Pachai Payir Keerai Kootu - Green Moong and Chard (using Instant Pot)

Kootu is something you make when you are tired of eating just paruppu and sambhar. Using toor dal/pigeon peas or split yellow moong dal gets boring as I use them often. Bengal Gram or kadalai paruppu is the go to lentil for kootu. had the last of the chard leaves for the season and wanted to use whole green moong. The combination turned out to be just delicious. The recipe itself is quite simple.

I have become a big fan of Instant Pot. Don't get me wrong I have used pressure cooker like for ever but the problem is wondering if the sound is going to come, if it will splatter all over if I add a bit too much water. The ability to cook without any of those worries is what makes InstantPot attractive for me. I do not use it much for sauteing, I prefer to use it for steaming and pressure cooking without worries. The rice cooks without getting too dry which is another benefit of using the Instant Pot, yes even when compared with the trusty old pressure cooker.

Recipe in pictures,

Cook the moong dal and blend the spice paste and keep it ready.
In a pot heat oil and add the seasonings. Get the chard leaves cut and ready.
Add the onions and saute till they start to change color. Add in the chard leaves and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Add the coconut paste with a cup of water and cook for a few minutes and then add the cooked moong and salt and let cook for 3-4 minutes till done.

Serve with rice or even any kind of thin Indian breads.

Pachai Payir Keerai Kootu
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients

1. 1 cup green moong (pachai payir)
2. 3-4 cups of cut chard leaves (drumstick leaves, amaranth leaves or any hardier leafy green)
3. 1/4 cup cut shallots or red onions
4. salt to taste
5. seasonings: mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves
6. 2 tsp oil
For the spice paste
7. 1/3 cup frozen or fresh grated coconut
8. 1 tsp cumin seeds
9. 5-6 green chilies
10. a few coriander seeds (less than a tsp)
11. a few pepper corns (less than a tsp)
12. a few coriander leaves (optional)

Method

1. Wash and cook the whole moong in a Instant Pot with 1 1/2 cups of water. Set the cooking time for 8 minutes.
2. Make a paste of the ingredients from the 'For the Paste' section and set aside. Add enough water to make it into a paste.
3. In a pot, add oil followed by the seasonings, when the mustard pops add the curry leaves followed by the onions.
4. Once the onions start taking color add the chard leaves and let it cook for about 3-4 minutes.
5. Add in the spice paste and 1 cup of water and let it come to a boil. Cook till raw smell disappears.
6. Let the pressure release naturally from the Instant Pot (see **Note) and add the cooked moong to the chard leaves. Add salt.
7. Cook for 3-4 minutes and turn off the heat.
Serve with rice.

**Note If you are not using the Instant Pot, whole moong can be cooked in the pressure cooker or stove pot like we have doing for time immemorial :)

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The Week That Was!

The Thanksgiving Holiday week is always the best time of the year. Everyone is happy. Food is plentiful. We'd worry about not overeating a little later or early next year. There is a lot of TV watching obviously.



TV
The Clinton Affair on A&E

Lived through this in the 90s but could not resist watching it. With hindsight of time and not being as much of a Clinton fan I could watch the documentary with objectivity. All the men come off as a**** for sure. They have rehabilitated themselves as elder statesman or in the case of people like Gingrich and Ken Starr still smug in their righteousness. What a terrible thing to put the country through for ideology and personal reasons alone. The only person I truly felt sorry for and felt the need to apologize profusely is Monica Lewinsky who paid a heavy price. The other women - remember Linda Tripp?, Lucienne Goldberg come across even worse than the men. It is an ugly episode in this country's history and hopefully the documentary will be watched and lessons learned (or not). The sad thing is Clinton's peccadilloes made it possible for a man who is far worse to be the President today. How low the GOP has traveled!

Online
I am on a quest to make food for Zuko, the dog at home and wean him off kibbles. When he was sick at one point the doctor suggested, chicken and rice and it was enjoyed by Zuko far more than anything else and it has been on my mind ever since. I just needed to make a balanced diet and know what vegetables, meat combination I should be using. This website came in very handy. Rice in a mixture of beans, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, pumpkins along with chicken, turkey Zuko has been enjoying it so far.


Love to hate WhatsApp? It has certainly kept me in touch with family and friends but the I am simply unlove the forwards that come across. But not everything on WhatsApp is bad. Read this story.


Print
Economics is boring but not when it is written in an engaging and fun way. I am enjoying Misbehaving.


