Sundal: Chickpeas and Apple Salad

This is another version of Sundal with tart, granny smith apples   in lieu of green mangoes. Again,  a slight deviation from the traditional version as in the previous recipe, Black Chickpeas Salad. The heat comes from hot green chillies, a sprinkle of black pepper powder and a touch of grated ginger. The crunch comes from the coconut slivers and the tart-sweet touch from the granny smith apple. This goes to the Weekend Herb Blogging # 276 started by Kalyn, continued by Haalo of Cook Almost Anything  and hosted this week by Cinzia of  Cindystar.

Ingredients

1 Cup of chickpeas

1/2 of a Granny Smith Apple

2 hot green chillies [ or according to preference],

1/4 Cup of fine chopped fresh coconut bits

1/4 cup fresh grated coconut [optional]

or 2 tbsps dessicated coconut

1/4 tsp finely grated ginger

Pinch of turmeric powder [optional]
1/4 tsp black pepper powder
Tempering ingredients

3/4  tsp of cummin seeds

1 tbsp urad dal seeds

1 broken red chillies

 3-4 curry leaves

Pinch of Asafoetida powder
2 tbps lime juice

Method

Soak the white chickpeas overnight/ 8 hours in plenty of water

Cook with salt, drain and keep aside.

Heat 2 tbsps of vegetable oil

Temper the cummin seeds, urad dal seeds, dried red chilli, and the curry leaves, followed by asafoetida powder.

Add the cooked chickpeas and the grated ginger,

Saute for a few minutes,

Sprinkle the black pepper,

Switch off the heat.

Add the chopped coconut and toss well

Add finely diced tart granny smith apples
Add the lime juice and mix well

Garnish with slivers of apples.

Sundal: South Indian Black Chickpeas Salad

      This is my take on the traditional Sundal. The recipe is of Tamil origin, so also the name. It is usually served for ceremonial occasions, especially as a religious and festive offering. It  is also, one of the street snacks sold in the South. In Kerala we make 'Upperi', one of the common names given to a stir-fried and dry side-dish made with vegetables, legumes, lentils, fish and meat. The terms vary from region to region: thoran, mezhukkupuratti/ mezhukkuvaratti, podi-thuval etc... but the method is the same.

Method One

A quick initial tempering with whole spices and curry leaves

Followed by  the addition of the main ingredient: especially quick-cooking vegetables

Letting it cook on medium high heat: with or without a lid

A  stir now and then, so that it does not 'catch' or burn,

A final seasoning with fresh grated coconut and perhaps a drizzle of coconut oil completes the dish.

Method Two

The tempering is also done at the end for pre-cooked legumes, vegetables that take longer to cook, tubers,  lentils and meat dishes.

These  are cooked with salt  and turmeric, until the liquid evaporates.

A final tempering with spices and curry leaves finishes the dish.

There are many ways to use this basic recipe and one can tweak the ingredients  in endless combinations. Traditional tempering uses mustard seeds - cummin seeds used here; dessicated coconut [ which was available in  the pantry] in lieu of fresh, grated coconut. The sour-tart flavour comes from lemon juice instead of  raw mangoes. The green chillies are not chopped fine and is added as another ingredient and not as a 'spice', to this salad.

This  recipe goes to the Weekend Herb Blogging, started by Kalyn and continued by Haalo at   Cook Almost Anything     and hosted this week by Chris of   Melecotte.

Ingredients

2 Cups of cooked black chickpeas

4 slim long green chillies, non-spicy

2 hot green chillies [optional]

1/2 tsp cummin seeds

1 broken dried red chilli

1 pinch of Asafoetida powder

3-4 tbsps dessicated coconut

or

substitute with fresh grated coconut

1/4 Cup grated carrots

1 tbsp Lemon juice

Method

The black chickpeas need to be soaked in 3  the amount of water, overnight or for about 6-8 hours.

Cook the chickpeas until soft with salt and a pinch of turmeric powder.

Drain and keep aside.

Heat  2 tbsps of vegetable oil/ coconut oil to smoking point

Temper the cummin seeds, urad dal seeds, red chillies and curry leaves,

Immediately add the green chillies

Add a pinch of asafoetida,

Saute until glossy = a few minutes

Add the chickpeas and stir/ toss for a couple of minutes

Garnish with grated coconut/ dessicated coconut and grated carrots.

Sprinkle 1 tbsp of lemon juice

Toss/ Mix well and serve.

