Long Beans and Black Eyed Peas Dry Curry

This is one way to include protiens in your diet, or when you want to increase the amount of the curry you are making ....

You can use frozen black eyed peas or the canned ones.

I soaked the dry ones the previous night and drained them out...

You Need

Long Beans - Chopped - About 2 cups

Black eyed Peas - 1 and 1/2 cups

Salt - 1 to 2 teaspoons

Oil - 1 teaspoon

Mustard - 1 teasoon

Red Chili - 1

Method

---> In a kadai, put the long beans and the Black Eyed Peas and add 1/2 cup water and salt and close the lid...

---> Keep looking at the pan every 5 minutes or so to make sure the water in the pan does not evaporate making the curry burn

--->Add more water if needed in between

--->Once the curry is cooked, you will know this when you can break the long beans when gently pushed with a fork

--->Switch off the stove and in a separate pan, add the oil and the mustard seeds and when it sputters add the red chili and pour it while sizzling on to the curry that you made...

Garnish with coriander and curry leaves,

This can be had with rotis or rice.....

Black Eyed Beans in a Salad!

This recipe is from Bairavi, my cousin's wife. She got it from a sindhi friend of hers.
I just loved the taste of this when I had them and had to share...
It is kind of a mix of a salad and sabji...
You can substitute Chick Peas instead of the Black Eyed Peas..., but if you use chick peas, you have to soak it overnight. With black eyed peas, i just washed them and used them.

You need
For the Masala;
Mint leaves - 1 bunch - Washed and Drained
Garlic - 2 Cloves
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Green Chillies - 2
Coriander - 2 handfuls - washed and drained
Salt - to tast
When I use coriander, I just cut off the ends, and use the stalk also, it gives more flavor.
To make:
Canola oil - 1 Teaspoon
Jeera - 1 Teaspoon
Black Eyed Peas - 1 Cup
Cucmber - 1 english cucumber which equals 3 indian cucumbers, chopped
Red Bell Pepper - 1 chopped
Juice of 1 Green lime
Salt to taste
Method
--->Grind the stuff forthe masala to a smooth paste.
--->In a pan, add the oil and jeera, when it sizzles, add this paste and saute for two minutes, all on a medium high pan
--->Add the washed black eyed beans to this and mix well.
--->take the whole thing and transfer to a vessel which you can pressure cook in, and give it 3 to 4 whistles and then turn the fire to a low heat and let cook for 10 to 15 minutes.
---> Once the pressure goes down, check the beans, it has to mash when pressed wih two fingers.
--->Transfer to a big bowl, add the chopped cucmber, chopped red bell pepper and add the juice to it and add salt if needed
--->Garnish with a mint leaf, and take a picture!!!

I made this for dinner yesterday, served with 2 rotis, Beetroot subji and Kadhi...

(Winter Melon in yogurt gravy and Lentil Crepes )Poosanikai Pachai Mor Kuzhambu and Power Packed Adai

Power Packed Adai

I have to let you all know, that this was an experiment! But it turned out good!

On Tuesdays, during Tennis season, I have to leave the house by 5pm and can come back only by 7pm. I work from home, so I usually make dinner only at 5pm. So I end up making some Dosa items for dinner since it is quick. Since I just came back, and didnt have any dosa dough at hand, I thought why not Adai , a lentil dosa. I did a little variation

Here is what I did

1 Cup Whole Green Mung

1 Cup Whole Skinned Urad

1 Cup Rice

½ cup Channa Dal

½ Cup Black Eyed Peas

½ cup Horsegram

½ Cup Sabudana

3 Green Chilllies

1 Red Chillies

2 teaspoons Salt

Coconut-one handful cut in tooth shaped pieces

Curry leaves (I still havent bought it! but you can use if you have)

Method

-->I soaked all this before I left, all in one bowl, except the sabudana.

-->I soaked the sabudana seperately.

-->When I came back, I put all this (except the

sabudana )in my food processor and made a batter.

-->To this batter Imixed the sabudana.I made thin lentil crepes out of it.

Verdict

The kids loved it, I also liked it. Next time, I will soak the green mung way ahead of time, or use regular mung dal. I felt it had to soak a lttle more, but I was the only one who felt that way. My husband also liked it! It is a very filling dinner.
As a side dish to this I Made

Poosanikai Pachai Mor Kuzhambu

Pachai means Green in Tamil , Mor Kuzhambu is gravy made with yogurt base.

Items You Need:

For the Masala Soak for 10 to 15 minutes

1 tsp Jeera (Cumin)

3 tsps Coconut shredded (I used Frozen)

1 tsp Rice

2 Green Chillies

1 handful Fresh Coriander

For the Gravy

Wintermelon - 5 cups (Cut in square shapes)

Salt as needed

Water

Thick Yogurt - 2 cups (blended in to thick buttermilk)

Oil- 1 Tsp

Mustard-¼ tsp

Red Chili -1
Method

-->In a vessel, take the wintermelon, and add

enough water to lightly cover the vegetables

-->Add the salt once it starts boiling

-->Grind the masala and add the mixture to it

and cook for a 5 to 7 minutes in low fire

-->Add the thick buttermilk to it, and cook for

3 minutes in low fire
-->In a small pan, add some oil, add the mustard,

once it sputters add the Red Chili, and pour it over

the gravy. Garnish with coriander leaves, and curry leaves.
Note- You should be careful, not let the buttermilk curdle. It should be thick and creamy!

Black Eyed Peas (Lentil) and Brocolli Curry

A healthy Wholesome Meal

Black Eyed Peas

You can either buy the cans or soak it about 4 hours earlier.

I soak the beans.

You will need

2 cups of Black eayed peas (Soaked for atleast 4 hours) and drained

2 Tomatoesv(chopped)

1 Onion (chopped)

7 Cloves of Garlicv(chopped)

2 tsp of oil

1/2 tsp of Pav bhaji masala (yes pav bhaji masala) You can use any masala you have on hand and that you want to finish.

1 and 1/2 tsp of salt

1 tsp of jeera

So take a kadai and add oil to it,

add the jeera to it, and

once the jeera starts to get cooked,

add the onions and garlic and saute for just 5 minutes,

keep moving the onions and garlic around so they dont get too brown,

add the tomotoes now and add about a cup of water.

When the water starts to boil, pour this in to a pressure cooker and with a hand blender and puree this.

Add the salt and the masala powder and then the drained beans to it and give it a whistle or two and Enjoy!

(If you don't have a hand blender, think about getting one or use you regular mixer or food processor to make the gravy.)

This whole process takes about 15 minutes.

A great tasting and healthy dal is ready to eat!

The hand blender is very useful since you dont have to take a mixer or food processor to do the job.

You can even mince some G Chillies if you want to increase the Spice Level..

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Brocolli curry

You will need

2 medium heads of brocolli (chopped)

1 small onion (Sliced)

6 cloves of garlic (Finely Chopped)

1 tsp of oil

1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder

1/2 tsp Chilli Powder

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp jeera

In a kadai, add oil, jeera and then the onions and garlic, once the onions start to wilt add the brocolli and add the turmeric powder, chilli powder and the salt and sautee for 10 minutes.

Mix it well and serve hot!