Rajma Masala\ Kidney Beans Curry

Rajma Chawal is extremely popular in North India. Rajma meaning kidney beans curry and Chawal meaning rice.
Rajwa goes really well with rice. But it can be had with rotis also.

Here is a simple Rajma recipe. Try it out and I am quite sure you will fall in love with it :)

Ingriedients:
Rajma\ Red kidney beans - 2 cups
Onions - 2
Tomatoes - 1
Cashewnuts- around 8
Chilli powder - half teaspoon
Turmeric powder - half teaspoon
Garam Masala\ Chole Masala - half teaspoon
Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 teaspoon
Cloves - 2
Cinnamon - 1 small piece
Fresh Cream - 1tablespoon (Optional)
Chopped coriander leaves
Oil
Salt
Water

Procedure:
1. Soak the Rajma for at least 8 hours and boil it with little salt in the pressure cooker.
2. Next Soak the cashewnuts in 2 tablespoon water for about half an hour.
3. In the meantime, grind the onions to a coarse paste in the mixer. Keep this aside.
4. Next grind the tomatoes to prepare a puree and keep it aside.
5. Finally grind the cashewnuts along with the water.
6. Take a kadhai, add 2 tablespoon oil. Add the cloves and cinnamon
7. Next add the ground onion paste. Add a pinch of salt and fry it for around 5 minutes till the raw taste of onions goes away.
8. Next add the chilli powder, turmeric powder and garam masala\ chole masala.
9. Finally add the tomato puree and fry nicely till it starts leaving oil.
10. Finally add the boiled rajma. Add sufficient salt and mix well.
11. Next add the fresh cream. This is optional.
12. Let it boil for 5 more minutes.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Serve it hot with Rice or Roti.

Tips:
1. Rajma needs to be properly pressure cooked. I usually take 3 whistles on high flame and 1 whistle on low flame.
2. Rajma is available in two varieties, one red colored and the other slighter lighter one. I usually use the lighter one as it gets boiled faster.

Gongura\ Ambaadi Bhaji\ Red Sorrel Leaves Curry

The Gongura leaves holds a very special place in the Andhra cuisine. It is also consumed in other places and is known by various other names like the ambadi or pulicha keerai. It comes in two varieties namely the green leaf and the red leaf. The red variety is sourer than the green leaves.

Gongura leaves comes with many health benefits. It is a rich source of iron, vitamins, folic acid and anti-oxidants. It also helps to cool down the body and hence best for summer. It also sharpens the appetite.

I learned this recipe from one of my office friend who hails from Andhra. I loved its tangy taste and also its ample benefits. Additionally its very easy to prepare.

Ingredients:
Gongura\ Red sorrel leaves - 1 bunch
Onion - 1, finely chopped
Garlic - 4-5 petals
Jaggery - as per taste
Mustard seeds - half teaspoon
Karipatta - 4-5 leaves
Green chilli - 1
Jeera\ Cumin seeds - half teaspoon
Hing\Asoefatida
Oil
Salt

Procedure:
1. Clean the gongura leaves and pressure cook it for 3 whistles. Do not add water while pressure cooking as gongura leaves leave water. Also do not chop them.
2. Take a vok, add 1 tablespoon oil, next add mustard seeds.
3. Once they splutter, add jeera, garlic, hing, karipatta and green chillies
4. Then add onion and fry till it is golden brown.
5. Finally add the pressure cooked gongura leaves and fry for some time.
6. Next add the jaggery and salt as needed. Let it cok for another 5 mins.
Gongura is ready. Serve it with rice, ghee and pickle. You can also serve it with roti.

Tips:
1. Gongura leaves are very tangy, adjust the jaggery as per your taste.

Idli Sambhar

Idli Sambhar, I believe is a staple food of South India. Inspite of staying here for almost 8 years, I have missed out on this simple recipe in my blog.

