Recently when I went to Salem, my MIL gave me few bitter gourds that was grown in our backyard. Usually I make bitter gourd pitlai, poriyal or crispy bitter gourd chips. This time for a change, I tried Bengali style Tetor dal recipe with moong dal and bitter gourd (Korola in Bengali). We can call it as bitter gourd dal in English. When I saw this recipe in YouTube, I felt bitter gourd and dal combo tastes weird as we are adding a bitter vegetable. But to my surprise, it came out really well.
Being a bitter gourd fan, I just loved it. The trick lies in slicing bitter gourd thinly and saute in oil till its cooked. By doing this way, bitter gourd tastes mildly bitter in this recipe. Cooking procedure is simple too. Tastes good when mixed with plain rice adding few drops of ghee. Begun bhaja and aloo posto are the best side dish for this tetor dal. Luckily I have posted both the recipes in my blog already. So please check the links below. My recent love for Bengali vegetarian food is reflected in this dish. Ok friends, do try this Bengali style Tetor dal / bitter gourd dal and share your feedback with me.
Cooking oil or mustard oil - 2 tbsp ( I used refined oil)
Salt & water - as needed
To temper
Ghee / clarified butter - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Bay leaf - 2
Red chilli - 2 (whole)
Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
Ginger paste – 1 tsp
HOW TO MAKE TETOR DAL
Wash the moong dal and pressure cook adding enough water. Mash and keep aside.
Wash and chop bitter gourd slices thinly. Heat oil and saute the slices till its completely cooked and shrink in size. Remove in a plate.
Temper mustard seeds, bay leaf, red chilli, grated coconut, half of ginger paste and saute for few minutes.
Add the bitter gourd slices to it and saute well.
Lastly add the cooked moong dal, salt, sugar and required water.
Boil for few minutes. Add the remaining ginger paste and switch off the flame.
Serve with plain rice, begun bhaja or aloo posto !
METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES
Wash the moong dal and take in a pressure cooker. Add 2 cups of water, a pinch of turmeric powder. Pressure cook in low flame for 2 whistles till dal cooks mushy. Open the cooker after steam is released. Mash and set aside.
Wash and slice the bitter gourd thinly. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a kadai. Saute the thin bitter gourd slices in low to medium flame till its roasted and golden brown in color. Remove in a plate.
Melt ghee in a pan. Temper mustard seeds, 2 bay leaf, 2 whole red chilli and 1/2 tsp of grated ginger / ginger paste. Lastly add grated coconut and saute till it turns golden in color. Switch off the flame.
Add the sautéed bitter gourd slices, required salt, sugar to the cooked dal. Add tempered ingredients too. Add the remaining ginger too. Mix well. Add little water and adjust the consistency.
Boil for few minutes. Switch off the flame. Serve with plain rice adding few drops of ghee. You can serve with begun bhaja or aloo posto as side dish.
Enjoy !
Note
Make sure you saute and roast the bitter gourd slices.
If you want to remove bitterness, soak the bitter gourd in little salted water. Squeeze well and then saute in oil.
Some people add 1 cinnamon, 1 clove and cardamom in ghee while tempering. But I din't use it.
Bengali style tetor dal / bitter gourd dal recipe is ready to enjoy with plain rice.
I love arbi roast and make this recipe in my kitchen very often. But somehow I haven’t shared this easy, yummy recipe in my blog. So I thought of sharing this recipe for people who look for easy poriyal recipes to cook in a jiffy during busy morning hours. This arbi fry, we call it as seppankizhangu / cheppankizhangu roast in Tamil tastes great with sambar rice, rasam rice and curd rice. Its my family favorite.
More than us, Raksha loves it very much as it has a crispy exterior and soft interior just like potato roast. For variations, you can use small sized baby potatoes instead of arbi (colocasia, taro root in English). Friends, do try this yummy arbi roast and enjoy with rice.
Wash the arbi and pressure cook for 1 whistle in low flame.
Remove the skin and chop into thick roundels.
In a plate, take the spice powders, salt and flours.
Mix gently. Add arbi, cooking oil and coat well. Heat oil and temper the ingredients.
Arrange the arbi and cook in medium flame till golden on both sides.
Cook till crispy. Remove and serve hot with rice.
METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES
Wash and clean the arbi /colocasia. In a pressure cooker, take the arbi and add sufficient water. Pressure cook in low flame for 1 whistle. Make sure arbi is cooked retaining its shape. It should not become mushy.
