is on its way to JFI - Toor Dal hosted by Linda.

Tags: Beerakaya pappu, Peerkangai Pappu, Ridge Gourd and Toor Dal, Ridge gourd curry with lentils, Turia Dal

Sorry guys, havent posted anything for a week since i wasn't feeling well. Anyway back to blogging with my Hot Pongal!! When it comes to finding alternative food as sumptuous and filling as rice and some curry, i will definitely vote for PONGAL aka Pongali in telugu. It is a simple combination of rice and moong dal( green gram lentils) seasoned with black pepper, cumin seeds, cashews and ghee or clarified butter. It is a common and very popular breakfast in our house( most south indian homes too ). My mom used to make pongal mostly in the weekends . Since pongali doesnt taste good when its cold she wakes up everyone in the early morning and make us relish it once done. At home, Sunday mornings are reserved either for pongal or dosas. My mom serves Pongal with allam pulusu( ginger in tamarind sauce ) and coconut chutney.

I usually use pressure pan/cooker to make pongal / pongali since its very quick and easy to clean. Alternatively you can use electric rice cooker or a big sauce pot/pan. Anything will work.

You need:

• 2/3 cup rice( sona masoori, never tried with american long grain rice )
• 1/3 cup yellow moong dal/ split green gram/ pesara pappu/ Payatham Parippu
• 4 cups water
• dash of hing
• 1 inch ginger piece chopped very finely

For tempuring( required ):

• 15 -20 cashew nuts
• 2 tsp cumin seeds( jeera )
• 2-3 tbsp ghee or 2 inches stick butter
• 10-15 peppercorns
• 2 tbsp oil / ghee
• 10 curry leaves
  
  

How to:

• Wash rice and moong dal and add to any pressure pan/sauce pan/electric cooker
• Add chopped ginger and hing
• Add water
• If its pressure pan cook it with the weight/whistle on for 3 whistles or if use a stock pot just cook them together till rice and lentils are cooked( not too soft )
• Switch off and keep aside
• Lets make the seasoning now. Take a small kadai or pan and add oil, ghee, cashew nuts, cumin seeds and fry until the cashew nuts are browned.
• Ground the pepper corns coarsely ( i use mortar and pestle )
• Add pepper corns and curry leaves and switch off the heat
• When ready to eat open the pressure pan and add the seasoning
• Adjust salt to taste
• Yes it is that simple!!
  

• Please do not avoid hing
• If u don't have curry leaves / kaju on hand postpone making pongal, yeah its that important
• Always open the pressure pan just before eating and add the seasoning otherwise it would get hard
• Before opening the pan boil a glass of water. When you find that pongal is thick and you want it a little thinner add the boiling water and stir( This works really good and its a tip from my MIL )
  

Yumm Dal! What can i say about dal. Im not exaggerating that plain toor dal(mudda pappu) cooked till soft and mixed with hot rice( with ghee ) is the most comforting food i know of. My grandma says that its a good practice to eat the first mudda( bite ) of this plain dal rice in any meal. Need not say about the proteins and nutritions dal ( lentils ) has. For vegetarians this is the main source of protein. This tomato dal is my mother-in-law recipe and i tweaked it a little. My mother does tomato pappu in a pressure pan. I will post my moms version too. Dal curry or Dal Fry has so many variations, and i am sure this recipe would be so simple and easy even for a beginner. However there would be no compromise on taste.

My husbands favorite combo: Tomato Pappu and Bandar vepudu( I will post it soon )

• 1 cup cooked toordal. Pressure cook 1/2 a cup of dal with 1 cup of water for upto 3 whistles. And remove the weight( whistle ) and add tsp of ghee, salt and turmeric. Keep aside.
• 2 big ripened tomatoes
• 1 onion
  
• 5-6 green chillies
• Garam masala or Sambar powder( any brand would work, i used MTR )
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• Optional: 2 tsp lemon juice or 1 tbsp tamarind pulp. You need this step only if the tomatoes are not that ripe and sour.
  

• 1/2 tbsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
• 2-3 tbsp oil
• 10 curry leaves
• Turmeric powder

• Heat ghee( butter ) or oil in a kadai and add mustard seeds and cumin seeds
• When they start popping add curry leaves and turmeric
• Add onions, green chillies and crushed garlic
• Saute onions till golden brown and add MTR sambar powder
• Add tomatoes and cooked toor dal
• Optional: Add tamarind pulp( soaked tamarind juice )
  
• Add water and cook until the tomatoes are soft
• Adjust salt to taste
• Optional: Add lemon juice before serving
  
• Garnish with cilantro

I, myself love green leafy vegetables or greens( aaaku kooralu ) a lot. I like to buy fresh greens from the vendor back home which were just picked looking so vibrant and full of life. My grandmother( and my mom ) made sure we eat any aakukooralu( greens ) atleast once everyday. Its really hard for me to buy greens here in US so when i find thotakura i buy a lot., boil and freeze for further use. I know its not the best way to eat greens but i dont see any other alternative.
And when i buy them i make stirfry( thotakura talimpu ) , green leaves and lentil curry ( thotakura pappu ) , green leaves in tamarind sauce( thotakura pulusu ), green leaves stalks stew( kadala pulusu) and green leaves chutney( thotakura pachadi ) and enjoy them the whole week.


I remember we used to get molakoora( these greens have very small and tender leaves compared to thotakura ) back home, but i do not think i can find them anywhere in the US.

• 1 cup tightly packed chopped amaranth leaves( thotakura ).
• 1/2 cup kandi pappu or toordal(tur dal, tuwar dal) Clean and drain the dal
  
• 4-5 green chillies( slit length wise)
• 1 onions chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 1 big tomato chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 1/2 lemon sized tamarind( soaked in warm water )

• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds( jeera )
• 8-10 curry leaves
• pinch of hing
• 2tbsp oil
• 1/2 tsp turmeric

• Please discard any hard stalks from the leaves. Only add the very tender ones chopped very finely. I store the remaining stalks and make stew ( kadala pulusu ). I will post it once i make the stew.
• Chop the leaves very finely( since it takes longer to cook than spinach ).
• I usually use pressure pan to make the dal since it takes very few minutes.
• Heat the pressure pan, add oil, mustard seeds, jeera( cumin seeds ), and hing.
  
• Once it starts spluttering add curry leaves and turmeric.
• Add onions and green chillies and fry for a minute or two.
• Add the chopped thotakura(green leaves ) and tomatoes and tamarind.
  
• Add tuwar dool and fry for a min.
• Add 1 - 1 1/2 cups of water.
• Mix well and cover with pan lid and put the whistle(weight).
• Cook on medium heat for 3 whistles.
• Open the cooker only when the weight comes out easily.
• Put the cooker on flame and cook to for 5 more min stirring occasionally.
• Switch off the flame., I will add some BUTTER or GHEE to enhance the flavor.
• Adjust salt to taste.