Zero-oil Tomato Sambar

I've made this sambar a few times now. Its a one pot meal that requires no effort except for prepping the veggies. When in a hurry, I only use tomatoes and make a tomato sambar. You can add additional veggies to this recipe.
Veggies that go well in this sambar are spinach, carrots, beans,  snake gourd (padavalanga), drumsticks, ivy gourd (tindora/kovakka),sweet potatoes, potatoes, taro (cheppankezhangu/chembu/arbi), bell pepper, green peas.

Ingredients:

Lentils – 1 cup (use toor dal/masoor dal/moong dal/ or a mixture of these)
Tomatoes – 3, chopped
Onions – 1, chopped
Green chillies – 3, chopped fine
Ginger – 1″ thick, minced
Garlic – 4 cloves, minced
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Sambar powder – 3 tbsp.
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida – 1 tsp
Water – 2 cups
Additional veggies are optional – eg. carrots, beans, snake gourd (padavalanga), drumsticks (moringa oleifera), ivy gourd (tindora/kovakka), sweet potatoes, potatoes, taro (cheppankezhangu/chembu/arbi), bell pepper, green peas.
Salt to taste
Cilantro – a handful, chopped

Method:

Add all ingredients into a pressure cooker and cook for 2 to 3 whistles. After it’s cooked, sprinkle the cilantro over the top – do not forget this step because it lends the tomato sambar that signature flavor. It’s that simple!

You can have it with brown rice, and a side of other veggie dishes. Or on its own like soup.

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Canneloni Florentine

This is a dish I first ate at a vegetarian Italian restaurant in Bangalore called Little Italy. Its one of the fewest restaurants where I did not miss meat!

Ingredients:

Canneloni tubes - 12 tubes

For canneloni filling:
Butter - 4 tbsp
Onion - 1, chopped fine
Garlic - 6 large cloves, minced
Carrot - 2, peeled and grated
Spinach - 2 cups,chopped
White pepper powder - 2 tsp
Salt
Breadcrumbs - 2 tbsp
Feta cheese/Grated paneer/Ricotta cheese - 1/2 cup, crumbled

Cheesy Bechamel sauce:
Butter - 4 tbsp
Flour - 2 tbsp
Milk - 2 cups
Shallot - 1, whole, peeled
Cloves - 6
White cheddar cheese - 1/4 cup grated
Parmesan cheese - 2 tbsp. grated
Salt
White pepper powder - 1 tsp
Nutmeg powder - a pinch

Spinach layer: (optional)
Spinach - 1 cup, chopped coarsely
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Rosemary - a small sprig

Tomato pasta sauce - 4 tbsp (optional)
White Cheddar cheese for garnish - 1/2 cup, grated
Parmesan cheese for garnish - 3 tbsp

Method:

Preheat oven at 350 degrees F.
Start with Bechamel sauce:
Take the whole peeled shallot and pierce cloves into it.
In a saucepan, pour milk and warm on low-medium. Place the piece of shallot with cloves into it, to allow the flavor to seep in.
In another saucepan, melt butter and add flour to make the roux. Mix for about a minute till the raw smell of flour is gone. Whisk in milk, little by little to get a creamy but less thick sauce. Add grated cheddar cheese and parmesan cheese. Take a taste test and adjust salt (as cheese contains salt too). Add white pepper powder and nutmeg powder.

For filling:
Melt butter in a pan. Saute chopped onions and garlic till its translucent. Then add grated carrots and salt. Now add chopped spinach, white pepper powder and allow for spinach to wilt. Turn off heat and allow the mixture to cool. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Add crumbled feta cheese, breadcrumbs and 2 tbsp of the bechamel sauce.
Fill the canneloni tubes with this filling

Spinach layer:
Heat olive oil in the same pan used for filling. Add rosemary (rub it with your fingers first to release flavor). Then add chopped spinach and allow it to wilt.

Assembly:
In a casserole dish, first pour the cheese bechamel sauce.

Spread the spinach layer on top of this. Now arrange 6 or 7 canneloni tubes to form a layer. Pour more bechamel sauce over this. Sprinkle white cheddar sauce. Place remaining canneloni tubes to form second layer.

Pour remaining bechamel sauce. Spread pasta sauce or marinara sauce, if using. Finally sprinkle white cheddar and parmesan over it.

Bake the casserole for 40 mins.
Note: Do not make the bechamel sauce too thick, or the canneloni tubes will not cook.

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South Indian Toor Dal Palak - A staple curry in my house

Credit: https://www.ifood.tv/recipe/toordal_palak_curry

Ingredients:

Dal (lentil) of your choice (you can use Toor Dal or Masoor Dal or Moon dal or a mixture of them) - 1cup

Palak (spinach or baby spinach leaves) -1 1/2cups (or even a handful) finely chopped

Tomatoes-2 finely chopped

Fresh grated coconut-2tablespoon

Green chillies-6small or 2 large

Tamarind juice-1tablespoon

Salt to taste

Red chilli powder-1/4 teaspoon

Sambar powder-1 teaspoon

Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Cumin powder-1/2 teaspoon

Oil-2 table spoon

 

For Seasoning:-

Ghee-1 tablespoon

Onion-1 finely chopped

Red dry chillies- 2 broken into pieces

Garlic cloves - 3 sliced or crushed

Urad dal-1 teaspoon

Hing-a pinch
Cilantro (coriander leaves) - a small handful, chopped

Method:

My note:

1. To make tamarind juice (if not having tamarind paste)

Mix a small quantity of tamarind (about the size of a rupee coin or a US quarter) in a small bowl with some hot water. Mash the tamarind to make the tamarind juice. Strain before using.

2. I left out grated coconut on several occasions, coz I was too lazy to break a coconut and grate it.
3. I bought Sambar paste once instead of Sambar powder. The paste already contains tamarind too, so do not use additional tamarind paste if using sambar paste.

How to make Toor Dal Palak Curry

Pressure cook dal with 1 cup of water, salt to taste, 1 teaspoon oil, cool and mash well, and keep aside. If you don't have a pressure cooker, cook it in an open saucepan until its turned very soft and mushy.
Heat oil in a large pot. Add green chillies, tomato, chopped spinach and fry well till the palak has wilted and tomato has mashed a little (about 2 minutes).
Add chilli powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder and 1/4 cup of water, cook the palak well.(about 5 minutes)
Add mashed dal with 1/4 cup dal water, salt, tamarind juice and sambar powder. Cook till it becomes thick.(another 2-3 mins)
Sprinkle cilantro and coconut. Allow dal to simmer on low heat. Meanwhile, heat ghee, add seasoning ingredients fry well pour on dal and mix well.
Serve with Rice or Chapattis.

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