Gongura(Red Sorrel Leaves) Dal

Red Sorrel(Gongura) leaves are the most popular greens in Andhra region. These leaves are sour in taste and have lot of medicinal values.

These leaves and flowers have a cooling effect and act as an appetizer. They are very useful in relieving symptoms of fever. You can use these leaves to treat jaundice. The juice extracted from these leaves mixed with butter milk is highly recommended once daily to treat jaundice.

Kongura greens relieves indigestion,cold and cough. It cleanses the intestines. It also helps in removing infections as well. In Andhra these greens are used to prepare variety of dishes.

Ingredients

• One cup of toor dal
• One small bunch of gongura leaves
• One onion(finely chopped)
• One tomato(finely chopped)
• One green chilli(finely chopped)
• 3or4 flakes of garlic
• 1/2 tsp asafoetida
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp daniya powder
• Salt as required
• 11/2 tsp cooking oil

For seasoning

• 1/2 tsp mustard
• 1/2 tsp jeera
• 1/2 tsp urad dal
• 1/2 tsp channa dal

For Garnishing

• Few coriander leaves

Method

 

1. Separate the leaves from the stalk and wash well and chop it into fine leaves.
2. Cook toor dal with enough water in a pressure cooker and keep it aside.
3. In  a frying pan, put oil.
4. Add mustard, jeera, urad dal, channa dal.
5. Let the mustard splutter and the dals turn red.
6. Add the chopped onion, garlic, green chilli, asafoetida and turmeric powder.
7. Fry till the onion becomes soft.
8. Add the chopped tomato, chopped gongura leaves and enough salt.
9. Boil till the leaves gets cooked.
10. Add chilli powder and daniya powder and boil till the raw smell of masala powder disappears.
11. Smash the leaves well using smasher.
12. Add the cooked dal and boil till it gets completely mixed.
13. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice, kichidi and phulka roti.

Bajra Flakes (Kambu Aval) Kichidi

Ingredients

• One cup of Bajra flakes
• One cup of mixed vegetables ( Carrot, Beans, Peas, Cauliflower and Capsicum)
• One medium sized onion
• One tomato
• Two  green chillies
• Few curry leaves
• 1/2 Lemon
• 1/2 tsp asafoetida
• 50 gms of fried ground nut
• 1 tsp cooking oil
• Salt as required

For seasoning

• 1/2 tsp mustard
• 1/2 tsp urad dal
• 1/2 tsp channa dal

For Garnishing

• Few coriander leaves

Method

1. Wash Bajra flakes well and soak it for 10 to 15 minutes till it becomes soft.
2. Drain the excess water by squeezing the flakes with hand and keep it aside.
3. Chop all  the vegetables finely and boil  the vegetables in  a pan with enough salt and water till it gets cooked.
4. Take care that the vegetables should not get over cooked.
5. Grind ground nut coarsely in a mixer and keep it aside.
6. In a Kadai, put 1 tsp oil.
7. Add mustard, urad dal and channa dal.
8. Let it splutter.
9. Add the chopped onion, chopped green chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida and fry till the onion becomes soft.
10. Add the chopped tomato and fry till it gets cooked.
11. Add the cooked vegetables and fry for 5 minutes.
12. Add the bajra flakes and enough salt and fry for 5 minutes.
13. Add the ground ground nut and fry for a while.
14. Remove the kadai from the burner and add lemon juice.
15. Mix well.
16. Garnish with grated coconut and coriander leaves.
17. Serve hot with any chutney.