Alasande kalu palya (lobia/cow peas curry)

Alasande Kalu Palya

Hi there everyone, hope all of you who visit my blog are doing well. I have been away from blogging a very long time and after being nudged by a few friends to write more, I am back again. I had a perfect excuse for my laziness all these days, "My comp is not working"... it was not. We got it fixed a few weeks ago, however I was feeling so comfortably lethargic not do anything. After mentally posting quite a few recipes, I am now making an attempt to put my thoughts into actions (hopefully). It is like me against my lethargy... let me see who wins. 

This recipe of alasande, lobia, in Hindi and cow peas, in English, is fairly simple to make, not to mention very nutritious and exceptionally tasty. It is a good match with chapati and rice. Make a paste of this and you can spread it on bread and also use as a dip for your chips. A very versatile thick curry not only to satisfy your sense of smell, it will keep your body happy. Very high in protein, low in carbs and fat. 

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 10 mins (if using ready cooked alasande or about 45 mins)

Servings: About 3

Ingredients:

1. Alasande Kaalu/ lobia / cow peas - 1 cup soaked over night and cooked well. (use the small red variety if you can find, that gives the best taste)
2. Salt - to taste
3. Coriander/Cilantro - finely chopped

For tempering:

1. Oil - 2 tsp
2. Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
3. Turmeric - a pinch
4. Asafoetida - 2 pinches
5. Curry leaves - 1/2 the string 

For Masala:

1. Green Chilies - 3 to 5 (depending on your taste)
2. Whole pepper corns - 5 
3. Cumin seeds - 2 tsp
4. Fresh/ Frozen Coconut - 1/2 cup (grated or pieces) 
5. Ginger - 1 inch piece or 1 tsp paste

Method:

• To cook the cow peas/lobia/alasande, soak it over night and pressure cook it with a little salt till it is well done but not mushy. If you do not have a pressure cooker, take a lot of water in a big pot, add the cow peas and enough salt and cook for about an hour or till well done on the stove top. After it is done, drain the peas and set aside. Keep a cups' worth water to dilute the curry as and when required otherwise we will not be using the water in this recipe. Please check the tips part of this recipe for suggestions on using the drained water.
• Grind all the ingredients of masala and set aside.
• Make the tempering in a pot or pan which can fit all the ingredients by heating oil on medium. Add mustard seeds and wait for it to splutter. Add turmeric, asafoetida. Add the cooked and drained alasande/cow peas/ lobia and saute for a few minutes. Add the curry leaves and a little water, close the lid and let it cook for 2 minutes.
• Add the ground masala and salt as required to the cooking alasande/cow peas/lobia and mix well. Add a little water from the drained beans if it is getting too thick too soon. Cover the pot/pan and cook for a 2 to 4 minutes.
• Garnish with finely chopped cilantro and serve with steaming hot rice or chapati. Or let it cool and then grind it in to a fine paste to use as a dip.

Tips:

You can make Saru/Rasam from the drained water or use the water in making soups. Just store it in the refrigerator, it will keep upto seven days.

Hummus

Hummus is the easiest and fastest dip/side you can make. Good with any kind of bread, very nutritious and tasty. If you have cooked chick peas, making Hummus takes just 10 minutes. Great for spinsters/bachelors who would want to eat food of value and which cooks in no time. Excellent source of protein and fiber. Good for kids, they will love it. Here goes the recipe. [will upload picture soon]

Prep Time: 5 mins

Cook time: 5 mins

Ingredients:

• Chickpeas - 1 16oz can, or a 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas [kabuli chana]
• Garlic - 1 or 2 pods crushed (use less if you don't like garlic)
• Tahini (sesame seeds paste) - 1 -2 tbsp or 2 tsp sesame seeds
• Mint leaves - 4 to 5
• Parsley - 1 tbsp fresh or 1 tsp dry
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 2 tsp
• Plain yogurt - 1 tbsp
• Lemon juice - 2 -3 tbsp or 2 tsp lime juice

Method

Drain the chick peas can and rinse chickpeas once in tap water. Add all the above ingredients into a blender and blend it into a smooth paste. If it gets very thick, add a little water to make it smooth running. The consistency of the paste should be like tomato ketchup. 

Serving Suggestions:

Best with Pita bread.  It can go with any bread or you can eat it straight away. Good as a dip for chips and vegetables.

