Cluster Beans and Toor Daal Curry.

Cluster Beans ( Chouli Kodu/Ghori kaai ) Toor daal curry is one of the traditional dish of Iyengars. It goes well with almost all the main dish, but I like it with plain rice and ghee.

This Cluster Beans curry takes me to go down my memory lane I have eaten this curry many times in Mr. and  Mrs. Govinda Prasad's House. They are our very close friends. It is like once upon a time when we used to stay in Yola-Gangola - Nigeria. We both the families used to visit one another very often in Nigeria. They used to stay in a place called Gombe (Bauchi State), and we in Yola. (Gangola state). The time spent together is never be forgotten. We also continued our friendship in Dubai. It is nice to have friends like our family members. Though I have many many friends, I still think of the good old days spent together with Prasads. I learnt so many dishes from Mrs. Nagamani Prasad, like parapu pudi, khara pongal(one of Mrs. Nagamani Prasad's favourite), chakkara pongal (sweet pongal), and Karnataka, Iyengar's special, Moru Kolambu (Curd Curry).

Lets see the different names of Cluster Beans in some Indian Languages.
It is known as Gawaar in Sindhi, Panjabi, Urdu, Hindi and Marati. Goruchikkadu Kaya or Gorukaya in Telugu, Gorikai, chavali kodu, javali kai in Kannada. Kottavarai in Tamil.
Coming back to Cluster Beans - Toor Daal Curry, I have used cluster beans, toor dal, ginger, green and red chilly, jeera and pepper pods.
No Onion or No Garlic is used in this "Cluster Beans Toor dal curry". Though it looks a long process, it is an easy and yummy dish and I am sure you all love this traditional tasty dish.
Lets see the recipe :

Things Needed :

Cluster Beans : 1 Cup (250 Gram).
Green Chilly : 2 ( medium hot chillies).
Ginger : An inch
Salt :To taste
Toor Daal : 1/2 cup
Curry leaves : 2 to 3 table spoon
Coriander leaves : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Oil ; 3 Table spoons
Mustard Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Urd Daal : 1/2 Tea spoon
Ingh :1/4 Tea spoon(powdered ).
Water : 1/2 cup
Jeera : 1/2 Tea spoon.
Turmeric Powder : a pinch
Coconut : 2 Table spoons.( Fresh Coconut).

Method :

1. Soak Toor Daal for 1 hour.
2. Wash and cut cluster beans and cut into small pieces.

3. Wash and cut curry leaves, wash and remove the outer layer of ginger and wash again. Cut into small.
4. Grate coconut and keep it aside.
5. Drain the water from toor dal and grind it with green chilly, ginger, pepper, jeera/cumin seeds.
6. Grind into rava consistency and remove from the mixi jar. Put it in a plate.

7. Keep a big pan on the fire and heat. Put 1 tablespoon of oil. Put mustard seeds, urid dal, cut red chilly.
8. Let the mustard seeds splutter. Add curry leaves and ingh. Add cut cluster beans and stir nicely.

9. Add 1/2 cup of water and mix the vegetable nicely.
10. Now place the ground toor dal plate above the vegetable and cover the pan with small plate.
11. Let it cook on low flame for a while. (4 to 5 minutes).

12. Remove the lid and mix toor dal with cluster beans and cook nicely till they turn soft and cooked        well.
13. Sprinkle little water in between so that it can be cooked nicely. Stir in between.
14. Cook on low flame for 5 minutes. Check that vegetable and dal is cooked well.

15. Add salt, little red chilly powder and mix it well. Add remaining oil and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.

16. Add grated coconut and shift the ready cluster beans - Toor dal Curry to a serving bowl. Add coriander leaves and serve.

Note :
You can cook cluster beans and ground toor dal together by using more oil.
Put the ground dal along with cluster beans to the seasoning. But it takes lots of time and lots of oil should be used in that method.
OR
Pressure cook ground toor dal and then add it to the cooked cluster beans. That not only saves the time and you are sure the dal is cooked nicely. Stir nicely by adding very little oil.
Use of more /less oil is optional. Use of more chilly is optional.
Time : 3o Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4 

Masala Buttermilk.& Sweet BUttermilk

Buttermilk/majjige (Kannada)/Moru (Tamil), is one of the healthy drink that fits into any season. It is 100% healthy no doubt which is done in home or prepared with clean place.
Buttermilk is a good drink as welcome drink, after the food or at any time of the day. It helps to keep the body cool.

There are two types of buttermilk which the first one is salty and mild spicy and the other one is sweet. For sweet buttermilk I have used honey instead of sugar or jaggery.
I have prepared fresh buttermilk and then used it. I have a habbit of collecting the top cream which you get after boiling milk. I do collect the very small quantity of cream from fresh milk everyday and keep that in a small container in freezer. When ever I have the sufficient quantity I shift the cream filled bowls to fridge. (down portion). Then it melts in a day. I put them in a bigger bowl and add little curd to it to turn savoury. Next is to take away the butter from milk. I have an easy method. I change the mixi blade and place the churner blade in side the mixi jar. Then start grinding little amount of savoury cream. Butter is churned out nicely. You can collet the butter and place it in a big bowl of water. Then again you refill the cream, add little water and churn the butter out and take away the butter. Buttermilk is poured out to the big container and butter milk is collected as it is.
Masala Butter milk and Sweet buttermilk Helps to keep the body cool during summer, helps to digest food and it can be served as welcome drink.
Here I have used fresh buttermilk.
1. Masala Buttermilk :

Things needed:

Buttermilk : 2 Cups
Water : 1 Cups
Ginger grated : 1/4 Teaspoon
Salt : As required
Coriander leaves : 1 Teaspoon
Ingh/Asafoetid : A pinch
Green chilly : 1/2 (Optional)

Method :

1. Wash and cut coriander leaves and cut into small pieces.
2. Wash and remove the outer layer of ginger and wash it again. Grate it and keep it.
3. Wash and cut green chilly into small pieces and keep it aside.
4. Take a big bowl and put buttermilk, water, ingh/asafoetida, grated ginger and cut green chilly.
5. Add coriander leaves pieces and just squeeze out all the ingredients by fingers.

6. Strain this buttermilk to other bowl/ vessel with a strainer.

7. Put them in a serving glass, add a tiny piece of coriander leaf and serve.

Note : 

You can use a mixi jar and grind all the spices and then mix it with buttermilk. Then strain it with a strainer. (Optional).
Adding green chilly to buttermilk is optional. Adding a pinch of garam masala powder/chat masala powder or jeera powder is optional.
Time : 10 Minutes
Serves : 2 to 3 

2: Sweet Buttermilk:

Things Needed :

Buttermilk : 2 Cups
Water : 1 Cup
Honey : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Chat Masala Powder : 1/4 Teaspoon

Method :

1. Mix buttermilk and water nicely in a big bowl.
2. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of honey and mix it well.
3. Add a pinch of salt (optional)

4. Now put this to a serving glass and top up with very little chat masala and serve.

Note : 

You can add sugar instead of honey. Adding more/less honey is optional. Adding salt is good, since it helps to keep cold away.
Remember :
You can use thick curd instead of fresh buttermilk. Add required water and mix it slowly to get diluted buttermilk. Adding sugar to buttermilk is optional as I said before. Adding chat masala is optional.
Time : 10 Minutes.
Servings : 3