The Best Of Samaithu Paar (4 page)

Heat 2 tsp oil in a frying pan. Fry the red chillies, coriander seeds and the dhals to a reddish brown. Keep aside. Grate the coconut and fry in 2 tsp oil to a reddish brown. Powder the fried chillies and coriander seeds with the salt. Add the fried dhals and fried coconut. Powder once again. Add asafoetida powder. Mix well and keep the powder separate.

Select very tender, fresh and small brinjals of uniform size. Wash the brinjals. Cut out the stem and slit the brinjal in four from the top. Take care that the brinjal does not get cut into four pieces, but is only slit. Check to see that there are no insects or worms inside the brinjals. Stuff each brinjal with the prepared powder, a little at a time.

Heat 5-6 tsp of oil. Add mustard. When it splutters, add stuffed brinjals. Sprinkle a little water, if necessary. (If brinjals are very tender, there is no need for water.) Cover with a plate. Cook till very soft, turning the brinjals quite often.

Ingredients

Oil
10 tsp

Dry red chillies
6

Brinjal
350 gms

Coriander seeds
3 tsp

Bengal gram dhal
1½ tsp

Black gram dhal
1
½
tsp

Coconut
¼ (Medium)

Salt
1
½
tsp

Asafoetida powder
A pinch or to taste

Mustard seeds
1-2 tsp

To serve
4 persons

Wash the colocasia well. Boil in their jackets. Peel. Cut into fairly big pieces, i.e., cut each colocasia into two or three bits.

Heat oil in a frying pan. Fry the mustard and black gram dhal. Add chopped green chillies. Fry a little, and then add the colocasia pieces. Prepare ½ to ¾ cup tamarind juice and add to the colocasia. Add salt and turmeric powder along with asafoetida water and pinched curry leaves. Turn three or four times. Boil for a while. Add rice flour mixed in water and fry together. Keep on the fire for a while. When it becomes a mass, remove from fire.

Ingredients

Colocasia
350 gms

Oil
4 tsp

Mustard seeds
1 tsp

Black gram dhal
2 tsp

Green chillies
4-6

Tamarind
A lump the size of an arecanut

Turmeric powder
½ tsp

Salt
1½ tsp

Asafoetida water
1 tsp

Curry leaves
8-10

Rice flour
2 tsp

To serve
4 persons

Soak the first four dhals, which altogether measure 1 cup, for over an hour, wash well and drain water. Grind the dhals with the salt, red chillies and asafoetida into a smooth and firm paste (sprinkling just enough water).

The colocasia leaves should be of a very good variety and tender (and not very mature). Cut and discard the stalk. Wash and wipe the leaves. Invert each leaf on the counter. Spread the paste (a handful) evenly on the back of each leaf. Roll tightly. Increase or decrease the quantity of paste according to the size of the leaves and the rolls.

Heat water in a pan or idli vessel. Insert a single idli tray covered with a thin white cloth. Arrange the rolled leaves on it. (Place only as many leaves as the tray can hold.) Close the vessel and steam the leaves. When the leaves are cooked, beads of water will drip from the lid. Open the lid and see whether the leaves have changed colour. Test and see if the paste has also cooked. Remove the steamed leaves on a tray. Steam the rest of the leaves, taking care that there is enough water for steaming.

After cooling, cut each roll into ten or twelve bits. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Season with mustard and black gram dhal. Add the cut steamed colocasia leaves and fry, turning often. Remove from fire and serve.

Ingredients

Red gram dhal
¼ cup

Bengal gram dhal
¼ cup

Black gram dhal
¼ cup

Green gram dhal
¼ cup

Salt
2 tsp

Dry red chillies
8

Asafoetida
A pinch or to taste

Colocasia leaves
8 (Medium sized)

Oil
⅕ to ¼ cup

Mustard seeds
1 tsp

Black gram dhal
2 tsp

To serve
4 persons

Heat the oil in a frying pan. Fry the red chillies, red gram dhal, black gram dhal, asafoetida and mustard till they turn reddish brown in colour. Remove from fire. When cool, powder coarsely with salt in a mixie/food processor

Boil the potatoes in their jackets. Peel. Mash the boiled potatoes. Add the coarse powder to the mashed pototoes. Mix well and serve hot.

