Sambrani Dry Palya

Sambrani (Kannada) is a vegetable, similar to potato but very small in size. It is fully covered with mud and looks muddy too. In olden days people use to remove its skin by putting this vegetables in a jute bag and used to hit it on the ground and remove its outer skin and then wash it nicely to cook. This vegetable is very famous in South Canara. Many dishes can be prepared with this vegetables.

Sambrani is also called as Chinese Potato and in English it is wild potato or country potato. Kootka or Sheema Kizhanu-Malayalam, Kizhangu Siru Kizhangu -Tamil, Soppur Kooke- Konkani and Sambrani or Sambrali in Kannada. ( It is known as Sambrani in South Canara.

Here is a recipe of Sambrani Palya which is very tasty and we can have them with rice, chapati, roti or poori. It is similar to potatoes and I have no doubt it will be liked by each and every one in the house and all age group. This can be served as one of the side dish.

Ingredients :

Sambrani : 1/2 Kilo
Oil : 2 Table spoons.
MTR Chutney Powder : 2 Table spoons
Chilly Powder : 1/2 Tea spoon
Ingh (Asafoetida) : a pinch
Trumeric Powder : a pinch
Salt : to taste
Mustard Seeds : 1/2 Tea spoon
Jeera : 1/2 Tea spoon
Methi seeds : 1/4 Tea spoon
Curry leaves : 8 to 10 Leaves
Coriander Leaves : 2 to 3 Table spoon
Ginger : 1 Table spoon (Grated)

Method : 

1. Wash and pressure cook Sambrani for 6 to 8 minutes and leave it for cooling.

2. Wash and cut curry leaves and coriander leaves into small.
3. Wash and remove the outer skin of the ginger, wash again and grate it.

4. Remove the outer skin of the Sambrani and keep the Sambarni aside.

5. Now keep a pan on the fire. Put oil and heat.
6. Add mustard seeds, methi seeds to the hot oil and let mustard seeds spurt.
7. Add jeera, curry leaves and ingh. Fry for 5 seconds.
8. Add Sambrani and mix it nicely. Add grated ginger.
9. Add chilly powder, MTR chutney powder and turmeric powder.

10. Add salt and mix it nicely and slowly stir on low flame for 2 to 3 minutes.

11. Cook on low flame for 2 more minutes. Stir inbetween.
12. Put cut coriander leaves and mix it well.
13. Shift the Palya to a serving dish.
14. Serve with chapati or rice.

Note:

You can use cut onions to the palya. Add cut onions and fry with mustard spurt and then add Sambrani.
You can also use more oil if you wish. You can also add Garam Masala powder along with chutney powder. Adding coconut is optional. I have not added. You can use Home made chutney powder instead of MTR.
Time : 20 minutes
Serves : 3 to 4  

Home made Chutney Powder:

Dry roast urid dal, channa dal (1/2 cup each), curry leaves, red chilly and ingh till the dals are brown. Add required salt and dry grind when it is cooled. Mix it nicely and put it in a air tight bottle or box. Use whenever you want.

Brinjal Curry (ಮಟ್ಟಿನ ಗುಳ್ಳ ಬೋಳು ಹುಳಿ)

Brinjal from a place called Mattu (ಮಟ್ಟು) a small village near Udupi is famous world wide. It is called Mattina Gulla ( ಮಟ್ಟಿನ ಗುಳ್ಳ), and it is a special type of brinjal which normally grow in this region. This special variety of brinjal is cooked in many style and with many varieties.

Brinjal is very low in calories and fats but rich in soluble fiber content. It contains good amounts of many essential B - Complex groups of vitamins. It is a good source of minerals like manganese. copper, iron and potassium.

Here is a recipe of Brinjal curry which is prepared using toor dal, green chilly, ginger. This curry goes well with Rice, chapati, poori, roti, idli and even dosas. The same procedure can be followed to any variety of brinjal.

Things Needed:

Brinjal : 2 (Medium size)
Toor/Moong dal : 1/2 cup
Green chilly : 2 to 3
Ginger : 1 Table spoon
Ingh : a pinch
Turmeric powder : a pinch
Coconut Oil : 2 Tea spoons
Mustard seeds :1/2 Tea spoon
Urid dal : 1/2 Tea spoon
Curry leaves : 5 to 6
Coriander leaves : 2 Table spoons
Tamarind Pulp : 2 Table spoons.
Jaggery : 1 Table spoon
Salt : to taste

Method :

1. Wash and cook Toor/Moong dal in a pressure cooker with required water.  Leave it for cooling.
2. Wash and cut Brinjal and put it in a big bowl of water.

3. Wash and cut green chilly, curry leaves and coriander leaves.

4. Wash and remove the outer skin of ginger and grate it.
5. Soak a small ball size of tamarind in hot water and squeeze out the pulp and keep the pulp aside.
6. Now keep a big pan on the fire and heat. Put 1 tea spoon of oil.
7. Put mustard seeds and urid dal to the hot oil. Let it spurt.
8. Add cut green chilly, curry leaves and ingh. Mix it well.

9. Now squeeze out the extra water from the brinjal and add it to the spurt mixture.
10. Fry nicely on low flame. Add water and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Let the brinjal be soft.
11. Add cooked dal and mix it well and put water. Put tamarind pulp and salt.

12. Let it cook on  medium flame. Add jaggery, grated ginger and mix it well and boil for 5 minutes.
13 Now add  cut coriander leaves, 1 tea spoon of coconut oil and shift the Brinjal curry to a serving bowl.
14. Serve with hot rice or chapati.

Note :

Must cook dal and brinjal till soft. Adding jaggery is an optional. Using coconut oil is also an optional. You can use any cooking oil. Add required water while the curry boil. It should be little watery. You can also use lemon extract instead of tamarind. I have used Moong dal for the curry.
Using onions and garlic is purely optional.

Time : 30 Minutes
Servers : 3 to 4