Moong bean / Pachai payaru Sundal

Mung/Moong bean is called pachai payaru in tamil. This green gram is packed with nutrition. Its a perfect addition to a vegetarian healthy diet. Here's a sundal recipe with this bean. 

Ingredients:

Green gram / Moong / Mung bean - 1 cup

Oil for tempering - 1 tablespoon

Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon

Green chillies - 1 or 2 depending upon the heat. It can be vertically slit or chopped.

Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

Ginger - 1 inch - peeled and minced

Asafoetida powder - 2 pinches

Salt as required

Desiccated coconut or Fresh grated coconut - half cup

Coriander leaves - roughly chopped

Lemon juice - 2 tablespoons

Method:

Soak Mung bean over night in water.

Next day, drain the water.

Heat 3 cups water with a tablespoon of salt. When the water comes to a boil, add the soaked beans.

Let the content boil for 5 to 6 minutes.

Turn off heat and drain the water using a colander and allow the mung bean to rest until all the water is drained.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a kadai, preferably non stick. Temper the mustard seeds. 

Add the green chillies, ginger and Curry leaves. stir for a minute.

Add the Mung beans and asafoetida powder. Sprinkle salt as it is already boiled in salted water.

Mix well and garnish with coconut - grated fresh or desiccated and coriander leaves. Turn off heat and stir lemon juice and the Sundal is ready to be served.

Green Peas / Pachai Pattani Sundal

This sundal is made out of the store bought dry green peas. Soaked it over night. Cooked and seasoned the peas to make this sundal. Here's the recipe.

Ingredients:

Dry green peas - 1 cup

Oil for seasoning - 1 tablespoon

Mustard seeds - half teaspoon

Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

Asafoetida powder - 1 pinch

Fresh grated coconut - 2 tablespoon

Green chilli - 1 or 2 vertically slit - adjust as per taste

Salt as required

Water for soaking and cooking the peas

Method:

Soak dry green peas overnight in water.

Next day, drain the water.

Pressure cook the peas with just enough water adding 2 teaspoons salt.

Cook for about a whistle or two. 

After the pressure is released, add 1 cup water and fish out the outer skin of the peas that's floating on the surface. Drain water and keep it aside.

Heat oil in a kadai and temper the mustard seeds.

Add the green chillie, curry leaves and asafoetida powder.

Add the cooked peas and stir.

Sprinkle just enough salt and add the grated fresh coconut.

Give it a stir and turn off heat.

Green peas sundal / pachai pattani sundal is ready to be served.

Red kidney beans / Rajma Sundal

Being an excellent source of nutrition, Rajma or Red kidney beans, from the legume family is a friend to all health conscious people. There are many types of kidney beans available. In this rajma sundal recipe,  I have used a type of beans that is small and dark red. I have added generous amount of ginger to take care of the gas part ;-) Ginger also adds taste and nutrition to the sundal. Here's the recipe.

Ingredients:

Small red kidney beans / rajma beans - 1 cup

Oil for tempering - 1 tablespoon

Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon

Green chilli - 1 or 2 vertically slit ( adjust as per taste)

Fresh grated coconut - 2 to 3 tablespoons

Fresh ginger - 2 inches - peeled and chopped roughly

Asafoetida powder - 2 pinches

Water to soak rajma beans and to cook 

Method:

Soak rajma beans over night in water.

Next day, drain water and pressure cook rajma beans for 4 to 5 whistles with just enough water and a tablespoon of salt.

Drain excess wate and keep the beans aside.

Dry grind coconut and ginger together until its finely minced. Keep it aside.

Heat oil in a kadai, preferably non stick.

Temper the mustard seeds and add the green chillie and cooked rajma beans.

Simmer heat and add Asafoetida powder and the ground coconut ginger.

Sprinkle salt as the beans are already cooked in salted water.

Stir well and turn off heat.

Healthy rajma beans sundal is ready to serve.

