Paruppu keerai / Spinach dal

'Spinach of any variety cooked with Thoor dal and tempered' is the one line recipe for today's post. I would like to share this for my readers who are in the beginning stages of cooking.
Here are some ways to make this recipe more simple.
1. South Indians always cook dal for sambar. So while pressure-cooking the dal for sambar , add a handful of more lentils (thuvaram paruppu) and save that cooked dal for this spinach.
2. Cooked dal can be kept in fridge upto 24 hours.
3. Thoor dal can be replaced with green gram lentil (pasi paruppu)

Paruppu keerai

Ingredients:
Thoor dal (thuvaram paruppu) - 1/4 cup
(or) cooked dal - 1 cup
spinach - 1 bunch
oil / ghee - 1 tsp
mustard seed -  1/2 tsp
urid dal - 1/2 tsp
dry red chilly - 1
curry leaves - few
salt - as per taste.
shallot - 2 
cumin - 1/2 tsp

Method:
Pressure cook the dal with 1 cup water, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder and hing a pinch.
(To cook the dal : Soak the dal in warm water for 10 minutes. In a pressure cooker , add these and wait for 1 whistle. After that reduce flame to minimum and cook for 8 minutes).
Clean the spinach and rinse well. Chop finely.
Heat oil / ghee in a wok. Add mustard, urid dal and let the mustard pop. Then add the finely chopped shallot, red chilly pieces, curry leaf and saute for a few seconds. Then add the chopped spinach.
Cook without closing. Add few tsp of water and add salt after the spinach has cooked completely.
Then add the cooked dal,  cumin and bring to a boil.
Switch off.
Spinach dal is ready!


Serving suggestion:
serve as side dish with any rice, chapati or as curry over rice with some ghee.

Menu suggestion:
If you have planned a menu on making paruppu rasam, ketti paruppu and this paruppu keerai along with rice, then  just pressure cook the thuvar dal and use the dal to make ketti paruppu and this spinach. While we can use the excess water in cooked dal to make rasam. By this way we can plan a simple and delicious quick meal. Try preparing potato fry along with this and make your family happier :)

Dryfish fry (Karuvadu varuval)

Karuvadu - dry fish. This is one of my most favorites and I am sure anyone who likes this dry fish is going to love my recipe :)
Dried fish, which is a much less expensive food in Tamilnadu, is a very expensive one in USA. We can get it in any Asian / Chinese grocery stores. That too, dried sardine is the rare commodity here and it is devoured for its unique taste.
I grew up enjoying this dry fish thokku, along with paruppu kulambu (less spicy sambar) and rice. My mom used to make this on weekday dinners, if the veggie side dish she had made got over by lunch itself :) She used to make some egg podimas (scrambled egg) also along with this karuvadu thokku, as this is the favorite of few of us only, and this karuvadu would sound like feast to me !

dry fish thokku

Ingredients:
Dry fish (sardine) - 6 or any dry fish - 150 gms
red onion - 1 big
green chilly -3
curry leaf - 2 sprigs
oil - 2 tbsp
salt - as per need
red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp

Method:
Clean the dry fish by removing any scales or fins. Soak in water and rinse well to remove any sand or impurities. Keep aside.
Chop red onion, curry leaf, chillies finely.
Heat oil in a wok (kadai) and put the dry fish, before the oil gets hot.
Then add the chopped items, as if it covers the dry fish completely. By this way, we can cook the dry fish without letting out the strong smell.
Reduce flame and sprinkle a handful of water.  Cook covered.
After 5 minutes, the fish would have got cooked. Now mix everything in wok, add salt, chilly powder , 2 tbsp water and cook covered for 5- 10 minutes in low flame, till the fish gets cooked completely.
Karuvadu thokku is ready!

Serving suggestions:
Serve as sidedish or like pickle with sambar rice, rasam rice or curd rice.

Ponnanganni keerai poriyal (few spinach varieties of Tamilnadu)

Keerai poriyal (spinach stir fry) is a common side-dish prepared in Indian families. Mostly Indians try to include one greens (spinach) in their lunch.

Ponnanganni (dwarf copper leaf) is a very unique and rare spinach of India. It has a lot of benefits. Click to read more about this yummy keerai.

Any keerai (spinach) can be prepared using this recipe. I prepared many keerai recipes during last year vacation in my mother inlaw's house. Here are some pictures of other keerais and the street vendor's keerai basket :)

Ponnankanni keerai in a bag

Keerai koodai (spinach basket) , which the street vendors carry.

A very nice seller (paatti) who brings keerai to my MIL's  house regularly.