Spiced Sogrhum Radicchio Bowls

This recipe is a take on the puffed rice, Malar and Aduzuki beans dish served on certain ceremonial occasions in Kerala. Puffed rice is also served to the gods as neivedyam.

Yes, you can buy smooth grains of puffed ricefrom the Indian Store but folks  from Kerala, know the difference from Mootta Pori and Malar!

Malar is usually made from  par-boiled rose-matta, paddy seeds with the husk still on: dry roasted like popcorn or sorghum. The one's offered to the Gods on special occasions: carefully roasted in new clay pots with narrow neck and a new, smaller, coconut leaves-stem broom. The fresh puffed rice almost like the sorghum but prettier,  with a slight reddish tinge on the frills. Pori is not served to the Gods, Malar is!:-)

This recipe happily combines some favourite combinations: Aduki Upperi  and Sorghum [ mimicking puffed rice!]. It is also  similar to varieties of  street food- Chaat. This is not a make-ahead dish but is easy to put  together and submits to several variations according to one's fancy! This recipe goes to Deb's Souper Sunday's.

Am already past the deadline for sending this; will update with better photos and link to Adzuki-beans upperi too!

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 small head of Raddicchio

2 Cups Puffed Sorghum

1 Cup cooked adzuki beans

1/4 cup finely chopped red onions

2 green chillies [ hot or not, according to preference], finely chopped

1/2 cup grated carrots

Juice of one lime/lemon

Pinch or two of red chilli powder for heat/spice [ optional]

Salt

Garnish with freshly chopped coriander [ optional]

Method

Separate the Raddicchio leaves into bowls

Toss all the ingredients together and season with salt.

Add the red chilli powder to lemon juice and sprinkle over the spiced sorghum. Serve.

Chickpeas and Green Beans Salad

A colourful salad, while cooking and prep. for tomorrow!

This salad goes to Melodie's Vegetarian Foodie Fridays # 32.

This was put together with the ingredients in the pantry and the fridge as part of today's lunch.

Ingredients

I Cup of cooked chickpeas/ Kabuli Chana [cooked with a pinch of turneric for colour]

2 Cups of fresh green beans, lightly cooked  with salt

1 Cup of fresh grated carrot [ I medium carrot]

6 mini sweet bell peppers of different colours

[ yellow, orange and red used here]

1/4 tsp aniseed

1/4 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1-2 tsps of good Olive Oil for dressing

Method

Cook the Chickpeas with a pinch of turmeric, drain and keep aside

Steam or boil the green beans for about 5 minutes and rinse under cool water, drain and keep aside

Slice the peppers into long strips

Heat an iron pan/ tawa  and dry roast the pepper slices for about 2 minutes on high heat, keep aside

Put everything into a bowl.

Heat 1 tsp of olive oil in the pan,

Temper the cumin and aniseeds.

Pour this seasoning over the assembled ingredients in the bowl.

Drizzle 1-2 tsps of olive oil,

sprinkle with kosher salt

Toss gently and sprinkle with kosher salt,

Serve.
Chanced upon this wonderful blog, based  in Hawaii. This goes to Deb's Souper Sundays.

Simple Celebrations...

Simple Salad

Iceberg Lettuce, Beets, finger hot thai green chillies and seedless black grapes [ to mimic olives] with a simple dressing: olive oil, rice wine vinegar and garlic.

The last two weeks of summer heat kept cooking to light summer dishes but we also had friends over. So it was light dishes with a quick early morning cooking session for friends, dining out and a simple birthday lunch.

A glimpse...

Choaq Wangun

Followed the  original  recipe but substituted Veri Masala for all the spices adding only turmeric, chilli powder and Kashmiri Chilli powder.

Also made this dish with tiny white eggplants which appeared at  one of the local Indian Groceries. Apparently it grows in Africa [they were not sure whether it was in Kenya or South Africa] during this season for about 2 months.  There was a profusion of fairly hard seeds inside. It held well to deep frying: with a deep crosswise slit, flowering up  and keeping its shape  in the curry.

Internet search was not very effective in eliciting more information. Friends took the leftover curry before any photo opportunity of the dish. Any information would be most welcome.

With leftovers from entertaining,  dining out as a dinner treat and summer fruits ripening, lunch was simple today.

A simple birthday lunch offering to the Lamp [ Banana leaves from the freezer, cracked  hence layered]: Rice, Cooked Dal, Fresh Mango Pickle, Ghee/Clarified Butter, Salt, Curd, Sugar