Peruvian (Mayocoba) Beans and Radish Stir-Fry ~ Day 81

Peruvian beans are also known as Frijoles Perunos / Mayocoba or Canary beans.  They are oval shaped, pale yellow, dry beans with delicious buttery taste and texture.     

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Preparation time: 10 minutes + overnight soaking

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

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Ingredients:

• Preuvian beans - 3/4 cup, soaked overnight
• Small red radishes - 2 bunches, washed and cut in to halves
• Fenugreek leaves or any other greens - 1 cup (optional)
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Urad dal - 1 tsp
• Broken red chilies - 4
• Ground black pepper - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Asafoetida - a pinch
• Grated coconut - 2 tbsp
• Curry leaves - few
• Salt - to taste
• Splash of lemon juice
• Oil - 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Pressure cook the soaked beans for 3 whistles or until soft.  
2. Heat oil in a skillet and splutter mustard seeds.  Add urad dal and red chilies.  Fry until golden brown.
3. Add asafoetida, radish, turmeric powder, and curry leaves.  Sprinkle little water, cover, and cook over low heat until soft.
4. Add the cooked beans, fenugreek leaves (or any greens), pepper powder, cumin powder, and salt.  Mix well.  Saute for 3 to 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and add the grated coconut.  Stir to combine.
5. Serve hot as a side dish for any rice dish or simply like a salad.

Vengaya Vatha Kuzhambu / Onion Vatha Kuzhambu ~ Day 80

This spicy, tangy and lip-smacking gravy is one of the authentic and traditional dish of Tambram household.  Onions cooked in tamarind gravy along with roasted peanuts and spices.  It is best paired with paruppu thogayal (toor dal chutney) or Keerai masiyal (mashed spinach) and sutta appalam (toasted papad).

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Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking rime: 25 minutes

Serves: 6

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Ingredients:

• Tamarind Juice - 1 cup (Soak golf ball sized tamarind in hot water for 15 minutes, squeeze the juice and discard the pulp)
• Onion (red or yellow) - 3, roughly chopped
• Sambar powder - 2 tbsp
• Red chili powder - 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Jaggery - 1-inch piece
• Salt - to taste
• Curry leaves - few
• Water  2 cups

For tempering:

• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Ajwain / omam - 1 tsp
• Raw peanuts - 1/4 cup
• Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
• Sesame oil - 4 tbsp

Method:

1. Heat oil in a wide bottomed saucepan.  Splutter mustard seeds.  Add ajwain /omam, fenugreek seeds and peanuts. Fry until peanuts are roasted, about 2 minutes.
2. Add curry leaves, asafoetida and onions.  Fry the onions until soft and translucent.
3. Add the sambar powder, red chili powder, and turmeric powder.  Saute for 30 seconds, over low heat.
4. Add the tamarind juice along with 2 cups of water, jaggery, and salt.  Mix well and let it boil for 20 minutes, over medium low heat, until gravy thickens.  Gravy should be of a pouring consistency.
5. Remove from the heat and drizzle some sesame oil for extra flavor.  Add some more chopped curry leaves.
6. Serve with hot steamed rice, drizzled with ghee or sesame oil and sutta appalam / toasted papad.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Spicy Peanut Sauce ~ Day 79

Spring rolls or summer rolls are very light and refreshing and make a wonderful appetizer, lunch or dinner.  Except for the chopping of the vegetables, these spring rolls are quite easy to make and very versatile.  

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Ingredients:

• Spring roll wrappers - 8 or more
• Warm water - to moisten the wrapper
• Thinly sliced vegetables: Green pepper, red pepper, cabbage, cucumber, red radish
• Herbs: Thai basil, cilantro, mint, and/or dill

For the spicy peanut sauce:

• Peanut butter - 2 tbsp
• Chili garlic or chili sauce - 2 tbsp
• Soy sauce - 1 tbsp
• Maple syrup - 2 tsp
• Lemon juice - 1 tsp
• Water - as needed

Method:

1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the sauce until smooth and creamy.  If the sauce is too thick, thin it out with water.  Set it aside.
2. Fill a large bowl with warm water.  Dip and rotate the rice paper in water for 2 seconds.  If soaked too long, the paper will break. 
3. Place the rice paper on a plate and start assembling the veggies from the bottom 1/3 of rice paper closet to you.
4. Start with some herbs and top it with vegetables.  Do not over stuff.  
5. Start rolling: wrap the bottom edge of the paper over the veggies and tuck it in.  Next wrap the sides carefully and start rolling towards the top, gently and tightly.  Finish with rest of the papers.
6. Serve with spicy peanut sauce.