Here is the simple formula to prepare soft and delicious Idlis :)

Ingriedients:
Dosa rice - 4 cups
Urad dal - One cup
Methi seeds - one-forth teaspoon
Poha\ Avalakki - one fistful
Baking soda - a small pinch
Water
Oil - for lining the idli maker

Procedure:

Preparing Idli Batter
1. Wash and soak the rice, urad dal and methi seeds atleast for 8 hours. I usually soak it in the morning and prepare the batter in the late evening.
2. Wash and soak the avalakki (Poha) 2 hours before preparing the batter.
3. To prepare the batter, grind the soaked dosa rice, urad dal, methi seeds and avalakki in the mixer. Grind the avalakki seperately in the mixer as it gets ground very fast.
4. Store this batter in a bigger conatiner as after fermentation, the dosa batter increases in quantity.
5. Add a pinch of baking soda , mix well and keep it outside for around 12 hours. I usually keep it overnight and prepare the idlis, next day morning for breakfast.

Preparing Idlis
1. Grease the idli maker with little oil.
2. Pour the idli batter in the idli maker.

3. Once it is done, fill the cooker with more water. The water level should be little below the first idli plate.
4. Remove the whistle from the rice cooker.
5. Initially keep it on a high flame for around 5 minutes as the water takes some time to start boiling.
6. Next keep it on a medium flame for another 5-10 minutes
7. Let the cooker cool down.
8. After 15 minutes, extract the idlis using a knifeand trasfer to a casserrole to keep them warm.

Serve the Idlis with Chutney and Sambhar

Notes:
1. I prepare idlis using the rice cooker as I do not have a idli maker. Rice cooker can be ofcoarse substituted by the Idli maker.
2. If some batter is left over, you can add little more and salt and prepare some dosas.
3. Idli batter needs to be little thicker than the dosa batter.
4. I usually use dosa rice to prepare idlis. You can substitute it with idli rice.
5. The quantities mentioned in the ingriedients needs to be strictly followed to prepare soft idlis.
6. Sambhar recipe is available at link to Sambhar Recipe
7. Corainder chutney recipe is available at link to Corainder Chutney Recipe

Dahi Vada

Dahi Vada or Dahi Bhalla is one of the lip smacking chaat items, which everyone just loves. Its my hubbys favourite too. Hubby dear is my inspiration for innovative and inventive cooking.

Preparing Dahi Vada was on my mind since quite long and this weekend I got some time to try it out. Initially I thought it might be time consuming. But its a really really simple recipe and can be prepared in no time. Only thing is you need to remember to soak the urad dal.

It is one of the healthy and quick snack and hence would have a place in my kitchen frequently now onwards. Although the picture does not look impressive, but its really delicious :)

Ingriedients:
Urad dal(white one without skin) - half cup
Ginger - small piece
Green chillies - 2
Salt
Oil for deep frying
Curd
Sugar
Chaat Masala
Tamarind Chutney

Procedure:
Preparing the Vadas
1. Soak the urad dal for atleast 3 hours. I soaked it for 5 hours.
2. Grind it togather with one small piece of ginger, 2 green chillies and salt to a fine paste. Do not add water while grinding.
3. If the soaked urad dal has some leftover water, keep it aside. You can add it later if needed.
4. Take a kadhai and keep oil for boiling.
5. Once the oil is hot enough, prepare round balls and deep fry them on a medium flame till they are golden brown.
6. You can enjoy some of vadas with chutney.

7. Remaining vadas, put them directly in warm water.
8. Keep them in the water for a minute. Then squeeze the remaining water and keep them aside.

Preparing Dahi Vada
1. Add sugar to the chilled curd and beat it well. Add little water if needed
2. Take the serving plate. Place the vada, pour the curd over it.
3. Next pour the tamarind chutney followed by the chaat masala

Tamarind Chutney recipe can be found at below link
Tamarind Chutney

Delicious Dahi vada is ready

Tips:
1. To check if oil is hot enough, dropp one small drop of the prepared batter, it should float on the oil.
2. For preparing the vadas, if the batter is sticky and you can roll them into balls, take a big spoon and drop the batter in the kadhai in the form of balls.
3. You can also sprinkle some grated carrot over the dahi vada for added taste and nutrition.