Open the cooker after the steam is released. Keep in cold water and peel the skin. Chop into thick roundels. Set aside.
In a wide plate, add in red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, salt, rice flour, corn flour. You can add garam masala powder and crushed fennel seeds optionally. Add arbi and 2 tsp of oil. Mix everything to coat the arbi with masala. Add very little water only if needed.
Make sure you don’t break the arbi. Handle it gently.
Heat oil in a kadai. Splutter mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds and curry leaves.
Arrange the masala coated arbi in the kadai. Cook in medium flame till the bottom turns golden. Flip and cook the other side till golden brown. It will turn slightly crispy too. Please adjust the flame to medium or high as per the need. Once its golden on both the sides, remove it from the flame. Serve hot with rice and sambar / rasam.
Enjoy !
Note
Adjust the quantity of spice powders as per your taste.
You can use yam or baby potato instead of arbi.
Try this easy, yummy arbi fry for rice and enjoy !
Finger sandwich is in my try list for long time. I have heard from my friends its a good tea sandwich to please a gathering. English style finger sandwich can be prepared with different stuffing whereas in Indian style, people make it with mayonnaise mixed with vegetables or with green chutney, cucumber and tomato. As I have already posted mayonnaise sandwich, I tried finger sandwich with green chutney and cucumber for our weekend breakfast. It came out so tasty and colorful. Looks so cute too. I am sure this finger sandwich would be a super hit among the kids if you make it with mayonnaise base or with green chutney like this. Use fresh bread for the best taste. Also you can make this sandwich ahead of time but keep it in an air tight box, wrapped with damp paper towel or a wax paper and refrigerate till use to prevent the bread from drying.
Ok Friends, do try this easy, yummy, Indian style finger sandwich recipe and share your feedback with me.
Finger sandwich recipe - Indian style
Indian style finger sandwich recipe using green chutney, cucumber and tomato
Almonds / badam - 5 (to give thickness to the chutney)
Cashew nuts - 5
Salt - as needed
Lemon juice - few drops
Sugar - a pinch
Turmeric powder - a pinch (for bright green color)
Water - as needed (use little and grind thick chutney)
HOW TO MAKE FINGER SANDWICH
Wash and slice cucumber, tomato. Trim the edges of bread slices.
Grind all the ingredients to a smooth paste adding sufficient water and make thick green chutney.
Take 2 bread slices and apply butter on one of them. Spread green chutney on the other.
Arrange the cucumber slice on the green chutney slice, sprinkle chaat masala and cover with the buttered bread slice.
Cut into 2 or 4 pieces and decorate with a tomato slice. Insert a tooth pick and serve immediately.
Enjoy this tea party finger sandwich in Indian style !
FINGER SANDWICH RECIPE - STEP BY STEP PICTURES
Wash and slice cucumber and tomato into round, thin slices. Set aside.
Trim the brown part of bread and keep aside. Grind all the ingredients given under “Green chutney” adding less water. Make the chutney thick and spreadable.
Take 2 fresh bread slices. Apply butter on one slice and green chutney on the other slice.
Arrange cucumber slice on the green chutney slice. Sprinkle chaat masala powder and cover it with buttered bread.
Cut into 2 or 4 small pieces. Decorate with a thin tomato slice and insert a tooth pick. Repeat the same for the remaining bread slices too.
Serve immediately for best taste.
Enjoy !
Note
Adjust the quantity of green chilli as per your taste.
Do not make the green chutney watery.
Try this easy, kids friendly finger sandwich recipe and share your feedback with me.
Recently I started making idli, dosa batter adding black urad dal (Karuppu ulundhu in Tamil) instead of white urad dal. When I was newly married I have seen my MIL making idli batter with black urad dal but she removes the skin before grinding the batter. Though its a time consuming process, I found it healthier than white urad dal idli. But here I have made the black urad dal idli with skin. I used whole, round black gram dal. You can use split black urad dal too. In my native place Tirunelveli, we make black urad dal dosa which we call as Kurunai dosai in Tamil. I have shared that recipe in my blog years ago. I have always wanted to try soft idli with black urad dal. So I tried it recently and succeeded in my attempt too. Only the color of idli, dosa looks grey otherwise there is no difference in taste and softness.
Friends, do try this healthy idli with black urad dal and let me know your feedback.
Black urad dal idli dosa recipe
Idli , dosa batter with idli rice/ boiled rice and black urad dal
Wash and soak idli rice, fenugreek seeds for twice or thrice. Soak for 4 hours.
Wash and soak black urad dal for 2 to 3 hours.
