Dalitoy (konkani dal curry)

Famous dalitoy (sound toy as tou-yee, close to the original sound :)) of konkani cuisine, hands down is the slurpicious simple dal curry. It is staple and mostly loved by all. It's so funny that even though it's such a simple recipe, it's like making tea. Every house you visit, the taste of tea/chai is different and unique. Everyone puts in their own twist when it comes to making dalitoy. The one that is served in the temple's, is the ultimate one 😀

DaliToy A konkani Dal Preparation

I was surprised to get many messages and comments from my close friends who tried it out and loved it. It then occurred to me that I had never mentioned this recipe to anyone before- thinking that everyone must be knowing it and that's how a basic dal preparation is! I was wrong and so here is a post on this super simple yet powerfully delicious dal- dalitoy!

DaliToy with Plain Rice and Pickle

Here is the recipe of the magical and most common dalitoy.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Toovar(toor) dal [for healthier version I use yellow split moong dal]
• 2 green chillies slit 
• 10 leaves of curry leaves
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• big pinch asafoetida (can increase the quantity if you like)
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 2 cups water 
• 1 tbsp ghee or oil
• 1/2 tsp salt or as per taste
• handful chopped cilantro as garnish
• 2 tsp grated coconut [optional]

DaliToy Ingredients in pic

DalliToy after Tadka

DaliToy after cilantro garnish

Preparation:

• Wash dal and keep it soaked for 30 min. [Always soak lentils and pulses before using, helps to reduce the gas formation in the stomach :)]. You can skip if in a hurry.
• Add dal and water in a pressure cooker and cook the dal for 2 whistles. [for toovar dal 2, for moong dal 1] One can also cook on stove top, takes a little longer and need to keep an eye as its getting boiled. Usually will take 20 + minutes on stove top[or till dal is fully cooked].
• Let the cooker cool down, check the dal, mash it a little bit if needed with a spoon. I use traditional wooden handmasher, ghotni :)
• In a vessel, heat ghee/oil, add mustard seeds, once it starts to splutter add green chillies, curry leaves, stir quickly, lower the gas to sim, then add turmeric and asafoetida(hing)
• Into this immediately add the cooked dal, give it a stir and add more water to adjust the consistency of the dal as per your requirements, some like it thick and some like it thin.
• Add salt and bring to a quick boil. Switch off the gas and garnish it with a handful of chopped cilantro and grated coconut(optional).
• While serving with rice, top it with little bit of ghee OR lemon juice it tastes super yum!

Notes: 

*You can have variations while making dalitoy. One can add tomatoes and green chillies while pressure cooking the dal.

* You can also add 2 inches of ginger roughly chopped either in your tadka or while cooking dal.

* You can give garlic tadka too.

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

Nutrition Facts: Lentils is a mighty member of legume family, it's a good source of cholesterol-lowering fibre. It has good amount of folate and magnesium which is needed for a healthy and loving heart :) It replenishes our iron stores. Light on body, a good source of protein for vegetarians. Lentils Rule :)

Dalimbi Rassa bhaji (Val Usal Rassa)

Dalimbi  or Val, also known as butter beans or Bitter Beans and some call it field beans is a very staple pulse in Maharashtra state, Gujarat state etc. Its funny that in most of my posts I have to mention various names of 1 ingredient - such is the culture and global influence we live in today! It can be cooked as a nice dry Usal or as a nice slurpy Rassa. Some even make it with full fledge ground coconut masala called Birde. This is basically my Mother In Laws recipe, which she makes fondly for her ladla beta ..yes.. you heard me right :) Intentional or not the biaseness oozes out in one form or the other hehe.. Well thats how most moms are. Who knows I may turn out the same way, only time will tell :)

Dalimbi Rassa

Frankly at my home while growing up this dish was not cooked very often but I had tasted it at my neighbors home and I simply love anything that is slurpicious with exquisite red color along with that oil floating on top of the curry. I will never say NO to that, cross my heart. After I married, and as my husband loved it so much, I started getting a bag of split Val or whole Val at home. Usually I get split one. But right now beggars are not choosers applies to us because of lockdowns in most of the states. Just grabbing whatever is found :) in the aisle or in shopping cart online.

