Friday 20 March 2015

Fresh Lima Beans gravy/ Pachai Motchai Kuzhambu




Pachai Motchai Puzhi Kuzhambu!



With Brown Rice!
 


Motchai/Lima Beans is an excellent source of protein. When combined with whole grain like Brown rice, its nutritional value is comparable to meat.  Brown rice and Mochai Kuzhambu is a divine combination, you can add a small bowl of curd, when you serve your kids.
 
Rarely do we get Fresh Lima Beans/Pacha Motchai in Singapore, so we can use dried Lima Beans/Kaanja motchai as well. We need to soak in water for an hour or two, then pressure cook for 15 to 20 minutes, with salt. But whenever possible I try to use fresh mochai, as it tastier and nutritious.
 
 
Fresh...


Cooked..




 
  
 
 



Ingredients:


Fresh Motchai Payiru/Lima Beans - 1 & 1/2 Cup

Nattu Poondu/Country Garlic - 15 (whole)

Chinna Vengayam/ Small onion - 8 to 10 (whole/halved according to the size)

Ripe Tomatoes - 2 to 3 (depending on the size)

Sambar Powder - 2 tsp.

Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 to 1 tsp. (according to the spice level)
Dhaniya/Malli Podi/Coriander Powder – 1 tsp. (optional)
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp.

Salt - to taste

Puli/Tamarind - lemon sized ball (soaked in water & juice extracted)



Tempering Ingredients:


Vendhayam/Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp.

Seeragam/Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp.

Perungayam/ Asafetida - 1/4 tsp.

Karuveppilai/ curry leaves - few

Oil - 2 tbsp.




To Grind:


Grated Coconut - 2 tbsp.

Perunjeeragam/ Sombu/Fennel seeds - 1 tsp.
 Add little water, grind to a smooth paste and set aside.

 
 
 

 

Method:

Take the Motchai/Lima beans, wash and cook it with boiling water and salt for 8 to 10 minutes.  Fresh Motchai or Lima beans will cook within minutes. Check for the doneness and set aside. No need to drain the water, you can add it to the gravy.

In a Kadai or Cooking pot, pour oil, toss in the tempering ingredients, followed by garlic and small onion. Sauté well for few minutes add chopped tomatoes and cook for few more minutes.  Add the cooked Motchai/Lima beans, chili powder, sambar powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, salt and the ground coconut paste. Combine well and cook for few minutes. Pour the tamarind extract; allow it to simmer for 10 more minutes until the raw smell of Chilli and Sambhar powder disappears.

Serve with plain hot rice or Curd rice or Idli.



Tips, Tips, Tips…
 
Use Country Garlic/ Nattu Poondu whenever possible, it gives wonderful flavor and tastes really great.  Especially, when you use for stir fry dishes, its smoky flavor adds a special touch.


Naattu Poondu/Country Garlic!
 

Thursday 5 March 2015

Beetroot Dosai

 
 
 
 
 



The vibrant color of the beetroot itself suggests it's full of nutrition; it's good for blood circulation and relieves constipation!!

Pregnant ladies can drink 1/4 to 1/2 cup of fresh beet juice with a bit of honey, (at least twice a week) to prevent constipation. I myself have experienced this. .(Upon my M-i-l's advice)Though I started drinking reluctantly, after seeing the wonderful results, I voluntarily went for it :)

Though we would like our kids to eat Beets, it's not easy to get them to!! So I thought of an idea and started mixing it with Dosa batter, then automatically kids started loving it!!
Beetroot Dosa and Chilli Chutney is their favorite combo.


 
Ground Beetroot Paste!








With Coriander leaves and Curry leaves




 
 

Ingredients:
 

Large Beet root - 1

Dosa Batter - 2 Cups

Big Onion - 1 to 2 (finely chopped)

Fresh Coriander leaves - 1 small bunch(finely chopped)

Curry leaves - 1 or 2 sprigs ( finely chopped)

Salt - to taste

 

Method:


Cut beetroot into cubes, add little water and grind to a smooth paste.

Take two cups of Idly/Dosa batter, (it's better to be thick & undiluted since adding beetroot mixture will make it watery)

The batter should be a fermented batter (pulitha maavu)

Add the beetroot paste, followed by chopped onions, coriander leaves/mall thazhai and Curry leaves. Toss in a bit of salt and mix well, until combined.

Now the beetroot Dosa batter is ready, make dosai as usual by adding little bit oil. Cook on both sides and serve with red chilli Chutney, Coconut Chutney or Malli Chutney.


 
 


 
To make Dosai Maavu/Dosa Batter:

Take 2 Cups of Idli rice and 1/4 Cup of Urad Dhal/Ulundu and soak them together in water for minimum 3 hours.

  Add ½ tsp. of salt and grind with the soaked water, add water little by little. (Either in mixie or grinder). For making Beetroot Dosa, the batter can be little thick, so that when we mix ground beetroot paste, it won’t be too watery.

Allow it to ferment for 8 hours. The size of the batter would have doubled up by this time.
Now the Dosai Maavu/Batter is ready to make Dosais.