Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Channa dal with Bottle gourd curry (sorakkai - kadalai paruppu kuzhambu)

From literally zero commute to an hour commute even if the distance is a paltry 12 miles is what happened. I hereby once again join the woes of the DC metro residents who are unfortunate enough to get on any major highway in the area. It has been more than a decade (has it been that long?) since I did any serious commute. Just to warn that I shall crib and complain till I get used to sitting and stewing in traffic. New place, new faces, new idiosyncrasies all add to the wonder that is life! Kidding guys. It is a job after all.



Anyway now on to more tastier things in life. DD loves this cookbook (Taste of the East) I have. She flips through the pages admires each one of the pictures and inquiring when I'd cook them. I usually stay quiet for fear of being called on it, till I see something that can be quickly and easily accomplished.

This was actually 2 recipes in the book, one for the dal rice and other for the curry to go with it. I combined both to make one simply curry to eat with rice. Don't I deserve the MacArthur Genius award? I was just kidding again but I like the sound of it so why not!



Channa dal with bottle gourd curry
Ingredients
1. 1 cup channa dal
2. 1 bottle gourd peeled cut in 4s lengthwise and just cut across about 1/2 inch thick
3. 1/2 tbsp ground coriander
4. 2 tsp cumin powder
5. 2 tsp chili powder + 2 tsp turmeric powder
6. 2-3 garlic crushed and chopped
7. 2 tomatoes pureed
8. 1/4 cup of tamarind pulp from a small piece of tamarind or 2 tbsp lemon juice (the recipe called for kokum, I did not have any)
9. a handful of coriander leaves chopped (or fresh/ dried fenugreek leaves )
10. salt to taste

Method
1.Cook the channa dal in plenty of water with a bit of turmeric and a tsp of oil. I cooked it on the stove top to avoid getting mushy.
2. In a saute pan heat oil and add the garlic. When soft add the chopped gourd and let it cook for a few minutes.
3. Add in the powders and give a good mix. Add in the tomato puree and cook till it comes to a boil.
4. Add the cooked dal along with the cooking water.
5. Let it cook till the gourd gets soft. Add in the tamarind and salt and let cook for another 4-5 minutes. Sprinkle the coriander leaves before turning off the heat.
6. Turn off heat when desired consistency is reached.

Serve with rice.

8 comments:

  1. This is a regular at home since the husband likes it. These days I drop in a piece of kokum in almost everything I cook ... wish I could send you some ISG. The curry looks delicious, perfect with some rice. :-)

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  2. Chana dal with Ghiya is a favourite at home- lovely creamy consistency by mashing the dal just a little bit!

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  3. Wowo one hour that is indeed long,one reason we have not moved from our apartment ( one hans had when he was a bachelor) was because his work place is just 5 minutes walk from our home and Shyama's school was just few minutes away from home.
    One of my fac vegetable is bottle gourd and mom used to make a dish with parippu and on a saturday as we came home for lunc having school just in the morning and she knew we three kids would hogg it like anything :-)
    This curry looks super yumm too.

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  4. Ahhh I do that, the commute that is. You will get used to it. All the best for the new (?) jib.

    I have never had this combination new to me.

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  5. Good luck with the adjustment to the new job! And perhaps audio books will make the commute just a bit bearable? :) The curry looks fantastic!

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  6. I know.. my husband cribs everyday.. he has to drive 35 miles (to MD actually) and 495 is such a bottleneck.. even carpooling doesn't ease the pain.

    Have a similar bottlegourd curry on my blog too http://cookerycorner.blogspot.com/2008/12/sorakkai-channa-dhal-kootu.html
    I love it!

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  7. Curry looks fabulous, i do prepare quite often this curry.

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  8. sometimes, just sometimes, I love being a SAH Mom :D
    No worries about anything except one little thing :)

    Gravy looks nice, would love it with hot poondu rasam and some appalam vadam..next time make it with vadam Indo, will be great for the weather.

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