Araichu vitta sambhar

Running out of sambhar powder?  Or often wondering the secret-ingredient for restaurant-styled thick sambhar??   Don't worry.... this, araichu vitta sambhar comes to your rescue :D  'Araichu vitta' in tamil means freshly grounded, accordingly this sambhar utlizes an medley of spices from your kitchen, that are freshly dry-roasted and powdered.  This powder, not only comes in handy when your sambhar powder goes out of stock, but also acts as an, 'thickening agent', thus making the latter more fragrant, more tasty and restaurant-styled.

And, one other difference from sambhar is that, in araichu vitta sambhar, tempering is done by the end.  Since, we add no spices other than dry-roasted ones, we may not be sure about the spice- content of sambhar.  Hence, tempering accordingly with number of red chillies might yield you an perfect, balanced output.  This is really, an blessing in disguise, isn't it? 

Sambhar

    Hi all.... back from my short vacation.  And since my daughter leaves to her summer camp, my routine life is almost back... Filling up my refrigerator with freshly brought veggies and fruits, cleaning up my partially-messed home, ... list goes on.  Going on vacation sounds much easier, but when it comes to post-vacation work, I always save an huge 'sigh' :/   Yesterday, day went quite interesting watching over election results.  Victory was predicted, as usual, but winning by 1:6 ratio (Congress: BJP) was quite an 'whooping result'.  Similarly goes with Tamilnadu where ADMK gained 37 out of 39 available seats.  Fabulous, isn't it?  Let us see if this decision solves our stagnating economy and deals with the price rise as well....

   Yes and coming back to our post, born and brought up at Chennai, I could'nt miss this special SAMBHAR prepared by my mom.  Infact, this is my favourite and same with my husband too.  Sambhar is south-indian dal preparation, mostly tuvar dal (yellow pigeon peas), with sambhar powder (an aromatic powder made out of chana dal, dried red chillies, curry leaves, whole cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds, asafoetida, few peppercorn etc), tamarind, assorted set of vegetables (like brinjal, drumstick, snakegourd, pumpkin etc), finished with an sweet touch of jaggery.

The trick in preparing an perfect sambhar lies in perfect balance of spice-sour and an sweet taste.  As an first-try, I have messed up by adding more sourness (more amount of imly/tamarind) into my sambhar.  So, I strongly recommend you to add only half of prescribed tamarind during cooking, other half you can wait till you complete the cooking, check the sambhar and add accordingly.  Also, kindly note that this 'sour' factor depends on tomatos you are adding.  Since, I have added hybrid tomatos, I have included tamarind.  In case, I am going with country tomatos ,(which has an higher sour content) I would prefer not to add tamarind as the former itself gives out required 'sour' effect.

Beans usili

Paruppu usili is an common side-dish had with rice & curry in South-Indian cuisine.

 

'Usili' means disaggregated pieces, here dal/lentils are blend, formed as large dumplings, steamed and finally disaggregated, hence the name.  Beans usili is the most common type, they are had with kolambu saadham ie curry rice. 

Bisibela baath

   Bisibela baath, a two-word recitation and that dates back to my school days where my mother used to prepare on every saturdays.  Served hot with ghee, these would literally melt in my mouth. This meal, as such is heavy on ur stomach and will mesmerize your mind wanting for more!!!!!!!   Back at home, found best time to prepare, that is on sunday when my hubby (who always requested to make some) was there to support   :P  :P

     Bisibela baath, orginating from Karnataka cuisine lets out meaning like "Hot Lentil Rice" .  Here,  an array of vegetables (Brinjal, snakegourd, pumpkin, carrot, beans, drumstick etc) are cooked in dal tempered like sambhar style.  Cooked rice is mashed, added to the dal and masala comes at the end.  The much interesting part of cooking bisibela baath is its spice mix.  Since I luved my mom's, called her and got her ratios.  Tweaking a bit, I proceeded and yes !!!!!  Bisibela baath was very awesome, it got over by end of the meal!!  :)  

Healthy Mooli Patta ki Dal Recipe: Nutritious Radish Greens with Toor Dal

Radish leaves, known as Mooli Patta, are often discarded, but they are actually a nutritional powerhouse! Abundantly available during the winter season, these greens are loaded with vital nutrients like iron, vitamin C, and essential minerals. 

In this comforting recipe, we combine chopped radish greens with creamy, protein-rich yellow split peas (Toovar Dal) and finish it with a simple, aromatic temper of mild spices.

Ingredients

For Tempering (Tadka)

• 3 tsp Cooking oil
• ½ tsp Cumin seeds (Jeera)
• ½ tsp Asafoetida (Hing/Perungayam)
• 3–4 Dry red chilies, broken
• 3–4 Fresh curry leaves
• 4 tsp Onions, finely chopped

Main Curry Ingredients

• ½ cup Radish leaves (Mooli Patta), thoroughly washed and finely chopped
• ½ cup Pigeon peas (Toovar Dal / Arhar Dal), boiled until soft and mashed slightly
• Salt, to taste

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Step-by-Step Method

Step 1: Crackle the Spices

1. Heat 3 teaspoons of cooking oil in a pan or kadhai over medium heat.
2. Add the cumin seeds and let them splutter.
3. Stir in the asafoetida, broken dry red chilies, and fresh curry leaves. Fry for a few seconds until aromatic.

Step 2: Sauté the Aromatics

1. Add the finely chopped onions to the pan.
2. Sauté on medium flame until the onions turn soft and transparent.

Step 3: Cook the Radish Greens

1. Throw in the finely chopped radish leaves and stir well to coat them with the tempered oil.
2. Lower the flame to a simmer, cover the pan, and cook for about 10 minutes until the leaves are wilted and partially done.

Step 4: Simmer with the Dal

1. Pour the boiled toovar dal into the pan with the cooked greens.
2. Season with salt to taste and add a splash of water if you prefer a thinner gravy consistency.
3. Give it a good stir, cover the pot, and let it simmer together for 3–5 minutes so the flavors meld beautifully.

Serving Suggestion

Serve this nourishing, steaming hot Mooli Patta ki Dal alongside warm, ghee-smeared rotis or over a bed of fluffy steamed rice with a side of pickle.