Okra and Dal and Happy Pongal

Photo: from Wiki, I wish I had this much skill!

The other day I made okra and dal on hubby's request he was craving some simple and tasty Indian food, so here follows the recipes. Its Pongal tomorrow A South Indian Festival to Celebrate harvest, so I will make pongal in the morning and Jasmine has a new outfit to wear from her Grandparents!

Traditional sweet and savory pongals are made (a rice and dal dish) and its considered luck to let them boil over. The house is decorated with sugar cane and mango leaves. I was in India a few years ago for my first Pongal it was fun to cook with Amma then go up onto the terrace and offer food to the crows!

So Happy Pongal Everyone

Ingredients:

3 cloves garlic
little salt
toor dal 1 cup
1 cup spinach
little tumeric
sambar powder (can be found in Indian grocery store- famous in South India)
curry leaves
mustard seeds
green chili
1/2 onion
1/2 tomato.

Method
1. add dal, green beans, tomato, little onion, little tumeric 1 clove garlic to pressure cooker and cook till you hear two whistles.
2. fry mustard seeds (let pop) onion, curry leaves, garlic, green chili in canola oil, then add some sambar powder- more if you want it to be spicy
3. mix fried onions and spices with dal and boil 5 - 10 min add coriander/cilantro to garnish.

Ingredients:

• okra (any desired amount)
• 2 green chili's
• 1/2 cup frozen or fresh coconut
• salt
• few curry leaves (can get in Indian stores)
• 1/2 red onion diced,
• little urad dal
• pinch of chili powder or masala powder

Method:

1. Saute the onion in canola oil, with curry leaves, urad dal, salt and green chili and masala powder
2. add Okra and stir fry for about 20 min until the gooey texture goes away, near the end add the coconut

and its done, it really tastes great, and is a wonderful vegetable side with almost anything. Okra is a great source of fiber, vitamin C, Folate, Vitamin A and Vitamin K, it is also a good source of protein