Tip:

You can flavour Hummus with any of your favorite flavours. Add jalapeno's or green chillies to make it hot. Add red chillies to give it heat and colour or add 5 to 6 black olives to give it a olive touch. You can make Hummus taste like anything you want. The above recipe is just the basic one.

Bisi Bele Bhat/ Rice and split lentil porridge

Bisi = hot, Bele = Lentil, Bhat = a spicy rice dish. This is a spicy treat, a complete one pot meal which fills one up for a whole day. Made on special occasions for its taste, this dish is sure to make your guests go wow!!! when you serve this. This recipe originally is from Karnataka, India. Every household will have their own recipe, I have borrowed from two families to make a new one of my own. This recipe has been passed down from mother to daughter from ages, however, I have taken a ingredient or two from my mother in law as well :D.

Prep time - 1 hour

Cook time - 1/2 hour to 2 1/2 depending on the method adopted.

servings - 6 to 8

Ingredients:

1. Split yellow lentils (toor dal) - 1 cup

2. Raw Rice - 1 cup (use Indian rice (sona masoori), it is less starchy which is good for this recipe).

All the vegetables, roughly chopped. The choice of vegetables are of your own, you can add a wide array of them. Try experimenting with them, however, do not add extremely watery vegetables and bitter gourd.

3. Potato - 1 small

4. Green beans fresh.frozen - 1/4 cup

5. Green peas fresh/frozen - 1/4 cup

6. Carrots - 1/4 cup

7. Bottle gourd or snake gourd or pumpkin or all of them or any combination - 1/4 cup

8. Cilantro - a handful

9. Tamarind Paste - to taste or 1  to 2 tsp.

10. Salt to taste

11. Water - as required.

12. Groundnuts/peanuts shelled - 1/4 cup

For dry roasting (bisi bele bhat masala): (this will make more than sufficient for one use can be used for making sambar too. Also adjust quantities according to your taste) If you have no patience to make this powder, use store bought masala..

1. Coriander seeds - 1/2 cup

2. Cumin seeds - 1/4 cup

3. Fenugreek Seeds - 1 tsp

4. Poppy seeds - 2.5 tsp

5. Urad Dal (split black gram) - 1 to 1.5 tsp

6. Chana dal (split chickpeas) - 1 to 1.5 tsp

7. Raw rice - 1/2 tsp

8. Dry red chillies - 8 to 10 (depending on how hot you want it. if you like it less hot, reduce the amount)

9. Cloves - 4 to 5 or powder, 1/4 tsp

10. Cinnamon - 1 big piece broken or 1/2 tsp powder

11. Star Anise - just 2 segments of  the flower. use max 1/2 of a flower (optional)

12. Dry coconut flakes/powder/pieces - 1/4 cup
13. Black pepper whole or powder - 1/2 tsp 

Tempering:

1. Oil - 2 tbsp

2. Curry leaves - 1 string

3. Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

4. Asfoetida - 1/4 tsp

5. Pearl onions - 1/2 bag or finely slice a medium onion. (Optional) 
6. Dry red chillies - 2 broken into half

Method:

1. Wash lentils and rice and set aside.

2. On low medium heat, dry roast all the masala ingredients one after the other, roasting coconut in the end. Let it cool to touch and make a dry powder of it. 

3. If not using onions, make the tempering in the pressure cooker and add all the vegetables to it one after the other and saute them for sometime by adding slat so that they sweat. Add pea nuts, rice, lentil, tamarind paste  prepared powder and more than sufficient water, all the ingredients must have drowned well, when you put your hand vertically on the surface of the ingredients, water must immerse your fingers. set it on the stove for upto 4 whistles, depending on how fast the lentils generally cook for you. Your bisi bele bhat is ready after the cooker cools.

4. If using Onions, saute them separately and mix them in after the bisibele bhat cooks.

5. If you do not have a pressure cooker. Soak the lentils for atleast 2 hours in hot water and follow the regular procedure of making this recipe. It will take minimum 2 hours for the lentils to cook completely.. you will need patience with this method. Add a glass more water than pressure cooking method and let it cook om medium heat till done.

Serving suggestions:

This goes well with a yogurt or yogurt vegetable dip called "raita". It can also be served with spicy boondi (chickpea flour spicy mixture). 