Ingredients

Oil
4 tsp

Dry red chillies
6-8

Red gram dhal
2 tsp

Black gram dhal
2 tsp

Asafoetida
A pinch or to taste

Mustard seeds ½
tsp

Salt
1½ tsp

Potato
350 gms (Large)

To serve
4 persons

Heat 2 tsp of oil in a frying pan. Fry the poppy seeds, cinnamon, anise seeds, cloves and cardamoms. Powder and keep masala aside. Boil the potatoes in their jackets. Peel and cut. Peel onions and chop. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan. Fry the mustard and black gram dhal. Add chopped ginger, green chillies and onions and fry. Add potato bits, turmeric powder and salt. Mix and turn three or four times. Soak the Bengal gram flour in the water. Pour into the pan and mix well. Sprinkle powdered masala over the ‘curry’ and add the ghee. Mix and turn. Cook till it becomes a thick mass. Remove. Serve as a side dish with ‘poori’. (See
recipe
)

Ingredients

Oil
7-8 tsp

Poppy seeds ½
tsp

Cinnamon
½"
piece

Anise seeds
½ tsp

Cloves
4

Green cardamoms
4

Potato
350 gms

Onion
100 gms

Mustard seeds
1 tsp

Black gram dhal
1½
tsp

Ginger
A marble-sized bit

Green chillies
6-8

Turmeric powder
¼ tsp

Salt
1
½
tsp

Bengal gram flour
½ cup

Water
½ cup

Ghee
2 tsp

To serve
4 persons

Remove skin from the pumpkin and cut into small arecanut-sized pieces. Wash the cut pumpkin. Add 1 to 1½ cups water . Add salt and turmeric powder and boil. Turn twice or thrice, when the vegetable boils vigorously. Remove from fire when properly cooked. The vegetable should be soft.

Grate coconut and keep aside. Heat oil in a frying pan. Fry mustard, black gram dhal and red chillies. Add the boiled vegetable and jaggery. When the jaggery begins to melt, add grated coconut and rice flour mixed in water. Cook for a few minutes, turning the vegetable four to five times. Remove from fire and serve.

Ingredients

Pumpkin
(Ripe) 150 gms

Salt
¼ tsp

Turmeric powder
¼ - ½ tsp

Coconut
¼ (Medium)

Oil
4 tsp

Mustard seeds
½ tsp

Black gram dhal
1 tsp

Dry red chillies
2-3

Jaggery
A lump the size of a lime

Rice flour 2
tsp

To serve
4 persons

Cut the vegetable into slices. (Do not peel.) Wash well to remove any mud and sand. Boil just enough water to cover the vegetable in a heavy vessel. Add the sliced and washed vegetable. Add salt. Cook for a while. Turn and cook a little more. Remove from fire. Strain out the water.

Heat oil in a frying pan and fry mustard, black gram dhal and red chillies. Add the cooked vegetable with the jaggery or sugar. Fry for a few minutes and remove from fire.

Ingredients

Sweet potato
350 gms

Salt ½
tsp

Oil
2-3 tsp

Mustard seeds ½
tsp

Black gram dhal
1tsp

Dry red chillies
2

Jaggery
A marble-sized lump

or Sugar
1tsp

To serve
4 persons

Cut the bitter gourd into half-inch long pieces. If they are of the small variety, cut out the stem and just slit the gourd or cut into two halves lengthwise. Boil 1 to 2 cups water. Add the bitter gourd. Do not cook the bitter gourd too well. Strain out the water. Prepare ½ to ¾ cup thick tamarind juice. Add the tamarind juice to the half-cooked vegetable with the salt and turmeric powder. When the vegetable turns soft, add the jaggery. Cook till all the water is absorbed. Remove from fire and keep aside.

Heat oil in a frying pan. Season with mustard. Add the cooked bitter gourd along with the chilli powder and asafoetida water. Fry over a slow fire. Turn now and then. Fry well and remove from fire.

Ingredients

Bitter gourd
200 gms

Tamarind
A lump the size of a marble

Salt
1½ tsp

Turmeric powder ½
tsp

Jaggery
A marble-sized lump

Oil
5-6 tsp

Mustard seeds
1 tsp

Chilli powder
1½ tsp

Asafoetida water ½
tsp

To serve
4 persons