Paruppu usuli

Paruppu Usuli is a healthy curry and is very tasty. They are made on most festival days. Only certain green vegetables go as combination with dhals to make this usuli.
You can also combine vegetables like carrots, beans, or use cabbage, or Valor. I always cook them when these veggies are minimum to be cooked alone. And I like the crunchy texture of the dhal in the end.

Methi (Fenugreek) Dhal

Pulses and legumes are a natural source of plant protein that are high in complex carbohydrates and fiber, and extremely low in fat. They are used extensively in Indian cooking and form an important part of a vegetarian diet. Dried legumes and pulses are classified into three groups: beans, peas and lentils. They are eaten either whole or unhulled (with the skin still intact) or split in half with or without their skins.
Toor dhal also known as arhar dhal or split pigeon peas is one such pulse that is a pantry staple in most Indian kitchens. It is commonly used as the base for many of our South Indian preparations, the most common one in my home being Sambar.
My pantry is well stocked with a variety of dhals but toor dhal is the most-used one for sure. Dhal is cooked in different ways in different homes and no two dhal preparations from different kitchens or even the same kitchen for that matter, taste the same.
Here’s a very simple and tasty dhal from my kitchen made using toor dhal and fenugreek (methi) leaves. There are a number of versions of methi dhal in the blogosphere. And now here’s mine!

Masala Vada

A very healthy snack made regularly in my mother's home. The dhal content is very good for our health. When my chithi makes it, we used to put away our work and just sit beside her in the kitchen and munch as and when the vada comes out from the hot oil. Hhhmmmm, so yummy, one more, one more, and it goes on!
And back to my home here, I have tried her version of the Vada and sundu comes to the kitchen to munch one after the other.
This time I stopped him right away, just for a simple silly reason. I have to click some nice pictures for my blog! He is just waiting for the session to get over and there he comes for a bite!
The recipe calls for,

You need:


Thoor Dhal - 2 cups
Channa Dhal - 1/4 cup
dry red chillies - 10 pieces
Ginger - 1/2 inch chopped finely
Curry leaves - Few
Onion finely chopped- 1/2 Cup (Optional, it is must for masala vada)
Salt - To taste
Hing - A Pinch
Oil - For Frying the Vadai,

Mix all the dhals and Soak the dhals in water for about 2 hours. As we do not want to make a paste. We want to coarsely grind to get nice crunchy tasty vada. After 2 hours filter the water and keep the dhal for about 30 mins.
Keep 3 table spoon of the dhal separately in a bowl and grind the remaining dhal with salt, red chillies and a pinch of hing without adding water. Add the above ground mixture with the 3 table spoon of the dhals in a bowl along with onion, ginger, and curry leaves. Heat the oil in a kadai and once the oil is hot, make small rounds of ground dhal and press it flat and fry it in the oil. Fry it in medium low flame.
Once the Vadai becomes reddish brown color take it out in a bowl with a paper towel to dry the oil and serve hot.
Serve hot with chutney of your choice.

Paruppu Sambar

Sambar is an almost everyday menu for SouthIndias (esp., tamil people). This is easiest way to prepare sambar.

Prep Time: 70 mins
Cooking time: 40 mins

Ingredients
Okra - 10-12 pieces (chopped into 1/2 sizes)
(can be replaced with chayote, white/ yellow pumpkin, Radish, Drumstick, or Onion)
Sambar masala powder - 1 tbspn
Turmeric - 1/5 tspn
Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tspn
Asafoetida - 1/4 tspn
Tamarind water - 1/2 cup
Cooked Toor dhal - 1 1/2 cup
Oil - 4 tbsp

Garnishing
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tspn
Urad dhal - 1/2 tspn
Curry leaves - 2 bunches
Corriander leaves - 1 bunch
Oil - 1 tbsp

1. Add oil to pan and add fenugreek seeds, after it turns color add the cut vegtables. To this add the Asafoetida and fry this for a minute.  Add the Tamarind water. ( I add fresh tamarind to water and make it to boil. Take this water)
2. To this add the sambar powder, turmeric powder, salt  and let it cook for 15 mins.
3. Mash the cooked dhal and add to the above sambar.
4. Let this cook for another 10 mins.
5. In another saute pan, crackle mustard seeds with 1 tspn oil, then add the urad dhall and curry leaves. Once it turns golden, add to the sambar.
6. Now it is ready to serve along with the rice.

I usually do not add coriander leaves, as I cannot keep the sambar for more than a day. If you intend to use the sambar in a day, then you can add.