Guest post series: Bachelor's Sambar by Radha Natarajan

My guest today is a blogger who is a very down-to-earth, unassuming person. For those who are unfamiliar with the blogging world, here is a little bit of background. Food blogging is a cut-throat world. People are always trying to find ways and means to increase traffic to the world. Nothing wrong in that. But what this also means is that if you are new to the blogging world, you will see that very few people share with you the tricks of the trade. Then there are those who think they are the best and everyone else is not worth the time of the day! I am blessed to have some good people around me, most notable amongst them being Sonal Gupta from simplyvegetarian777. It was Sonal who introduced me to Radha Natarajan. She blogs from Your Everyday Cook.

She is a woman after my own heart! She is someone who blogs with the genuine intent of helping others, especially working people like me! She is not a part of the rat race. She does not worry about how many people visit her blog or how popular she is on social media! Don't be fooled by her looks. She has an MBA in marketing and advertising and has worked in that area for several years before she gave it up to take care of her daughter. She started blogging in April, 2014 at the suggestion of her daughter, who suggested that she create a blog to archive all the recipes that she shared and were popular in quite a few food groups! That's how "Your Everyday Cook" was born.

I love her recipes! Every recipe in her blog has been made such that it makes cooking easier, simpler and food healthier. It is not often easy to simplify traditional South Indian recipes. But she manages to make even the most complicated authentic recipes simple! Visit her blog Your Everyday Cook, for all the culinary and visual treats!

Today she is sharing with a very quick and simple recipe which is geared towards those who are living away from home or are new to the kitchen: Bachelor's Sambar! Sambar is basically a spicy mixed vegetable stew that is served with idlis or rice. Let us now take a look at Radha akka's post.

Bachelor' s sambar recipe is nothing but a quick way of making a delicious sambar without compromising on taste .A time saving one .

Bachelors who are away form home constantly travelling may have very few utensils for preparing dishes or less time to cook , so this style of making a sambar all in one step comes very handy.

I personally dont think it is limited to bachelors alone, even busy moms and housewives can try this.

Most people living in temporary residences  will have at least one pressure cooker which doubles up as a cooking utensil too. So the washing chore is reduced greatly, no frying pan required.I find sambar tastier as the dals and vegetables get blended well with spices .This is a great way to make sambar especially in bulk.

Serving size: 2-3 

Ingredients:

1 small cup finely chopped onions or small shallots 

1 small cup finely chopped tomatoes
1 /4 cup or 1/2 cup cubed yellow pumpkins, carrots, or any vegetables ( drumsticks, capsicums).I used a mix of bell papers and yellow pumpkins.
1/4 cup toor dal ( keep soaked while prepping )
1 tsp asafoetida powder
2-3 tbsp sambar  powder
1 tsp kashmiri chili powder for the amazing colour ( recommended)
A pinch of turmeric powder if your sambar powder doesnt have it.
1 tbsp powdered jaggery (optional)
3 tbsp grated fresh coconut or dried. ( optional ) but sambar will taste great with little coconut.
1 tbsp tamrind paste ( or add more tomatoes ) if you dont have tamrind )
salt as required
curry leaves 
2-3 tbsp fresh chopped coriander leaves
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp methi seeds
1-2 red dry chilis
2 tsp oil 

Method:

Take a pressure pan or pressure cooker.Add oil, heat it, add mustard seeds, let it splutter.

Add the methi seeds and  red chilies. add the curry leaves.

Add the chopped onions, or shallots , saute well for few seconds. 

Add tomatoes and saute more.Mash lightly.

Add other vegetables,  stir well. 

Add the fresh grated coconut.

Add 4 cups of water, add sambar powder, turmeric powder, asafoetida powder, salt and  tamarind paste.

Add the soaked dal .

Cover and pressure cook for 3-4 whistles.

When cooled, open cooker, lightly mash the dals, but make sure not to mash the vegetables too much.

Add jaggery if you like , garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

For further taste and flavor add 1 tbsp ghee into the hot sambar, stir well, keep covered. 

Serve hot with rice or idlis.

