The Best Of Samaithu Paar (5 page)

Almost any vegetable can be used for this—snake gourd, sabre beans, cluster beans, drumstick, French beans, Bangalore brinjal, brinjal, plantain, amaranth stem, carrot, ash gourd, cucumber, potatoes and yam—except colocasia and lady’s finger. If colocasia is used, boil a few, peel and add separately. It is not necessary that all vegetables should be used. Use them in similar quantities to make up at least 4 cups when cut.

Wash and cut vegetables. Put water in a vessel and bring to boil. When water begins to boil, first put in those vegetables which normally take a longer time to cook (such as ash gourd, Bangalore brinjal, etc). After a few minutes, add the other vegetables including the mango, if being used. Finally, add salt and cover. When the vegetables begin to cook, turn once or twice. Cook all vegetables evenly. When well cooked, pour out excess water, if any. It is preferable to cut and boil potatoes separately. Cook potatoes in their jackets, peel and then add to the other vegetables. Potatoes can however also be boiled along with the other vegetables. But yam should always be cooked separately and added afterwards. Scrape yam. Cut into long bits (the same size as other vegetables) and cook. Cluster beans may be fried slightly before boiling.

Grate coconut and grind into a paste with cumin seeds, green chillies and rice. Mix with the curd. If mango is
being used as a vegetable, reduce quantity of curd accordingly (as the mango itself will be sour). Add the curd mixture to the cooked vegetable. Mix well and boil. Remove from fire. Garnish with curry leaves. Pour raw coconut oil from the top. Mix well and serve.

Ingredients

Vegetables
(Cut) 4 cups

Green Mango
1 (Optional)

Salt
2 tsp

Coconut
½ (Large)

Cumin seeds
½ tsp

Green chillies
4-5

Rice
½ tsp

Curd
(Slightly sour) 1 cup

Curry leaves
8-10

Coconut oil
⅛ cup

To serve
4 persons

Photograph

Plantain, amaranth stem, pumpkin and ash gourd can be used to prepare this dish. Cut the chosen vegetable into small squares of ½" length. Cook in water with salt. When cooked, drain off excess water.

Grind grated coconut, cumin seeds, green chillies and rice into a smooth paste . Add the ground paste to the cooked vegetables. Mix well and boil. Add raw coconut oil or gingelly oil from the top, reserving 1 tsp.

Heat 1 tsp oil in a frying pan. Fry mustard and black gram dhal and season the ‘koottu’.

Ingredients

Vegetable
100-150 gms

Salt
2 tbsp

Coconut
(Grated) ¼-½ cup

Cumin seeds
1 tbsp

Green chillies
2

Rice
1 tsp

Coconut oil or gingelly oil
½ -1 tbsp

Mustard seeds
1 tsp

Black gram dhal ½
tsp

To serve
4 persons

Wash the cluster beans and cut into very small pieces. Either grate or finely chop the coconut. Prepare ¼ cup thick tamarind juice. Heat 3-4 tsp oil in a frying pan. Add the beans along with the salt and turmeric powder. Fry for a while. Cover the vegetable with water. Add sambar powder. Cook till tender. Add thick tamarind juice and jaggery. Allow jaggery to melt and mix well. Add the asafoetida water and curry leaves. Mix rice flour with water and add.

Heat remaining oil in a separate frying pan. Fry mustard, black gram dhal, bengal gram dhal and grated/chopped coconut to a reddish brown colour. Add to the vegetable. Remove from fire and serve.

Ingredients

Cluster beans
350 gms

Coconut
½ (Medium)

Tamarind
A lump the size of a small lime

Oil
5-6 tsp

Salt
1
½
tsp

Turmeric powder
½-¾ tsp

Sambar powder
2 tsp

Jaggery
A lump the size of a big lime

Asafoetida water ½
-1 tsp

Curry leaves
8-10

Rice flour
2-3 tsp

Bengal gram dhal
2 tsp

Black gram dhal
2 tsp

Mustard
1 tsp

To serve
4 persons

Choose small tender pumpkin only. Remove skin. Wash the vegetable. Cut into thin long fingers (about ¼ inch). Heat ¼ to ½ cup water in a vessel. Cook the pumpkin with salt in the water. (Do not allow it to get too tender.) Add the sugar. Let it mix well. Mix rice flour in the milk and add. Boil for a few seconds and remove.

