South Indian Pumpkin Curry With Split Pigeon Peas Recipes

TOOR DAL (SPLIT YELLOW PIGEON PEAS)

Steps:

• Prepare the dal: Soak the pigeon peas in a large bowl of warm water for about 1 hour. (They will have swelled a little.) Thoroughly rinse the soaked pigeon peas with fresh water, then tip the drained pigeon peas into a pot.
• Add tomatoes, turmeric, salt and 5 cups water, and bring to a boil over high. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until very tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Use an immersion blender to purée some of the dal, leaving some intact and getting some very smooth, or whisk vigorously to break up some of the soft dal. Stir in the peanuts and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the dal is very tender, about 30 minutes. Taste and adjust with salt. If the dal has become too thick for your liking, stir in a splash of water.
• Prepare the tempering: In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the ghee. When hot, carefully add all of the tempering ingredients (the mustard seeds will sputter!) and swirl the pan until you can smell all the toasted spices, about 30 seconds. Pour everything over the hot dal.

SOUTH INDIAN PUMPKIN CURRY WITH SPLIT PIGEON PEAS

Steps:

• 1. Place the pumpkin, pigeon peas, turmeric, salt, and water in a large nonstick saucepan and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and summer until the pumpkin and dal are crisp-tender, 10 to 15 minutes.2. Add the coconut and cumin and continue to simmer until the pumpkin and dal are very soft and most of the water has evaporated, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish.3. Heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the red chili peppers and urad beans, stirring, until lightly browned about 30 seconds. Add the mustard seeds, they should splutter upon contact with the hot oil, so cover the pan and lower the heat until the spluttering subsides. Quickly add the curry leaves and add to the pumpkin. Swirl lightly to mix, with parts of it visible as a garnish. Serve hot.From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

BASIC SOUTH INDIAN SOUPY SPLIT PIGEON PEAS

Steps:

• 1. Prepare the tamarind paste and the sambar powder. Then, place the dal, water, green chili peppers, curry leaves, turmeric, and salt in a pressure cooker. Secure the lid and cook over high heat until the regulator indicates high pressure, then cook 1 minute more. Remove from the heat and allow the pot to depressurize on its own, 12 to 15 minutes. Carefully open the lid and mix in the tamarind and cilantro. Stir vigorously to mash the dal, then transfer to a serving bowl, cover, and keep warm.2. Heat the oil in a small nonstick saucepan over medium heat. Add the red chili peppers, stirring about 30 seconds (stand back in case they burst), then the onion, and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger, fry a few seconds, then add the asafoetida and mustard seeds they should splutter upon contact with the hot oil, so lower the heat and cover the pan until the spluttering subsides. Add the sambar powder and cook, about 30 seconds. Transfer to the dal and swirl lightly to mix, with parts of it visible as a garnish. Top with the cilantro and serve.From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

SOUTH INDIAN YOGURT CURRY

Steps:

• 1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat and add the ginger, red chili peppers, and curry leaves. Cook, stirring, until golden, about 1 minute. Add the fenugreek and coriander seeds, all the dals, coconut, and asafoetida, and cook, stirring, about 1 minute. Let cool, transfer to a blender, and blend, adding some of the yogurt to facilitate blending, until smooth. Then add the rest of the yogurt, turmeric, and salt, and blend again until smooth.2. Transfer to a large nonstick wok or saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil. Then reduce the hat to medium and cook, stirring, until the curry thickens a little and is smooth, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish.3. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of the oil in the saucepan you used in Step 1, and add the mustard and cumin seeds they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Remove from the heat, quickly add the paprika, and transfer to the kadhi. Swirl lightly to mix, with parts of it visible as a garnish, and serve.From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.