Veg Thali

 Coming to the recipe, I have already posted Dalimbi dry Usal on my blog. You can take a look if interested. I like Curry style with more Rassa any day. This particular beans has a nice soft bitter taste to it which has to be complimented with sweet so the usage of gud/jaggery is important and as well as sourness, so kokum water is used in this recipe to give that particular unique flavor to the curry. Use of ginger/chillies and goda masala are few other ingredients that bring out a lovely taste to it.

Lets take a look at the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup val (or butter beans)- soaked and sprouted preferably- yields approx  2 cups
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp jaggery 
• 4-5 kokum petals - washed and soaked in 1/2 cup of warm water for 10 min
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• pinch of asafoetida (hing)
• 1 tsp chopped ginger
• 1 small onion chopped
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• big pinch turmeric powder
• 1 1/2 tsp goda masala (or onion masala or garam masala pwd)
• handful cilantro finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh coconut for garnish (optional)
• salt to taste

Boiled Butter  Beans

Kokum Petals

Chopped other ingredients

Preparation:

• Soak the val beans in the water overnight or for 8 hours. If you want to make sprouted val beans  (which is more nutritious) then drain the water and keep it to sprout for 8 hours in a muslin cloth tied up. 
• In a saucepan add enough water till val beans is immersed and on med heat cook for 15-20 minutes. Keep a close eye after 15 minutes. It must be just soft. ( It gets mushy quickly and we don't want that). Switch off the gas and drain the water out. Keep cooked val beans dal aside.
• During this time also soak kokum in half cup water and keep aside for 10 min.
• In a pan, heat oil , add cumin seeds-  once it starts to splutter add curry leaves, then add hing and then chopped ginger - saute for couple of min on med flame. 
• Add chopped onion, saute onion till light brown, then add the powders, red chili pwd, turmeric, goda masala - stir quickly on a low flame. 
• Transfer the cooked butter beans to this mixture, add kokum water and discard the kokum leaves, add jaggery, salt to taste.
• Now add 1 cup + more water as per your required consistency and let the curry simmer for few minutes where you will see a nice red color and some oil floating on top! 
• Add cilantro and grated coconut(optional) Your curry is done, serve hot with rice or rotis.

Thank you for visiting my site. njoY cookinG!

You may also like Dalimbi Usal , Matki chi Usal,  Methichi chi Bhaji,  Misal Pav,  Mooli Pachadi  etc

Health Benefits:

Val or Lima beans (butter beans), like any other beans, are rich in dietary fiber. It is a slow burning complex carbohydrate. Val Beans gives you much energy to burn while stabilizing blood sugar. Also, has a good amount of Iron which is very crucial for the body. It is a power packed protein. A good source of manganese and folate along with potassium and has low sodium content.

Missal Pav/Bread

Street food, it's the best way to experience a local culture by eating the everyday food that the common man eats and relishes. And it's usually always hot and fresh and has taste that hits the spot sending you to the ecstacy land, if you know what I mean :) Another important fact being it usually cost less avoiding making a hole in your wallet😀. Most of us try so hard to recreate that magic by cooking at home and fail miserably... I can imagine you nodding head with me:) We have our days, and it is a journey of trial and error to get the exact taste like that of a street vendor. 

My aunt is an expert (according to me) when it comes to making few chaat/street food dishes. This is her recipe and we love it at home. I did not have mix chiwda(farsan) for topping so just added plain sev on it. 

This particular Missal Pav is a famous Maharashtrian chaat food where it has a 2 part preparation. One is Matki(moth beans) usal (dry sabji) and other is thin spicy red gravy Kat (coconut based). Then you can garnish it with the toppings of your choice. It is accompanied with Pav or Bread. 

Dunk the pav in slurrpy kat with moth beans usal and toppings! You tend to soak the Kat using pav and finish eating very soon so they always provide you with extra kat in a katori on your plate.

It is very very yum dish!

Let us check out the recipe:

Ingredients:

For Matki Usal

2 cups boiled sprouted matki (moth beans)

2 tbsp oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

1/4th tsp asafoetida (hing)

1/2 tsp turmeric (haldi)

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp goda masala ( or garam masala)

salt to taste

For Kat (wet gravy)

<A>

8 peppercorns

6 cloves

1 tsp jeera

1 tsp coriander seeds

4-5 dry red chillies

1/2 tsp turmeric (haldi)

1/4 inch cinnamon stick

1/2 tsp sesame seeds

1/th tsp fennel seeds

1/4th cup grated coconut

2 tsp oil

<B>

4 big garlic pods

1/2 inch ginger

1 onion chopped

2 tomatoes chopped

2 tbsp oil

<C>

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp goda masala ( or garam masala)

salt as per taste

For Toppings:

1 onion finely chopped

1 cup cilantro chopped

1 cup sev (or mix dry farsan)

2 lemon cut in wedges

Preparation:

Mataki Usal:

• In a pan heat some oil, add mustard seeds, after it splutters add all the ingredients under Mataki usal except matki (moth beans) and saute quickly. 
• Now add the cooked* sprouted matki, salt and mix everything together. Cook for about 5 minutes and switch off the gas. 
• Keep aside.

Kat (wet curry):

• In a frying pan, heat oil and ingredients under <A> except coconut. 
• Saute lightly till it starts leaving aroma for about a minute or 2. Add this to a blender. 
• Now in the same pan, roast coconut and add it to the blender as well. Make a paste and keep aside.
• In a cooking utensil, heat oil and add other ingredients under bullet <B> in the order of ginger, garlic, onions saute till brown and add tomatoes. 
• Fry everything till it becomes one mushy mixture. Switch off the gas as oil starts leaving from the sides. 
• Let this mixture cool. Add to the blender and make a paste.
• In the same pan, add some oil, add <B> paste and bring to a quick boil. Add coconut paste <A> and cook for about 10 minutes. 
• Now you can adjust the taste by adding more chilli powder and goda masala under bullet <C>. Adjust salt too. 
• Add 3-4 cups of more water and bring to a boil. 
• Simmer the Kat on low flame till you see oil floating on top! 
• Now this is how you serve, take a soup bowl, add 3-4 tbsp mataki usal, then pour the kat generously over it, add chopped onions, squeeze lemon juice, add chiwda or sev on top and dunk your pav/bread in it and savor all the goodness! 
• You can see in my plate I have kat more as I like it that way :)

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

notes*: How to cook sprouted matki (moth beans)-Soak 1 & 1/2 cups of moth beans in 5 cups of water overnight or for 6 hours. Drain all the water and keep in a warm spot for another 6 hours or so for it to generate sprouts. You can also tie it in a muslin cloth and leave overnight. Boil it in 3-4 cups of water for about 25 minutes or till done.

Health Benefits:

Moth Bean seeds are a good source of proteins and other essential minerals and vitamins.
It can make an excellent protein supplement to Vegetarian diet. Maximum benefits can be reaped when it is soaked and sprouted. The coconut base thin spicy curry has all the masala ingredients that provides adequate minerals and nutrients to our body. If we use the oil sparingly (if you are making this dish often) it will prove to be a more healthier dish.

Alwatti with Corn Curry (Colocasia Leaves Curry)

ALWATTI WITH CORN COB

Colocasia/Taro/Alu leaves are seen in abundance in the tropical region. It adapts well to hot, marshy, humid climate. Very popular dishes are made using these leaves in the southern and western regions of India. Many households grow these beautiful plants in their backyards. They have so big leaves that it contributes to the lush greenness in the yard. Also known as Alu paan, this recipe is called Alwati, it's very tasty and can be made with the various combination of other ingredients like peanuts, jackfruit seeds, corn, channa dal etc. I consider this recipe exotic due to its unique taste, look and feel of the dish :) These leaves are also used in making the famous dish called Patrode or Patra.

HomeGrown Leaves

It is very easy low maintenance plant to grow in your backyard. You can either grow it in a big pot or directly in the soil. Get taro roots from the supermarket and soak it in water for a couple of days till you see small roots popping out of the root. Now all you have to do is plant it about 2-3 inches down in the soil. Water regularly and see this gigantic nutritious leaves coming out in a couple of weeks.

Let's check out the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 6-7 good size Colocasia leaves
• 3/4 cup grated coconut
• 1 small marble size tamarind
• 2-3 green chillies
• 1 inch ginger
• 2 corn cobs cut into pieces
• 4-5 buttermilk chillies (taka mirsang) - optional
• salt to taste

For the tempering:

• 1 tbsp oil
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• pinch asafoetida (hing)
• 10-12 curry leaves

Preparation:

• Chop colocasia leaves along with the stem. Pressure cook leaves and corn cobs for 4 whistles (or cook till corn is done). 
• Make a paste by grinding coconut, tamarind, green chillies and ginger.
• Take a pan, add this paste along with cooked corn and wilted colocasia leaves and bring to a boil.
• Add salt and simmer for few more minutes.
• For the tempering, in a tadka pan add oil, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, once it splutters add curry leaves and hing. Pour it over the cooked colocasia mixture. Stir gently.
• In the end, add fried buttermilk chillies in the curry and serve hot with roti's or rice. Your aromatic, healthy dish is ready!

