Arachuvitta Sambar for Idlis

Idli being a staple breakfast and dinner at home we never get tired of it (do I kid myself? every other day I complain) but not really on the idlis but on the side dish we make. The usual ones are the coconut chutney, tomato chutney, onion chutney or the humble idli milagai podi. Some time this very simple podi too can spike the more so plain idlis.

Occassionally atleast once in a week or two I make this arachuvita sambar to make idlis a celebration. I have not done justice regarding the photos as posting the sambar without idlis are totally bad. But will promise that I will update once I make it again. But the mini idlis or pieces of idli floating in a bowl full of this sambar and a drizzle of ghee is a definite treat that too for a Sunday morning.

After bathing and feeding the two kids and my late morning bath on a Sunday I would settle with this bowl full in the balcony with my favorite Tamil weekly. And that calls for a perfect weekend

The primary ingredient of this is the sambar onions or shallots and hence if that is not available please please do not substitute with the large onions. Wait till you get the little ones and make this. I can never give my word for the taste front if there is a substitution !

Ingredients :

Toor dal cooked – 1 Cup (If you have the water cooked along with it reserve it)

Tamarind – 1 small lime sized (soak it in 1 Cup of water)

Sambar onions/ shallots – 20 nos (peeled and washed)

Sambar powder – 1.5 teaspoon

Tomato chopped – 3/4 cup

Peanut oil – 3 T spoon

Coriander leaves for garnishing – 1 handful

For the paste :

Coriander seeds – 1 teaspoon

Coconut – Freshly grated 1/4 cup

Red chilly – 3 nos

How to make it ?

In a thick bottomed wide skillet heat 1.5 T spoon of peanut oil. Once it is smoking lower the flame to medium and add the shallots (don’t chop them unless they were more than of 1 inch size). Fry till the outer layer starts wilting and about to peel off. Now add the chopped toamtoes and saute till they become soft. Add the Sambar powder, cooked toor dal and enough water to make it to a desired consistency. It should be like a thick soup. Add salt to taste and cover and let it boil for 7-10 minutes. In the mean time squeeze the tamarind with the water and extract the pulp. Filter it using a colander and reserve the extract. When the dal mix was boiled for the said time add this extract and let it boil for another 5 minutes. In the mean time in a separate thick bottomed vessel heat the remaining peanut oil and when hot add the coriander seeds and fry till you get a nice aroma. Add the chilies and fry till they turn crisp. Add the coconut and fry till the coconut starts browning. Switch off the stove and let this cool. Take it in a stone grinder or a mixie and grind it to a coarse paste with very little water. Add spoon by spoon by listening to our mixie’s sounds.

When the sambar is boiled after adding the tamarind extract for 5 mins. add this round paste and mix well. Let this boil for 2-3 mins and add a handful of chopped coriander leaves and switch off the stove. Cover vessel immediately.

Laddle the sambar in a large soup bowl. Float mini idlis or pieces of idlis. Drizzle a spoon of melted ghee and enjoy with a spoon ! Slurp
This amount serves 3 very hungry people but at home where people drink a bowl full of sambar for just two idlis it would be enough for 2 persons having 4 idlis each

Murungai Poo Kootu – Drumstick blossom dal

Ah, should I really need to translate? I don’t have any non-indian readers. Very rarely one or two. But for unwritten blogging rules I shall stick to the translation
Cooking with blossoms is not a regular fair at home except for plantain flower. You can add this to make a list. Usually during the drumstick season when there is abundance of the blossoms in the tree the owners of the tree were very particular about preserving them for the vegetable. So we cannot simply shake the branches and collected the sheded flowers. But occasionally if there is a wind or a quick shower you can find lot of these flowers on the ground. Living in the city has stolen several luxuries from us and these drumstick blossoms were one among them.
Last week when my Sis visited a nearby temple found a drumstick tree (it’s really odd) near the pathway. As we had slight showers the night before she could find lots of the flowers on the ground. Since it’s within the temple premises the ground was clean and she quickly collected as much fresh blossoms as she could. As its said to be an aphrodisiac we are still hooked to it’s mildly sweet taste.
Amma makes a fantastic kootu and its years since we relished it. Mixing with hot steamed rice and dollop of ghee this is a filling meal.

Murungai Poo / Drumstick blossoms – resembles jasmine flower

Murungai Poo Kootu / Drumstick blossom kootu
Ingredients :
Drumstick flowers packed – 1 cup
Chana dal – 1/2 cup
Onion chopped – 1/4 cup
Mustard seeds + Urad dal for seasoning
Peanut oil – 1 teaspoon
Grated fresh coconut – 2-3 T spoon
Red chilli broken into pieces – 2
Salt to taste
Hing – 1 pinch

How to make it ?

Pressure cook chanadal with 3/4 cup of water in a pressure cooker for 1 whistle or you can boil it in stove top with more water until soft. Don’ make it mushy. In a thick bottomed pan tip the chanadal along with the remaining water inwhich it is cooked and add the onions and boil for 5-7 minutes. You will get a nice aroma of onions cooked. Wash several times with running water and drain the drumstick flowers in a colander. Add this to the boiling chanadal and onion mix. Let it cook for 4-5 mins. Add salt to taste. Add the grated coconut and boil for another minute and switch off the stove. Now in a separate vessel heat the peanut oil and when hot add the mustard seeds and urad dal. When the mustard seeds splutter add a pinch of hing and the broken red chillies and when you get a nice aroma (just count 10-15) tip it in the kootu. Garnish with curry leaves and serve warm with a dollop of ghee with steamed rice.

Moong sprouts kichidi

On a recent visit to the vegetable shop I picked up a pack of moong sprouts. After reading so many posts on sprouting legumes at home the lazy me bought this as I wanted to ty something immediately and do not want to wait till the moong dal sprout on its own in my kitchen.

Saying this I had some broken wheat at home lying around unused and I was afraid it might get insects. It did not since 4 months but just thought I can make a combo as I love broken wheat. None of them in the family likes broken wheat but I never fail stuffing them with upma or kichidi whenever I have a craving for the same. But this combo worked and people ate without complaints. Especially my brother loved it.

Moong sprouts kichidi
Ingredients :
Broken wheat (not the wheat rava) – 1 cup
Moong sprouts – 1 cup
Green chillies – 3 (stem and slit them vertically halfway through)
Clove – 1 (remove the head)
Cinnamon – 1/2 inch
Bay leaf – 1 (slightly crush with your fingers)
Peanut oil – 3 T
Onion thinly sliced – 1/2 cup
Turmeric – 1 pinch
Salt to taste
Water – 4 cups

How to make it ?
In the thick bottomed vessel heat the oil. When hot add the clove, cinnamon, bay leaf and when they start sizzling add the onions. Saute them till they turn soft. Add the green chillies and saute for a half a minute. Add the moong sprouts. Saute in high flame till the raw smell reduces around 2-3 mins. Now add the broken wheat and saute for another minute. Add the water, turmeric and salt. Check and adjust salt to your taste. Let the water come to a boil. No transfer this to a vessel and pressure cook for 3 to 4 whistles. Let the cooker cool down and serve the hot kichidi with some yogurt and pickle. a hearty simple weeknight meal

I missed to update about the kind awards given by Lavi! Thanks dear! You are a sweetie!