Tips:

1. Do not use tomato, it alters the taste to a very large extent.

2. Do not use, garlic or ginger, does not go well with this recipe.

3. Do not use vegetables like brinjal/eggplant, cabbage, cauliflower, corn and etc.

4. If using pearl onions, please take the core out before you cook them, some may not like the taste of it.
5. Shortcut, use smabar powder in lieu of masala. it may not taste as fresh n spicy, however, is a quick fix. 

Steamed spicy lentil balls, (Nuchhina Unde/ Pidiche)

The snack I bet is most nourishing and healthy. High on protein and low in fat, one tasty mix of lentils which can make a good snack or a side. Good for growing kids, who need a lot of protein. We make it on a festival "Vinayaka Chowti", the birthday of lord Ganesha as this is his favorite snack. Give it a taste and you will realize why? Try it and find out for yourself. Every household has a different way of making them. we like them this way.. Enjoy.

Perp Time : 30 Mins

Cook time : 30 Mins

Pieces: upto 25

Ingredients:

1. Split Yellow lentils (Toor dal) - 1 cup

2. Spilt Moong (Moong dal) - 1/2 cup

3. Split chickpeas (Chana dal) - 1/2 cup 

4. Coconut scrapings fresh or frozen - 1/2 cup

5. Green chillies/dry chillies - 7 to 8 (more or less according to your taste)

6. Ginger root - 1 to 1 1/2" piece roughly chopped.

7. Cilantro/coriander leaves - a handful

8. Dill weed - a handful (optional)

9. Salt - to taste

For tempering:

1. Oil - 1 tbsp

2. Curry leaves - 1 string, finely chopped

3. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

4. Asfoetida - 3 pinches

5. Turmeric - 2 pinches

Method:

1. Soak all the three dals/lentlis overnight or 5 hours minimum.

2. Make a coarse batter of all the ingredients excluding salt. The batter must be made without water or adding very little water, it has to hold the solid shape of the fist. Add salt just before you are ready to make the ball and mix well.

3. take some batter into your fist and press gently till it holds a oval shape. like wise make all the batter into such balls and steam them in a pressure cooker without the whistle on or in any other steamer for 20 mins or till well done. Let it cool in the cooker/steamer for about 10 minutes before you take it out. Cool further till you can handle them. 

3. Heat oil in a big wok and make the tempering by adding mustard seeds first after the splutter, add asfoetida, turmeric and curry leaves and turn the stove off. Break the balls you steamed into the wok. Make sure you have not left any big chunks.

4. Turn the stove back on and mix the tempering and the steamed mixture well. Do not over heat as it will make the balls dry and they wont hold the shape.

5. Once the mixture is cool enough to handle, make the ball again like the previous time and eat them up.

Serving Suggestions:

It tastes good as it is, however, can be served with coconut/Sweet tamarind chutney or both. Or it can be served with a broth called "majjige huli", for which I have uploaded a recipe. Just click on the name to navigate.

Tips:

1. If you have a idly stand, just press the mixture into the idly trays and steam them in the shape of idlys. 

2. If you want, you can mix the tempering to the raw mixture and steam them, you will not have to recook anything again. This save some time.

3. If you want you can resteam the balls after you mix the already steamed balls to the tempering. This is very time consuming though... you may give it a try.

4. You may use onions, if you do, please do not use coconut. Finely chop onions and saute it in the tempering and continue with same method. 

5. You may just use chana dal (split chickpeas) or Split yellow lentils (Toor dal)... I use all three to include different kinds of protein and this particular mixture gives a wonderful taste. 

6. You can grind curry leaves with batter, this will make sure the flavour is mixed evenly through the mixture. If you add it in tempering, it might not be the case.

7. If you have food processor attachment which cops veggies, this will give the perfect consistency for the batter... a blender attachment may make a very smooth paste as opposed to the needed coarse batter.

Adai Dose (Lentils pan cake)

This is one of the healthiest dose/pan cake you can ever eat. Rich in protein and low fat, which makes it a good breakfast or a snack for the kids. Kids generally love to eat dose varieties, this will certainly give them more nourishment than the rest of them. This is also a gluten free pan cake. There are many different recipes to make these doses, i like to make 'em this way.