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

recipe credit to Anuradha Mudalagiri, my fellow foodie. 

Home-grown Colocasia leaves

Health Benefits: Colocasia leaves are loaded with potassium and several minerals and vitamins. Helps to build a strong immune system, fights fatigue problems, helps lower blood pressure, helps in anti-aging process as it has a high content of hyaluronic acid. It's a low glycemic index food. These are home grown Colocasia leaves :)

Papad ki Sabji

Perfect curry to make when you have no veggies left in your fridge :) All you need is tomatoes, yogurt and papad as main ingredients. A delectable curry will be ready in no time. It is a famous Rajasthani dish, most of us know about it and yes, it is cooked in 10 different ways:) I have tried making it both ways, with and without onions and I like it better with no onions. My husband enjoys this papad ki sabji a lot more than I do actually :) so this curry is here to stay in my household. It goes well with khoba roti or any other paratha or simply with the plain rice.

Making papad (thin, fried accompaniment) is a summer affair and I am sure every kid of my generation must have spent their few days of summer vacation helping out their moms and aunts in rolling, spreading, drying papads in the backyard or on the terrace under the scorching heat and then having a cold beverage like lemon sherbet or sol kadi to cool themselves. :) Real fun days it used to be :)

Let us check out the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 4 big papads dry roasted or fried or done in microwave*
• 2 tomatoes
• 2-3 green chillies
• 1 inch ginger
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1/2 cup curds/yogurt room temperature
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
• pinch of asafoetida (hing)
• 1 tbsp kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• salt to taste
• handful of cilantro chopped

Preparation:

• In a blender, grind tomatoes, chillies and ginger, keep aside.
• In a wide mouth pan, heat oil, add cumin seeds till they splutter, add hing, kasuri methi and saute for a minute or so.
• Add tomato mixture along with the chilli pwd, coriander pwd and garam masala.
• Mix everything and let it cook till oil separates from the tomato gravy.
• Now sim the gas and add whisked yogurt plus water slowly while you keep stirring the gravy, else it will curdle in the gravy. Bring it to a boil, add salt as per taste.
• Now take the fried/roasted papads, make med-small pieces and slowly add to the gravy. Cover and cook for a couple of more minutes till the papads soak in the gravy.
• Your gravy is ready. Serve it with kobha roti or with rice.

Notes:* Papads can be roasted or fried anyway you want. You can also add raw papad cut in pieces and cook till done.

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

recipe adapted from nisha madhulika's website.

papad

fried papad

Health Benefits: This curry is made with tomatoes and yogurt as a base with little spices. The debate that tomato is a fruit or vegetable is still on :), nonetheless, it is considered as a superfood. It is rich in antioxidants. It has lycopene which helps in fighting chronic diseases and helps in delivering other health benefits. It is an excellent source of Vit C, potassium and cholene. Yogurt is no. 1 probiotic food. It is known to be helpful in digestion and is a good source of calcium. Papad is mainly made from peeled black flour (protein), it is seasoned and consumed in either fried, roasted or deep fry form.

Stuffed Baingan Curry (Brinjal/Eggplant)

STUFFED BRINJAL CURRY

There are various versions of stuffed brinjal recipes. This is one of the easiest and yummiest recipe you can find anywhere which is based out of Maharashtra. I grew up eating stuffed brinjal cooked in coconut base curry, but that recipe some other time. I simply love this sabjiyon ka raja (king of vegetables) Baingan/Brinjal/Eggplant in any form, be it fried, baked, fire roasted, grilled, in lasagna, rice or in curry. This spicy preparation will send you drooling, guaranteed!

