Zucchini Dal Tadka - Peerkangai Paruppu

Serves 3
I was brought up in a family where eating at a restaurant was something that happened very rarely. Both mom & dad were very particular about having home cooked meals.But when I moved to a different city to work,eating out was something that happened quite often.Whenever I found myself in a restaurant,initially I would always let me friends order as I never knew most of the dishes on the menu card.I only knew that anything that starts with Mughlai or Butter would be rich,creamy and yummy .Not knowing how a dish tastes can be real risky :)In Germany many times I've ordered stuff because the name looked fancy and ended up with things that I could hardly eat :) The first time my friends ordered Dal Tadka,I was really surprised.I wondered why people would come to a restaurant to just order Dal. But I fell in love with it when I tasted it.As hubby is a big fan of Dal ,I prepare this pretty often.This tastes very close to the restaurant style Dal Tadka. I've added Zucchini to make it more healthy.You could also replace the zucchini with Ridge Gourd /Peerkangai. Give it a shot ,you'll love it:)

You'll need:

To Pressure Cook:

Zucchini - 1 big

Channa dal - 2 tbsp

Moong Dal - 2 tbsp

Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp

For Tempering:

Onion - 1 medium(finely chopped)

Tomato - 1 medium( finely chopped)

Red chilli powder - 3/4 tsp

coriander powder - 1 tsp

Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp

Garam masala powder - 1/4 tsp

Green chilli - 1 (finely chopped)

Ginger - 1 tsp(finely grated)

Garlic - 1 tsp(finely grated)

Kasoori Methi - 1/2 tsp

Boiled Milk or cream - 1/2 cup

Coriander leaves - 1 -2 tbsp(chopped)

oil - 2 tsp

salt - as needed

Method:

-Clean the zucchini and chop into pieces.Clean the Moong Dal.

-Add the zucchini,moong dal,2 cups of water,salt and turmeric powder to a pressure cooker.Let it pressure cook of one whistle on high and 4 -5 minutes on low heat.

-To a pan add the oil and when it heats up,add the ginger,garlic and green chilli.Saute for a minute and add the onion and a  little salt.When it's translucent add the tomatoes and stir for a minute.

-Add the Red chilli powder,Coriander powder,Cumin powder and Garam masala powder.Saute until the tomatoes turn soft.

-Add boiled dal and zucchini mixture and mix well.Add the milk,kasoori methi and coriander leaves and mix well.Check for salt,adding some if needed.

-Let the mixture simmer for 7 - 10 minutes.Done !

Thanks for stopping by ! Happy Cooking !
Sending this to Walk through Memory Lane happening at Priyas's Virundhu and Gayathri's space. and Dish name starts with Z happening at Akila's space

Ridge gourd Gravy - Peerkangai Gravy

Serves 3
If like me, you are also bored of pairing up ridge gourd with dhal you would love this:-) My mom adds ridge gourd to a prawn gravy and it tastes absolutely yum.I had a few ridge gourds lying around and din't feel like making another dhal preparation with it ,so made this easy dish instead.This is a very mild and flavorful dish.Tastes great as a side dish with dosas or rotis. But tastes best when you have it with plain cooked rice and a dollop of Ghee :-)

You'll need:
Ridge gourd - 2 big ones
Onion - 1/2 a medium one
Tomato - 1/2 a medium one(chopped)
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 - 3/4 tsp
Fennel powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Thick coconut milk - 2 tbsp
Salt as needed
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Coriander leaves - 2 - 3 sprigs(chopped finely)




Method:
-Clean the ridge gourd and peel the skin.You can preserve the skin to make a chutney.Chop it into medium sized pieces.Chop the onions lengthwise into thin slices.
-To a pressure cooker add the chopped Ridge gourd,little salt and 1/2 a cup of water.Pressure cook for 1 whistle and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
-Add oil in a pan,when it heats up splutter the mustard seeds and curry leaves. Add the onions and some salt.Saute until the onions are slightly browned.
-Add the Tomatoes and mix well,add the cumin powder,chilli powder,turmeric powder,coriander powder and fennel powder.Mix well.Cover and cook on a low flame for 4 - 5 minutes or until the tomatoes are well cooked and the mixture oozes out oil.
-Add the cooked ridge gourd along with the water and the coriander leaves.Mix well,check for salt.Let it boil until all the water evaporates and the mixture becomes dry.
-Add the coconut milk and mix well.Let it boil for 3-4 minutes.Done !

                                              Thanks for stopping by.Happy Cooking !