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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Chena Mezhukkupuratti - Stir fried Elephant Yam

Chena Mezhukkupuratti is a very tasty mezhukkupuratti which is easy to prepare and can be served with rice.

Ingredients:

Chena (Elephant Yam) : 1/4 kg
Shallots  - 10 no
Green Chillies - 2 nos (Cut legth wise at the bottom only)
Coconut Oil - 4 tbsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Red Chilly Powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - as required

Method:

Cut the yam into cube pieces. Slice the onions thin.

Cook chena with salt, turmeric powder and chilly powder (Do not overcook, as mezhukkupuratti will not come out well with mashed chena. I learnt this the hard way. Also cutting them into very small pieces can also lead to mashing up).

Pour oil into a hard bottomed pan and add green chilly and Onion slices.

When the onion turns golden brown, add the cooked vegetable.

Fry for some time until all the water disappears and the mezhukkupuratti appears dry.

Mezhukkupuratti is ready to be served with Rice.

An earlier one I prepared in India:

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Chena Vanpayar Erissery - Cow peas and Elephant Yam in a spiced coconut gravy

Credit: Edible Garden
Note: You can also make another version with Pumpkin instead of Elephant yam which is also quite popular.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups cubed elephant yam / chena
• 1 cup cow peas / vanpayar - preferable soaked for at least 2-4 hours
• Salt to taste

Grate together:

• 1/2 cup grated coconut (frozen will work but not dessicated)
• 1 tsp minced fresh garlic
• 1/4 tsp pepper powder
• A large pinch of turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp chilli powder

For tempering:

• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 dry red chillies, torn into small pieces
• A few curry leaves
• 1 tbsp coconut oil (I used normal vegetable oil)

Method:

1. Wash the vanpayar and sift out any stones that may be there. Transfer to a pan with 3 cups water and cook on a low fire until semi-soft. This will take about 20 mins or so. Add the yam to the vanpayar and cook until both turn soft and almost mushy.
2. Once the vanpayar and yam are cooked, add the grated coconut mixture and mix well, cooking on low flame until well combined and the coconut loses its raw smell - about 3-4 mins. Add salt. Mix again. Remove from fire.
3. Heat oil for tempering and add all the ingredients mentioned in the list. When the mustard seeds pop and the red chillies glisten, remove from fire and dunk into the cooked mixture. Mix well and serve hot with rice and moru curry.

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Kaalan - Plantain and Elephant Yam in a spiced Coconut-Yoghurt sauce

Credit: Pazham Pappadam Payasam e-book pg.33
 Prep. Time: 55 mins.

Ingredients:

• Yam ¼ cup, cut to chunks
• Plantain 1 small, Skin peeled off and cut to diagonal chunks
• Yoghurt 4 cups
• Turmeric powder ½ tsp
• Black Pepper powder 1 ½ tsp
• Green Chilly 2 nos
• Cumin seeds ¼ tsp
• Grated Coconut 1 cup
• Fenugreek powder a pinch, roasted
• Salt as needed
• Curry leaves
• Mustard seeds ½ tsp
• Dry red chilly 2 nos
• Oil 1 tbsp
• Ghee 1 tsp

Method:

1. Heat a wide mouth pan at medium heat and add the Yam and Plantain pieces
with a cup of water.
2. Add Turmeric powder and Pepper powder. Allow the Vegetables to cook well and
then add Salt.
3. When the liquid from Vegetables are almost dried up, add 1 tsp. Ghee and mix
well.
4. Mash the veggies gently, reduce flame to low and add the beaten Yoghurt to
this.
5. Throw in Curry leaves and stir well until Yoghurt starts to boil.
6. Meanwhile grind together Coconut, Cumin seeds and green Chilly to a fine paste
with 20ml Water.
7. When the liquid from Yoghurt is completely evaporated (4 cups Yoghurt will get
reduced to almost 2 cups), add the Coconut paste and mix well. Cook for a few
more minutes.
8. Add a pinch of Fenugreek powder and switch off the stove.
9. Heat 1 tsp Oil in another pan and splutter Mustard seeds and dry red Chilly with
some Curry leaves. Pour the tempering.

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