Ingredients:

• 8 medium sized brinjals
• 1 big onion chopped
• 1 tbsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 2 pod garlic chopped (optional)
• 1 inch ginger chopped (optional)
• 1/2 cup peanuts roasted and powdered
• 1/2 tsp jaggery (or brown sugar)
• salt as per taste
• 1/2 tsp tamarind pulp
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 10 curry leaves (optional)
• 2-3 tbsp oil
• cilantro for garnish
• 2 cups water (or more)

Preparation:

• Slit the brinjals in 4 parts keeping the stalk intact. Soak it in salt and tamarind water for 30 minutes.
• In the meantime make a mixture of chopped onions, peanut powder, chilly powder, garam masala, ginger garlic, salt.
• Drain the water from brinjals and stuff it with this onion mixture. Keep the remaining onion mixture aside.
• In a wide non-stick pan, heat oil, add mustard seeds, once it splutters add curry leaves and the remaining onion mixture and saute it for few minutes. 
• Now slowly add the stuffed brinjal and let it slightly roast on all sides, for a couple of minutes on each side. 
• Now add 1 cup water and close the lid, let it cook for 8-10 minutes on low-med heat. Add jaggery and tamarind pulp. Now very gently turn brinjals over and let it cook till done. Last few minutes cook uncovered. Curry thickens, adjust water and spices accordingly. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with bhakri, roti or paratha. It's finger licking good!

njoY!! happY cookinG!!



Health Benefits: King of vegetables, better provide some royal benefits :) It helps in iron production in our body, keeps chronic diseases at bay, helps quit smoking(who knew?), has good amount of vitamin C and is effective as antiviral and antibacterial source, helps to have healthy strong hair, keeps the skin soft and supple, prevents skin cancer etc. Research on eggplant has focused on an anthocyanin phytonutrient found in eggplant skin called nasunin. Nasunin is a potent antioxidant that has been shown to protect cell membranes from damage.

Soppina Huli (Spinach in Coconut Sambar Gravy)

  Soppina Huli (tangy and spicy curry of greens) is a karnataka favorite coconut based sambar curry. It is that kind of a curry where you want to lick off the whole plate and then continue doing so off your fingers :):) before you give out a burp :):) Soul satisfying indeed.

The blend of whole spices with grated coconut along with tamarind pulp and jaggery makes this a unique dish. Lastly the ultimate stupendo- fantabulous tempering acts like a showstopper to take this curry's taste to another level. It goes very well with rice, roti, idlis, dosa etc. Beautiful part of this preparation is you can use any major green leafy vegetable or a combination of it. You can also makes use of squashes, potatoes, pumpkin, turnips etc!

I have used spinach in my curry preparation. Traditionally this is made with amaranth leaves (lal bhaji, keera), or mix of amaranth leaves, dill leaves, spinach etc. So feel free to use whatever you have at hand and make this delicious curry.

One morning as I was getting out of my bed, I thought of making spinach curry using coconut (something different than usual) with rice and plantain sabji. I was sipping on my tea while browsing through my instagram pics, came across Sia's recipe of harive soppina huli from monsoon spice blog. I couldn't think beyond that, I had to make the curry. Eyes set, mind set all I had to do was execute it.

I have also purchased this Instant Pressure Pot an Electric Multi-functional pressure cooker, during black friday sale and I was in a mood to start experimenting with it. So that was that... droolicious curry in IP pot :) Came out fantastic.....:)

I have mentioned how to make this dish in both ways, Stove top and IP way.

Without any further delay, let us take a look at this Soppina Huli Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 lb frozen spinach (or fresh)
• 1/2 cup yellow moong dal soaked for 15 minutes (1 cup if already cooked) - Originally toovar dal is used but I use yellow moong dal in most of my cooking.
• 15 cherry tomatoes or  (3 medium tomatoes)
• 4-5 large cloves of garlic, peeled and slightly crushed
• 1/2 tbsp jaggery (adjust as per taste)
• 1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida (hing) (Optional)
• salt to taste

For Coconut Paste:

• 3/4 cup grated coconut (fresh or frozen)
• 1 large marble sized tamarind pulp or ¾ tsp tamarind paste
• 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds (dhania)
• 3-5 dry red chillies
• 1/4 tsp black peppercorns
• 1 1/2 tsp urad dal (split blackgram dal)
• 1 1/2 tsp chana dal (split chickpeas)
• 1 inch cinnamon stick 
• 3-4 cloves
• 1/2 tbsp oil (optional coconut oil)

For Tadka/Tempering: (to bring that authentic taste)- one can skip it to keep it simple and subtle.

• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 4-6 large cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
• 1 tsp mustard seeds (rai)
• 2 dry red chillies broken into pieces
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• few curry leaves
• pinch of asafoetida (hing)
• 1 tbsp oil (preferably coconut oil)

Preparation:

Method 1: Using Instant Pot:

 

• Keep yellow moong dal soaked for 30 minutes, drain out the water and keep aside.
• Keep frozen spinach aside (ready to use). If you have fresh spinach, clean, wash, chop roughly and keep aside.
• Get your wet coconut curry paste ready by heating 1/2 tbsp of coconut oil in a pan and add cinnamon stick, cloves, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, urad dal, chana dal, black pepper and dry red chillies. Roast them on medium flame for about a minute or two until the spices are nicely roasted and change color. 
• Transfer the roasted spices to the mixer or food processor jar and add freshly grated or frozen coconut and tamarind pulp. Add about 1/4 -1/2 cup of water and grind it to a smooth thick paste. Keep it aside.
• Start your Instant pot and put it on saute mode. 
• Once the indicator turns on, add oil, add garlic cloves, stir quickly, add tomatoes and stir again for a minute, add turmeric, jaggery, hing, saute quickly for few seconds.
• Now dump the frozen spinach into it. Also add the yellow moong dal and pour the wet coconut masala into it. Add 1-2 cups of water to thin it out, mix everything and add salt. 
• Close the lid. Change the setting from saute to Manual mode. And set it for 10 minutes. ( If you have moong dal that is already cooked, then set the timing to 5 minutes)
• Let it release the steam by natural process (NPR). It will take about 15 minutes.
• Open the lid, stir everything again and your curry is ready. Adjust water and salt accordingly.
• If you want to keep the curry simple, there is no need for additional tadka. 
• But to get that authentic taste and extra flavors you will have to add this fantastic tadka to it.
• Prepare the tadka by heating oil in a pan. Once hot, add the sliced garlic and fry them until they turn golden brown. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dry red chilli. As the mustard seeds pop and splutter, add hing and curry leaves and fry them for 15-20 seconds. Next add the thinly sliced onion and sauté until they turn golden brown, about 2-3 minutes, on medium flame. 
• Turn off the flame and transfer the tadka to the spinach gravy and cover with the pot so that the flavors stay in. 
• Enjoy this fantastic soul comforting Soppina Huli gravy with rice or any kind of flat bread. Add a dollop of ghee over it for ultimate pleasure :):)

Method 2: On the stove top

• Wash the spinach bunch thoroughly and separate the leaves from stems. Chop it roughly and keep aside. Place the chopped leaves and stems in a pressure cooker pan along with washed tomatoes, turmeric, jaggery, peeled garlic cloves and salt to taste.
• Wash the moong dal, add the dal to pressure cooker pan along with spinach leaves. Add about 5 cups of water, close the lid and pressure cook on medium flame for 3-4 whistles.
• Peel and slice the onion and garlic cloves for tadka and keep them aside until needed.
• Prepare the coconut paste. Heat 1/2 tbsp of coconut oil in a pan and add cinnamon stick, cloves, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, urad dal, chana dal, black pepper and dry red chillies. Roast them on medium flame for about a minute or two until the spices are nicely roasted and change colour.
• Transfer the roasted spices to mixer or food processor jar and add freshly grated or frozen coconut and tamarind pulp. Add about 1/4 -1/2 cup of water and grind it to smooth thick paste. Keep it aside.
• Once the dal is cooked, gently open the lid once the pressure is released completely. Mash the dal and tomatoes with a help of a masher or with the back of ladle. Place the pan on the gas and bring the dal to gentle boil on medium heat.
• Add the coconut paste and about 2-3 cups of water depending on how thick you prefer the gravy to be. Adjust the seasonings and reduce the heat to low to let the gravy simmer for 8-10 mins.
• As the gravy is simmering, prepare the tadka by heating oil in a pan. Once hot, add the sliced garlic and fry them until they turn golden brown. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dry red chilli. As the mustard seeds pop and splutter, add hing and curry leaves and fry them for 15-20 seconds. Next add the thinly sliced onion and sauté until they turn golden brown, about 2-3 minutes, on medium flame.
• Turn off the flame and transfer the tadka to the simmering gravy. Mix well and turn off the flame. Cover and let the gravy rest for 10-15 minutes for the flavours to blend well.
• Enjoy this fantastic soul comforting Soppina Huli gravy with rice or any kind of flat bread. Add a dollop of ghee over it for ultimate pleasure :):)

