Tindora Channa Masala

Ingredients:
1/2 kg of Indian Ivy Gourd / Tindora / Thondekayi
1/2 cup Bengal Gram seeds / Kadle Bele / Channa Dal
2 medium sized Tomatoes
1 large Onion
2 - 3 Garlic pods
1/2 tsp Chilly powder
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Coriander powder
Pinch of Turmeric powder
Grape sized Jaggery
1 tsp Butter
6 - 8 Curry leaves
1/4 tsp Cumin seeds
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
Pinch of Asafoetida powder
1 - 2 broken Red Chillies
4 - 5 Coriander leaves
Salt to taste
2 tsp Oil

Recipe:
Wash the bengal gram seeds in water, add required amount of water and cook them in a pressure cooker. (2-3 whistles).

Chop ivy gourd into medium thick round pieces as shown in the picture below. Chop the onion, tomato, garlic into small pieces as shown in the picture below.

Put oil, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, broken red chillies in a pan and heat. Once it starts spluttering, add asafoetida powder, curry leaves, chopped garlic and fry them for about 2 min in medium flame. Add chopped onion, salt, turmeric powder and fry them for about 3-4 mins in medium flame, until onion turns golden in colour. Add garam masala, chilly powder, coriander powder, chopped tomato and fry them for about 2-3 mins in medium flame. Add chopped ivy gourd, salt, jaggery, little amount of water and mix them well.

Cook them well by covering a lid for about 15 mins.

Add cooked bengal gram seeds, mix it well and bring it to boil. Add butter and mix them well.

Add chopped coriander leaves, mix them well and serve hot.

It goes well with Chapathi / Rotti. I tried this recipe from vahrehvah.com. Thanks Sanjay for the recipe.

Pudina(Mint) Parata

Ingredients:
2 cups Wheat Flour
3/4 cup Dry Mint leaves
1/2 tsp Black Pepper powder
1 tsp Cumin seed powder / Jeera powder
Salt to taste
Butter / Ghee

Recipe:
Mash the dry mint leaves and put it in a bowl. Add cumin seed powder, black pepper powder, salt and mix well.

Put wheat flour, salt in a vessel and mix. Knead the dough by adding sufficient amount of warm/hot water.

Take little amount of dough and make a round ball.

Roll the ball like Chapathi using sufficient amount of dry wheat flour as shown in the picture below.

Apply little amount of ghee/butter over the rolled Chapathi and sprinkle the dry mint leaves mixture and little amount of wheat flour as shown in the picture below.

Fold them in layers as shown in the picture below.

Fold it again as shown in the picture below. Make sure that layers are facing outside.

Roll this again using required amount of wheat flour as shown in the picture below.

Heat the tava and cook the Parata by putting butter/ghee on both the sides of Parata.

Serve hot along with any palya/ curry /curd masala (Add 1 cup of curd, salt, pinch of chat masala, pinch of pepper powder in a bowl and mix them well). The above mentioned ingredients will serve 8-10 Mint Paratas. I tried this recipe from Vahrehvah. Thanks Sanjay for the recipe.