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From the southern kitchen

Try out some `kanda bachali' and `pullagora' this festive season

SPICE TRIP A few delectable dishes from the kitchens of South India

With a festive season around, its time to try out delicacies from the South Indian kitchen. A tang of tamarind, a dash of coconut and a tadka of curry leaves is what makes the spread delectable. As also the finesse and effort that goes into its preparation. Try out these dishes for starters.

Kanda bachali (Yam with Italian spinach)

Ingredients

Yam - 1/2 kilo
Italian spinach - 3 cups
Tamarind juice - 2 tablespoons
Mustard - 2 teaspoons
Red chillies (dry) - 2
Hing - 1/4 teaspoon
Salt - as per taste
Chana dal - 1 teaspoon
Urad dal - 1 teaspoon
Oil - 3 tablespoons
Green chillies - 3
Curry leaves - 10
Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup
Ginger - small piece

Method: Peel the yam, dice it and boil for 15 minutes. Cut the spinach finely and wash.

Cut green chillies and ginger finely and keep aside. Grind the mustard, hing, dry chillies salt and turmeric into a fine paste.

In a heavy bottomed kadai heat the oil. Add the chana dal and urad dal and fry till browned. Add the green chillies, curry leaves, ginger, and the spinach.

Fry for 10 minutes. Add the boiled yam and tamarind juice. Leave for 10 minutes on low flame. After removing from fire add the mustard paste and coriander leaves. Serve after 2 minutes.

Pullagora

Ingredients

Tuvar dal - 1/2 cup
Palak - 1 bunch (250gm)
Tamarind pulp - 2 tablespoon or according to your taste
Turmeric powder - one pinch
Oil - 1 teaspoon
Red chillies (crushed) - 4 to 5
Mustards - 1/2 teaspoon
Fenugreek seeds - 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves - 5
Hing - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste

Method: Clean and wash palak leaves. Chop them. Pressure cook tuvar dal. Now heat oil in a pan. Add mustards and methi seeds. Add red chillies curry leaves and turmeric. Add palak and mix well. Saute for a minute. Pour tamarind water and salt.

Allow cooking for 5 minutes. Add some water while cooking. When palak is done add dal and mix well. Add 1 cup of water and mix well and cook for 3 minutes. Add hing powder and mix well. It goes very well with rice.

Pavakkai Pitlay

Ingredients

Karela - 1
Chick peas (soaked in water overnight and cooked) - 2 tbsp
Tuvar dal - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Jaggery a little
Tamarind juice - 1/2 lemon size
Rai - 1 tsp
Kadhi patha - a few sprigs
Coconut oil - 1 tsp (for vaghar)

Masala

Dhania seed - 1 tbsp
Red chillies - 4 - 5
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Chana dal - 1/2 tsp
Coconut - 2 tbsp
Hing - a pinch

Method: Cut the karela into small pieces and keep aside with salt sprinkled on it for 1/2 hour. Squeeze out the water and wash the karela well till all the bitter taste goes off. Cook tuvar dal in the cooker like for sambhar. Take the tamarind juice, add jaggery, salt, haldi powder and the karela pieces and boil till the raw smell of the tamarind goes off. Roast all ingredients for the masala and add coconut after putting off the gas. Make this masala in the grinder and add along with the boiled chickpeas to the boiling mixture. Mix well. Lastly add cooked dal and mix well. Give baghar of rai and kadhi patha in coconut oil.

RAKESH GHAI

The writer is Executive Chef, ITC Hotel Kakatiya Sheraton

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