HORSE GRAM Or MUTHIRA Or GAHAT CURRY

HORSE GRAM Or MUTHIRA Or GAHAT CURRY: The word Muthira reminds me of my mother’s words – “Muthira thinal kuthira pole aakum”. All I knew then was if I eat Horse gram I will end up being strong like a horse. I did not really know that it is one of the major food given to horses or rather a cattle feed. But it tastes good. This is one of the beans which are widely used in southern parts of India. But it is lesser known in other parts of the world.

Horse Gram is known to even have medicinal properties. The seed coat has anti oxidant properties. So consume with the seed coat. It is good diet for diabetic people as it reduces the insulin resistance. And as a bean it has high amounts of proteins in it. It is definitely a good choice for adults and kids alike. It goes well with rotis and rice. 

My mother has always cooked it as thoran recipe. But since I like curries more, I tried it in a new way and it ended up being a good one. So let us move on to our super simple recipe. I have cooked it with no oil. You may use oil if required.

INGREDIENTS:

Horse Gram, Soaked – 1 cup

Red Onion – 1 small

Tomato – 1

Turmeric powder – a pinch

Chilli powder – ¼ tablespoon

Curry leaves – a sprig

Salt to taste

Oil – ½ table spoon (optional)

Water

METHOD:

Soak the horse gram for around 4 hours. Take a pressure cooker and add all the other ingredients with enough water to cover all the ingredients and cook. One to two whistles on low heat should be enough. Mix well and serve!

NB: You may add oil along with the other ingredients before cooking. 

Add more water and boil. if you want it to be watery.

BEAN SPROUT Or CHERUPAYAR MULAPICHATHU or MOONG DAL THORAN

BEAN SPROUT Or CHERUPAYAR MULAPICHATHU or MOONG DAL THORAN: Bean Sprout as we all know is a very healthy and nutritious option. But none of us are fantasised by the option of having it. Some of us adults and even very small kids cannot have sprouts raw because of gastric issues. Sprouts for babies and toddlers should be cooked as they are prone to gastric issues as their digestive system is not well developed. Some of us even do not like its raw taste too. This recipe would definitely bring a change to all that. But always remember sprouts are highly nutritious in their raw form. The more we cook them, the nutrition level decreases.

The speciality of moong dal apart from its high level of protein and fibre content is that it has zero cholesterol and has good amounts of magnesium also. Around 100 grams of cooked moong dal provides only  105 calories. Sprouts are even called as super foods. The carbohydrates and calories decreases almost by 15% in moong dal sprouts as compared to the ordinary moong dal where as their protein and other vitamin and mineral contents increase significantly.

This recipe should very well be incorporated with your breakfast, lunch or even dinner. You may have it with rice, chapattis, khuboos, pita bread or even bread.

INGREDIENTS:

Sprouted Bean, cooked – 1 to ½ cup

Red onion – 1

Scraped coconut – 2 to 3 tablespoons (optional)

Dried red chillies – 2
Turmeric powder - a pinch

Mustard seeds – ½ tablespoon

Curry leaves – a sprig

Oil – 1 tablespoon

Salt to taste

METHOD:

Cook the sprouted beans in Pressure cooker, about a whistle or two. In a pan, heat oil and splutter the mustard seeds along with the dried red chillies. Add the chopped onions and sweat them. Add curry leaves and salt along with scraped coconut and turmeric powder and sauté for a minute. Add cooked sprouts and mix well. Serve!

NB: Do not overcook the sprouts. This is a dry dish, so do not add too much water while you pressure cook the sprouts. Scraped coconut gives a crunch and added taste to the dish. 

EASY RAJMA Or RED KIDNEY BEANS Or VANPAYAR RECIPE

EASY  RAJMA Or RED KIDNEY BEANS Or VANPAYAR  RECIPE: This is my style red kidney beans curry. It is very easy one. I have always been a fan of rajma recipe. I fell in love with this curry while having food at the North Indian restaurants.

Did you know that red kidney beans can prevent blood sugars from sudden hiking after a meal like cinnamon. It also has cholesterol lowering capacity like other beans.  They also have high fiber content. Apart from all this it is also high in proteins and helps replenish the iron in your body especially for women.

However just like they say even amrit in high amounts is bad for you, consuming high amounts of red kidney beans might lead to diarrohea, blood clotting and so on....so check on your amount. After all, a healthy and well balanced diet is what matters...

So, moving on to the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

Rajma or Red Kidney Beans – ½ cup soaked or canned

Tomato – 1 to 1½

Red Onion – 1 small

Curry leaves – a sprig

Chilli Powder - ¼ tablespoon

Turmeric Powder – a pinch

Garam Masala Powder – 1 teaspoon

Salt to taste

Oil – 1 tablespoon

METHOD:

Soak the red kidney beans overnight preferably.  Take a pressure cooker and add all the ingredients and cook on low flame till done.

Since I soaked it only for around 4 hours I had to increase the time of cooking. I cooked for around 6 to 7 whistles.

Yup! You are done!!! Is that not easy????