Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Peerkangai masiyal

There are certain vegetables that one might enjoy consuming cooked in different methods. Many basic Indian vegetables are easily adaptable to suit such variations. The ridge gourd is one such vegetable. When Velamma was around and she would do the vegetable shopping for my mother, she would select tender vegetables that are abundant in season. The market will more often be having local farm produces and hence such vegetables will be regular in the menu.

While I have lately found that eating fresh tender ones raw with salt and pepper smeared is delectable, I might still love to have the heerekkayi bajji that my friend makes or the simple curry stewed with onions and tomatoes with rotis and most certainly my mother's porichcha kootu, this masiyal is also good to have with steamed rice as a side or to mix with the same. It is also my sister's favourite preparation. She is very fond of the vegetable stewed thus.

This is also a recipe that can be easily prepared without much of pre-cooking requirements; hence I am hoping that my daughter might find it quite suitable for her to cook and pack to work.

Ingredients:
400 grams tender ridgegourd
1 small lime size tamarind
3 tablespoons thoor dhal (masoor dhal and moong dhal will work excellently too)
3 numbers dry red chillis
3 numbers fresh green chillis
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon split urad dhal
2 sprigs curry leaves
4 teaspoons cooking oil
1 heaped teaspoon salt (or as required)



Method:
Wash the vegetables clean and peel the skin lightly. Cut in small cubes.
Wash the thoor dhal clean and cook until soft. The dhal should be cooked soft enough to mash.
Soak the tamarind in water and extract the pulp.
Slit the green chillis in two.
Heat two teaspoons oil in a heavy pan. Drop the slit green chillis and saute' them for a few minutes. Add the cubed ridge gourd pieces and toss them for about three minutes.
Add some water, the turmeric powder and the salt. Cover and cook until the vegetable is tender.
Remove some of the cooked vegetable, mash the rest of the vegetable along with the cooked dhal.
Bring the tamarind extract to a boil in a pan and allow to simmer until the raw taste is lost.
Add the reduced extract to the cooked vegetables and the mashed dhal vegetable combination.
Cook all of these together until they blend well. add the asafoetida powder too.
Heat the remaining oil and add the mustard seeds. Allow them to splutter and add the split urad dhal. When it turns golden brown, remove from the stove and add it to the masiyal. Add the curry leaves.
Enjoy with hot steamed rice.
Other vegetables such as chow chow, bottle gourd and summer squash can be used in this preparation.
You can do away with the tamarind extract and squeeze the juice of a lime while serving

16 comments:

  1. never know that we can masiyal with ridge gourd, interesting one

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  2. AAHH.. The pleasures of having this, especially when cooked for you by a family member... 'Naakile Thanni orrardhu'!!

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  3. Aha lovely I ususally end up making peerkangai thogaiyal or kootu.This is a refreshing change. I would love to make it soon.

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  4. I too loe this recipe. looks great. Happy to follow u

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  5. I wasn't a fan of peerkangai growing up...though I loved the thovayal with the peel. This masiyal is very new... looks very delicious.

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  6. I make the dhal, but a little differennt.Want toi try this version soon

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  7. Peerkangai is something that I don't buy regularly though I've heard how good the chutney made with its peel tastes.

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  8. Delectable masiyal, i used to have it with rice n papad. A pinch of ghee on it works wonder.

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  9. Masiyal is new to me. i make only thogayal. will try this sometime :)

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  10. Bit similar to dal but with twist....looks yum...

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  11. masiyal with peerkkangai is new to me, nic e try

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  12. plain cooked toor dhal with hing(asafodita), ghee and hot steaming rice with peerrkangai masiyal for side dish goes well.We also add small cut pieces of ginger,that makes it more delicious.Apart from ridge gourd,we use saepankizhangu too to make masiyal(steam cook and remove skin ) mash it to add to tamarind extract.We don't use cooked toor dhal but fry toor dhal,with 2 spoons of dhania and 2 red chillies,and powder that and it to the cooked vegetable and bring it to boil.Tastes yummy

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Thanks once again,
Lata Raja.