BORLOTTI BEAN / CRANBERRY BEAN SUNDAL WITH A SIMPLE MEAL

Borlotti bean which is also called as Cranberry bean  is delicious cooked in soups, stews, Salads, Sundal, Kurma. A firm texture and sweet, nut-like flavor makes this bean a favorite. In US you may find Borlotti/Cranberry beans under a different name depending upon where you live. In India it is also called as Butter Beans, I know here the butter beans are different so somehow, the vegetable names vary from place to place.  

 

 

 

 

The sundal with this beans particularly this masala  tastes so so delicious and is our favourite too.. A Bean sundal, Paruppu keerai( Greens with dhal), Rasam and Curd.. mmmmmm..... A delicious and very comforting meal.  Here goes the visual treat....

 

 

 

BORLOTTI BEAN SUNDAL

Ingredients:

Borlotti Bean - 2 cups
Onion - 1 chopped finely( Shallots tastes so good)
Tomato - 1 medium sized
Curry leaves - few
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Mustard - 1/4 tsp
Urad dhal - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric - little
Lemon juice - 1/4 tsp ( just for taste)
Coriander - chopped finely for garnishing( more would taste better)
Oil and salt accordingly

For Masala Paste:
Green Chilli - 4 or 5 increase if you need more spicy
Saunf - 1/2 tsp
Ginger - 1 1/2 inch

Grind the above to coarse paste.

 

 

 

 

 

Method :
1. Once the beans are removed from the shell, wash it and pressure cook by adding 1/4 water and salt for 4 whistles.( No of whistles depends on your cooker).
2. Now heat oil in the pan, add mustard.  Once it is spluttered, add Urad dhal.
3.Once it is light brown add the onion,  the masala paste, curry leaves, Asafoetida, followed by tomato and Turmeric.
4.After the tomato is cooked well other other ingredients, add the cooked bean.
5. Mix well so that everything has to blended well, add salt and lemon juice.  Mix it well.
6. Switch of the flame and add the coriander leaves.

 

 

Note :

You can substitute this bean with any other bean or channa(Black or white) according to your choice. But cooking the Bean or Channa in pressure cooker depends accordingly. 

PARUPPU KEERAI
Ingredients :

I used Amaranth - 2 cups
Toor dhal - 1 handful( pressure cooked with little turmeric)
Mustard - 1/4 tsp
Urad dhal - 1/2 tsp
Red chilli - 5 broken
Coconut - 1 tbsp
Oil and salt

 

 

Method :
1. Throughly wash the greens, drain and chop it.
2. Heat the oil in the pan, add mustard and urad dhal.
3. Now add the red chillies.
4. Add the chopped greens sprinkle little water , close with the lid only 3/4th otherwise the color changes.
5. Once the greens is cooked add the cooked dhal, salt and coconut, mix well.
6. Put off the flame, here you for healthy Greens for Your comforting meal!!!

 

Note :

 

You can substitute amaranth with spinach or any Indian greens.

DHAL RASAM(PARUPPU RASAM)

Ingredients :

 

Toor dhal - 1/4 cup cooked with little turmeric
Tamarind pulp - 1 1/2 tbsp ( adjust according to your taste)
Rasam Powder - 1 tbsp
Chilli powder - 1/4 tsp ( my rasam powder has no chilli powder in it so I add seperately)
Tomato - 1 small
Curry leaves - few
Cummin - 1/4 tsp
Mustard - 1/4 tsp
Garlic - 1 crushed
Pepper powder - 2 pinches
Asafoetida - little
Coriander leaves - for garnishing( You can add the stalks of coriander in hot rasam to get nice aroma)
Salt and oil for seasoning

 

 

Method :
1. Dilute the cooked dhal with 1 1/2 cup of water.
2. Add the tamarind pulp, tomato, rasam powder, chilli powder, add salt.
3. Let it boil for few minutes and you can see the quantity of rasam is little reduced and the foam is cleared little bit.
4.At this time in a pan heat oil, add mustard, cummin followed by crushed garlic, Asafoetida, curry leaves and pepper powder.
5. Once the garlic is slight brown color add this to the rasam and close with the lid immediately.
6. Now add the coriander leaves that is chopped and some coriander stalks.  This also give nice taste, aroma to the rasam.

Note:

1.  The sourness and spiciness can be adjusted according to your taste.

Hope you all enjoy my simple comforting meal.  Have wonderful Weekend !!!!

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VANKAYA PULUSU(Green Brinjal) , GREENS PEPPER FRY & GIVEAWAY WINNER

 Vankaya pulusu which is quite easy.  This goes very well with rice, idli as well as dosa. This pulusu particularly tastes so good with Green Brinjal(eggplant), Drumstick as well as Potatoes. You can try it with any of your favorite veggie. Along with this recipe I am posting Greens Pepper fry, here I have used Red amaranth(Thandu keerai), you can try it with any greens of your choice. Take a look at my comforting simple lunch menu .....

VANKAYA PULUSU(Green Brinjal)
This recipe has 2 powders as main ingredient. One is Roasted gram dhal powder and coconut coriander powder.

