Butternut squash with coconut and milk

 

Ingredients:

Butternut squash, peeled and diced - 1 lb
Salt - 1 tsp or to taste
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Grated coconut (unsweetened) - 1 cup
Dried red chili - 1 (if using red chili flakes, no more than 1/4 tsp)
Green chili - 1
Rice or corn flour - 2 tbsp
Milk - up to 1 cup
Sugar - 1 tsp

For tempering:
    Oil - 2 tsp
    Curry leaves - 6
    Udad dal - 2 tsp
    Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Method:
Place pieces in a pan with a lid, sprinkle the turmeric powder and salt on top and mix well. Add just enough water to cover the pieces (not more). Heat on medium flame until cooked (under 10 min).

While the squash is cooking, blend together the coconut and chilies into a thick paste with the rice/corn flour using as little milk (not water) as possible.

Once the squash is cooked, add the coconut paste and sugar to it and mix well. Cook covered on a medium-low flame for 5 min. Now add the remaining milk and cook for 5 more min.

Tempering: heat 2 tsp oil in a small pan. When hot, add the udad dal and mustard seeds. When these start to crackle/splutter, add the curry leaves. Pour this mixture on top of the cooked squash and mix well.

Serve hot with rice.

Author: Shrinkingsodacan
Source: This recipe.

Crispy green beans with moong dal

 

Ingredients:
Green beans - 250 g (slightly more than 1/2 lb)
Moong dal - 1/3 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - 3/4 tsp or to taste
Oil - 2 tsp
Dried red chilies - 2 (if using chili flakes, use no more than 1/4 tsp)
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Udad dal - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida - a pinch (optional)
Coconut powder - 1 tsp (optional)

Method:
Wash and soak the moong dal for 20 min. This is necessary to reduce the cooking time. 

Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a pot with a lid. Add the drained moong dal, turmeric powder, and a drop of oil. Mix and cook partially covered over a medium-low flame for 20-25 minutes. The dal should be cooked but not overcooked (individual lentils should retain their shape, but should crumble when squeezed). Drain the cooked lentils and reserve the water in which they were cooked.

Heat a wide pan, heat the oil. When the oil is hot, add the udad dal and mustard seeds. When they crackle, add the red chili and stir fry for two minutes. Increase the heat to high, add the green beans and stir to coat evenly. Season with salt. Spread evenly on the surface of the pan, cook covered a total of 10 min on a medium flame. Every 3 min, stir and spread evenly again to avoid the beans sticking to the pan.
The moisture in the beans should be enough to cook the beans; if you think there isn't enough, you can add no more than 2 tbsp of the water in which the dal was cooked. Do not overcook the beans; they need to be crisp. At the end of 10 min, add the drained moong dal a tablespoon at a time, mixing after every tbsp. If desired, you can also add 1 tsp of coconut powder. Taste for salt. Serve hot as a side dish with rice or chapatis.

The end result should look like this:

 

 

Author: Shrinkingsodacan
Source: Traditional recipe