Venthaya Keerai Thogayal

The last 2 weeks have been interesting in terms of the kind of food I cooked at home. I happened to lay my hands on a lot of keerai varieties including the original Indian thandu keerai, agathi keerai, baby spinach and of course, Venthaya Keerai. We prefer venthaya keerai either in a paratha or in aloo methi. I tried out this thogayal today and I reckon that it is a pretty awesome dish.

Methi Leaves/Venthaya Keerai: 1 bunch, washed, stalks removed, roughly chopped
Urad Dal: 1/4 cup or 3 tbsp
Red Chillies: 4-5
Hing
Salt
Tamarind: a small marble size, soaked in water and extracted or 1 tsp pate

Heat a skillet/pan, dry roast the urad dal till it turns pink and keep it aside.
Now, add a tsp of oil and roast the chillies, keep aside.
In the same pan, add the leaves and stir fry for about 2 mins until wilted and cooked.
Put all the ingredients into a blender and blend well until smooth.
Adjust seasoning and serve with hot rice/idlis/dosai.

Onion Chutney

This is a great combination for Dosa or Idlis. You will need a blender, though.

Urad dal: 3 tablespoons
Red Chillies: 4-5
Curry Leaves: 1 Sprig
Oil: 2 tablespoons.
Onions: 2 medium, sliced thin.
Mustard seeds: 2 pinches
Hing
Salt
Tamarind: size of a cherry soaked and extracted

Heat a wok with oil, add the mustard seeds, urad dal, chillies and curry leaves.

Saute until the dal is pink.

Now add the hing, onions, salt and saute until cooked.

Put the whole lot into a blender with the tamarind extract and blend well.

Parippu Podi - Dal Powder

My mother in law makes the best Parippu Podi in the world. Seriously. And we brought some with us to London. It was over in a month. What do I do? I was given the recipe, and I made this stuff here. Took me 10 minutes!!!

Toor Dal : 1 Cup
Urad Dal: 1/4 cup
Red Chillies: 4-5
Jeera: 1 tablespoon
Pepper: 1 tablespoon.
Hing: A generous Pinch
Salt : To taste.

Dry roast the dals separately, add to the blender.
Dry roast the red chillies and add to the blender.
Now blend them until mixed. This should be a rough blend.
Dry roast the jeera and pepper.
Blend the Jeera and Pepper and mix in the dal blend.
Blend them together for 2-3 seconds.
Season with salt and hing.

Mix this powder with hot rice and ghee. :-)

Chutney!

Today's brunch was adai dosai with carrot chutney. I was looking to make a chutney with no cocnut and the best bet was this carrot chutney. It is faintly sweet, mostly spicy and Nice! This is great with adai and works with regular dosa and idli. Here's the recipe:

Grated Carrots: 1-11/2 cups. I usually grate 2 medium carrots.

Roasted Groundnuts - 1/4 cup. Or 3 tablespoons

Red Chilli: 4-5 nos. I add about 7. S likes it spicy.

Garlic Pod: 1.

Tamarind: a small bit

Oil: 1/4 tsp

Corriander powder: 1 tablespoon

Salt : to taste

Dry roast the garlic and chillies. Dump into the mixer.

Add the roasted groundnuts.

Now pour 1/4 tsp of oil and sautee the carrots for a few minutes.

Add the corriander powder to the carrots and take it off the heat.

Add the tamarind, salt and carrots into the mixer and blend well.

Carrot chutney is ready!

Note:

You can add a quarter cup of roasted coconut if desired.