Ingredients: 

1. Split yellow lentil (Toor dal) - 1 cup

2.Split Green gram (Moong dal) - 1/2 cup

3. Split Chick Peas (Channa dal) - 1/2 cup

4. Raw rice - 1 cup

5. Ginger - 1 inch piece or 1 tbsp paste

6. Whole black pepper - about 1 tsp

7. Dry red chilli - 4 to 5, (if you don't have it on hand, please use cayenne/chilli powder about 1 to 2 tsp, depending on how hot you would want it)

8. Asafoetida - a pinch or two.

9.Salt to taste

10. Finely chopped onions for garnish.

Method:

1. Soak rice, toor, moong, channa dal, balck pepper, dry red chilli for 6 to 8 hours. Do not use the chilli/cayenne powders to soak.

2. Grind the soaked dals and rice with ginger piece smoothly to pan cake batter consistancy.

3. Add salt, asafoetida and chilli/cayenne powder if not using dry chilli to the batter mix well and the dough is ready to be made into pan cakes.

4. To make the pan cakes, heat a pan, preferably non-stick so you can use less oil. pour the batter and spread it around the pan in circular motion starting from center. Pour a few drops of oil around the pan cake and wait till the lower side gets cooked. Flip the pan cake and cook for a few seconds. If you are using chopped onions, drizzle them on the batter as soon as you spread the batter on the pan. 

You can serve it with any kind of chutney/ketchup or pudi. 

Aash

Aash:

This is a highly nutritious Iranian soup. Filled with lentils, chick peas, blacked eyed peas and wholesome goodness of a bunch of different greens make this soup very delicious. Aash basically means soup in Persian, this is a heavily aromatic and heavy in the tummy soup. Have a bowl full of this and you will forget eating for the rest of the day :D.

Prep time: 30 minutes approx (including cleaning) 

Cook time: 1/2 hr to 2 hrs.

Servings: 8 to 10 approx.

Ingredients:

1. Black eyed peas - 1 16oz can

2. Chick peas - 1 can 16oz or half if you don't want too much.

3. Lentils - 1 16 oz can.

4. Big onion - 1 or 2 small medium onions.

5. Garlic - 4 to 5 pods

6. Parsley - 2 tsp (dry) you can use fresh herbs if available.

7. Chives/scallions - 4 tsp(dry) if using scallions about 1/4 cup.

8. Dill weed - 1/4 cup

9. Cilantro/coriander - 1/4 cup

10. Mint Leaves - 1/4 cup

11. Spinach - 2 cups or more if you like

12.Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

13. Ground black pepper - to taste

14. Salt - to taste

15. Oil - 2tbsp

16. water - enough to cook, please eye ball it. approx 6 to 7 cups.

17. Kashk*/Wine vinegar/sour cream - 1/4 cup

*Kashk is a yogurt based ingredient, used in Persian cooking. You will find it at middle eastern stores or where a lot of middle eastern people shop for groceries. Only substitute it if you absolutely cannot find kashk. It is the main ingredient which gives this soup an unforgettable taste. It is salty, so when you add salt to the dish, add less so it gets adjusted when you add kashk.  It is generally found as white dry balls or now in liquid form. Next best substitute to Kashk is sour cream.

Method:

1. Heat oil in a big pot.

2. Saute all the dry herbs first for a few seconds.

3. Add Garlic and saute for few seconds.

4. Add onions saute for a few seconds and add salt mix and close it till it gets slightly golden brown.

5. Now add Mint, dill, parsley, chives, scallions, turmeric and saute for a few minutes.

6. Add spinach and let it wilt slightly.

7. add all the beans from the can, add sufficient water and let it cook for atleast 20 minutes.

9. Now add cilantro and cook for 2 minutes.

10. Add kashk and black pepper and cook for a 3 to 5 minutes.Aash is ready to eat.

Tips:

1. You can soak all the peas and lentils overnight and cook them using the above method. However, it will easily take up to 2 hours for it to finish cooking. if you do not have enough time, use the can version. It cooks a lot faster.

2. If you hate garlic. Do not chop or grate them into your dish. Just crush them and add them to the dish and pull them out when the cooking is done. you will have the garlic flavour but no garlic. This trick can be used for all the dishes which uses garlic.
3. Canned beans contain salt in them, so be careful when you add salt to the soup.
4.It is always a good idea to cook in medium heat, if you are in a hurry, use high heat. Remember to stand near the stove if you cooking on high. for more flavour, simmer the stove for 5 minutes before you turn it off for soups.
5. Use a thick bottomed vessel for cooking all kinds of soup.

Goes well with Persian naan, if you can't find it, you can use pita bread.