Rajma Chawal Recipe ~ Step by Step

There are certainly some recipes that kindle your memories. Rajma has always been that for me. Be it my Gujju friend, whose Mom used to make delicious Rajma or my neighbour who used to make either Rajma or Channa with Chawal. Memories of that taste will forever remain fresh. Maybe I have tried it or not, yet the taste remains fresh and the quest till on.

Infact so much so that I have got in touch with both those friends of mine and verified the recipe. Yet the memory is always strong. Maybe it's got to do with what I call the first time experience. Anyway that happens for the first remains so fresh and unsurpassed in my minds right, same way the taste of Rajma chawal will always be fresh.

Not to say this didn't turn out great. It was so delicious. Maybe I should have remembered to make the rice in rice cooker than the pressure cooker. But then I was running for the Mela and couldn't take a chance.

Rajma Chawal 

Ingredients Needed

Rajma - 1 cup
Bay leaf - 2 small
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Oil few drops

For the paste:
Onion - 1 big
Garlic - 2 big cloves
Ginger - 1/2" piece
Green chillies - 2 long
Coriander - few leaves

For the gravy

Roasted Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Butter - 1 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Tomato, puree - 1 big
Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder a pinch
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp

How to make Rajma

Soak a cup of beans over night. Change water couple of times. In a pressure cook, transfer the beans, add twice the amount of water along with salt, bay leaf and a few drops of oil. Pressure cook for 4 -5 whistles or till the beans are soft. Allow for the pressure to subside.

Meanwhile for the gravy, grind to a coarse paste all the ingredients for the paste, except tomato.

Wash and puree the tomato.

Heat a non stick pan, add butter and oil, then add cumin powder, saute for a min, then add the ground paste. Saute till the oil leaves the masala

Next add the tomato puree, salt and turmeric. Simmer and let cook it cook for few mins.

Now add Coriander powder, red chilli powder. After few mins, add the cooked beans and combine everything well. Add water and bring to boil. When the gravy thickens, finally add the garam masala and remove.

It may take about 10 mins or so for the gravy to thicken

 

For the Rice:

Rice - 1 cup

Jeera - 1 tsp

Bay leaf - 1

Salt to taste

Ghee - 1/2 tsp

Water - 2 cups

Wash and soak the rice for 10 mins. 

In a pressure cooker take all the ingredients and pressure cook for 2 whistles.

Sending this to my 30 Minutes Meal Mela

Gurugakku Pappu / Chenu Akka ~ Authentic Andhra | Step by Step Recipe

Now if I am to say what this variety of greens is called in English, then I am really at wits ends to know what it is called in English. This is a variety of greens that is only grown in the back yards in villages or towns. Amma got these green when we had visited our native place sometime back. I was so surprised at the different versions that they used to prepare with this. We made a pappu with it, and it made a wonderful meal.

I have been trying to update this space for a while, yet something or the other comes up and I loose focus. I have also been busy teaching my boys for their term exams. It's been equally a tough period for me, as I have to understand how to make them understand. They have so much portions to study, I wonder why 5 year old kids need to learn so much. They have sample worksheets followed by the actually exams. I am sure they have so many other things that can do much in ways to teach them. 

Anyway coming to the recipe, check out the step by step pictures to make this dal.

Ingredients Needed:

Chenu akku - 1 bunch
Toor dal - 100 gms
Green chilies - 3-4 long
Tomatoes - 2 small
Tamarind - 1 small marble size
Salt to taste
Oil - 1 tsp

Seasonings
Mustard, Urad dal - 1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves few
Sambar onions. - 4

How to make the dal

Wash and take the greens in a pressure cooker along with washed toor dal, green chillies, tomatoes,
tamarind, sambar onions and enough water. Pressure cook till done.

Once the pressure falls, remove the water and churn the greens and dal using the lentil masher.

Heat a pan with oil, temper with seasoning ingredients. Saute till the onions are sauteed well. Then add the mashed dal with greens.

Add salt and enough water and bring to boil. Simmer for couple of minutes as required.

Serve with steamed rice.

Dal Stuffed Poori Recipe | How to make Stuffed Dal Puri Step by Step Recipe | Navaratri Recipes

Coming to the delicious stuffed poori that I made for the Vijayadasami Lunch, it's a recipe I found while I was looking for special dishes made for the Navaratri Pooja. One fact that was interesting during the research was the fact that the dishes made during this Pooja in North, differs so much to what is made in South. Now I am not separating into west and east, but just on a broad classification. 