In a wet grinder, grind black urad dal with skin till fluffy, smooth adding required water.
Collect the batter in a bowl. Grind the rice to a smooth paste adding required salt.
Add to urad dal batter. Mix them well. Ferment the batter over night.
The next day, mix the batter well. Steam idli for 10 to 15 minutes.
For making dosa, take the required batter in a bowl. Add little water to dilute the batter.
Heat dosa tawa and spread a ladleful of dosa batter. Cook both sides and serve hot.
Serve black urad dal idli and dosa with coconut chutney or sambar !
BLACK URAD DAL IDLI DOSA - STEP BY STEP PICTURES
Wash the idli rice and fenugreek seeds twice or thrice till the water runs clear. Soak it for 4 hours. Wash and soak black urad dal for 2 to 3 hours minimum.
In a wet grinder, take the soaked black urad dal with skin. Grind it adding sufficient water. Make a smooth, spongy batter and collect in a bowl. Do not make the batter too thick or too watery.
Grind soaked rice adding required water and salt to a smooth paste. Collect this batter with urad dal batter. Mix both the batter well using your hands.
Ferment the batter overnight or for 12 hours based on the weather. Batter increases in quantity and becomes fluffy and porous. The next day, mix the batter well.
Boil water in idli pot. Grease idli plate with oil. Pour idli batter till 3/4th of the mould and steam for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the idli plate. Rest for 5 minutes and scoop the idli.
To make dosa, take the required batter in a bowl. Add little water and loosen the batter. Heat a dosa pan. Make dosa and cook both the sides. Remove and serve with chutney, sambar.
Note
You can use split black urad dal or whole black urad dal.
Do not remove the skin after soaking the dal.
Grind the urad dal batter fluffy and smooth. Do not make it watery or too thick.
Try this healthy black urad dal idli , dosa and enjoy !
Ulavacharu is a traditional Andhra special dish originated from Krishna and Guntur districts. Ulavacharu is a soupy (rasam/ saaru) kind of dish made from horsegram (Ulavalu in Telugu and Kollu in Tamil). Its a protein-rich, low fat food that contains a high amount of dietary fibers and is known to lower cholesterol, helps to reduce obesity. It looks thick, dark in color and it has a spicy, tangy taste with an earthy smell and flavor. Ulavacharu is usually served with plain rice adding a dollop of fresh cream, butter or ghee.
Recently people from Sitara foods, a homemade and handmade food brand based out of Hyderabad reached out to me. They are supported and recognized by the Government of India as a women empowerment startup. Friends , do check out their websitesitarafoods.com to see their Andhra special pickles, pulihora paste, masala powders, traditional sweets and fryums. When they asked me to try their readymade ulavacharu paste and make a post in my blog, I had no clue about this recipe. After watching few YouTube videos, I came to know that making ulavacharu is a lengthy process which involves hours of cooking. But Sitara foods has made this authentically on wood fired mud stoves or poyyi by boiling Ulavalu for 14 to 15 hours and then made this readymade paste adding tamarind, spices and is prepared without any preservatives. You can make and enjoy this healthy ulavacharu using this paste effortlessly at home.
Here is the picture of readymade ulavacharu paste.
All you have to do is just mix the paste in water, simmer and boil till thick. You can do the tempering with or without onion, garlic as you like. I did small modifications in this recipe by adding chilli powder as the spice level is less in this paste. So you can adjust it as per your taste buds. I made it for our weekend lunch. The smell was amazingly good. While boiling, its aroma was wafting through the entire house which tempted us to eat. I am sure everyone would love to try this delicious and delightful dish undoubtedly. As I am not aware of the authentic taste of ulavacharu, I passed a sample of this paste to my neighbor who is from Andhra. She too liked it and gave a good feedback. Apart from the spice level, everything is good in this paste. Friends, do check out and buy this ulavacharu paste from Sitara foods. It will be helpful for bachelors and people who travel abroad to make a quick lunch. Sitara foods is giving a shelf life of 9 months for this product under refrigeration. I hope you find the price reasonable as well. Ok, lets see how to make this yummy and tasty Andhra special ulavacharu easily, instantly and quickly using this readymade paste from Sitara foods.
In a bowl, take 2 cups of water and mix 3 to 4 tbsp of ulavacharu paste.
Heat a kadai and add this diluted ulavacharu. Boil for few minutes in low flame.
Check for taste and add some chilli powder, salt if needed.
In the mean time, heat a small kadai with oil. Temper mustard seeds, urad dal and cumin seeds.