Split moong dal / Hesaru bele Sundal

Split moong/mung dal or Hesaru bele kosambari is a very common item in the kannadiga's kitchen. Its a raw salad that is tempered with green chillie with a touch of lime and of course garnished with coconut and coriander. This sundal, also has the same ingredients for tempering and garnishing except that the dal is boiled before its tempered. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

Yellow split moong dal / Hesaru bele - Three fourths cup

Oil for tempering

Green chillies - 1 or 2 as per taste

Mustard seeds - half teaspoon

Salt as required

Turmeric powder -  a pinch

Asafoetida powder - a pinch

Coriander leaves - handful - roughly chopped

Fresh grated coconut - 1 to 2 tablespoon

Lemon juice - 1 teaspoon - optional

Water for soaking and boiling the dal

Method:

Wash moong dal and soak in water for 1 hour.

Heat 2 cups water and when its starts to boil, add the soaked dal.

In about a couple of minutes, you will notice the water raising with froth.

Turn off heat and drain water using colander and allow the water to be drained completely.

Heat oil in a kadai and temper the mustard seeds. Add green chillie and then the boiled dal.

Add turmeric powder and asafoetida powder and salt and give a quick stir.

Turn off heat and mix in chopped coriander leaves and fresh grated coconut.

Squeeze lime if needed.

Healthy sundal is ready to be served.

Kala channa / Kondakadalai sundal

Kala channa or Kondakadalai as it is called in tamil is a type of legume from the chicpeas family. This protein and fiber rich legume is definitely a choice for people who want to smart snack. Its excellent for controlling blood sugar. Kala channa can be used as a part of a healthy diet and it aids for weight loss and weight management. Here is a simple recipe for a sundal using this excellent legume.

Ingredients:

Kala channa / Kondakadalai - 1 cup

Mustard seeds - half teaspoon

Curry leaves - 1 sprig optional

Green chillie - 1 vertically slit - adjust as per taste

Lemon juice - 1 tablespoon

Salt as required

Water for soaking and boiling the chana

Method:

Soak Kala channa in water over night. Sprouting this channa is a great idea for added benefits.

Drain water and Pressure cook the channa with just enough water and 2 teaspoons salt for 6 whistles.

Kala channa takes longer time to cook. Hence, boiling method is not preferred.

Drain water and keep it aside.

Heat oil in a kadai and temper the mustard seeds.

Add green chilli and the curry leaves if using them. 

Add channa and just sprinkle salt as channa is already cooked in salted water.

Add lemon juice and mix well. 

Healthy sundal is ready.

Grated carrot and chopped coriander leaves and finely minced ginger and cucumber can be added to make a tasty salad.

Oats adai with cauliflower and broccoli

I was fortunate to take part in a cookery competition called Kitchen Khiladi hosted by Cancer Institute Foundation in the bay area. Though I did not bag any prize, it was such a pleasure creating new recipes and cooking in front of audience and judges. It was a wonderful experience and I want to participate every year. It was such a good exposure for me and I got to see and taste a lot of wonderful recipes by other participants. The recipes of all dishes by the finalists can be found in the CIF website.

For the first round I prepared Sweet potato payasam. I will be posting the recipe soon. For the final round we were asked to prepare a dish with either cauliflower or broccoli or brussels sprouts. I created a new dish called oats adai with cauliflower and broccoli. We presented oats adai in three plates with tomato chutney, yogurt and jaggery in each plate. We also prepared freshly sqeezed orange juice. Here is the reipe.

Q: What is Oats adai with cauliflower and broccoli?

A: Adai is a thick variety of dosa. I have used rolled oats, rice flour and split yellow moong dal in combination of the star ingredients cauliflower and broccoli.

Q: Why did I choose to make Oats adai with cauliflower and broccoli?

A: I wanted to create a very healthy south Indian dish that can be prepared very easily. Also, I wanted to preserve the nutrition of the ingredients I use to the fullest extent possible.

Q: Why Oats adai with cauliflower and broccoli nutritious?

A: Oats adai with cauliflower and broccoli is packed with nutrients. I have used a variety of nutritious ingredients and medicinal spices in this recipe that not only fights cancer but also aids weight loss. If you want to follow a healthy diet and are looking for a very easy breezy, filling dish, then, this is the dish you are looking for.

Q: What is special about oats adai with cauliflower and broccoli other than being a healthy dish?

A: I have used onion in this recipe which is optional. You can omit onion if you want a ‘NO onion NO garlic dish’ plus, it is a Vegan dish – I have not used any dairy produts in this recipe.

Following are the benefits of the ingredients that I have used in Oats adai with cauliflower and broccoli.