I was determined that the lunch was to be special and I felt it's not unless you offer fried food. Though I had planned to start early, with the different methods the recipes called for, I was still late. I had yet to make the Maddur Vadas that was long pending, so decided that I must complete these pooris at least for the pooja. While the pooja was going on, I finally managed to make the Maddur Vada, seeing that recipe called for such basic ingredients. Will be blogging about it tomorrow.

The stuffed Dal pooris made a delicious combination with the Mixed Vegetable Kurma. You must surely make this and enjoy your special day.

Step by Step Picture Recipe

Dal Stuffed Puri Recipe

Ingredients Needed:

For the Dough

Wheat flour - 1 cup
Blackgram dal / Urad Dal - 1/2 cup
Water enough to knead
Salt To taste

For the Masala

Red Chillies - 3 nos
Cardamon - 1
Cloves - 4 nos.
Cinnamon 1/2"

Oil To fry

How to make Stuffed Dal Poori / Puri

Making the Dough:

In a wide bowl, take the wheat flour, add salt and mix well. Slowly add water and knead to a stiff dough.

Making the Stuffing:

Soak Urad dal for 1 hour

In a mixer take the whole spices, pulse it couple of times for the spices to blend.

then add the drained urad dal, a pinch of salt to the blended spices. Sprinkle some water for the paste to run smoothly.

Heat a non stick pan with 1 tsp oil, add the ground urad paste and saute till it becomes dry. It's quite difficult to fry this in a regular pan, non stick pan makes this easier. Most of the urad dal might get struck to the pan, will not be able to save much though.

Making the Stuffed Pooris

Knead the dough once again and pich out small balls. Flatten the sides and make sure the middle is thick, place a small amount of dal stuffing in middle and enclose completely making sure the dal doesn't come out. This is same as how you will do Aloo Stuffed parathas.

Heat a kadai with oil just enough to deep fry. Once the oil is hot, gently drop in the rolled out pooris.

Notes:

Proceed making the pooris just as you do with regular pooris. Though the recipe asks you to rest the dough, from my experience I have noticed that when the poori dough rests for more time, it tends to absorb more oil.
I forgot to add Cumin seeds for the Urad Dal masala, though I am sure it must have added so much more flavour.
Though I was thinking that the cardamon might make it sweet, the stuffing was prefect by the chilies added.

Serve it with Mixed Vegetable Kurma. This was our special Vijayadasami Lunch

Samba Godumai Kesari, Navadhanya Sundal | Navaratri Sundal Recipes | Navaratri Recipes

For Navaratri Pooja's Day 5 neivedyam was Kesari made with Samba Godumai Rava and a savory Sundal dish made with Navadhanyas.

Being a sunday we were bound to get carried away with the usual Sunday activities. We have relatives visiting us, Amma's younger sister, her daughter in law and kids. They were much taken in by the celebrations and they visited the local temples that were really decked up because of Navaratri poojas. We have two Amman temples new by and they have kept golu and have special poojas everyday.

I settled for a simple two neivedyams as I wasn't able to plan anything else. As I had said, I have got three different ravas, now my task is to identify them properly. I find that these two terms, Bansi Rava and Samba Godumai are loosely interchanged and used. I wish someone could clarify this doubt as I find that both the grains are different in their looks. Will put up the pictures soon.

Meanwhile let's enjoy this kesari made with Samba Godumai and a Navadhanya Sundal. I got a ready mixed Navadhanyas and packed. It had channa, both kabuli, brown channa, green chickpea, red rajma, green and white peas, soya, black eyed pea, mochi etc.

Coming to Kesari, anything that's made with the rava or the fine grains along with either water / milk and cooked to a thick sweet texture is called as Kesari in my books.

Whereas Halwa is always cooked with milk, fruits, nuts, vegetables can be purred and made into Halwa. Mostly it's loose in flowing consistency, while some versions can be formed into pieces, yet they are soft to eat.

And burfis are mostly brittle (when made with nuts/ flour), holds it's shape naturally and can be handled without making a mess.

Ok that's for what I know, do let me know if you have any other explanation.

Samba Godumai Kesari

Samba Godumai - 1 cup
Sugar - 2 cups
Water - 2 cups
Cardamon a pinch
Ghee - 2 tsp

Cashew nuts few

How to make Samba Godumai Kesari:

Heat a non stick pan, add 1 tsp ghee, saute the rava till it starts getting roasted. takes about 4 -5 mins.

