Cauliflower curry

I feel like posting the recipe of a dry side dish, after the liquid and semi liquid preparations posted earlier. This is how I prepare cauliflower (gobi) curry without the usual onion and peas as accompaniments.

Ingredients:

1. Cauliflower -1 of medium size
2. Moong dhal-2 table spoons
3. Grated coconut- 2tablespoons
4. Green chillies- 3 or 4
5. A pinch of powdered Hing or a small piece of hing dissolved in water
6. Juice of half lime
7. Salt to taste
8. Curry leaves -1 or 2 twigs
9. Coriander leaves,washed and cut- 1 or 2 sprigs
10. Mustard seeds- 1spoon
11. Urad dhal- 1 spoon.
12. Oil to season- 1table spoon.(maximum)
13. Turmeric powder -1 teaspoon

Preparation:

1. Wash the cauliflower florets thoroughly in a solution of a pinch of turmeric powder and salt in water. Wash and soak the moong dhal in water just enough to cover it.

2.Heat a frying pan and pour half of the oil. Add the mustard seeds . When they splutter, add a pinch of hing powder and the urad dhals and fry till golden yellow. Put a few curry leaves, saute and keep aside.

3.Slit the green chillies into two, and saute for a minute in the remaining oil add a cup of water, add the turmeric powder and cook the moong dhal in it till thewater is fully absorbed.

4.Now add the cauli flower florets in it while adding required quantity of water and cntinue to cook together along with the moong dhal stirring occasionally to avoid getting burnt. Add salt halfway.

5.When the water is finally absorbed, add the coconut gratings, stir well. Remove from heat. Add the seasonings already fried and cut coriander leaves. Pour the lemon juice, allow to stay for some time and mix well. Serve with rice and sambar.

Note: The florets can be pressure cooked with one whistle. and added to the moong dhal to save time. Care should be taken not to over cook the moong dhal and lemon juice should be added only after removing from fire.

Uppuchar

This is a very famous preparation made out of butter milk and coconut among our families spread over the southern part of Tamilnadu up to Trivandrum. It is usually made on festive days ,on the occasions of small functions, and even on Fridays. As with everything in India, there is a mythological link to this special delicacy.

The story goes like this. Lord Shiva, promised to marry Parvathy, who was the daughter of the local king- whose name slips my mind. The bride’s family was disappointed when Lord Shiva came to the marriage accompanied by only a few of his Bhootha Ganas. They expressed their disappointment to the Lord, indicating that the elaborate arrangements for the feast would go waste since the bridegroom’s party only had a few members.

On hearing this somewhat arrogant statement, Lord Shiva decided to teach them a lesson. At the time of the feast, the Bhootha Ganas ate rapaciously, and soon finished eating all the food that was prepared and demanded more and more. The hosts could not satisfy their hunger any more. As a last resort, they cooked the entire quantity of the remaining rice and prepared Uppucchar with the left over coconuts, buttermilk, and some greens from the nearby lands as side dish. Before serving, the king begged pardon from the groom and the hunger pangs of the Bootha Ganas were satisfied. Thus there was a happy ending to the entire episode.It is also a must-cook item on the dinner menu on the occasion of any marriage in our families.

This legendary wedding is commemorated to this day with an annual celebration in Uttarakoshamangai Temple near Ramanathapuram (Ramnad) District in Tamilnadu during month of Chiththirai.

Ingredients:

1. Coconut gratings- grate about half of medium sized coconut.
2. Curds or thick buttermilk- half litre.
3. Red chillies- 4 or 5.
4. Cumin seeds -1 teaspoon.
5. Urad dhal- 1 spoon
6. Black pepper -1/2 to 1 teaspoon.
7. Salt – to taste.
8. Sundaikkai or Manaithakkali (dried Vathal)-1 to 2 teaspoon
9. Brinjals cut into 1inch sized cubes- 2or3.(optional)
10. Oil to fry and seasoning-3 teaspoons.

Preparation:

1. Heat a frying pan, add 1 spoon of oil and fry the urad dhal and chillies together till the dhal turns golden brown.
2. Remove from fire and add the cumin seeds to the hot pan itself.
3. When cold, grind these items and the coconut gratings together into a fine paste of chutney consistency.
4. Pour the ground masala into the curd and blend thoroughly till it forms a liquid. It should not be too dilute or thick.
5. Add salt to taste.
6. Heat the frying pan, pour the remaining oil and fry the dried vathals till dark brown.
7. Add the coconut to the butter milk mixture.
8. Reduce heat and cook till the liquid begins to boil (Care should be taken not to boil it) and remove from heat.
9. Fry the dried pepper, powder it and add to the mixture.

This is the simpler version, with available common ingredients.To add flavour to the dish, we use a rarely available ingredient called Appakkodi (dried and preserved variety of green). This dried herb is used in place of the Sundaikkai Vatthal. Another variety of Vatthal known as Adhalaikkai is also used with Appakkodi for seasoning. Further, brinjals cut into cubes and cooked in water with salt till they are soft, can be added for a better taste. This will go very well with rice and Masicha Keerai (mashed spinach) as a side dish, for which I will give you the recipe in a later post.

Avaraikkai Milagu Poricha Kozhambu

This is the season of Avaraikkai , available in Bengaluru in plenty. Apart from the usual Mocchai kai or Avarekalu, special to Kannadigas, who use only the beans for cooking, the other two flat and tubular types of this vegetable are used along with the outer skin by Tamil Iyers. This preparation is ideal for the cold winter season and can go very well with rice. I reproduce the procedure as taught to me by my mother.

Ingredients:

1. Avaraikai- ¼ k.g cut into half inch square pieces
2. Moong dhal – 1cup
3. Grated coconuts-1cup
4. Cumin seeds- 1teaspoon
5. Red chilly powder- 1teaspoon
6. Pepper powder- 1teaspoon
7. Turmeric powder-1teaspoon
8. Curry leaves-2 or 3 twigs
9. Cooking oil to season – 2 or 3 spoons
10. Mustard seeds -1 teaspoon
11. Urad dhal – 1 spoon
12. Salt 1 1/2 tsp or to taste

Preparation:

1. Pressure cook moong dhal in 1 cup of water with half a teaspoon of turmeric powder.
2. Boil the remaining powders in 2 cups of water for 2 to 3 minutes to remove the raw smell of the spices.
3. Add the cut vegetables and few curry leaves to it. When the vegetables are half cooked, add the required salt and cook until soft.
4. Keep aside one tablespoon of the coconut for seasoning and grind the rest with cumin seeds into a fine paste with required quantity of water.
5. Mash the cooked dal nicely and add it to the cooked vegetable. Add the ground coconut paste, stirring thoroughly till all the ingredients blend together into a semi liquid form. Reduce the fire to minimum. You may add water if you want the dish diluted.
6. Heat oil in a frying pan. Add the mustard seeds. When they begin to splutter, add urad dhal. When urad dal turns golden yellow, add curry leaves and coconut gratings.
7. Pour the seasoning into the vegetable mixture. Remove from fire and serve hot with rice.