South Indian Sambar

We south Indians enjoy having Sambar & Rasam as a part of every day meal….& there are many styles of making Sambar...here I am going to give a simple yet delicious Sambar recipe...


Good to have Sambar as part of meal everyday..as it is a nutrition rich food..containing daal - a source of protein & variety of vegetables...


Ingredients :

1 big size - Carrot 

1 cup - Toor Daal 

4 to 5 - Ladies fingers or Okra \ bhindi

4 to 5 - beans

1 - brinjal (mediaum size)
1 - Tomato (big)
1 - drumstick ( 1 full big one)( cut in to pieces of 1.5 inch each)
1 -  Table spoon of Tamarind juice.


Sambar powder - 2 table spoon
Turmeric powder - 1 tea spoon
salt - to taste
chilli powder - 1/2 table spoon (optional)
Oil - 1 table spoons ( for seasoning)


 

For seasoning :

curry leaves - 4 to 5
Mustard seeds \ Rai \ aavaalu - 1/2 table spon
Jeera \ cumin seeds \ jeela karra - 1\2 table spoon
dhaniya seeds \ dhaniyaalu \ coriander seeds - 1\2 table spoon
methi seeds \ menthulu \ fenugreek seeds - 1\2 table spoon
Hing \ Inguva \ asafoetida - small pinch
dry red chillies - 1 to 2

Preparation:

1. wash all the vegetables in running water & cut all the vegetables including onion.
2.Steam all the vegetables including 1 to 2 curry leaves on a low heat adding pinch of salt. Don't need to add any water.
3. wash the daal & pressure cook the plain daal
4. meanwhile soak the tamarind in little quantity of water & extract the tamarind juice.

In 5 to 10 minutes of time..the vegetables will be boiled & daal also be ready…

5. Take a sauce pan - add the steamed vegetables to the cooked daal.
6. Add sufficient water ( as per the thickness of sambar you prefer).
7. add turmeric powder, salt, chilli powder (optional), & sambar powder.
8. add extracted tamarind juice.
9. let sambar to boil for 5 to 10 minutes…

meanwhile,

prepare the seasoning :

1. take seasoning pan , add oil
2. once oil becomes hot, add all the seasoning items listed above except Hing.

once the seasoning is ready switch off the flame & add hing to the seasoning.

Add this seasoning to boiling Sambar & boil it for 5 more minutes.

Let the sambar boil for another 5 to 10 minutes on a low heat. If preferred add the chopped coriander Leaves & There it is the tasty and authentic sambar ready to relish.

Sambar !

Gongura Chicken curry

Hi, Gongura is very famous in Andhra Pradesh. Gongura pachadi, pulihora gongura, gongura pappu, gongura endu royyalu, gongura chicken, gongura muton....like this so many varities we can cook.


The tase of this leafy vegetable is sour. The other names are Puntikura or Hibiscus Sabdariffa.
 Not only for the taste, Gongura is a very good source of Iron to the body.


Today, I cooked Chicken Gongura, but, I must confess… Gongura Chicken prepared by mom is the BEST ! 
Those who love little sour taste they would deffinetly love this. Here are the ingredients;

Gongura Chicken Curry

1. Chicken - 1 lb / 500gm
2. Gongura - 4 bunches 
3. Tomato - 1 (small)
4. Onion (chopped) - 1/4 cup (small)
5. Green chilli - 1
6. Curry Leaves - ( 3 to 4 leaves)
7. Red chilli powder - 1 to 2 tbl spoons
8. Turmeric Powder - 1 tea spoon
9. Oil - 3 tbl spoons
10. Salt - to taste

Preparation:

Part 1:


Clean the chicken in running water & add turmeric powder & a pinches of salt to chicken. Keep it on the low flame , covering with a lid.
Note: no need to add water to the chicken.

Gongura chicken

Part 2: 


Seperate Gongura leaves from the strands & wash them thoroughly in the running water.
Make sure no sand or mud is there. So, the gongura leaves are cleaned neatly.


1. Cut the tomato in to medium pieces
2. Chop the onions & green chili
3. Take a shallow & thick bottomed pan & heat the oil.

Chicken Gongura

4. Add curry leaves, chopped onion& green chillies and fry for few minutes & then add the chopped tomato to the pan and let the tomato to cook until softer.

Gongura chicken

5. Now add the washed gongura leaves & close the pan with a lid and cook under a low to medium heat.

Gongura chicken

6. Meanwhile, check whether the chicken is steam cooked- if itz cooked switch of the flame keep it aside.
7. after 5 to 7 minutes, see whether the gongura is cooked. 
8. Just to make sure gongura is cooked, try to mash the gngura with a sppon ..if the leaves are easily mashed then the gogura is cooked, if you see the gravy is too dry add little water.

Guntur Chicken Gongura

9.Now add the steamed chicken to the gongura , then add red chilli powder & salt.

Andhra style Gongura Chicken

10. Now you can add water as per the thickness you want the gravy to be. But, don't make too thin gravy.
11. Cover the lid againg & cook for, about 10 minutes on a low heat till the chicken is cooked well.

Gongura Chicken

12. Taste the curry and adjust the salt.
13. Average time takes for cooking this is 30 minutes.

Hope you try this at home & drop your opinion awa suggestions !