Add red chilli, green chilli and curry leaves. Saute onion till transparent.
Add to the boiling ulavacharu. Boil for few minutes till it reaches desired consistency.
Serve hot with plain rice adding butter, ghee or fresh cream. Enjoy !
METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES
Take 3 to 4 tbsp of ulavacharu paste and mix with 2 cups of water. Check for taste and add some salt and chilli powder if needed. I added 1/2 tsp chilli powder.
Heat a kadai and add this mixture. Let it roll boil for few minutes in low to medium flame.
In the mean time, heat oil in a small kadai. Splutter mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds, curry leaves. Add onion and saute till transparent. Add to the boiling ulavacharu.
Boil for few more minutes till it reaches the desired consistency. I made it slightly thick in consistency as it becomes thicker over the time.
Serve hot with plain rice adding ghee or butter or fresh cream. We relished it adding ghee. You can refrigerate the leftover paste and use for few months.
Note
Adjust the quantity of paste as per your taste.
I felt the paste was less spicy. So I used red chilli powder.
Tempering and adding sautéed onions makes this ulavacharu tastes so good and flavorful. So don’t skip it.
Try this Andhra special Ulavacharu easily using the paste and enjoy with plain rice !
Here is my second version of Karnataka style tomato bath recipe / Tomato pulao recipe. Few weeks ago, I shared a Karnataka style tomato bath recipe which tastes like hotel ones in Bangalore. This version is a bit different in masala part. This tomato bath tastes like the one served in temple festivals as prasad (Served in Jaatre ) and weddings. You can call this as home style tomato bath recipe.
Most of my Kannadiga friends make in this way a nd they call it as tomato palav. In fact I loved this version more than my previous one. You don’t need any side dish for this tomato rice. If you like, you can serve with onion raita. Its a great lunch box recipe because its taste and flavor improves over the time. I am sure your family would love it. As usual I made this tomato rice directly in a pressure cooker to ease my job. So it took less than 20 minutes to prepare. You can add some green peas to make it more colorful and healthy.
Friends, do try this Karnataka style tomato bath recipe / tomato palav and share your feedback with me.
Karnataka style tomato bath recipe
Karnataka style tomato bath recipe in a pressure cooker
Ripe tomato - 2 (I used big sized Bangalore tomato)
Mint + coriander leaves – a fistful
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Dhania powder / coriander seeds powder - 3/4 tsp
Chicken masala powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - as needed
Water - 2 cups
To grind masala
Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
Cloves - 2
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Garlic cloves - 6
Green chilli - 1
TOMATO BATH RECIPE
Wash and soak raw rice in water for 10 minutes. Wash and finely chop onion, tomato.
Grind the ingredients given under “ to grind masala” to a coarse paste without adding water.
Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Saute the whole garam masala, onion.
Add ground masala and saute till nice aroma emits. Add finely chopped tomato.
Add mint + coriander leaves and saute quickly. Add the spice powders, salt and mix well.
Lastly add the soaked rice along with water and pressure cook in low flame for one whistle.
Open the cooker after the steam is released. Fluff the rice gently and serve hot. Enjoy !
METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES
Wash and soak 1 cup of raw rice in 2 cups of water for 10 minutes. Wash and chop onion, tomato and set aside.
Grind all the ingredients given under “ to grind masala” to a coarse paste. I used mortar and pestle and grind it without water.
Heat 3 tbsp cooking oil in a pressure cooker base. Saute cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and bay leaf. Add onion and saute till transparent.
Add the ground masala and saute till nice aroma emits. Now add the finely chopped tomato, mint leaves, coriander leaves, salt and saute till tomato becomes mushy.
Add the red chilli powder, coriander seeds powder, chicken masala powder and turmeric powder. Mix quickly without burning. Lastly add the soaked rice along with water. Mix well and check for salt.
Close the lid and keep the flame high till steam comes off. Now put the weight valve and lower the flame completely. Pressure cook in very low flame for one whistle. It takes maximum 10 minutes for one whistle based on the size of cooker. Open the cooker after the steam is released naturally. Fluff the rice gently and serve hot with raita if you like. Enjoy !
Note
For variations, you can use basmati rice or jeera rice but in Karnataka people use Sona masoori for rice varieties like pulao and bath.
Adjust the quantity of chilli powder as per your taste.
If you use Tamil nadu tomato, add more chilli powder based on its tanginess.
Friends, do try this easy version of Karnataka style tomato bath recipe and enjoy !
