Soulful Creations

It has been hot hot hot here... To minimize cooking times I prefer simple recipes with minimal amount of standing in front of the stove and these electric stoves can simply spew a lot of heat. So yesterday's dinner consisted of (mind you we have not been cooking often enough) Peerkangai Thogayal/ Chutney I am embarassed to admit this but I had no idea that luffa comes from a plant and before it becomes the luffa that we like to use to on our skin, it is completely edible! Peerkangai or ridged gourd is one such luffa variety.You can eat luffa when they are young and tender. As you let them mature there texture becomes spongy and coarse making it inedible...but great for your skin. Image source Ingredients 1 Peerkangai, skin and all- chopped coarsely ~ 2 tsp each of mustard seeds, urad dal and coriander seeds a pinch hing 1-2 dried red chilli pepper 1 tbsp tamarind paste 3 tbsp frozen grated coconut Few tsp oil Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and ...

Methi/ Fenugreek, a relatively under-utilized herb that belongs to the Fabaceae family, a family with more famous members such as chick peas, peanuts and alfalfa (the poor methi does not stand a chance now, does it?). Despite having its roots in the Mediterranean region, this herb is widely used in Indian cuisine and I guess this is not really surprising given that India is the largest producer of fenugreek.  Sources: wiki , spice pages The recipe for this lovely sambar comes from Shyamala's blog- I did not change much here.   Ingredients 1/2 cup toor/tuvar dal Fresh methi (fenugreek greens), leaves and tender stems chopped finely 1 onion, sliced thin 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 medium tomato, chopped 1.5 tsp tamarind paste dissolved in 4 cups water 2 tsp oil 1/3 tsp turmeric powder 1 tsp mustard seeds 1 tsp cumin 1/4 tsp asafoetida powder 2 tsp (heapful of homemade powder) sambar powder 1 tbsp rice flour 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves for garnish Method: Pressur...