Weekend's approaching.....

I am watching a Hindi movie called "Frozen". It is a black and white movie about a family living in a remote village in the Himalayas and how their lives are interrupted when the army moves in to their vicinity. I was so pleasantly surprised to see this movie. From what I have seen so far it is superb! Mind you, it is not for the people who love "Munni banaam hui" and "Sheila ki jawani" and the likes.. IT is for people who enjoy good cinema. Go watch it. I am sure you will like it.

Back to the task at hand. Today's menu was Methi (Fenugreek Leaves) Daal and Avarakkai (Green Hyacinth Beans) Curry.

Avarakkai Curry and Methi Daal

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Methi (Fenugreek Leaves) Daal

1 cup tuvar dal washed 

1 cup chopped methi leaves (wash the leaves well and coarsely chop them)

1 tbsp tamarind pulp

Put all of the above and pressure cook them till the daal is cooked and turns mushy.

1 onion chopped

1 tomato chopped

10 cloves of garlic chopped

2 green chillies slit

1 dry red chilli

1 tsp turmeric pd

Salt and chilli pd to taste

Pinch of cumin and mustard seeds

In a pan heat oil and add the mustard seeds. After that add the cumin seeds, dry red chilli then the garlic. Saute till the garlic releases its aroma. Now add the onions and saute till it turns brown. Now add the tomatoes and green chillies and saute till the tomatoes turn mush. Add the turmeric, salt and chilli pd. Meanwhile take the tamarind, little bit of the daal and methi and grind it to a paste. Add this and the remaining daal to the onion mixture. Bring to a boil. Serve hot with rice or rotis.

Avarakkai (Green Hyacinth Beans) Curry

500 gms avarakkai slit four-ways and then chopped into 2 inch pieces

1 tsp cumin seeds

Salt and chilli pd to taste

4 tbsps groudnut powder

Cook the avarakkai with a little water, covered till they are half cooked. Heat a pan and add oil. Now add the cumin seeds and let them splutter. Now add the beans and let them saute till they turn brown. Now add the salt, turmeric and chilli pd and the ground nut powder. Saute for a few minutes more till the spice loses its raw smell and the ground nut powder is well incorporated. Serve with rice or roti.

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