Channa dal - Tomato Chutney

Channa dal and Tomato chutney is one of the yummy chutney.

We love to have varieties of chutneys with plain rice or any other dishes like idli, vada, dosa, uppittu, chapati and so many to list it.
Chutneys are very nice to eat with dosas, idli, poori, chapati, rotti etc etc. Varieties of chutneys can be prepared.
I have prepared Chutney using channa dal and tomato. Tomato is from our garden and I am very happy to prepare this yummy, spicy chutney.
No Onion or No Garlic is used here in this Channa dal and Tomato Chutney.
It is very easy, simple, quick and yummy.

Things Needed :

Tomato : 1
Channa Dal : 1 Tablespoon Full
Green Chilly : 2 to 3
Curry Leaves : 6 to 8
Coconut : 1 Cup
Tamarind : A small marble size
To season :
Coconut Oil : 1 Teaspoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Tsp
Ingh : A little
Curry leaves : 4 to 5

Method :

1. Wash tomato and cut into small.

2. Grate coconut and keep it aside.
3. Keep a pan and heat. Add oil and channa dal, red chilly and fry till they turn slightly brown.

4. Add cut tomatoes and fry till it turns soft.

5.Add little tamarind and fry for a minute. Put off the fire and add grated coconut.
6. Let all the fried ingredients get cool.

7. Add required water, salt and grind till it turn soft texture. Take it out to a serving dish.

8. Add seasoning of mustard seeds, ingh, curry leaves done in coconut oil.
9. Add this seasoning to ground channa dal - tomato chutney.

10. Now the chutney is ready to serve.

Note :

You can dry roast dal and tomatoes till it turn soft. Adding more chilly is optional.
Adding more coconut is optional. If you are using this chutney with dosa or idli let the chutney be mild spicy. If it is for lunch let it be bit spicy. (Optional).
Time : 15 Minutes
Serves : 2 to 3  .

Mooli and Mixed leaves Curry

Mooli / Radish and mixed leaves Curry is a side dish and is full of nutritious and cooked with fresh spices.

I have used palak / spinach, goli soppu /purslane leaves and mooli/ radish.
The leaves are from our home. We have put some plants in the pot. And we get fresh, organic leaves.

Let us see the benefits of Goli Soppu/Purslane leaves.
The scientific name of Goli Soppu/Purslane leaf is Portulaca oleracea. The other names are pursley, pig weed or verdolaga.
Goli Soppu leaves are very low in calories and fats. They are rich source of dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals. Fresh leaves are rich in Omega -3 fatty acids and is good for heart health. The leaves are rich source of Vitamin A, It is rich in antioxidant and vitamin for vision. It is good for skin health and heart health. It is rich in vitamin C and some B complex vitamins. They contain minerals like iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium and manganese.

Goili Soppu / Purslane Leaves.

Bimbli /Averrhoa bilimbi (commonly known a sbilimbi, cucumber tree / sorrel tree) is a fruit bearing tree of Averrhoa fimily

Let us see the recipe now :
No Onion or No Garlic is used in this recipe.

Things Needed :

To Cook :
Toor Dal : 1/2 Cup
Goli Soppu /Purslane leaves : 1 Bowl
Palak /Spinach leaves : 1 Bowl.
Mooli /Radish : 2 Medium sized
Slit Green chilly :2

TO Grind :
Coconut : 1 Cup
Coriander Seeds : 1 Table spoon
Jeera/cumin seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Dried Bimbli : 5 to 6 Pieces
Chilly powder : 3/4 Teaspoon

To Add :
Salt : As required
Coriander leaves : 2 Tablespoons

Seasoning with : 

Coconut Oil : 1 Teaspoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh /Asafoetida : A little

Method :

1. Wash leaves and radish and cut into small pieces. Wash green chilly. Wash coriander leaves and curry leaves. cut them into small.

2. Wash and put toor dal to a pressure cooker.
3. Add cut leaves, radish, a slit green chilly and little turmeric. Add required water and cook for 5 minutes.

4. Grate coconut and grind it with coriander seeds, bimbli, jeera/cumin seeds and red chilly powder
5. Add required water to grind.   

6. Keep a pan and add cooked vegetables and dal. Add required salt. Let it cook for 2 minutes.

7.Add ground spice - coconut mixture and mix it well. Add 3 to 4 methi seeds to it. mix it well and boil.

8. Let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in between so that it does not get burnt.

9. Shift the curry to a serving bowl and add seasoning done in coconut oil with mustard seeds, curry leaves and ingh. Add cut coriander leaves.

Note :

Do not over cook the leaves and radish.  2 to 3 whistles will do if you are using pressure cooker.
You can also cook the leaves separately.  Adding raw coriander seeds and jeera adds to easy digest and adds aroma to the curry. Adding more dal is optional.
Time : 30 Minutes

Serves : 3 to 4 people.

Quick Sambar Rice

Sambar Rice is a quick Rice dish with full of veggies. It is one of the Tamil Nadu people's favourite food that can be cooked quickly and easily.

Sambar Rice is filled with proteins, vitamins and carbohydrates. Veggies are full of fiber and vitamins. It is like a full meal and it surely fills our stomach.
Sambar rice can be cooked for one pot meal, lunch or even dinner. You can take this full meal for travelling or even to office. ( For lunch)
Let us see the recipe Now :

Ingredients :

To Cook :
Rice : 1 Cup
Toor Dal : 1/2 Cup or little less
Carrots : 2 ( Medium size)
Knolkol /Kohirabi/Navilu kosu : 2
Cluster beans /Gori kai/Chavali Kodu : 100 to 150 Gr.
To Dry Roast :
Methi seeds : 1/4 Teaspoon
Red chilly : 5 to 6
Urid dal : 1/2 Teaspoon
Channa dal : 1/2 Teaspoon
Coriander seeds : 2 Tablespoons
Jeera /cumin Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Curry Leaves : 5 to 6
Ingh / Asafoetida : A little
To season :
Capsicum : 1
Cashew Nuts : 2 to 3 Tablespoons. ( 6 to 8 nuts)
Oil : 2 Teaspoons
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh : A pinch
Curry Leaves : 5 to 6 leaves.
To Add : 
Tamarind Pulp : 2 to 3 Tablespoons pulp ( Small marble size tamarind)
Turmeric powder : A little
Salt : As required
Dry ground powder
Seasoning 
Coriander leaves : 2 Tablespoons

Method : 

1. Wash and cut scrape out carrots and cut into small pieces.
2. Wash and peel off the outer layer of knolkol and cut into desired size.
3. Wash and remove the edges of cluster beans and cut into desired size.

4. Put them in a pressure cooker. Add washed toor dal. Add 1/2 Cup of water.
5. Pressure cook all the above ingredients for 2 to 3 minutes. Let it cool.
6. Wash and cook rice and keep it aside.

7. Soak tamarind in hot water for 5 minutes and squeeze out the pulp. Keep it aside.
8. Dry roast all the spices one by one on low flame and dry grind once it is cooled.

9. Keep a big pan on the fire and put cooked rice, vegetables with dal.
10. Add tamarind pulp and haldi/turmeric. Add salt and mix all the ingredients nicely.
11. Add water if required and let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes.
12. Add dry ground fresh spice powder and mix it well. Let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Wash capsicum and remove its seeds from inside. Cut it into thin pieces. keep it aside.

13. Keep a pan on the fire and add oil and ghee. Add cashew nuts and fry.
14. Add mustard seeds, ingh and let mustard seeds splutter.
15. Add ingh and curry leaves . Add cut capsicum and fry till the pieces turn golden brown.

16. Shift the ready Sambar Rice to a serving dish. Add fried capsicum and seasoning mixture to Sambar rice.

Mix it well and serve with papad.

Note :

Cooking vegetables separately helps to keep the veggies crunchy. Adding more chilly to Sambar rice is optional. Adding fresh spice is optional. You can use any brand of Sambar powder instead of home prepared sambar powder.
Time : 40 Minutes 
Serves : 3 to 4 .

Serves : 3 to 4 .

Dahi Channa

Dahi Chenna is a snack dish and it is filling dish too. Channa/Kadale /whole Kabooli Channa is used here. 

It is an easy dish and I have used Kabooli  Channa, little spices and curd.

Let us see the recipe

Things Needed :

To Cook :

Kabooli Channa : 1 Cup 

To Season :

Cooking Oil : 1 Tablespoon

Mustard seeds : 1 Teaspoon

Jeera/Cumin Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon

Grated ginger : 1 /2 Teaspoon

To Add : 

Curd : 1/2 Cup

Sweet and Spicy Chutney : 2 Tablespoobs

Coriander Leaves : 2 Tablespoons

Salt : As required 

Chat Masala : 1/2 Teaspoon

Jeera /Cumin Powder : 1/2 Teaspoon

Red chilly powder : 1/2 Teaspoon

Method :

1. Wash and soak kabooli channa over night. 

2. Wash it again in the morning or 5 to 6 hours and pressure cook with required water.

3. It should cook well it should be soft.

4. Keep a pan and heat. Add oil and mustard seeds, jeera and let mustard seeds splutter.

5. Add green chilly and fry for 20 seconds. Add cooked channa and stir nicely.

6. Add grated ginger,  1/2 teaspoon of garam masala powder and fry nicely. 

7. Add required salt and mix it well. Add a pinch of turmeric powder.

8. Mix all the ingredients nicely and allow it to cook for 2 minutes. Put of the gas.

9. Take a bowl and add curd, chat masala powder, a pinch of jeera powder.

10. Add chilly powder and little salt. Mix all the ingredients nicely, Let curd mixes well with all the other ingredients. Add little more curd if required.

11. Take a plate, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of cooked channa, and add 2 to 3 tablespoons of curd on the top. 

12. Sprinkle some coriander leaves and put 1/4 teaspoon of spicy and sweet chutney and serve.

Note :

Channa should be cooked soft. Adding onions on the top while serving is optional. I have not added.

Adding any other spice is optional. You can prepare Onion Rings and serve along with this Dahi Channa.

Time : Soaking time Over night or 5 to 6 hours + Cooking time + 20 to 25 minutes.+ Plating + 10 Minutes. 

Serves : 3 to 4 

We had it with home prepared Onion Rings. 

How to make Onion Rings ?

Mix 1/2 cup of besan/channa powder,  1 Tablespoon of rice flour, required chilly and 1/4 teaspoon of jeera and required salt. Mix with required water and prepare pakoda batter. (Bit thick).

Remove the outer skin of onions and wash it. Cut it as circle and keep it aside.

Keep 1 cup of oil in a frying pan. Let it get hot. 

Dip each onion ring in besan mixture and put it slowly in hot oil. Fry on both sides. 

Remove it from hot oil once it is done and put it on a kitchen tissue. 

Serve with Dahi Channa and it is a good combination to have with Dahi Channa.