Shallots Sambar

Well, Lots of changes going around, we moved an hour forward and a major devasting change is shift in the earth axis caused by the quake in Japan it's such a horrified disaster. my prayers for the people of japan.

Back to ma recipes, here is a quick recipe on shallots.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup Red gram dal
1/2 pound shallots
lemon sized tamarind, soaked in water and extract the paste
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp jaggery
salt

Masala Paste
1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 1/2 tbsp coriender seeds
1 tbsp bengal gram
4 red chilies
1 tbsp poppy seeds
3-4 tbsp coconut shredded
oil

Tempering
1 Mustard seeds
1 black gram dal
1 red chili
and few curry leaves

Pressure cook the red gram dal and set aside
Heat a small pan, add oil add red chilies, fenugreekseeds, cumin seeds, coriender seeds, bengal gram and poppyseeds and saute for 2-3 mins. Blend all to fine paste with coconut and 4 shallots.
Now, In a heavy sauce pan heat a oil add 1tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp black gram, one red chilies and few curry leaves. When mustard seeds sluptters add tamarind paste, salt to taste, jaggery, turmeric and rest of shallots . Close the lid of the pan and cook until the raw smells of tamarind disppears.
Add cooked dal and masala paste and cook until thoroughly combine.
Lastly, garnish with cilantro.

A recipe from Cookbook "Dakshin"

Ginger Rasam

Ingredients:
2 tbsp toor dal/ pigeon peas
2 1/2 inch ginger
2 green chilies
3 tbsp shredded coconut
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp peppercorns
3 tsp jaggery
salt to taste

Tempering
1tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumins seeds
1-2 red chilies
few curry leaves
hing / asafedita powder

Soak the pigeon peas/toor dal for 30 mins and keep aside.
In a blender, add coconut, ginger, green chilies, cumin and peppercorns and coaked dal. make a fine paste.
In a heavy pan, boil 2 cups of water with salt and turmeric powder, add the paste, simmer the flame and boil until the raw flavour goes or until you dont see the foam standing.
Lastly, In a small pan heat 3 tsp oil, add mustard seeds when it sluptters, add cumin, red chilies, curry leaves and hing.
Mix it with rasam.
Serve with white rice.

Pav Bhaji

Hope all you out there having a nice, fun-filled holidays. For us it's being a relaxed holiday, not much cooking, lot more shopping. Here is my quick last post for this year :) See you all next year.
Wishing all a peaceful new year 2011.

Ingredients:
1 big onion finely chopped
3 tomatoes
1/2 cauliflower
1 big green pepper
1 carrot
2 small potatoes
3 green chilies
1 tbsp ginger-garlic (homemade)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriender powder
1 1/2 tsp pav bhaji masala
Cilantro chopped for garnish

Pressure cook all the veggies except onion & tomatoes for 7-10 mins and let it cool.
Smashed the veggies and keep aside.
In a medium saucepan, heat 2-3 tbsp of oil(mix of butter and oil), add chopped onions and fry until golden brown, add ginger-garlic paste & saute for 1 min.
Add all the powders, mix well and add tomatoes cover & cook until the tomatoes are smashed in medium flame.
Now add the 1/2 tsp pav bhaji masala and mix well. cook for 2-3 mins until the masala blend with onion & tomatoes.
Add smashed veggies and 1 tsp pav bhaji masala and salt for taste and cook for 5 - 10 mins in the medium flame,stir occasionally.
Turn off the flame and garnish with cilantro.
Serve the bhaji with chopped onion & slice of lemon and Pav.