Lunch Box Series : LBS#45 the tale of the beerakaya continues!

I am sure you must be eager to know how the tale continues. For those of you who are clueless on the story, please read the tale of the Beerakaya Kura. The second of the two beerakai, found itself taking the form of a pappu! I do think people from Andhra are fond of their pappu. Anything you give them they can make a pappu out of it. And this Beerakaya pappu is the most favorite of Amma. She says she can never get it as good as how her mom makes. I think I can never get most dishes as how Amma makes. I conclude that all Mom's cooking is unparallel. Having said that, I ardently hope my kids feel the same about my cooking too down the lane!

Coming back to the tale, Amma always tells her mom's Beerakaya pappu was the ultimate dish she loved. It was so thick that even a slash with knife would be hard to cut it neat and was so delicious. They were a family of 10, yet the dal was never runny. It will have that thick consistency of Kaati Pappu types. All you need is just this dal with steaming rice, you sure will have a ticket to heaven! Of course, I might serve this with a dash of Avakaya. Still I knew and could understand her sentiments. I always loved her dal. Its not your spicy dal mind you. But not very bland too, just right enough to elevate your taste buds. This not being a seasonal veggie, you get it round the year or so I think, as Amma used to make this quite often. She never had anybody complain on being served this.

Then entered the prodigious son-in-law, for whom 2 tsp of fiery chili powder or bright green chilies are not really spicy enough. So this not so bland dal, was a sore experience! Thus came the end of this favorite dal at home, never to be made so often, reserved for certain days during his absence. Many years passed, months ran away, when one fine morning I received a call from Amma. They were then in the city of joy and found their joy too. The flowing Ganges, the cool breeze, added to their excitement came this discovery that sublime dishes got elevated to a different level in that place. I could hear the excitement in Amma's tone when she said it almost felt like a memory from her childhood, thinking of the way it tasted as how her Mom makes. I was so happy hearing it.




Forward a couple of years ahead, and you find me with two beerakaya on hand. Not knowing what else I should contrive on it. I was itching to make that beerakaya pappu and so gingerly asked hubby dear if I can. He sure showed surprised that I should still remember that, but years have bowled it soft and he pleaded that I should make it a bit more spicy for it to be palatable!

So this found its way to our lunch box today and I was chicken enough not to ask him how it tasted. But I knew it must have been good as hubby dear was obliging enough to click these pictures as I had to leave in a hurry for the office!

Today's Lunch Box had

Beerakaya Pappu
Plain Rice
Rasam
Vadiyalu

Beerakaya Pappu ~ Ridge Gourd Dal!

Beerakaya / Ridge Gourd - 1 medium
Toor Dal - 150 gms
Tomatoes - 1 big
Green Chillies - 5 -6 long
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Dried Tamarind - 1"
Water, enough to pressure cook.
Turmeric powder a pinch
Salt to taste

For tempering:

Onion - 50 gms
Oil - 1 - 2 tsp
Curry leaves
Red chilies - 2
Chopped garlic - 1- 2



Method to Prepare:

Grate the outer skin of the Ridge Gourd and chop into small pieces.

Wash the dal well and take it in a pressure cooker along with chopped tomatoes, green chilies, tamarind pulp, turmeric powder, add enough water and pressure cook till the dal is tender.

Once the pressure is off, heat a pan with oil, temper with the seasoning ingredients and pour the dal into the pan and bring to boil. Cook till you get the required consistency!

Serve with Rice or Roti!

For all I have spoken about this dal, I hope you try this out and enjoy!

Tale of two Beerakaya ~ One being the Beerakaya Kura or Ridge gourd curry!

It all started with hubby dear coming home with two long Ridge gourd! Now what would one do at that point you tell. Ok you may not know the background story right. Its the same old complaint that its the same old veggies at the market and nothing new to create a new dish. Rather we end up buying the same old veggies. Well hearing such complaints just before leaving, am sure offsets anybody. And hubby dear is no different, I tell you. He got fed with us complaining that he never gets anything different apart from the radiant carrots or the lean mean bean or the stout cabbages or the plum tomatoes or the pungent onions. I guess that's about makes it a whole lot right.

Anyway on this occasion, he said he will come with something different. And different it was, cos Ridge gourd is not something that I cook often. More so after he started complaining that I make it so bland. Am sure my hubby dears penchant for spicy food is well known by now. So lest I overlook at that aspect, he reminds me quite often that my Beerakaya Pappu is not what he calls his cup of dish in this case! Actually that's the second tale, infact.

Let me first tell the first one please. When we realized that hubby dear cannot digest pappu, we decided its going to be the kura! You know right, Kura gets beautified with ginger garlic paste and other assorts of spices, not to mention you either have the option of highlighting it with coconut pate or ground nut powder. True to my genes, I prefer groundnut powder anyways. It was quite surprising that this kura went into oblivion after a while. We completely stopped cooking this at home, all maybe because hubby dear had no love more hate relationship with this vegetable.

Now he finally comes home with not one but two of them. That for sure is an overdose I tell you. I have not one, but two different ways to cook those delicate darlings. Surprise surprise, both were not featured here. Is that God sent or what! So you get to see or read the first tale, second one follows a while!

Ingredients Needed:

Ridge Gourd / Beerakaya - 1 medium
Onions - 1/2 medium
Tomatoes - 1 medium
Chili powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder a pinch
Roasted Groundnut powder -1 - 2 tsp

For tempering:

Curry leaves + mustard seeds, urad dal
Oil - 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Method to prepare:

Grate the outer skin of the vegetable. The outer skin can be made into a Beerakaya pachadi

Wash and then Chop into 1' pieces.

Heat a pan with oil, add the mustard, urad dal and curry leaves. fry for 1 min.

Then add the chopped onions, sauté, then add the tomatoes along with spice powders and salt. Fry till tomatoes are little mushy.

Add the chopped ridge gourd, fry well. Add required water. Cover with lid covered and simmer for 10 - 15 mins. The ridge gourd gets cooked easily enough.

Check in between. Once done, remove lid and add the groundnut powder and bring to boil. You can remove when it reaches a thick consistency enough to be served with chapatis.

This goes well with rice too. I blogged the pachadi a year back and getting back to post this kura only now!

Enjoy this and hope you will be back to hear the tale of the two Ridge Gourd! Till then have a great week ahead.