Remove and keep side. In the same pan, add water, bring to boil. When the water starts rolling, add cardamon, add the roasted rava slowly and mix well. 

When you are done with all the rava, add the sugar slowly, mix everything and simmer with lid covered. Cook for 10 mins. Towards the end the the kesari starts to come together, add another tsp of ghee, roasted cashew nuts.

Serve hot

Navadhanya Sundal

I used a ready mixed pack of Navadhanya, you can easily make it yourself.

Ingredients Needed:

Navadhanaya lentils - 1 cup
Water - 1 & 1/2 cups
Salt to taste

Seasoning:

Oil - 1 tsp
Curry leaves few
Mustard Seeds, Urad dal - 1/4 tsp
Green Chillies - 2 medium
Red Chilies - 2 medium
Fresh Coconut, grated - 2 tsp

How to make Navadhanaya Chundal:

Wash and soak the lentils overnight. Change water two times before pressure cooking. 

Take enough water to cover the lentils, pressure cook for 3 whistles. Allow the pressure to fall. check if the lentils are cooked. Water will still be there, add salt and cook in open till all the water evaporates.

Then heat a non stick pan with oil, add the seasoning ingredients, saute well. Add the cooked lentils. 

Finally garnish with grated coconut.

Hope you had a wonderful day at home. Looking forward for the week to come.

Nellikai Sadam, Rajma Sundal | Navaratri Sundal Recipes | Navaratri Recipes

For the Navaratri Special Dishes on day 2,  I decided to make Nelikai Sadam and Rajma Sundal (South Indian Style). The Neivedyam to be made today was to be sour. Normally lemon Rice is prepared, so seeing that I had Amla at home, I decided to make that instead.

Not only is amla very healthy, this version gets done very quickly. I have already blogged another version of Usirikai Annam. Today's method is much simpler to make for a quick neivedyam.

Coming to the sundal part, I got couple of varieties in Rajma for making the sundals. Today's Sundal is made with Spotted White Rajma.

It's been pretty hot the past couple of days, and without a warning it poured literally this morning. So much downpour that the roads got blocked and so much traffic everywhere. Konda had her exams today and her father had to drop her, wading through the rain. Seeing that it was raining so heavily, Peddu and Chinnu were so happy. Before I could even think about it, they got drenched and had to be warned. But then I know how much fun it is.

I really had to get the neivedyam ready much faster as I didn't have enough time. I was happy that I soaked the rajma overnight.

For making sundal, it is pretty much the same with most lentils. We do have couple of varieties that you can make to add flavor. Though the simplest form of making sundal will involve seasoning with Mustard, curry leaves, coconut gratings.

Nellikai Sadam | Amla Rice | Gooseberry Rice

Rice, cooked - 1 cup

For Seasoning:

Amla / Gooseberry - 1 big
Mustard Seeds, Urad dal - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves  few
Cashew nuts few
Ground nuts handful
Bengal Gram - 3/4 tsp
Green chilies - 2 medium
Red chilies - 2 medium
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder a pinch
Oil - 1 -2 tsp

How to make Nellikai Sadam

Wash and soak Rice for 15 mins. Pressure cook till done. Take 1 cup cooked rice and allow to cool.

For Seasoning:

Grate the Amla and keep it aside.

In a non stick pan, heat oil add mustard seeds, Urad dal. curry leaves, cashew nuts, ground nuts, 1 inch chopped green chilies, dry red chilies. Saute well. Add turmeric powder and salt. Combine everything together.

Then add the grated Amla, mix well and simmer for couple of minutes.

Finally add the cooked rice and toss everything together.

Usirikai Pulihora ready!

White Rajma Sundal, South Indian Style

White Rajma / Kidney beans - 1 cup
Salt to taste
Oil - 1 tsp

For Seasonings:

Mustard Seeds, Urad dal - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves
Fresh Coconut, grated - 2 -3 tsp
Hing a pinch
Green chilies - 2 medium

Wash and soak the Rajma overnight. Change water couple of times before pressure cooking.

Take the drained Rajma in a pressure cooker, add enough water to cover the lentil. Cover with lid and pressure cook till done. Make sure you don't overcook the lentil as it tends to get mushy. It should get done in 3 whistles.

If water is still there, you can cook it open, add salt. Cook till water is all evaporated.

For seasoning:

Heat a non stick pan with oil. add mustard seeds, Urad dal and hing. Saute well. then add the curry leaves, green chilies and add in the cooked Rajma. Combine everything well.

Simmer for few minutes, finally garnish with grated coconut.

