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

Zucchini grilled in oven with herbs - Quickie

Serves 3

Zucchini also called as 'seemai surakai' in Tamil,translated as 'Western Bottle gourd' is a wonderful vegetable.I use it in the place of bottle gourd in many recipes and its extremely healthy.It's one vegetable that tastes awesome when grilled,all soft and moist due to its high water content.I usually grill vegetables when I need a quick and hassle free side dish and this one tastes the best when grilled.If you're barbecuing you could grill this on the coal after you're done grilling the meat. I've used oregano here,you could replace it with Kasoori Methi or any other herb of your choice.

                        

Ingredients:

Zucchini - 1 big fresh one

Garlic - one big clove or 2-3 small ones

Dried Oregano - 1/2 tsp

Dried Mint - 1/2 tsp or Mint leaves - leaves from 3 sprigs

Pepper Powder  - 1/2 tsp

Olive oil - 1 tbsp

salt as needed

Method:

-For Dried Mint powder - Clean the mint leaves,pat them dry.Dry roast on low heat,in  a pan until they are crisp.Powder by crushing in between your palms when cool.

-Mince the garlic finely.Chop the Zucchini lengthwise.

-Mix the salt,olive oil,oregano,mint,pepper powder and garlic.Spread it on both the sides of the zucchini slices.

-Pre heat the oven to 175° C.Arrange the slices of zucchini on a non stick tray or a baking tray lined with a baking paper and bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until they are cooked .Done !

 Thanks for Stopping by ! Happy Cooking !
 Dish name starts with Z happening at Akila's space