Bottle Gourd Sambar

Bottle Gourd Sambar is south Indian main course recipe. It is also known as Sorakaya in telugu, Sorakkai in tamil, etc. There are various varieties of sambar like Drumstick – brinjal sambar, mixed vegetables sambar, idly sambar etc. Today lets see how to make Bottle Gourd Sambar. 

Bottle Guard Sambar

Ingredients: Serve - 4

• Bottle Gourd – ¼ kg
• Toor dhal – 1 cup
• Oil – 4tspn
• Mustard seeds – 1/2tspn
• Urad dhal – 1/2tspn
• Onion – 2 (medium size)
• Tomato – 1(medium size)
• Curry leaves – as required
• Coriander leaves - as required
• Salt – 1 & 1/2tspn (adjust to taste)
• Turmeric powder – 1/4tspn
• Sambar powder – 2tspn
• Garlic – 6 pieces
• Cumin seeds -1/2tspn
• Water – 1 & ½ glass
• Tamarind juice – ½ cup
• Hing powder – 1/4tspn

The following picture shows the step by step process for Bottle Gourd Sambar:

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Method:

1. Wash and remove the skin of bottle gourd, cut it as medium size pieces.
2. Take toor dhal in a bowl ,wash and soak for 15minutes. (figure 1)
3. Take a pressure cooker, add soaked toor dhal, 1 onion, tomato, 3 garlic pieces, cumin seeds, turmeric powder, 1 glass water and 1/2tspn oil. Close with lid & cook for 4 vessels.(figure 2 & 3)
4. Open the cooker and smash the dal with smasher. (figure 4)
5. Add bottle guard pieces, salt, sambar powder, ½ glass water and cook for 1 vessel. (figure 5 & 6)
6. Add Tamarind juice and cook for 5 minutes in a medium flame or until sambar gets boiled by closing with lid as shown in figure 11.(figure 7)
7. Mean while take a pan, heat oil in medium flame add mustard seeds wait for crackle then add urad dhal, 1 onion pieces / vadium prepared at home, curry leafs, 3 garlic smashed and saute for 1 minute. (figure 8)
8. Now add to the sambar and cook for 1 minute.(figure 9)
9. Add hing powder and cook for 1minute by closing with lid.(figure 10 & 11)
10. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve in a bowl. (figure 12)

Bottle Gourd Sambar is ready to Serve !

Additional Tips:-

• In step 5, cook the bottle gourd for only 1 vessel or else it will smash.
• In step 7, if u add onions roast them until its color changes to golden brown and if u add vadium then saute for 1 minute.

Potato Curry

Here is our next curry recipe - Potato curry. The main ingredients in this recipe are potato and tamarind juice. You should try this recipe atleast once to enjoy the taste of potato which is cooked along with tamarind juice. 

Potatoes contain a wealth of health benefits like ability to improve digestion, reduce cholesterol levels, boost heart health, protect from polyps, prevent cancer, manage diabetes, strengthen the immune system, reduce signs of aging, protect the skin.

This recipe tastes best when served with rice or chapati. Let's begin the process.

Potato Curry

Ingredients: Serve- 4

• Potato  - 4(medium size)
• Oil – 8tspn
• Mustard seeds – 1/2tspn
• Urad dhal -1/2tspn
• Cumin seeds – 1/2tspn
• Garlic pieces - 5
• Curry leafs – as required
• Coriander leaves –as required
• Onion- 1 (large size)
• Tomato- 2 (small size)
• Tamarind Juice – 2 glass
• Turmeric powder- 1/4tspn
• Red chili powder - 4tspn (adjust to taste)
• Salt - 3tspn(adjust to taste)

The following picture shows the step by step process for Potato Curry:

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Method:

1. Remove the potato skin & cut it as medium size pieces. Tansfer into bowl add water and 1/4tspn salt. Keep aside.
2. Take 2 glass of tamarind juice in a bowl, ensure that juice is little thick shown in the figure.(figure 1)
3. In tamarind juice smash 1 tomato with hand and then add turmeric powder, red chili powder, salt. Taste the juice, if you feel like the taste is not as expected then add necessary ingredients to suit your taste and mix well. (figure 2)
4. Take a big pan heat oil in medium flame, add 1tspn mustard seeds wait for crackle and then add 1tspn urad dhal, cumin seeds, garlic pieces ,few curry leaves. Saute for few seconds. (figure 3)
5. Add onion and continue sauteing until onions become soft. (figure 4)
6. Add tomato and saute until tomatoes are smashed. (figure 5)
7. Add potato pieces and saute for 8 minutes in medium flame. (figure 6)
8. Now add Tamarind juice prepared in step 3 and mix well. Close the pan with lid and cook until potatoes gets cooked well. It’s take the time around 15- 20 minutes.(figure 7 & 8)
9. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve in bowl. (figure 9)

Potato Curry is ready to serve !

Additional Tips:-

• In step7, please ensure you saute the potatoes for 5-8 minutes so that it will cook soon.