I used to give a handful of keerai to the lovebirds in my inlaw's house , immediately after buying a bunch of keerai. Birds love this :)

Estate keerai (Bangalore Keerai) grown in inlaw's house.

While cleaning the keerai....

Ponnanganni keerai and arai keerai.

Keerai poriyal

Estate keerai poriyal

Ingredients:
Any keerai (spinach) - a bunch
red onion / shallot (chopped) - 1 cup
green chilly - 2
oil - 1 tbsp
mustard - 1 tsp
urid dal - 1 tsp
cumin - 1 tsp
shredded coconut - 2 tbsp
salt - very little (as per taste).

Method:
Rinse the spinach in water thrice or till the water runs clear. Chop finely. Keep aside.

Heat oil in a wok. Add mustard and urid dal.  Let the mustard splutter. Then add finely chopped onion, green chillies. Saute till it wilts. Then add the finely chopped spinach.
Saute with a handful of water. Don't cover the vessel while cooking the spinach (I don't know the reason behind this, but people in my town cook most of the spinach except drumstick leaf, like this).
As soon as the spinach gets cooked and all the water is evaporated, add required salt and mix well. Then add the shredded coconut, cumin and switch off.

Serving suggestion:
Serve as side dish along with sambar or any curry and rice during lunch.

Apple juice

I am sure this is a very easy recipe. But any juice involves some love and care. So I am sharing my views on juicing :)

My passion for making some yummy juices originated from my friend Paaru, almost 6 months back. After tasting the strawberry milkshake made by her on a cool Christmas time, I really wanted to try different juices. Then her cantaloupe juice is my another favorite. I know my hubby dear loves juices, so I wished to show him my new found recipes. Before that I had always felt it like more work to put the fruits in a mixie and filter and then clean the dishes again :)  But if you set your mind to enjoy a fresh homemade juice then you will get the energy to do all these ...ha ha.  My juicing experience got better after bringing my Preethi juicer from India, as there is no need to filter separately.
I am sure, all of my beautiful readers will enjoy my juice recipes too.

Ingredients:
1 big red delicious apple
sugar - 4 tsp
water - 1 cup

Parts of an apple fruit (food for thought) :

Image courtesy : apple

Method:
Cut the apple into four. Remove the seeds and core (pips - seed, endocarp - core).
Chop the apple into small cubes.
Put them into your mixie or juicer.
Grind with sugar and 1/2 cup water.
If using mixie, then filter the juice using 1/4 cup water each time, till we extract all the juices.
If using a juicer (with filter attachment). Then add 1/2 cup water each time and extract juice.
Pour in small juice glasses and enjoy!

Serving suggestions:
Makes 2 cups of fresh apple juice.
Serves 2 people.
Sometimes I won't add any sugar to the juice, but it will be nice to add some sugar for making a delicious one.

Note:
Ok, what shall we do with the fibers that are left over after extracting the apple juice ?
It can be used in baking to get a moist cake.
Also this residue can be used in gardening as organic fertilizer (just like any other kitchen scrap).

Oats millets porridge

Here is one more easy breakfast from my kitchen.

Oats millet porridge (with brown sugar)

Ingredients: oats, barley, Ragi flour, kambu flour.

Ingredients: (for 2 people)
Steel cut oats - 1/4 cup
barley - 2 tbsp
Ragi (finger millet) flour - 2 tbsp
Kambu (bajira / pearl millet) flour - 1 tbsp

Preparation:
*In your free time dry roast the millet flours separately. Let them cool and store in separate containers at room temperature.
This roasting process gives our flours (which we buy in bulk),longevity and flavor.
*Rinse the barley in water. Soak the barley and steel cut oats in hot water for 10 minutes. This makes the cooking process easier. But we can do it without soaking also.
// I do this while making the morning tea and will start cooking them after having the tea :)  //

Method:
Add 3 cups of water in a vessel.  Bring it to boil and soak the rinsed barley and oats for 10 minutes.
Cook in stove top (for 20 minutes) or in pressure cooker for 2 whistles.
Cook till the oats and barley gets cooked to an edible soft stage.
In a separate bowl , pour 1/2 cup cold milk and add the millet flours and mix well using a spoon.
Pour this to the boiling cooked oats.
Stir continuously for 30 seconds (till the porridge becomes thicker).
If needed add some more water or milk.

Now the oats porridge is ready!

Variations:
1. We can add required amount of brown sugar and cardamom powder to have as a sweet porridge.
2. If not, we can let the porridge get cool a little and add some Indian yogurt (curd), minced onion, salt, cumin and have like cool curd rice.