Both the prasadams were delicious. I know Amla rice is going to be regular one from now on.

Hope you enjoyed today's post, come back tomorrow for Day 3 celebrations!

Thakkali Sambar Recipe | How to make Arachuvita Sambar / Tomato Sambar Step by Step Recipe | Lunch Box Series : LBS#65

I know there is no dearth of Sambar Recipes in my recipe collection, nor elsewhere in the blog world. Yet I was pleasantly surprised trying out this recipe that sounded very different. I read this recipe shared by a friend in my GDM group. I was attracted by the name Tomato Sambar. For me, there is no Sambar without tomato and hence the name was little strange. It's like saying Vengaya Sambar, when all the sambars varieties that I make, are mostly with small onions. When one says Vengaya Sambar, they mean the one made using small onions/ Shallots. I end up making with the small onion mostly all varieties. So the name is redundant.

Coming to this recipe, when I saw the measurement I realised it sure is different and calls for almost 6 whole tomatoes. Plus this is the Arachuvita Sambar method, meaning the freshly ground spices are used in this sambar. I simply love this way of making sambar, though on a regular day it's bit hard to accomplish. My kids love dosas with Sambar, though Athamma was telling me that when I made this for Saturday lunch, she was a bit concerned if the kids eat this or not. To what I know this must be their first time, tasting this way of sambar.

Another very interesting aspect was the ground curry leaves. As you all know, curry leaves are very healthy. Still to what I know, most people will simply remove from the dish. That is one reason why we make podis with Curry leaves and eat at least one mudda with Curry leaf powder.

So knowing that this recipe is going to be different, I set forth to make. I had got ripe and bright tomatoes and wanted to make the best use of it.

What is Arachuvita Sambar?
For those of you who are unaware of this technique, it's the method where spices like Dhania/ Coriander Seeds, Bengal Gram, Red Chilies are roasted and ground along with Coconut, Fenugreek seeds, just before making the sambar. Meaning the spices are freshly ground and added. This method gives an utterly delicious taste and aroma to the sambar and it's an entirely new experience if you are tasting it for the first time.

Basically years back this method was usually done. Though with the busy schedule everybody seems to have now, having a ready made Sambar powder, makes the task easy for us. Still this another method of sambar is something that's truly classic.

Going back to the basics, it helps if you have cooked dal on hand. Read How to cook Toor Dal, and proceed.
Another helpful tip will be extracting tamarind pulp. I mostly have Tamarind Extract readily available, so that my sambar gets done pretty fast.

Step by Step Picture Recipe

Ripe Tomato Sambar | Thakkali Arachuvita Sambar

Ingredients Needed:

For the Sambhar:

Ripe tomatoes - 5-6 medium sized
Toor Dal / Piegion Pea - 1 cup (pressure cooked in advance)
Tamarind paste - 2 tsp diluted in 2-3 cups of water
Salt to taste

Preparation to be made:

Pressure Cook the Tur Dal and store to use as and when required (Normally Turmeric and Hing is added at this stage)
Tamarind paste made ahead

For the ground Masala / For Arachuvita Sambar method:

Copra* / Fresh Coconut - 1/2 cup
Curry leaves - 10 - 15 leaves
Coriander Seeds / Dhania - 2 tsp
Bengal Gram/ Channa dal - 2 tsps
Dry Red chilies - 4 -5 medium
Oil - 1 tsp (opt)

*Copra - Dried Coconut

The spices, and the lentils are normally roasted in oil, while I dry roasted all the ingredients this time. Allow it to cool, and grind toa smooth paste with little water, just enough for the masala to move in the mixer The paste need not be very smooth, if it's semi smooth is also fine.

To Season / To temper

Mustard Seeds, Urad Dal - 1/4 tsp
Methi / Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp (just about 10 of them)

How to make Arachuvita Sambar / Tomato Sambar:

Since I pressured cook dal just before making this sambar, I used the same cooker to make the samber. Else you can take a medium size vessel and proceed.

Bring the tamarind juice to a rolling boil and simmer for 5-6 minutes.
Then add tomatoes, which are cut in 8 pieces or more, depending on the size. Continue to simmer on medium heat until cooked.

Once done, add the cooked tur dal and bring to a rolling boil again. Add more water at this stage if required.

Add the ground masala and bring to a rolling boil. 

Heat another pan with 1 tsp oil, do the seasoning with mustard, urad dal and methi.

Finally add the fresh coriander leaves and simmer for few minutes before removing from heat.

I served it with Rice and Bhindi stir fry