WINGED BEAN SALAD CUM PICKLE !!!

The Winged bean also known as the Goa bean and Asparagus pea, Four-angled bean and Winged pea, is a tropical legume plant.

The flavor of the beans has a similarity to asparagus.  The beans are used as a vegetable, but the other parts (leaves, flowers, and tuberous roots) are also edible.  This is my favorite vegetable; I am eating this from my childhood days.  In India we used to get this in the mouth of August and December, yes its seasonal one there.  We in our families use wing beans for making pickles(there are different variations)  and also used to soak this vegetable in the spicy water(made of yogurt,turmeric,chilli powder etc)  which tastes so  good with all south Indian delicacies.  This can also be used for making Indian dry curries (Poriyal).   In Singapore, Thailand this winged bean is also used to make salad and stir fries which taste so so good and love their version of making this Bean as well. 

 

I was so happy to see this bean in the market couple of days back, but managed to get only few. I made Salad cum pickle which I am posting today.  This is so easy to make and can be had with any Roti, Rice and with all South Indian delicacies. Will try to post stir fries recipe if I manage to get again :)

 

WINGED BEAN SALAD/PICKLE

How to chop and select this?

Try to find nice and green one without any brown spots or any patches.  The Vegetable should not be very firm and it should be slightly flexible.  Wash them in nice cold water for 2 to 3 times, drain the water.  Cut the two ends to remove the string, like we do for green beans, and then slice them thin or thick according to your dish or need.  

Ingredients:

Wing bean chopped - 2 cup

Green chilli paste - 3/4 tbsp (add according to your taste)

Lemon juice - 1 tbsp (add according to your taste)

Salt

Tempering:

Oil - 1/2 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves  - few

Method :

1.  Mix chopped bean, green chilli paste, lemon juice and salt.

2.  Heat oil, add mustard seeds when they splutter, add asafoetida followed by curry leaves.

3. Mix until everything is blended well.

 

You can enjoy this with all South Indian delicacies like upmas, dosa, curd rice etc.  It tastes so good by itself as a salad.  You can also store them in refrigerator for a week. 

Read more...

VEGETABLE KOTHU PAROTTA - DETAILED POST!!!

My hometown is Madurai city in the state of Tamil Nadu which is in southern part of India.  My hometown is called as a Temple city, which has a long history for its beautiful temples and architecture.  This place is also called as "Thoonga Nagaram" (the city that NEVER sleeps) because it operates twenty four hours a day.  A large number of  city's food outlets remain open well past midnight and even you enjoy steaming hot food during the midnight.  There are so many dishes that are famous in  my town; particularly Parotta, Biryani, Idli and it is also well known for Non-vegetarian food.

Parotta is a layered Indian bread made using all purpose flour, without any leavening agent and its almost everyone's favorite too.  They are very famous in the southern part of Tamil Nadu, especially in Tuticorin, Viruthunagar and Madurai (My Home Town) where they serve it traditionally in a banana leaf. 

The dish I am posting today is Kothu Parotta literally means minced Parotta.  It is made using Parotta, Egg, Meat and Salna which is a spicy sauce. Variations of  Kothu Parotta are Egg(Muttai) Kothu Parotta, Chilli Parotta and the Vegetarian version is "Vegetable Kothu Parotta" which is served with onion raita.The ingredients are thrown on a hot cast iron griddle lubricated with oil. These are minced and mixed by repeated pounding using a heavy iron spatula, the sound  of which can be heard from a long distance.  This sound really scared me a lot in my childhood days :) 

Kothu Parotta(Muttai) is a very famous road side food available in small road side food shops.  It is also available in restaurants, but is usually tastes better in  street food shops.  It is very popular in Tamil Nadu, but is also available in other parts of India and in Sri Lanka, where it is known as "Kothu Roti". 

My mom makes Parotta almost every sunday and the left over parotta dough will be made into Kothu parotta for next day evening. Yumm :)  I really miss those days :(

Lets come to the recipe part: As I said earlier, in hotels they usually add Salna(basically a non veg curry, a spicy sauce) for making Kothu Parotta.  But today I am  giving you Vegetarian Salna recipe which you can make and add according to your preference.  If you want to make Egg Kothu parotta, just omit the vegetable  part and add egg that's it.  Even if you are running out of time you can also make exactly same on without Salna but see note if you are doing in that way.

 

Salna - Plain Gravy/Spicy sauce for making Kothu parotta
 
Onion - 1/2 roughly chopped
Tomatoes  - 1 roughly chopped
Coconut - 1 1/2 tbsp
Poppy seed(khus khus) - 1 tsp
Ginger - 1/4 inch piece
Garlic - 2 cloves
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
Coriander seeds - 1/2 tbsp
Turmeric powder - very little
Coriander leaves  - 1 tbsp (chopped)
Oil - 3 tbsp
Salt

For Tempering :

Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon - small piece
Cloves - 1
Cardamom - 1
Curry leaves - few
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Egg masala powder/Biriyani masala - 1/2 tsp

Method :

1. Heat oil in a pan.
2. Add cummin seeds, fennel seeds, coriander seeds.
3. Saute the onions,tomatoes,ginger,garlic,grated coconut and poppy seed.
4. Once it is cooled. Grind to fine paste.
5. Heat enough oil, add the curry leaves,fennel seeds and whole spices.
6. Add the chilli powder and add the ground paste, little water.
7. Let it come to boil.  When the gravy thickens switch off the flame and garnish with chopped coriander.

VEGETABLE KOTHU PAROTTA

Ingredients:

Parotta - 10 (Tear into very very small pieces)
Green chillies - 2 to 3 sliced
Onion - 2 sliced
Curry leaves few
Tomato - 1 big (chopped)
Carrot, Peas,Beans,Cabbage -  1 1/2 cup (Finely chopped) Since I did not had beans and cabbage on that day I did not use, usually I use to add. I used Frozen 
peas, so microwave for few seconds and keep it aside.
Salna - 1/2 cup (Use it according to your preference)
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves - handful (finely chopped)
Oil - 4 tbsp
Salt 

 

Method :

1. Heat Oil in the pan, add green chilli, curry leaves and onion.  Saute till light brown and then add tomato.  Add salt.
Saute till it is mushy.
2. Now add finely chopped vegetables in this order first beans when it is half done, add carrots and cabbage.(I did not use beans and cabbage this time).
3. When the vegetables are sauteed well.  Add the Salna (Gravy) and Parotta pieces.
4. Now add the pepper powder and microwaved green peas. 
5. Saute well until everything is blended well and slightly roasted.
6. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with simply onion raita.

 

Note:

1.  If you are making egg kothu parotta, just omit the vegetable part and add 4 eggs(break add little salt and beat seperately) after adding Salna and parotta pieces.
Cook until everything is blended and roasted well. The egg gets scrambled , binds the masala and Parotta.
2. Use oil liberally.
3. Add Salna according to your preference.  The left over Salna can be used as side dish for chappathi, Dosa and Idli too.
4. If you are doing without Salna  follow this procedure
     *  Add tsp of Saunf(fennel seeds) for tempering.
     *  Add tsp of Biriyani or egg masala while adding chilli powder.
Follow other procedure exactly.

Read more...