Beans poricha kootu/ French Green beans dhal gravy

French green beans poricha kootu/dhal gravy was concocted by my husband during his bachelor days. It is a very healthy and a very tasty recipe. When I first heard about this kootu, I underestimated it and didn't cook it for many years doubting about its taste, but when I finally made it,  I couldn't forgive myself for the lost time without tasting this kootu /dhal gravy.  I will delve deep into the recipe right-away!

Ingredients

French green beans                                                         250 gms
Mung dhal /Payathamparuppu                                        1/2 cup
Turmeric powder                                                             1/2 tsp
Coconut grating/dessicated coconut powder                   1 tbspn/ 1 tsp
Cumin seeds/ Jeeragam                                                    1 tsp
Red chili                                                                           1 to 2 nos depending on one's spice level
Salt                                                                                    As needed

Method

1.) In a saucepan take 2 cups of water and bring it to boil. Add payathamparuppu/mung dhal and turmeric powder and let it boil in medium heat until the lentils become cooked and becomesa mashy consistency. Or an easy way, pressure cook mug dhal.

2.) Simultaneously wash and cut green beans into 1/2 cm (approx) thick pieces.

3,) Add this to the cooked lentils in the saucepan and add a cup of water and bring it to  boil and let it boil for 10 mins until the green beans is fully cooked

4.) Simultaneously take the coconut gratings, cumin seeds and red chilis into a mixer grinder and grind it to a powder

5.) To the cooked beans and dhal mixtue aadd salt and let it boi for 2-3 mins

6.) Add the ground powder and mix well to incorporate. Bring this mixture to a boil in low heat.  Turn the heat off and remove from the stove.  Serve it with steaming hot rice with lemon pickle as side or this makes an excellent side dish for vethakozhambu rice and rasam rice.

Sukku (Dried ginger) kozhambu

Sukku (dried ginger) kozhambu (is a stew /gravy variety that can be mixed with rice and had) is truly an exotic kozhambu which will make you going for endless morsels of kozhambu saadham (kozhambu rice). This humble, uniquely tasting, yummy kozhambhu should not be made with any vegetable in it as it is meant to be had on a "tummy-free " day.  It goes very well with appalam (papad) , vadaam (vathals) and pretty much everything as a side dish in tamil/south indian cuisine. Sukku kozhambu is an ultra easy, quick, very healthy recipe to make on tired/bored/cold days.

Ingredients:

Sukku (dried ginger)                                                     2 inch piece

Sukku/ Dried ginger

Tamarind/ Tamarind paste                                                    1 medium lemon sized round/ 1 tsp

 Chana dhal/ Kadalai paruppu                                               1 tsp

Red chili                                                                                1 nos

Sambhar powder (Home made)                                            1 tsp

Black peppercorns /Milagu                                                   1 tsp

Salt                                                                                         1.5 tsp or as needed

To temper

Oil                                                                                          1 tsp

Mustard seeds                                                                         1 tsp

Asafoetida                                                                              1 pinch

Method: 

1. If using tamarind pulp, Let it soak in 1 cup of hot water for 10 mins and extract the syrup. If using paste dissolve 1 tsp of tamarind paste to 1 cup warm water to make the syrup
2. Heat a saucepan, add oil and mustard seeds to splutter, a pinch of asafoetida, reduce heat and add tamarind syrup,salt and sambhar powder, mix well, keep it on medium heat and bring it to boil.
3. Simultaneously dry roast chana dhal/kadalai paruppu, red chili, black peppercorns/milagu, sukku (dried ginger) all together until the dhal is golden brown in low heat and powder it.
4. After around 10 mins of boiling in medium- medium low heat, the raw smell of tamarind syrup and sambhar powder would have changed to a very pleasant and inviting aroma. At this stage, bring the heat to low and add the ground powder and mix very well to incorporate. Bring the mixture to boil on low heat and switch of the stove.
5. A very easy Sukku kozhambu is ready to be had with hot steaming rice and anything to go with it.