Heat oil in a frying pan. Fry mustard, black gram dhal and chillies and season the cooked vegetables.

Ingredients

Pumpkin
200 gms

Salt
A pinch

Sugar
2 tbsp

Rice flour
2 tsp

Milk
½ cup

Oil
2 tsp

Mustard seeds
½ tsp

Black gram dhal
1 tsp

Dry red chillies
2

or green chillies
2

To serve
4 persons

Cook the rice and spread on a plate to cool.

Soak black gram dhal in ¼ cup water and wash. Drain out the water completely. Grate the coconut. Break cashewnuts into small bits. Chop green chillies. Soak asafoetida in water to prepare asafoetida water.

Heat oil in a frying pan. Add mustard, red chillies and asafoetida water. Add the cashewnuts when the mustard begins to splutter, and fry. Add the soaked dhal. Fry well till the water is absorbed. Add the grated coconut and fry till the coconut turns reddish brown. Add the curry leaves. Stir for a minute or two. Remove from fire.

Mix with cooled rice and salt. Pour ghee over the rice before serving.

Ingredients

Rice
1½ cups

Black gram dhal
1 tbsp

Coconut
½ (Large)

Cashewnuts
12

Green chillies
3

Asafoetida
A pinch or to taste

Oil
6 tsp

Mustard seeds
1 tsp

Dry red chillies
3

Curry leaves
(Broken) 2 tbsp

Salt
1
½
tsp

Ghee
2-3 tsp

To serve
4 persons

Cook the rice and spread on a plate to cool. Mix 2-3 tsp of raw oil into the rice and break the lumps.

Soak Bengal gram dhal in a little water till it becomes soft. Drain water and keep soaked dhal aside. Squeeze the lime. Filter and keep juice aside. Add turmeric powder and salt to the lime juice. Chop green chillies. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add mustard, red chillies and asafoetida. Add green chillies and fry. Add soaked dhal and fry till dry. Mix the seasoning with the lime juice. Mix with the cooled rice.

Ingredients

Rice
1½ cups

Oil
7-8 tsp

Bengal gram dhal
1 tbsp

Lime
2 (Medium)

Turmeric powder
¼ tsp

Salt
¼ tsp

Green chillies
4-5

Mustard seeds
1 tsp

Dry red chillies
3

Asafoetida powder
A pinch or to taste

To serve
4 persons

Photograph

Cook the rice and spread on a plate to cool. Mix 2-3 tsp of raw oil into the rice and break the lumps.

Add ½ cup water, a little at a time to the tamarind and prepare a thick juice. Filter and keep the clean tamarind juice aside. Soak the dhal in a little water till it becomes soft. Wash and drain. Fry fenugreek seeds and asafoetida in a little oil and powder. Pinch the red chillies into small bits (of two or three).

Heat remaining oil in a heavy vessel. Fry mustard and pinched red chillies. Add soaked Bengal gram and fry till dry. Add turmeric powder. Pour in tamarind juice. Add salt and asafoetida and fenugreek powders and mix. Pinch the curry leaves and add. Boil well over a slow fire. Stir quite often to prevent scorching. When the sauce thickens and the water fully evaporates, oil will float on top. (The sauce will not be sticky.) When sufficiently boiled, remove from fire and cool. Pour enough of the sauce into the cooled rice and mix well.

Ingredients

Rice
2 cups

Oil
¼ cup

Tamarind
A lump the size of an orange or a big wood apple

Bengal gram dhal
(Whole or pulse) ¼ cup

Fenugreek seeds
1 tsp

Asafoetida powder
A pinch or to taste

Dry red chillies
10-12

Mustard seeds
2 tsp

Turmeric powder
½ tsp

Salt
1½ tsp

Curry leaves
(Broken) 2-3 tbsp

To serve
4 persons