Chukka Kura Pappu/ Sorrel Spinach Dal

Chukka Kura Pappu/ Sorrel spinach Dal ?

Ingredients:

Kandi Pappu/ Toor Dal - 1 rice cup (washed three times in a cooker bowl)

Chukka kura - 1/2 - 3/4 bunch (washed and leaves chopped)

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Chilli Powder - 1 tsp

Water - 2 and 1/2 rice cups

Add these all to above washed toor dal dish and pressure cook until toor dal becomes mushy.

Salt - to taste

Once pressure is released add salt to it and mash well with pappu guthu or with a back of a spoon.

(washed Chukka Kura leaves)

Seasoning:

Oil 1 tbsp + Ghee 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Urad dal - 2 tsp

Red chillies - 4 no. (broken into bits)

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Asafoetida/ Hing - a pinch

Do seasoning in a medium sauce pan in the order given above, once finished add mashed dal to it, mix well. If it is thick add 1/4 th cup water to it and boil once and switch off or else switch off once adding it to seasoning.

Serve with Ghee, Indian style Omelette, Potato Fry, Rice and Yoghurt on side.

Chukka kura Leaf (close up)

Thanks Anuradha for your organic leaves :-) I am loving it.

Chukka kura :

In Palmy every one calling these as pullakku. These leaves are sour in taste just like gongura leaves but looks like spinach, instead of round on top as spinach these leaves has pointed tip. For making dal treat them as gongura by not adding any tamarind or tomatoes while cooking. As these leaves are sourer than gongura.

Translated:

Hindi - Katta Palak

English - Sorrel Spinach

© 2009 by Rajani Rayudu

Simple Indian Thali

Triangular Paratha with Mixed Vegetable Paneer

For recipe details please visit here where I have posted guest post for Menu Mania.

Mixed Vegetable Paneer (wee close up)

For Making Paneer (200 g):

Whole Milk Powder - 1 cup

Water - 4 cups

Mix these both with out any lumps in 2 lit-re microwave safe bowl, keep the lid and keep in fridge for 30 mins.

Remove the lid and microwave for 11 mins.

To that add 3 tbsp Vinegar, by now the whey will separate from it. Keep a colander lined with cotton kerchief or muslin cloth pour the separated milk in there and gather four corners and tie it four corners. Keep a heavy weight on top me uses pestle. Keep this for 3 hrs. Later keep this in small plastic container and keep chilled for 1 hr, once chilled remove the cloth and keep it refrigerate and use the next day. By now paneer will be hardened. Cut into bite size pieces and use. For curry's I normally fry them in butter and keep them in single layer while frying until golden brown.

Tip:

I like this texture very much rather boiling milk and adding lemon juice. This is more like meaty texture. If you got any near expiry milk powder then I would recommend go for it.

Above yields 200 g for me. If you want more double the qty for more paneer.

Note:

For 1 cup of Milk powder you will have 1 lit-re of milk.

2 nd recipe

Aloo Gobhi

© 2009 by Rajani Rayudu

Godhuma Rawa Halwa/ Cracked Wheat Halwa

Satyanarayana Prasadam

Set 1:

Godhuma Rawa - 1/4 kg

Ghee - 50 g

Cashews and Sultanas - Handful

Set 2:

Water - 2 and 1/2 cups

Sugar - 250 g

Cardamom Powder - 2 g

Ghee - 50 g

Proceed:

Heat a deep flat nonstick pan, add ghee to it once heated add cashews first fry till light golden, immediately add sultanas and fry altogether and remove. Keep aside.

In the above ghee dish fry rawa too (mean while boil separately,water+sugar+cardamom powder)

Once water boiled add this to rawa and mix well. Once cooked add remaining ghee and mix, add the fried cashews and sultanas too, mix well. Switch off, cover it for 15 mins.

Tip:

You can use half water + half Milk too.

Instead of using white sugar try using brown sugar to get that jaggery look.

or jaggery, if you are then heat this separately with small amount of water kind of thick syrup add this when cracked wheat is fully cooked, mix, cook until it absorbs the liquid.

Note:

We serve it for Satyanarayana Puja as Prasadam.

Other prasadam we do on Satyanarayana Puja are:

Panchamrutam

Check my Rawa Kesari instead of doing Godhuma Rawa Halwa for Puja.

Meaning:

Godhuma Rawa = Cracked Wheat

© 2009 by Rajani Rayudu