Mango Dhal

Mango dhal is Andhra’s classic dish. Normally both dhal and mangos are cooked together and seasoned with other spices. Mango may be added with or without skin according to one’s own taste.

ingeridents:

Raw Mango (Medium size) - 1
Thuvar Dhal - 1 small cup
Oil - 1 teaspoon
Sambar Powder - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 teaspoon
For seasoning:
Oil - 2 teaspoon
Mustard - 1/2 teaspoon
Urad dhal - 1 teaspoon
Jeeragam (Cumin) - 1 teaspoon
Onion chopped - 2 tablespoons
Red Chillies - 2
Green Chillies - 2 (Just give a slit)
Garlic flakes - 5 (small size)
Curry Leaves - few
Salt - 1 teaspoon or as per taste

Method:

Wash thuvar dhal and put it in a pressure cooker. Add a teaspoon of oil, turmeric powder and 3 cups of water and pressure cook it till soft.

Wash and cut the mango with skin into medium size pieces. Put it in a vessel and add a pinch of turmeric, one teaspoon sambar powder, little salt and enough water to cover the mango pieces. Cook on moderate heat till the mango pieces are soft. Remove and slightly mash it.

Mix both the cooked dhal and mashed mango together and keep it on the stove. If necessary add little water and make it semi-liquid. Add salt and allow to boil.

In a kadai put the oil. When it is hot add mustard. When it pops up, add urad dhal, jeeragam (cumin) and fry till urad dhal become light brown. Add chopped onion, green and red chillies, curry leaves and garlic flakes (just crush it and add). Fry for few seconds. Add this seasoning to the boiling dhal. Stir well and remove from stove.

Can be taken with hot rice mixed with little ghee or gingelly oil. Serve with fried papad or sago vadam.

Source:

Okra (Vendaikai) Theeyal

“Theeyal” is a typical Kerala dish. It is similar to Tamil Nadu “Kuzhambu”, but the difference is, in Theeyal all the spices along with coconut are fried to a brown colour, grind it to a fine paste and added to the Kuzhambu. It can be prepared with different vegetables and also only with sambar onion too. Here is the recipe for Okra Theeyal:

ingeridents:

Okra – 6 to 8
Tamarind – a big gooseberry size
To fry and grind:
Coconut gratings – ½ cup
Red Chillies – 4 to 5
Coriander seeds – 1 tablespoon
Cumin (Jeeragam) – 1 teaspoon
Fenugreek Seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
Turmeric Powder – ¼ teaspoon
For seasoning:
Oil – 1 tablespoon
Mustard – ½ teaspoon
Red Chillies - 2
Chopped Onion – 2 tablespoons
Curry Leaves - few
Salt – 1 teaspoon or as per taste

Method:

Wash the okra and wipe it with clean cloth or paper towel. Cut it into 2 inch long pieces.

Soak tamarind in little water and squeeze out the juice. Add sufficient water and make 2 cups of tamarind water.

In a dry kadai put the coriander seeds and fry till it is hot to touch. Then add cumin, fenugreek and red chillies and fry for few seconds. Add coconut gratings and fry till it become light brown. Add turmeric powder and stir it well. Remove and cool it. Grind it to a fine paste.

In a thick bottomed vessel put one teaspoon oil and add okra pieces along with a pinch of salt. Stir fry till light brown spots appear on the okra. Add ground paste and mix it well. Add tamarind water and salt. Stir it well and allow to boil on medium flame.

In a small kadai put the oil and when it is hot add mustard. When it starts crackling add chopped onion, red chillies and curry leaves. Fry for few seconds and add this seasoning to the boiling kuzhambu and switch off the stove.

Serve with hot rice accompanied by fried papad or with any mild vegetable poriyal.

Note: You can also use red chilli/coriander/cumin powders instead of whole spices. In such case first put the coconut gratings in a kadai and dry fry till it become light brown. Then add one or two teaspoon red chilli powder, one tablespoon coriander powder, one teaspoon cumin powder and ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and fry everything together for few more seconds. Cool it and grind it to a fine paste.

Source: http://www.kamalascorner.com/2013/04/okra-theeyal.html