Notes:

Use tomato puree if you do not have tomatoes.
Onions can be skipped,however adding them gives a near restaurant like taste.
Add more tomatoes if you do not have tamarind paste or fresh tamarind.
While adding grated fresh coconut is optional ,adding 3-4 tbsp will give a yummy  taste to the sambar.
Coconut milk powder ( 2 tbsp ) may also be added instead of grated coconut .

Enjoy!!



I am bringing this delicious and useful dish of Radha akka's to all my friends at Throwback Thursday#37, Fiesta Friday#118  and Saucy Saturdays#43! Angie's Fiesta Friday co-hosts this week are Kaila @ GF Life 24/7 and Laurena @ Life Diet Health

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

Guest post series: Bhenda Sasam ( Crispy Okra in a spiced yogurt sauce) by Sushma Mallya

The month of April is extra-special! It is my birthday month! This week is my birthday-week! Guess how I am celebrating??

 I am going away on a vacation next week since we are having Spring Break! Yay!! I am also celebrating my birthday by starting " the guest post series" which I have been planning for a while now! I am so happy that it is finally coming to fruition! As part of this series, you will be seeing healthy, quick and easy recipes from a variety of food bloggers: some new and some who are already established! It is going to be a nice mix! The guest post will be featured every Friday of the month. They will be accompanying me to many parties! It is going to be so much fun!! I am so excited!!

If you are interested in writing a guest post for my blog: Su's Healthy Living, please reach out to me at sushealthyliving@gmail.com. The criteria for the recipe is that it has to be healthy, quick and easy to make!! That's not too much to ask is it??;)

I am beginning this series with a guest post from a very good friend from the blogging world: Sushma Mallya! She blogs from Authentic Food Delights. She is one of the nicest, unassuming people that I have met in the blogging world. Believe it or not she has had her blog for 8 years now! Way before all the rat race that is going on today! She is a mother of two beautiful boys. Her blog started as a way to document all the recipes that she learnt from her mother, mother-in-law and friends. When she is not churning up delicious dishes in her kitchen, she immerses herself in her other passion, which is painting and sketching! Her creativity and artistry is evident in her food photography! Her blog has a myriad of recipes, mostly traditional Konkani recipes and a few fusion recipes. She has been residing in UK for the past 13 years. Do check out her blog  Authentic Food Delights for more amazing recipes.

Today she is sharing with us a recipe that she learnt from her mother: Benda Sasam ( crispy okra in a yogurt-based sauce). This is a very quick and easy recipe that is healthy too!  This dish brings along a variety of textures and flavors with crispy okra in a delicious spiced yogurt sauce.

Servings: 3-4 people

Ingredients

10-12 ladies finger (bhindi) (cut into thin slices )

2 tbsp cooking oil

For Masala

1/2 cup freshly grated coconut 

1/4 tsp Mustard seeds

3-4 green chilli (adjust according to your spice level)

1/4 cup Thick curd /yogurt 

salt to taste

For tempering /tadka

1 tsp ghee + 1 tbsp oil

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

1/4 tsp Jeera

1/4 tsp urad dal

1 red chilli broken into bits 

1 sprig of curry leaves 

Method 

• Wash Bhindi and pat it dry . Cut Bhindi into thin slices and keep aside. Then take a non stick pan add oil then add ladies finger and fry till v crisp on a low heat and keep aside. ( This can be made well ahead of time and mixed at the time of serving).

• Grind coconut, green chilles, mustard seeds,  yogurt and grind to a fine paste. Add water to thin it to the desired consistency.
• Take it out in a container. keep aside.

• Now Prepare the tadka ; Heat a non stick pan add in ghee and little oil then add in mustard seeds. Jeera, Urad dal, when it starts spluttering add red chilli, fry add in curry leaves.
• Pour this tempering /tadka over the ground paste (NOTE: There is no heating in this type of curry ).

• Add in fried bhindi at the time of serving (so that it stays crisp). Then serve it Garnished with finely chopped coriander leaves . Done it's awesome with Rice ...YUMM !

I am bringing this lovely dish of Sushma's for all my friends to try, at Throwback Thursday#35, Fiesta Friday#116 and Saucy Saturdays! Angie's co-hosts this week are Judi @ cookingwithauntjuju and Cynthia @ eatmunchlove.

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!