Palak Pappu and Dondekkai Fry

This is another complete meal we started to cook at home after our stay in Hyderabad. And as Bangaloreans we all must have had this is any of the Andra Style restaurants. Its a very simple meal to cook and tastes delicious.

We will start with the pappu, so that when it is getting pressure cooked we can concentrate on the Dondekkai.

Palak Pappu:

500 Gms - Baby Spinach leaves (palak)

Toor Dal - 3/4 Cup

Chopped onions - 1 medium sized

Green chillies chopped - 4 nos

Meethi seed (fenugreek seeds) - 1Tsp

Tumeric - 1/2 Tsp

Oil - 2 Tsp

Salt to taste

For Tempering -

Oil - 1 Tsp

Mustard Seeds - 1 Tsp

Asafoetida - 1/2 Tsp

Curry Leaves - 1 Sprig

Method:

Wash the spinach and let drain in a colander. Wash the dal and keep in water to soak.

In a pressure pan/cooker, heat the oil, add the meethi seeds, green chillies and chopped onions to saute' for 5 mins. You add more or less of the green chillies based on your spice requirements. You can also avoid the onions if you are not too keen on it. When the onions turn translucent add the spinach and saute' till the spinach colour changes to a darker shade, now add the soaked dal, tumeric and salt to taste and pressure cook on high untill 4 whistles. When the pressure settles, its time to add the tempering. In a small kadai heat the oil, add the mustard seeds, curry leaves and asafoetida. And pour it over the dal. Now the dal to ready to be served woth Rice and Ghee (if desired, I personally dont like the taste of Ghee in savoury food, but most of the Indians love it).

Now for the Dondekkai Fry, Its also called Dondakaya in Hyderabad and Tindora in Hindi (may be). You start off with the vegetable as soon as you let the dal to pressure cook, I am writing it separately so that there is no confusion.

Dondekkai Fry :

Dondekkai - 10 Nos (sliced lenghtwise)

Onion Chopped - 1 Small sized

Dry red chiilies - 8 Nos

Peanuts - A handful

Oil - 1 Tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 Tsp

Curry leaves - 1 Sprig

Tumeric Powder - 1/2 Tsp

Asafoetida - 1/2 Tsp

Salt to taste

Preparation - Dry roast the peanuts, cool and remove the skin. Dry roast 6 of the red chillies. and make into a coarse powder in a blender.

Method :

Heat oil in kadai, add the mustard seeds,curry leaves and 2 red chillies. Now add the Onions and saute' till translucent. Add the asafoetida and the sliced dondekkai. and saute' for ten minutes and let cover cook for another ten mintues. Add salt and check if the vegetable is cooked esle allow it to cook for some more time. Once the vegetable is cooked, sprinkle over the peanut and chillies mixture, fry for 5 more minutes and remove from flame. Ensure not to keep on flame for too long after adding the peanuts, for it will stick to the bottom.

There are other variations to preparing this vegetable. This is one of them that I learnt from my maid Padma.

Enjoy the meal with some pappads and pickles.