Banana Flower Vada/Fritters

Banana flower is cooked and enjoyed all over south India. Cleaning is the time consuming part of cooking this delicious and nutritious vegetable . I find this post Clean banana flower  very useful. Banana flower thoran is my favorite kerala preparation but i like to make this vada to once a while.

Banana Flower - 1 
Chana Dal - 3/4 cup
Moong Dal - 1/4 cup (optional)
Green Chilli - 4 , finely chopped
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - a few sprigs,chopped
Salt - to taste
Oil - for frying

1. Soak moong and chana dal for few hours.
2. Clean and finely chop the banana flower and soak in water.
3. Grind the dal coarsly with salt and few tbsp water.
4. Mix in chopped banana flower, cumin, curry leaves and green chill.
5. Heat oil in a deep pan to 350 F.
6. Make small vada or patties and deep fry to golden.
7. Serve hot with any dip of choice.

Drumstick leaves thoran

Drumstick leaves is very nutritious and tasty. It has more calcium than milk and is good source of other nutrients .It is versatile and can be cooked with dal , cooked in coconut gravy or sauteed with coconut.

Drumstick leaves -  2 cups

Coconut - 1/4 cup , grated

Moong Dal - 1/4 cup , soaked for an hour

Shallots - 2 , chopped small

Green Chilli - 5 

Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil - 1 tbsp

1. Coarsely grind  coconut,cumin,green chilli,turmeric and salt.
2. Heat oil and add mustard and let it pop up.
3. Add onion and saute till golden and the coconut mixture .
4. Mix well for few seconds and add soaked dal.
5. Sprinkle two tbsp water , cover and cook on low heat.
6. When water is dry add the drumstick leaves and mix well.
7. Cover and cook till the drumstick leaves are tender.
8. Uncover and cook for some more time if there is excess water.
9. And then serve with rice and sambar.

Moong Dal Halwa

For Pongal as usual i prepared pongal ,vada ,til ladoo and this year a halwa too as moong dal halwa is the recipe for this months ICC. This is my first post for ICC ,when i saw all the traditional recipes the ladies at ICC were cooking up i was inspired to try and learn those authentic traditional preparations. Moong Dal Halwa is a perfect winter preparation. I remember it being served during North Indian winter wedding receptions ummm ....yummy :).

Split (Yellow) Moong dal - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 cup
Clarified Butter / Ghee - 1/2 cup
Khoya - 1/2 cup( i used 1 cup of evaporated milk)

Cardamom Pw - 1/2 tsp (not in original recipe)
Cashew and rasins for garnish( i used almonds for garnish as that is what i had on hand)

1. Lightly roast the moong dal, wash, soak overnight

2. Ground to a fine paste in food processor with no water.
3. Take a thick bottom pan, heat butter.

4. Fry the moong dal paste till it turns brownish and releases the ghee.

5. Add sugar mix well till sugar gets well absorbed.

6. Add milk and cardamom powder.

7. Keep mixing till the milk is well absorbed by the dal mixture.

8.Turn of heat and add almonds for garnish.

EveryDay Moong Ki Dal

Growing up i think every kid hates dal :) and in south Indian homes plain dal is cooked only once in a while unlike north Indian homes where its only cooked everyday.Even then we will be upset whenever my mother made "parupp curry" but i know understand the nutritional value of dal. These days i try to cook some kind of protein in the form of pulses or legumes everyday. This is one of my go to recipe for moong dal.

Moong Dal - 1/4 cup

Tomato - 1 /4 cup , chopped

Onion - 1/8 cup ,chopped

Hot Green Chili - 2 ,chopped fine

Garlic Cloves - 2 , peeled

Water - 1 cup

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Salt to taste

For Tempering :

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Whole Red Chilli - 3

Hing - 1/8 tsp

Coriander Leaves - 1 tbsp chopped fine

Oil - 1/2 tsp

Ghee - 1/2 tsp

1. Wash dal and add water , tomato, onion , garlic, chili and turmeric.

2.Pressure cook until till two whistle or till dal is very tender.

3. Just before serving mix up the dal well and heat it.

4. Heat up oil and ghee together and add hing and mustard.

5. When mustards starts to pop add cumin and whole chilli.

6. Cook for a minute and coriander leaves and pour over dal.

7. Serve with rice or roti.

Carrot Moong Dal Salad

I'm on a new resolution to make salad atleast few times every week ,don't know how long i'll continue :) this but as of now enjoying it.This recipe is from a dear friend ,carrot is something i don't like much but when i tried her simple salad i loved it and wanted to make it .

