Menthya Soppina Huli(Methi leaves sambar)

Ingredients:

Methi leaves - 1 bunch, chopped finely
Onion - 1 large, cut into lengthwise
Toor daal - 1/2 cup
coconut grated - 1/2 cup
tamarind paste - 1 tsp
jaggery - little bit for tinge of sweetness
salt for taste
oil,mustard,curry leaves,red chilly for tempering








for the Masala

Red chilly - 3-4
Coriander seeds - 2 tsp
Jeera - 1 tsp
Methi seeds - 1/4 tsp

Method

1. Wash and cook the daal along with the methi leaves by adding a pinch of turmeric and 1 tsp oil.(If you want to remove the complete bitterness of methi, then soak the leaves in salt for 20 minutes). Cook the onion by adding some water.

2.  Fry all the masala Ingredients in kadai until a good aroma comes. dont let them burn.

3. Blend these masala Ingredients using a blender without adding any water. Grind this masala powder along with the coconut in mixer jar to a smooth paste by adding adequate amount of water.

4. Take the cooked daal-methi mixture in a kadai and bring it to boil. Add tamarind paste,salt, little jaggery and boil for 4-5 minutes

5. Now add the coconut masala paste and add some water if the mixture is too thick, get the consistency of sambar. Boil for 3-4 minutes

6. Take all the tempering ingredients in a kadai and heat and mix it to the Sambar.

Sambar is ready. serve hot with rice.

Note: same sambar can be prepared using different leaves like palak,dill etc.

Kumbala Kayi Majjige Huli (Ash Gourd Butter Milk Curry)

Majjige Huli is a very famous recipe, an integral part of kannada malnad brahmin lunch/dinner events . It goes very well with plain rice but also served with chitranna, puliyogare etc.  Here majjige means Butter milk. here is the recipe for Kumbala Kayi Majjige Huli

Ingredients

1.  Kumbala Kayi (Ash gourd or winter melon)  - 2 cups Finely chopped into cubes.
2. Coconut grated - 1 cup
3. Green chillies - 2-3
4. Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
5. Rice soaked in water - 1 tsp
6. Butter milk sour - 1 cup
7. 1 tsp butter/oil/ghee,mustard,red chilly,curry leaves for tempering



Method:

1. Boil the vegetable and keep it aside.

2. Take the grated coconut in a mixer jar add 1 tsp of cumin seeds, soaked rice,green chilly and grind it to a smooth paste by adding little water.

3. Now take the boiled vegetable and add this to the grinded mixture and boil for 6-7 minutes and turn off the heat.

4. Now pour the buttermilk to the above mixture and mix well. do not heat after the buttermilk is added

4. Now take 1 tsp of butter/ghee/oil in a kadai add all the tempering ingredients and fry it well and add it to the above mixture.

You could also prepare the same recipe with cucumber,pumpkin,beans,brinjal, lady's finger etc. I  specially like the Lady's finger recipe - Bende Kayi Majjige Huli.


TIPS:if it is brinjal/lady's finger then dont boil it instead fry it in a tsp of oil and keep it aside.


Now the tasty Majjige huli is ready to serve