Snake Gourd Perugu pacchadi (twist) ~ Thayir pacchadi ~ Yogurt Dip / dressing

I had posted snake gourd seed recipes earlier and am back with a small twist to the usual thayir pacchadi / perugu pacchadi. Snake gourd (including seeds) in curd- making a flavoured variety of curd/yogurt dressing or dip.

This perugu pacchadi is very simple and is a neat way to serve this veggie to people who dont like it :)

All you need - serves 2 or 3

Yogurt /curd /thayir -1 1/2 cup ( beaten)

Water - 2/3 tbsp

Snake gourd - 1 cup (chopped along with the seeds)

Green Chillie- 1 

Red Chillie - 1

Curry leaves - 3

Ginger - 1/2 tsp (optional)

salt- to taste

asafoetida (hing)- a pinch

Turmeric - a pinch

Tempering

mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp

urad dal - 1/2 tsp

chana dal - 1/2 tsp

jeera /cumin - 1/4 tsp

coriander seeds -1/2 tsp (optional)

 cooking oil (prefer til or sunflower oil) = 1/2 tsp

Garnish (optional)

ghee or til oil - 1/tsp

cumin - 1/4 tsp 

mustard seeds - 1/4tsp

urad dal - 1/4 tsp

chana dal - 1/4 tsp  

Topping

coriander/cilantro -1/2 tsp

What you do

Wash and chop the snake gourd use the seeds as well. 

In a pan, pour the oil for tempering and add the tempering ingredients (mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal, cumin seeds, coriander seeds) in that order and roast for a minute or so.

Add curry leaves, red and green chillies, ginger and saute

Add snake gourd and the coconut, salt, turmeric, hing(asafoetida) and keep stirring until its done 

Let the mixture cool and then grind it into a smooth paste (add a little water if necessary)

In the meanwhile, prepare the curd - Add 3 tbsp of water to the beaten curd and add the ground mixture to the curd 

Now tempering - in the same pan, add ghee or til oil and put in a little mustard seeds, urad and chana dals, cumin and roast it until mustard crackles and the dals turn a golden brown 

Let it rest for a minute or so and then pour it over the prepared thayir pacchadi (never pour in anything hot into curd or butter milk- it curdles it up and separates the water content from the curd)

Garnish with cilantro/coriander leaves 

On the menu 

Chinna vengayum sAmbAr, Oven roasted Cheppankazhangu with the thayir pacchadi

Serving suggestion: With steamed rice or rice varieties (jeera rice, vegetable rice, pilaf/pulao etc), parata, and works wonderfully as a salad dressing.  :)

trivia:
Tamil kitchens make podalanga kootu and mooru kootu & telugu kitchens make pappu, and perugu pacchadi with the roasted version of this vegetable. My version of the perugu pacchadi is what i call an extension of the same genre but with a twist in presentation and use of the veggie

Stuffed Capsicum ~~ anyone!!

dug out a very old folder and thgt id document my stuffed capsicum on AnR....

ingredients
1/4 cup each - grated potatoes, chopped  capsicum (i used yellow and green ones this time)
three whole capsicums
cumin, salt, turmeric, garlic crushed
2 tbsp mozarella
1 tsp olive oil

how its made: :)

use a pan to saute chopped veggies with some oilve oil & add salt, cumin, garlic and turmeric

In the meanwhile, rub some salt on the capsicum shells and microwave them for 2-3 minutes with two tbsp of water

Stuff the half done capsicum with the sauted mixture and arange in a baking dish and cover it with a foil

bake at 350 F/180C for 20 minutes 

take off the foil and top it with grated mozarella and bake it with out the foil until the cheese melts (roughly 3-5 minutes)

was great as is or with pulka or rice and dal

Summer Salad - Vegetables in flavoured curd

Summers  need an extra bit of that cooling via food and drinks. Why not try out a refreshing yet simple salad for a sunday afternoon lunch. Salad recipes are the simplest and the only time you spend is chopping the vegetables.

All you need
sweet red and yellow peppers - 5
white onions - 1 small
tomatoes - 2 small
Lettuce leaves (Iceberg) - five huge leaves/layers
Olives - 1/4 cup

For the dressing
Curd /Yoghurt - 1 cup
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp
Puli inji - 1 tsp
Olive oil - 1 tsp
Dried herbs (rosemary, oregano, basil) - a pinch each
Salt
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Cilantro / coriander leaves for garnish

Process:
Chop up the vegetables and wash them thorougly. Tear up the leaves into tiny bits and make sure not to chop lettuce with a knife.

Whip up the curd, add all the dressing ingredients and mix well.
Add all the vegetables and mix well
Put the bowl of salad in the refrigerator if you like a cold salad (optional)
Yummy!