Serving suggestion:
We can make this porridge in  a large quantity for at least 5 days and keep in fridge.
Then we can take the required quantity out of the fridge, bring to a boil and add sweetness or sour curd according to taste, just before serving.
Serve as breakfast.

Indian bread omelet

Indian bread omelet is a satisfying food that can be prepared easily. Many Indians prefer this spicy bread than the sweet French toast. Bread omelet prepared with loads of butter and cheese can be seen as street food in North India. This is my version. Check out my another bread omelet recipe too.  Try this and tell me how much you like it :)

Indian style bread omelet.

step 1: Add one egg for one person.  Make more and share with friends too :)

step 2: Beat the eggs very fluffy.

step 3: Add some onions and vegetables as per choice.

step 4: beat again.

step 5: Spread some tomato ketchup sauce on one side of the bread.

step 6: Heat some oil in a tawa.

step 7: Pour a ladle of egg over the hot oil and place the bread with sauce side facing up. Soak the other side in egg very well.

step 8: Gently flip the bread now, so that the tomato sauce side faces the omelet.

step 9: After the egg gets cooked in one side, flip it. cook both sides in medium heat.

step 10: Serve hot ...the Bread omelet is ready !

Ingredients:
Egg - 4
whole wheat bread slices - 8
red onion - 1 (big)
green chilly - 2
scallion / spring onion - a small bunch
salt - to taste (1/8 tsp for each egg is my option)
turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
black pepper powder - 1 tsp
garam masala powder - 1 tsp
cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
tomato sauce - 1 tsp per slice
oil / butter - 1 tsp per slice
cilantro, mint leaf - handful

Method:
Spread 1 tsp tomato sauce on one side of each bread slice and keep them aside.
Crack the eggs and add salt, pepper, turmeric powder and all the powders mentioned above.
Beat using a fork or electric beater until fluffy.
Chop the onion, green chilly, cilantro, mint, scallion very finely (I used an electric chopper).
Add this to the egg and beat again till fluffy.
Now heat a tawa with little oil, pour a 1/2 cup measure of egg and spread thinly.
Place the bread slice with tomato sauce side facing upside and let the other side absorb some egg.
Now flip the bread carefully so that the tomato sauce side faces the uncooked egg side (using our hands we can flip this).
At this time, the egg would have got cooked in one side. Using a spatula, flip the bread omelet and cook the other side too. Do this whole thing in medium to low heat to ensure evenly cooked omelet.
Take out and serve hot.
Bread omelet is ready !
 
Serving suggestion / note:
Serve as breakfast or dinner.
It can be served as a very good evening snack for children, as soon as they come home from school.
Egg whites can be used instead of whole eggs too.
If needed we can substitute 1 egg with 1 tbsp besan flour mixed with 2 tbsp water (i.e., instead of 3 eggs we can use 2 eggs and 1 besan flour substitute. Don't add too much besan flour). It will taste the same. I have tried it many times.

Gongura chutney

Other names : gongura / Pulicha keerai  / roselle leaf / Hibiscus sabdariffa, 
Gongura is a popular variety of spinach in Andhra and Chennai (Tamilnadu). This spinach is sour in taste and it is generally cooked with dal like a curry. Sometimes this gongura is used in making chutney and pickles too. Gongura leaf costs around $4.99 / lb (2015) in US cities,

Gongura leaf : This plant can be grown easily in kitchen garden during warm weather.

Gongura chutney

Ingredients:
Gongura leaf - 2 cups (loosely packed)
dry red chilly - 5
urid dal - 1 tbsp
salt - to taste
cumin - 1/2 tsp
garlic - 1 clove
curry leaf - few
sesame oil / olive oil - 2 tbsp + 1 tbsp
Mustard - 1 tsp

Method:
Choose and buy fresh gongura. Pick the leaves alone and discard the stems.
Wash well and drain water completely.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Add urid dal and as soon as it starts getting mild red, add the dry chillies , curry leaf and switch off. The chillies get fried in the pan heat itself.
Take away them and keep aside. Heat another tbsp oil and add the cleaned gongura leaves.
Saute till the leaves get cooked well.
Switch off and let cool.
Grind the fried chilly, curry leaves, urid dal, cooked gongura, cumin, garlic, salt to a fine paste using little water.
Again heat the pan with a tbsp of oil and add the mustard seeds. As it gets cracked, add the chutney paste and cook well till the chutney leaves the sides.
Gongura chutney is ready!

Serving suggestion:
Serve as side dish with  idli , dosa or curd rice.