White Urad Beans With Roasted Fenugreek Leaves Food

MEDU VADA

Steps:

• Soak the urad dal in the water, either soak them overnight or during the whole day. Do not use more water than is given in the recipe. (prep early in the morning, use in the evening).
• At the end of the soaking time, you should notice that the little beans have noticeably increased in size. There will still be some water left, that's ok.
• Add the urad dal + water + green chili + curry leaves + ginger + salt in the food processor. Process until it's become a fine paste. It will still be a little grainy, not completely, smooth and that's ok. Take care to wipe the sides clean.
• Process for another minute or two. This will aerate the batter and create a lighter and fluffier urad dal!
• Leave the batter while you're pre-heating the oil for frying the vada. During this time the batter will thicken slightly, the urad dal will absorb some more moisture. This will help it keep its shape.
• Pre-heat your oil in a suitable pan (e.g. kadai or cast iron pan) until it's 180C (350F). Gently add spoonfuls of batter into the oil. They'll puff up slightly. Keep the temperature constant and fry until they are a nice golden brown on all sides. You'll probably have to flip them over a few times.
• Place on a paper towel or paper plate to absorb excess oil, then transfer onto a clean plate.
• Enjoy them while they're still warm. We enjoy the with mango or tamarind chutney, some yogurt and/or coriander and mint chutney!

WHITE URAD BEANS WITH ROASTED FENUGREEK LEAVES

Steps:

• 1. Place the dal, 3 1/2 cups water, turmeric, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the dal, stirring occasionally but watching carefully that it doesn't boil over, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add the remaining 1/2 cup water, if needed, and simmer until each bean is soft but not broken and very little water remains in the pan, about 15 minutes. Cover and keep warm.2. Meanwhile, discard the hard and fibrous part of the fenugreek greens, pick out the leaves and the softest stems, and wash them well. Chop finely in the food processor or by hand.3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium cast-iron or nonstick wok or a saucepan and cook the fenugreek greens over medium-high heat, stirring and scraping the sides of the wok, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook until the leaves are completely dry and deep green, 10 to 15 minutes. Mix lightly into the dal.4. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and add the cumin seeds they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the ginger and green chili pepper and stir about 1 minute. Add the coriander, cumin, and paprika, stir a few seconds, then add the seasonings to the dal. Swirl lightly to mix, with parts of it visible as a garnish. Serve.From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

SMALL WHITE BEANS WITH INDIAN SPICES

Steps:

• 1. Soak the beans in water to cover by 2 inches at least 4 hours. Drain, then place them in a pressure cooker along with 4 cups water, salt, bay leaves, cardamom pods, and cinnamon. Secure the lid and cook over high heat until the regulator indicates high pressure, then cook 1 minute more. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook another minute. Remove from the heat and allow the pot to depressurize on its own, 12 to 15 minutes. Carefully open the lid and check to see if the beans are very soft with some of them broken if not, cover, bring up to pressure, and cook under high pressure another minute. Or cover and boil until the dal is soft and creamy, about 30 minutes.2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium nonstick saucepan, and cook the garlic until barely golden, about 30 seconds. Add the cumin seeds they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the tomatoes, green chili peppers, and ginger and cook, stirring as needed, initially over high and then over medium heat until all the juices evaporate, about 10 minutes.3. Add the coriander, ground cumin, and turmeric and cook, stirring, about 1 minute. Then add the yogurt, a little at a time, stirring constantly to prevent it from curdling, until it is absorbed. Mix in the fenugreek leaves and cilantro, and simmer another 5 minutes. Transfer to the pressure cooker. Stir well and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer about 15 minutes, uncovered, adding more water, if necessary. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle the garam masala on top, and serve.From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.