Broccoli and Cauliflower

I have used these cruciferous vegetables which reduces the risk of cancer. It not only fights cancer but also aids for weight loss because they are negative calorie foods. Negative calorie foods require more calories to digest than the actual calories in those foods. That means it aids for natural fat burning.

Orange cauliflower

I used orange color cauliflower as it is more nutritious since they contain 25 times more Vitamin A than the regular white cauliflower.

Tomato & Broccoli

I made tomato chutney to go with the oats adai that contains broccoli.

The results of a recent research conducted at the Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Illinois, indicates that eating tomatoes and broccoli together may offer better protection against cancer than eating either vegetable alone. "Separately, these two foods appear to have enormous cancer-fighting potential. Together, they bring out the best in each other and maximise the cancer-fighting effect," Erdman said.

Rolled oats

I have used oats which are an excellent source of iron, dietary fiber and thiamin. They also contain antioxidants that are believed to protect the circulatory system.

Turmeric plus Pepper

I have used turmeric, a medicinal spice which contains yellow pigments called curcumin that fights cancer. Studies show that our bodies absorbs curcumin a thousand times more when eaten together with pepper.

Other ingredients that are used in the recipe are

Cumin seeds that aid digestion and rice flour which is a good source of protein, calcium and phosphorus. I have used Moong dal which is very rich in protein. I have used maida in least quantity (just quarter cup for 10 adais) as it is not a gluten free food. I have used oil spray (one spray for one adai) for a fat free cooking.

RECIPE for Oats adai with cauliflower and broccoli

List of ingredients:

Vegetables:

Orange cauliflower florets – 1 cup

Broccoli florets – ¾ cup

Red onion – 1 big (optional)

To make the batter:

Ground rolled oats – 1 cup (I used quaker oats old fashioned rolled oats)

Split yellow moong dal – ½ cup

Rice flour – 1 cup

Maida/All purpose flour – ¼ cup

Water – 3 to 4 cups

Spices and herbs:

Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon

Turmeric powder – less then ¼ teaspoon

Ground black pepper – ¼ teaspoon

Asafoetida powder – 2 pinches

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves – handful

For seasoning:

Canola oil – 1 teaspoon

Mustard seeds – ½ teaspoon

Ginger – ½ inch

Green chillies – 4 to 5

Oil spray like PAM

Method:

1. Grinding, soaking and chopping:

Grind the oats and moong dal together and soak it in 1 cup water and keep it aside.

Use a mini chopper or a food processor to chop the cauliflower and broccoli finely and keep it aside.

Chop the red onions finely.

Chop the green chillies.

Peel the ginger skin and grate it.

Chop the coriander leaves.

2. Prepare the batter:

Take a large mixing bowl. Add the rice flour and maida.

Add a cup of water and whisk well to avoid lumps.

Add the soaked oats and moong dal and mix well.

Add the chopped vegetables and mix well.

Add the cumin seeds, turmeric powder, ground pepper, salt, asafoetida powder and finely chopped red onions and mix well.

3. Seasoning:

Heat oil in a small seasoning pan.

Add the chopped green chillies until it turns pale

Take the green chillies out. (this is to avoid biting on green chillies while eating).

Add the grated ginger to the oil in which green chillies were fried.

Add the mustard seeds, when it pops, add the seasoning with oil to the batter and mix well.

Mix in finely chopped coriander leaves.

4. Adai batter:

Add required amount of water to bring it to adai batter consistency. Mix well and keep it aside. The adai batter is ready.

5. Preparing the adai:

Heat a non stick tawa.

Spray once on the surface.

Pour one ladle of the batter in the center and spread it very little, just to make 4 to 5 inch adais.

Spray oil on top of the adai and keep partially closed in medium heat.

Use a stainless steel sauce pan to cover the adai partially.

After a minute see if the adai comes out without sticking to the tawa.

Flip the adai and again cook partially covered for a minute.

Serve immediately with tomato chutney or plain non fat curd.

Repeat until all the batter is used.

You should be able to make atleast 10 small adais.

This is my entry to four events.

1. Diet foods hosted by Dhivya of Dil se.

2. JFI - whole grains hosted by Suganya of Tasty palettes.

3. WBB - grains in my breakfast hosted by Aparna of My diverse kitchen.

4. Original recipe hosted by Lore of Culinary.