spinach n' dal stir fry - cheera parippu thoran

Toor dal - 1 cup cooked
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
mustard seeds- 1 tsp
curry leaves - 2 strands
spinach -roughly chopped - 4 cups
coconut grated or dessicated - 1/2 cup
onion - 1 chopped finely
Ghee -as needed
oil - 1 tsp
turmeric - 1/8 tsp
garlic - 1 tsp finely chopped or crushed
salt - to taste

Method:
Cook toor dal in a little water till just done, do not over cook. Heat a wok, add oil and ghee 1-2 tbs, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves. Add garlic, onion and coconut and cook till the onions are soft, add salt. Add the toor dal and let it fry in the ghee. Add the spinach and cook till its done.
Serve with roti ans rice as a side.

I used the triple washed salad greens- baby spinach ;)

Customized Asparagus Thoran

Hi,

I know my posts are not regular but it's difficult to remain focussed with 3 kids and minus 10 degrees in spring with occasional snowfall!!
But we still have to eat and the choices here are different and limited from what we are used to back home in India.
So I decided to try a thoran with asparagus and it tasted and looked like beans thoran..........

3 cups of asparagus chopped finely
1 onion chopped finely
3 heaped tbsp of scraped coconut
1/4 tsp of turmeric powder
4 green chillies chopped
1 stem of curry leaves
salt to taste
3 dry red chillies
1 tsp mustard seeds
oil

method:
Heat a pan, add oil, splutter mustard seeds, add curry leaves, red chillies, coconut, onion and saute with salt till the onion and coconut starts to brown. Add turmeric, add in the chopped asparagus -( break off the woddy stem and chop up the rest of the stem ) and green chillies and sprinkle a little water and let it cook covered till done. Check from time to time to stir and check the flavour of the thoran. Serve as a side dish for rice or chapatti. You may add finely chopped carrots or beans for a visually appealing and nutritional side dish or just when you are bored and need to present something interesting to your highly critical (read particular) hubby and kids!!

Zucchini Thoran with a Zing

Zucchini 4 -6 nos. chopped coarsely
Onion 1 no. chopped coarsely
Coconut scraped 5 heaped tbs
Green chillies 4-5 nos
Hing - a pinch or two
Jerra - 1 tsp
Garlic - 2 cloves crushed
Red chillies- 4 nos
Mustard seeds - for tempering
Curry leaves - for tempering
Oil - 2 Tbs
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Method:
Heat oil in a wok, splutter mustard seeds, add jeera, red chillies, curry leaves and add garlic,coconut and onion, cook it till aromatic. Add hing and turmeric, zucchini and green chilies and salt and cook on a high flame till done. Don't cover the wok while cook or the dish will become soggy. Enjoy with rice or roti.