Collard greens & black chick peas sambar

Collard greens is a member of the cabbage family. The leaves are thicker and slightly bitter. I make sambar using collard greens and black chick peas (called kala chana in Hindi). Comparatively, its a healthy sambar because the peas have high protein level and a good source of potassium and the greens are rich in calcium.

                      dry chick peas (kala chana) and collard greens

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup toor dal
• 1/4 cup of dry chick peas (soaked over night)
• 1 bunch of collard greens
• 1 tomato
• 1 tsp of chopped onion
• 1 tbsp of coconut ( dry or fresh)
• 1 to 1 1/2 tsp sambar powder
• 1/4tsp jaggery/sugar
• lemon juice and salt

Procedure:

Soak the dry chick peas over night, or atleast few hours before cooking.

Pressure cook the toor dal, dry chick peas, collard greens (chopped fine) and tomato with two cups of water till soft.

In a mixer add the onion, coconut and sambar powder with little bit of water and grind to a smooth paste.

Now take a skillet do the popu or tadka ( 1 tsp oil, few mustard leaves, few curry leaves and a pinch of hing). Add the onion, coconut mixture and cook for five minutes. This takes away the raw smell of the onion. Now add the cooked dal mixture with some salt,  jaggery/sugar and lemon juice. Reduce it for another ten minutes and serve with rice.

                 collard greens pulusu(sambar) with white rice

Recipe: Venkatesh’s family

Tomato paste rasam

                       

On a lazy day, when i dont feel like cooking but still want to eat homemade food, i make this rasam. Its very simple recipe, but the taste is so good. I always feel that  tasty food doesnt have to be complicated, even a recipe like this with very few ingredients can make your day. This rasam can be compared with the tomato soup, beacuse it has the same consistency but what makes it special is, it has that indian spice to it.

Ingredients:

• 6 oz can of tomato paste- 1
• rasam powder- 1 1/2 tsp
• sugar- 1/2 tsp
• water- 3 1/2 cups
• cilantro
• few curry leaves

Procedure:

Mix the tomato paste in water and keep it a side. Now do the popu or tadka (1 tsp oil, few mustard seeds, 1 tsp jeera, 1 dry red chillie, pinch of hing and curry leaves). Add the tomato paste with water, rasam powder, salt and sugar to the popu. Boil the rasam in the medium low heat for about ten to fifteen minutes. By now the rasam should look some what like a thick liquid. Taste and reseason accordingly, with chopped cilantro on top.

This rasam can be eaten as soup also. But really goes well with rice and all you need is some potatoe chips on the side.