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

You may also enjoy other greens and leafy vegetable curries like:

Lal Bhaji (Amaranth leaves curry), 

Methichi bhaji, 

Mooli pachadi, 

Palak Paneer,

Vali Bhaji (Vietnamese Spinach Coconut Curry) etc

Health Benefits: 

Spinach has a high content of vitamin K and is useful for protein modification and plays an important role in protecting bones from osteoporosis. Spinach is also high in fiber, which helps break down food and keeps your digestive system moving.One cup of spinach is all you need to get a full day’s requirement of vitamin A. That’s good news for your tired eyes. Very rich in iron content, that’s why vegetarians and anemics are encouraged to eat lots of spinach for healthy blood and proper red blood cell production.If you are prone to asthma attacks or have difficulty breathing, include spinach in your diet. The beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, potassium and magnesium in spinach all have anti-asthmatic properties.

Sai Bhaji (Sindhi Cuisine)

Sai bhaji is an excellent dish that comes from the Sindhi Cuisine. I am always looking out for nutritious leafy vegetable recipes and this one tops the list with the greens. It gives you enough flexibility to use a variety of vegetables along with a variety of greens, where basically spinach leads the pack. I have tried just a few recipes from Sindhi cuisine and have loved all of it. Lauki Chana sabji, Aloo methi tuk, Koki roti, Sindhi kadi, Sindhi biryani etc.

Sai means green and bhaji means vegetable. Sai bhaji is basically a mashed mixture of spinach, dill, methi, bengal gram dal, eggplant, yam, tomatoes, potato, onion etc. The blend you get in the end is very tasty and nutritious, a very soul-satisfying comfort dish indeed! The best part is it is a one pot meal. Start with a tempering in a pressure cooker and add all the vegetables. Pressure cook it for few whistles and your dish is ready in no time.

 It is one of those dishes where if your kid takes a liking don't think twice, make it once a week :) Because there is no better way to get those nutrients into his/her system without any fuss. I am glad I got lucky with this one (knocking on wood), though I have to be careful about not getting chunks of eggplant into my kid's plate, that goodness is all for the mommy and daddy :)

Let us take a look at the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of spinach
• 2 tbsp fenugreek leaves (or 1 tbsp dry fenugreek leaves)
• 1 tbsp dill leaves
• 2 tomatoes 
• 1 onion sliced
• 2 small eggplant big cubes
• 2-3 okra
• 1/2 plantain cubed
• 1 small potato cubed
• 1/4th cup bengal gram dal (chana dal)
• 1 tsp coriander powder 
• 2-3 green chilies
• 1-2 inch ginger chopped
• 1/4th tsp turmeric pwd
• salt to taste
•  2-3 tsp oil

Preparation:

• Chop leafy vegetables roughly. Soak chana dal in water for 30 minutes and keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pressure cooker, add ginger, onion, brinjal, potato, okra, plantain, gram dal and cook for just a few minutes till it is slightly tender. 
• Now add all leafy vegetables, tomatoes, powders, chilies and lightly saute everything. 
• Add little water till everything is just soaked. Close the lid and pressure cook for 5-6 whistles. Wait till the cooker cools down and lets out all the pressure. 
• Mash gently the mixture before serving. Adjust the consistency of the dish by adding a little water and serve hot with rice or rotis or pooris or koki.

You may also like Patal Spinach Peanuts curry, Lal Bhaji, KhatKhate, Vali Bhaji (Vietnamese spinach)...

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

Notes:* You can add various vegetables in this dish like carrots, cauliflower, yam, arbi, potato etc. If you don't have dill leaves, you can skip and add an extra tomato to make it sour.

Seen in the plate: brown rice, fried tapioca fritters, and tomato poori.

Health Benefits: Spinach has a high content of vitamin K and is useful for protein modification and plays an important role in protecting bones from osteoporosis. Spinach is also high in fiber, which helps break down food and keeps your digestive system moving.One cup of spinach is all you need to get a full day’s requirement of vitamin A. That’s good news for your tired eyes. Very rich in iron content, that’s why vegetarians and anemics are encouraged to eat lots of spinach for healthy blood and proper red blood cell production.If you are prone to asthma attacks or have difficulty breathing, include spinach in your diet. The beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, potassium and magnesium in spinach all have anti-asthmatic properties. Addition of other vegetables will provide more minerals, vitamins, and protein( from chana dal).