Carrot - 1 cup grated
Moong Dal - 1/4 cup
Hot Green Chilli - 1 tsp
Cliantro Leaves - 1 tbsp Chopped fine
Lemon Juice - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

Oil - 1 tsp
Hing - 1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Curry Leaves - a few chopped fine

1. Soak moong dal for 1 hour ,drain and keep aside.
2. Mix dal,carrot,chili, lemon juice,salt and coriander leaves .
3. Heat oil add hing,mustard seeds ,curry leaves and pour over carrot mixture.

Tempering is totally optional tastes good just as it is without it . Sprinkle over curd rice to make it more nutritious and beautiful. Spread green chutney over two slice of bread and fill this salad and make a yummy sandwich.

Dals & Dill Vada/ D&D Fritters

For this fritter i use all the dal available in my pantry. I can it D&D fritters or vada as the main ingredients are DALs and DILL. Dill is what gives this recipe its unique taste. If you like dill you will like this vada.

Channa Dal - 1/4 cup

Toor Dal -1/4 cup

Moong Dal - 1/4 cup

Urad Dal - 1/4 cup

Dill - 1/4 cup chopped fine

Green Chilli - 2 tbsp chopped fine

Onion - 1/2 cup chopped fine

Salt to taste

Oil for frying

1. Wash and soak all the dals for 4 -6 hrs.

2. Coarsely grind all the dals in a food processor.

3. Mix in onion ,chilli , dill and salt.

4. Heat oil to 350 F in a deep pan.

5. Take small lemon size balls of mixture and flatten it between two palms forming a disk.

6. Drop the disc in into the hot oil and deep fry till golden.

7. Serve hot or at room temperature with chutney of your choice.

Moong Dal Fitters/Pakoda

This a common street food in Central India and as all street food very yummy too. It is served with fried green chillis and yogurt chutney.

Whenever it rains i make this pakoda, goes very well with a cup of green tea :) .

This can be made with any dal ,lentil or pulses specially Black Eyed Peas. Whatever you are using you need to soak it in water . Some of them take longer to reconstitute but for moong dal half and hour is enough.If you are in hurry soak in warm water.

Moong Dal - 1 cup soaked in water

Onion - 1/2 cup chopped

Green Ghilli - 2 tsp chopped

Ginger - 1 tsp chopped

Cliantro - 1/2 chopped

Salt to taste

Oil to fry

1. Save a tbsp of dal and coarsely grind rest of the dal in food processor with as little water as possible .

2. Take out the ground dal ,add to it the saved one tbsp dal .

3. Mix rest of the ingredients and mix everything properly.

4.Heat oil to 350 F in a deep pan .

5. Make a tsp of mixture and shape it to a ball or traditional oblong shape and deep fry it till golden brown.

"This is my entry to MLLA-13 conceived by Susan of the "Well-Seasoned Cook" and currently being hosted by Sunshinemom of "Tongue Ticklers......"."

Happy Pongal : Sakara Pongal

Pongal was not celebrated at my place growing up. After marriage i found we have grand pongal at my hubby's place and ask me i love festivals and traditional foods.

Sweet Pongal , Til Ladoo and Mixed Veg Sabzi is the preparations at our place.

  Sweet Pongal Recipe.

Recipe serves 8-10 people

Ingredients:

Rice -1 cup

Moong Dal -1/2 cup

Jaggery - 1 1/2 cup ,grated

Nuts(chasew,raisins) -1/2 tbsp,each

Milk Whole -3 cup

Water - 3 cup

Ghee - 1/4 cup

Cardamon Pw -1 tsp
Raw Camphor - 2 pinches

Method:

1. Heat a pan with a tsp of ghee and roast dal till pink.
2. Melt jaggery and half cup water . Skim the foam and filter.
3. Keep melted jaggery warm on low heat.
4. Wash dal and rice very well.
5. Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a deep heavy bottom dish.
6. Add nuts and cook for a min .
7. Add rice and dal mix light handedly.
8. Add milk and  water and cover.
9. Cook on medium heat till it foams.
10. Lower the heat to low and till rice is done.
11. Keep stirring now and then .
12. Add melted jaggery , cardamom powder , camphor and remaining ghee.
13. Mix well and cook on low for few more minutes.
14. Remove from flame and serve hot or cold.