Today's Lunch Box had
Mullangi Sambar / Radish Sambar
Plain Rice
Kakara Kaya Vepudu / Bitter Gourd Stir Fry
Artikaya Fry / Plantain Sit Fry
Seasoned Curd Rice.
Mullangi Sambar
Preparation Time : 15 mins
Cooking Time : 15 mins
Ingredients Needed
Toor Dal - 1 cup
Mullangi / Radish - 150 gms
Sambar Onions - 100 gms
Sambar Powder - 1 tsp
Tomatoes - 2 medium
Tamarind pulp - small lime size
Coriander Leaves - few chopped
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt to Taste
Turmeric a pinch
For Seasoning
Mustard Seeds + Urud Dal + Fenugreek - 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves - few
Garlic - 4 pods
Method to Prepare:
Clean Toor Dal and pressure cook it with 2 drops of Oil and turmeric. This makes it cook fast. Keep it for 1 whistle. Remove and let it cool down.
Chop Radish into 1" circles. Pressure it with Dal for another whistle. Keep it aside
Soak tamarind and extract pulp from it.
Soak Shallot (Sambar onions) for 5 mins, this way the skin comes out easily. Chop Onions and tomatoes.
Heat oil in a pan, add the seasoning ingredients. Then add chopped onions. Sauté till they are cooked, add tomatoes, Sambar powder. Cook till the tomatoes are soft.
Then add the cooked toor dal with Mullangi, tamarind pulp. The dal should be well cooked. We usually mash with pappu guthi, which a long wooden stick like ladle.
Cook on high flame for 5 mins, then simmer for 10 mins till its cooked well. Garnish with coriander leaves.
Kakara Kaya Vepudu / Bitter Gourd Stir Fry
Seasoning
Mustard Seeds + urud dal
Curry leaves
Garnishing
Groundnut powder/ Fried gram dal powder - 1 tbsp
Method to prepare:
Chop Onion into fine pieces.
Grate the outer skin and trim the ends of the Bitter gourd. If the seeds are hard, you need not add. But hubby dear likes everything in this karela.
Cut into small pieces or as per wish. I make it circles but Athamma chopped it very finely.
Heat oil in a kadai and sputter mustard and curry leaves. Then sauté the onions till they are brown. Then add Bitter gourd pieces. Sprinkle turmeric and salt. Cover and cook for 10 mins in sim. Then add chili powder and coriander powder and cook on open. This way it doesn't become soggy.
Then once the cereal is cooked, add in the gram powder and remove from flame.
Artikaya Fry / Plantain Sit Fry
Peel the outer skin of the Plantain and chop into fine pieces. Soak them in water till the oil is hot.
Heat a kadai with 1 tsp oil. Sputter with 1/2 tsp mustard and urud dal along with curry leaves. Then add the plantain pieces. Add a pinch of turmeric and salt. Cover and cook in sim for 10 mins. Then add 1/2 tsp chilli pw, 1/2 tsp coriander pw. and stir well so that all the pieces are well coated. Add another tsp of oil. Cook in open and keep stirring. The bottom should be slightly burnt or crisp. This is what gives more taste to the stir fry.
This fry goes so well with sambar and if I am there for lunch at home, Amma used to make this for me. Those lovely days, how I wish they are back here!
lakshmi says
you know i wonder why i cant smell radish or cabbage? seriously - you also think radish smells??!! i havent come across a single radish that smells - ditto cabbage.
lakshmi says
actually i cant smell them when i parboil them (which i do in the microwave) or post-parboil either. hmmm - i shall keep my nose open the next time i cook radish.
Padmaja says
Sumptious meal i would say srivalli!!!
I love radish but can I smell noooo!!
I love their texture and especially in sambhar!!!
yum yum!!
RAKS KITCHEN says
I too can smell mulangi and cabbage some what when it is boiling...anyway mulangi sambar has its own aroma and taste, picture looks tempting...:)
Srivalli says
Lakshmi, actually I refer to the smell that comes out while we are cooking either radish or cabbage. On their own they are such sweet looking things. I guess they don't like to be put in boiling water. You won't find them smelling when you consume them raw right!
Happy cook says
All those wonderfull looking dishes. I am comming to your home for have the whole meal.
Now what does Mullangi means
Srivalli says
lakshmi, I think since you are cooking mw, the smell may not have come out...you can try the next time...:)
Happy cook, you are most welcome...mullangi is radish..I thought I have given..let me check again ...:)
Asha says
I LOVE Radish, smelly or not!:))
I would like that lunch box!! Slurp!!
Happy Dasara.
easycrafts says
with such a spread for lunch, wonder how u manage to work till lunch time without thinking of it...lol
Latha says
Your entire lunchbox looks so good Srivalli! Wish that would be my lunch box 🙂 Mine are usually very boring - sandwich or chapathi with some boring sabji 🙂
Anyway, mullangi is such a unique lastname, never heard of that!
And mullangi sambar is our all time favorite at home. We even make a kurma with tender mullangi.
Both the vepudu's look yummy too!
Sirisha Kilambi says
valli ,.....waht a nice lunch box....slurp...slurp...If I take this to my office....I wud do no work except wait for my lunchtime 🙂
Laavanya says
That lunch box is very tempting Srivalli... I like everything in it!
starry nights says
It is lunch time and I want some plantain stir fry.everything looks delicious.
ramya says
what a wonderful combo. and i too think radish has different smell which i don't like.
Tee says
You are a Genious! Your lunch boxes are so full of variety and nutrition! 🙂
Suganya says
My mom had my made so many times with these goodies in my lunch box!
KayKat says
I'm actually a big fan of the smells of cooking cabbage and radish - odd, but weirdly aromatic (to me!) 🙂
Bharathy says
Yes, even I cant tolerate the smell of radhish..but in sambhar its Ok..I make it along with white sundal...for my hubby who loves the combo!!
Whatever the matter..the spread looks wonderful!!
Roopa says
yum 🙂 i love it any way raw or boiled but of course the smell of boiled radish with dhall smells like my son's poo 🙂
the luch box looks delicious with poriyals and curd rice 🙂
bee says
yikes!!! however, i adore plaintains.
Padma says
Srivalli Right now I am craving for this lunch box so much... OMG Mulangi charu with kakarakaya vepudu and artikaya vepudu is amazing, reminds me of my mothers food. That looks cool da! feel like spooning few from the box. I always love this LBS series!