Channa Dhal Curry

Channa Dhal Curry is a main course recipe were channa dhal balls are cooked along with tamarind juice. I'm sure you will definitely like this recipe.  Let's see the process for channa dhal curry.

Channa Dhal Curry

Ingredients: Serve - 4

• Channa dhal – 1glass
• Tamarind juice – 2 glass
• Fennel seeds – 1tspn
• Garlic -  5 pieces
• Ginger – small piece
• Green chilly – 6
• Onion – 2 (medium size)
• Tomato – 2 (medium size)
• Oil - 8tspn
• Mustard seeds – 1/2tspn
• Urad dhal – 1/2tspn
• Curry leaves – as required
• Coriander leaves – as required
• Salt – 2tspn (adjust to taste)
• Turmeric powder – 1/4tspn
•  Red chilly powder – 4tspn

The following picture shows the step by step process for Channa Dhal Curry:

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Method:

1. Wash and soak channa dhal for 1 hour (figure 1)
2. In a mixer, add green chillies, garlic pieces, ginger pieces, 1/2tspn fennel seeds and grind them soft paste as shown in figure 3. (figure 2 & 3)
3. In a mixer add channa dhal make little rough paste by adding very little amount of water.(figure 4)
4. In a mixing bowl add chilly paste which has been prepared in step 2, channa paste , 1 onion piece, chopped curry-coriander leaves, 1tspn salt and mix well. (figure 5)
5. Take 2 glass of tamarind juice, add 1/2 tomato and mash it. (figure 6 & 7)
6. In tamarind juice add red chili powder, turmeric powder, salt and mix well. Taste the juice and if you feel like the taste is not as expected then add necessary ingredients to suit your taste and mix well. (figure 8)
7. Take wide mouth pan, heat oil in medium flame, add 1/2tspn mustard seeds wait for crackle and then add 1/2tspn urad dhal, 1/2tspn fennel seeds, few curry leaves. Saute for few seconds.
8. Add remaining onion and saute until onions become soft. (figure 9)
9. Add tomato and saute until tomatoes are smashed. (figure 10)
10. Add Tamarind juice which is prepared in step 6 and mix well. Close with lid and cook until tamarind juice become thick, which takes 10 - 15 minutes.(figure 11 & 12)
11. Mean while make channa dhal paste into equal small balls.
12. After tamarind juice become thick then add channa dhal balls. Close with lid and cook for 10 minutes or until channa dhal balls are cooked well in medium flame. (figure 13 & 14)
13. Garnish with coriander leaves. (figure 15)

Channa Dhal Curry is ready to serve !

Additional Tips:-

• In step3, make channa dhal paste little rough not in smooth by adding little water.

Dhal Papad Curry

Dhal Papad Curry is an main course recipe made with channa dhal and papad. It makes good combo with rice and chapati.

Papad Curry

Ingredients: Serve- 4

• Papad  - 15
• Channa dhal – 1 cup
• Water – 2 glass
• Oil – as required for frying
• Mustard seeds – ½tspn
• Cloves– 4
• Cinnamon – small inch
• Cumin seeds – 1/2tspn
• Garlic – 5 pieces
• Curry leaves –as required
• Coriander leaves –as required
• Coconut  -  small piece
• Onion – 3 (medium size)
• Tomato – 2 (small)
• Turmeric powder – 1/4tspn
• Red chilly powder – 2tspn
• Coriander powder – 1/2tspn
• Salt – 1tspn(adjust to taste)

The following picture shows the step by step process for Dhal Papad Curry:

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Method:

1. Wash and soak channa dhal for 10 minutes.
2. Take pressure cooker add soaked channa dhal, turmeric powder, onion, tomato, garlic pieces, 1 glass of water. (figure 1& 2)
3. Close the lid and cook for 3 vessels in medium flame.(figure 3)
4. Mean while, take a mixer add coconut pieces, cumin seeds, 2 garlic pieces and make a smooth paste by adding little water.(figure 4)
5.  Now open the cooker slowly, mash the dhal add 1 glass of water, red chilly powder, salt, coriander powder and cook for 5 minute in medium flame.(figure 5)
6. Take a pan, heat oil in medium flame add mustard seeds wait for crackle then add cinnamon, cloves, curry leaves, saute for 1 minute and transfer into the dhal.(figure 6 & 7)
7. Take the paste prepared in 3rd step and add into dhal, close the lid and cook for 5 minutes in medium flame. (figure 8 & 9)
8. Mean while, take a pan heat oil for deep fry, add papad and roast until its color change to golden brown. (figure 10)
9. Add roasted papad into the curry and cook for 1 more minute. (figure 11)
10. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve in a bowl.  (figure 12)

Spicy and tasty dhal papad curry is now ready to serve !

Additional Tips:-

• In step 4, mash the dhal half way and not fully. i.e. have a look at the figure 12, you can see few dhal half broker and not fully mashed.