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Poosanikai Halwa - Pumpkin Halwa - In an Instant Pot - Farm to Plate

Happy Thanksgiving!!

The frost hit earlier than expected this year or it seems that way because I had a field full of pumpkin plants looking green and luscious. Was expecting a regular supply of pumpkins to keep me and my CSA crew going through Fall but the frost made sure that the pumpkin plants died before that. The end result there were a bunch of young pumpkins and unlike mature pumpkins the young pumpkins have to be used pretty quickly because they will rot. So the decision to make pumpkin halwa was made. It was also Deepavali so it all worked out.

Though I made this halwa with young pumpkins, using mature pumpkin is more than fine and you will be happy with the vibrant colorful looking pumpkin halwa.

The Week That Was!

Streaming
The Closer on Amazon Streaming

The thing about streaming media is that there is always something to watch, be it old TV shows, cooking shows. Last week when I had binge watched most of the shows I had to find something, after I had watched all the cooking shows that Prime had to offer and with DD2 having 2 early release days we were trying to figure a series we can watch together. That is when I remember occasionally catching reruns of 'The Closer' on TNT and remember liking it. So decided to watch this from Season 1. We are almost done with Season 1 and both of us liked it a lot. Kyra Sedgwick plays Deputy Police Chief Brenda Johnson and it is fun watching her. The good thing is several more seasons to go and our entertainment is set for the holidays :)

TV
Murphy Brown

I don't remember watching Murphy Brown in its first avatar from 1988-1998. I like watching the current one. It is a half hour of laughs that is fun to watch and it now on CBS on Thursdays.


Print
The Good Neighbor - The Life and Work of Fred Rogers

DD was a tiny tyke when we used to watch Mr. Rogers neighborhood on TV. Now she is a junior in college. She loved watching it and so did I when I caught the shows with her. The gentle voice of Mr.Rogers will soothe anybody. His gentleness is probably needed more than ever now. Once I finish the book I am reading, this is the next on the list.


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Beetroot Thayir Pachadi - Beets in yogurt coconut sauce

Some people simply love beets some simply hate them. Around our house we simply appreciate beets in any form. While I often make the beetroot raita and the beetroot rice I don't cook other recipes often.

This one happened by chance after a friend brought this for one of the potlucks. Not much more complicated than the beetroot raita other than making a coconut paste and having to cook it first. Good quality yogurt is important for this recipe. The store bought yogurt have the slimy texture which is not good for this recipe but in a pinch that should do. Otherwise homemade yogurt is the way to go. If you have never tried start today. You stomach will be very happy.

Apart from the taste, beets with their attractive color makes everyone at least want to give it a try.



Here is the recipe in pictures,

Cook the grated beets and set aside. In a wide mouthed pan, season with mustard and curry leaves and add the coconut,cumin, green chilies, coriander leaves and curry leaves paste with 1/2 cup of water.
Once the coconut paste mixture loses its raw smell, turned down the heat and add the whisked yogurt.
Add in the cooked beets and mix it in well. Turn off the heat.

Beetroot Pachadi
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients

1. 3-4 Medium sized beet about 1 1/2 cup when grated
2. 1/4 cup chopped shallots or red onion
3. 3-4 green chilies
4. seasonings - curry leaves, mustard seeds and cumin seeds
5. 1 tsp of oil
6. salt to taste
7. 2 cups of yogurt
For the Paste
8. 1/3 cup of grated fresh or frozen coconut
9. 2 green chilies
10. 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
11. a sprig or just a few leaves of coriander leaves
    (optional, add too much this smell and taste will overpower)
12. 3-4 curry leaves

Method

1. Wash, peel and grate the beets and set aside.
2. In a wide mouthed pan add oil, season with mustard and cumin seeds. When the mustard starts to pop add the curry leaves, followed by the onions and green chilies.
3. Saute the onions till they are start to turn color.
4. Now add in the grated beetroot and salt and saute till it is completely cooked. Takes about 8-10 minutes. Cover with a lid and cook if needed. Turn off the heat and let cool.
5. Make a paste of the ingredients mentioned in the 'For the Paste' sections using a little water.
6. Whisk the yogurt and set aside.
7. Once the beets are cooked, in a wide mouthed pan heat a 1/4 tsp of oil and add mustard and curry leaves if needed. Add in the coconut paste and 1/2 cup of water. Let the coconut cook for about 4-5 minutes till the raw smell leaves.
8. Turn the heat all the way down and while stirring add in the whisked yogurt. Add the cooked beets and mix well. Add salt if required.

Serve with rice or even chapathi.

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