INGREDIENTS:

Green Brinjal - 10 cut to big cubes and put in the water( Replace drumstick or Potatoes of your choice)
Big onion - 1 sliced
Red chillies - 3 or 4
Cummin seeds - 2 tsp
Roasted gram dhal - 1 ( Make to fine powder)
Tamarind Paste - 1 1/2 tbsp ( Use according to your sourness level)
Turmeric - little
Mustard - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - few
Ghee - 1/4 tbsp
Oil - 1/2 tbsp
Coriander for garnishing....

Coconut Coriander powder:
Coconut - 1 tbsp
Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
Red chillies - 4

Fry all the above ingredients in a tsp of oil and make to fine powder.

METHOD:

1. Heat the ghee and oil in the pan.
2. Splutter Mustard seeds followed by Cummin seeds and Red chillies.
3. Add the Slice onions once it is sauteed until transparent add the Cubed brinjal.
4. Saute for few minutes add the curry leaves, turmeric and tamarind paste.
5.Add 1 1/4 cup of water, let it boil until the veggies are cooked.
6.Now to this mixture add the coconut coriander powder, Roasted Gram dhal powder( mix this in a tbsp of water then add to the above mixture)
7.Let it nicely boil for sometime and it get thickened as we have added the dhal powder.
8.Now garnish with the coriander leaves.

Serve with hot Rice, Idli or Dosa.
Note:
1.Adjust the tamarind according to your taste, and the dhal powder according to your thickness.
2.Follow the same one for other veggies too.
3.You can reduce or increase the red chillies according to your spice level.




GREENS PEPPER FRY
INGREDIENTS :

Any greens of your choice - 1 bunch
Garlic - 10 flakes , peel the skin and slice
Onion - 1 sliced
Red chillies - 3
Urad dhal - 1 1/2 tsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Pepper powder - as required
Salt as required
Oil - as needed




METHOD :

1. Wash and chop the greens.
2. Add tsp of oil , splutter mustard followed by urad dhal and Redchillies.
3. Add the sliced onion and Garlic.
4. Saute until light brown color. Now add the chopped greens sprinkle some water.
5. Close with a lid 3/4 not fully as it changes the color.
6. Once cooked add the salt and pepper saute for few seconds. Serve hot with rice and Ghee.

Note :

1. Don't over cook the greens. Add water little by little as required.

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GREENS SOUP(SPINACH)

What else is so comforting in this cold winter other than soup !!!!! Yah today I am posting a simple delicious soup which is so healthy that you can make within few minutes, with less ingredients. You can have this atleast 4 times a week as a part of your daily menu. One more interesting part of this soup is it has no oil and cream. But I promise it tastes delicious. Try it out...

SPINACH SOUP 

Ingredients :

Spinach - 2 handful
Roasted cummin - 1 tsp
Green chilli - 2
Besan- 1 1/2 tsp
Salt



Method :

1. Dry roast the besan in a pan until nice aroma comes. Let it cool for a while.
2. Microwave washed spinach for 3 minutes.
3. Grind it with roasted cummin and green chilli to fine paste.
4. Now add little water to roasted besan to make a paste add this to the fine ground spinach.
5. Add little water and bring to boil , when the soup start boiling and slightly thickens. Switch off and serve hot with some salad.




Note :


You can adopt the same recipe for all types of greens but not Gongura. 
You can also add dash of cream or butter while serving.
Add the green chilli according to your taste.
Dont add too much of besan as it spoils the taste , just add little for thickening.

Enjoy Yummy and Healthy Hot Soup !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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BOK CHOY STIR FRY

Bok choy is classified as a cabbage, sometimes called as chinese cabbage, mustard cabbage, chinese celery or peking cabbage. It has glossy dark green leaves and thick and crisp white stalks in loose head. It has as light , sweet flavour, crispy texture and good nutritional values.

Bok choy is very nutritios, it is high in vitamin A,C rich in potassium and calcium. They similarly tastes like swiss chard. It tastes so good when lightly cooked over cooking spoils the tastes. Bok choy is one of those good vegetable that can be quick cooked, steamed or stir fried. Baby bok choy is also available in the market anything can be used and cook like swiss chard.




Ingredients :

Bok choy - 1 packet
Garlic - 4 crushed
Red chilli flakes or pepper anything of ur choice.
Roasted Sesame seeds - 1 tsp
Sesame oil - 1/4 tsp (optional if u like the flavour add it atlast)
Oil
Salt

Method :

1. Wash the bok choy and cut the leafy portion and stems seperately into big pieces 3/4 inch atleast . Too thin makes watery.
2. Heat oil in the frying pan and add crushed garlic and red chilli flakes.
3. Then first add stems and stir fry for just few seconds , then add the green part.
4. Saute for few seconds add salt and pepper. Now add sesame oil and seeds.
5. Serve hot with Jasmine rice or fried rice or even u can eat like a snack too.



Variation :

1. To get the saucy consistency you can add the cornflour mixture.
2. You can also make gobi manchurian sauce and add the fried greens to it tastes so yummy , refer the gobi manchurian sauce in my post. And serve it with vegetable noodles.
3. This bokchoy can be substituted by swiss chard or kale.
4. Do not saute for too long until water is absorbed .. it becomes soggy and spoils the crunchiness.

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