Chow Chow bajji and Simple Dal

Chow chow or chayote bajji is a simple dish which can be had as a side dish or eaten with rice alone.

Ingredients

• 2 small chow chow/chayote, peeled, cubed and pressure cooked
• 2 green chillies
• 1/2 cup grated coconut
• small piece of tamarind
• 1 tsp jeera
• salt to taste

For tempering

• 1tsp oil
• 4-5 curry leaves
• 1 tsp mustard
• A pinch of asafoetida

Method:

• Grind the cooked chow chow pieces with grated coconut, green chilies, cumin seeds, salt, tamarind with very little water.
• Once it's ground to a fine paste transfer it to the serving bowl and set it aside.
• Heat a 1 tsp oil in a tempering pan add mustard seeds, curry leaves as it begins to pop throw in the asafoetida, then immediately pour it over the ground paste and mix well. Taste and adjust the salt if necessary.
• Serve with rice/roti.

Simple Dal: Dali Thoy -version 2

This is one of the simplest versions of dal that I've come across. The Konkani households make their dal in two versions, the difference is only in the tempering. In one version tempering is done with garlic and red chilies, and the other is with mustard seeds, asafoetida and curry leaves.

I've posted the garlic and red chilies tempered dal sometime back. Let's see the other one.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Toor dal
• ½ tsp Turmeric
• Salt to taste

For the tempering:

• 5-6 curry leaves
• 2-3 dry red chilies, halved
• A pinch of asafoetida

Method:

• Wash and clean the toor dal and drain the water
• Pour 2 cups of clean water into the dal
• Add turmeric powder and stir
• Pressure cook it for 2-3 whistles
• Now mash the pressure cooked dal using a whisker
• Add salt to it and heat it on a low flame, stir occasionally
• While the dal is heating prepare for the tempering.

Tempering:

• Heat oil in a skillet, add mustard seeds and curry leaves wait till it begins to pop
• Now add the red chillies and fry for 2-3 seconds, add asafoetida
• Take it off the flame and pour it on the dal.
• Stir well, switch off the flame when the dal comes to a boil. Serve it hot with rice.