Wednesday, January 13, 2010

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




Bookmark and Share

38 comments:

  1. Happy Pongal! I love learning about festival food - their importance and symbolism on special occasions. I was fascinated to read from your link about the relevance of crows - how they always share their food and are symbols of strong ties and cooperation. Thanks for sharing these recipes!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh I must hurry home and get into the celebration of my clients holidays again...I like it when we do the stick dance!

    Rebecca you are making me hungry, so Aaron and I are going out for Indian food!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh this looks delish - I'm always ready to try a new to me Indian recipe!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Looks delicious! I absolutely love Indian food!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Happy Pongal !! The flower rangoli is looking fab. The recipes are as usual mouthwatering. I love both of them with Indian breads (rotis)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love okra! Bhindi Masala is my favourite Indian dish!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I just love Indian food. My hubby cooked a nice Chicken Curry today and we just had it for lunch.

    The dishes you made looks delicious. I really appreciate all the recipes that you share.

    Happy Pongal!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Very delicious and healthy dish. Happy Pongal!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Looks delicious. Have a wonderful holiday! ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  10. The dhal curry and the okra look so yummy. Im craving for them now. :) ANd I love the colours of the pattern u did on the floor...so very beautiful!! Happy pongal Rebeccan to ur family!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Happy Pongal! Sounds like such a fun holiday.

    I love okra. Thanks for giving me a new way to prepare it.

    ReplyDelete
  12. That is a nice vegetarian dish!
    Did you decorate the floor motif as well? :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Happy Pongal!
    This sounds like a very fun festival.
    Your dish looks wonderful too!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Happy Pongal! The too dishes look amazing. I am going to have to get some curry leaves and okra. Thanks for sharing. -Tien

    ReplyDelete
  15. I am going to bookmark this one! It looks fabulous! Happy Pongal!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Happy Pongal to you:)That looks real yummy, Rebecca!

    ReplyDelete
  17. How interesting, I never heard of Pongal. Now I want to celebrate it! Any holiday with food is a-okay in my book!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Love your decorations! And I adore okra! Did you let it boil over?

    ReplyDelete
  19. happy Pongal! did you do the rangoli in that first photo? The dish sounds good - maybe I need to let a little boil over here at ChezWhat.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Happy Pongal! Great to learn about this holiday and your dish looks so delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  21. HAppy Pongal. I love Okra you know but this is a new okra dish to me...

    ReplyDelete
  22. Tangled Noodle: oh I agree fascinating and all the more things to celebrate!
    Chef E: he he you adore Indian thats for sure LOL
    Kristen:thanks
    Hummingbird appetite: thanks
    Anshika: oh I didn't do the rangoli got it online! happy Pongal!
    Kenny T: mine too lol
    Angel: oh my pleasure your so sweet and sounds like your hubby is good cook
    Mary: thanks smiles
    Deb: thanks so much
    Zurin: thanks I need to edit that pic can't take the credit
    Joanne: oh this way is my fav enjoy
    3 hungry: no not me LOL
    foodie with a little thyme: thanks
    Tien: oh my pleasure
    fresh local and best thanks
    Lyndsey; thanks so much
    Shri: oh thanks the same to you
    tasty trix: yep I agree it was new to me before getting married !
    Barbara: i didn't do them, no didn't let it boil over he he
    doggybloggy: no can't take credit for the lovely rangoli have fun in Chez What Kitchen!
    5 star foodie: thanks
    peachkins: thanks, this is my fav okra recipe

    ReplyDelete
  23. Wow, I learn something new everytime I come here. :) What an interesting dish. I love okra and I love dal! Happy Pongal! India is one of the places I've been wanting to visit for the longest time.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Happy Pongal! It's so fascinating to learn about different celebrations and the foods that are part of them. Thanks for sharing.
    Mimi

    ReplyDelete
  25. Happy Pongal. A good way to celebrate the festivities. ;-D

    ReplyDelete
  26. Happy pongal to u and family,nice dish with okra,enjoy...

    ReplyDelete
  27. The creamy okra and dal looks very delicious and healthy.
    Happy Pongal!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Ju: oh you must plan to visit the food is awesome and its a colorful country
    Mimi: oh my pleasure
    Jenn: thanks
    Vrinda: thanks
    Angie: thanks so much

    ReplyDelete
  29. Happy Pongal! What fun to learn about these special foods and the festival.All mouth-watering. Grand post!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Yum yum yum! I was at a dinner the other day where people were taking about their major dislike for okra, but I love it!

    ReplyDelete
  31. That picture is beautiful...you could do it! You have mad skill : )

    ReplyDelete
  32. Claudia thanks so much love ya
    traveleatlove: oh I so agree lol
    prevention RD thanks well i am not sure about that!

    ReplyDelete
  33. Happy Pongal to you & your family! Hope you all have a wonderful time. At first, I thought that the top picture is your home. haha.... Too bad, it's not yours! Such beautiful decoration. I think you should make one someday! You know, for fun!

    ReplyDelete
  34. Both the dishes look very Hearty and comforting.

    ReplyDelete
  35. my little space: thanks so much maybe I should do one someday!
    Chakhlere: thanks

    ReplyDelete
  36. I so love okra. I cannot always get it here.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Both the dal and okra look delicious! I will have to try these recipes; I am an okra fanatic.

    ReplyDelete

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails