vividha(various) palya / dry subzi

Let me first explain how a palya is prepared.
Take the vegetable of your choice. Cut into peices of same size and shape(small or large shape depends on the type of vegetable chosen. Vegetables which get cooked faster can be cut into medium/ bit larger in size. Similarly the ones which get cooked slowly can be cut into smaller pieces.)
In a tava, take one tea spoon oil, add mustard, urad dal. When the mustard starts spluttering add 2 or 3 small pieces of dried red chillies and small pieces of curry leaves. When mustard stops spluttering, add the chopped vegetables. Now add salt and red chilly powder according to your taste. Mix well. Add required amount of water. Close the pan. Let it cook for 10 or 15 minutes. Open the pan and check if cooked well. Just before turning off the flame add 1/2 cup of grated cocunut and mix well. You can leave it for 2 or 3 minutes and then put off the flame. Note one can wait for the water to evaporate completely. this can be served with Rice or Chapathis.

The variations on this recipe depends on some vegetables. I will post the different varietes of palya done one by one with photos.

chapathi and various paratas

1. Chapathi (Indian wheat bread)

Ingredients:

Wheat Flour - 1 cup

Water 1/2 cup(can vary depending on the amount of ghee/oil quantity)

Ghee/Oil - 1/2 tea spoon (optional)

Mixing bowl 
Round Tava
Spatula

Method:

First prepare the dough. Take wheat flour in a mixing bowl and add ghee/oil to this. Now heat water and pour it into the bowl containing the flour slowly, little by little(dont add fully). Mix well. Add some more water if required and mix well. Dough becomes soft if you mix for more time thoroughly. 


Now make big lemon sized balls out of the dough and then roll into a round chapathi. While rolling use little flour, sprinkle and roll again. Use a roller that is light in weight and which is thin. Tip for making round chapathi is that you should hold the roller with two fingers on each side of the roller. Roll fast without putting much pressure. Rolling this way, you can rotate the roller along with the chapathi. This is a trick one has to learn. :)  Make sure you roll chapathi thin enough so that it is cooked well.


Heat the tava. Once you see the hot air blowing on the tava you can place the rolled chapathi on the tava. Once you roast for 30 seconds, you will see small bubbles coming. Flip the chapathi using a spatula and repeat the same process for this side as well. You can now put the chapathi directly to the flame using tongs. Flip chapathi with the tongs. You see that chapathi puffs out like a balloon :D. 
Make note that flame adjustment during Chapathi roasting is very important. Use a thick round tava, with long handle on one side for chapathi roasting. One can add oil/ghee while roasting. This is optional. The one which is done without oil/ghee is called pulka(which puffed out like a balloon).


Chapathi is now ready to serve along with a side dish of your choice... :)

kodilu/sambhar

1. Sambhar

Ingredients:

Vegetables like beans or carrot or potato or sambhar cucumber, etc (or mixture of all the vegetables)

1/2 cup toor dhal (optional)

jaggery and salt as per taste

small gooseberry sized

For Masala:

2 or 3 dry red chilly
2 and 1/2 tea spoon corriander seeds

1 tea spoon Urad dal

1/4 tea spoon Jeera

1/4 tea spoon Methi seeds

pinch of turmeric 

pinch of asafoetida

8 curry leaves

1 cup Grated coconut 

Fry all the masala ingredients except grated coconut. now grind these spices along with grated coconut to a fine paste. keep it aside.

Method:

Cook the vegetable of your desire along with salt and tamarind and water. Keep it aside. Cook toor dhal in a pressure cooker with pinch of turmeric and 1 drop of oil and desired amount of water. Now mash the cooked dhal and mix with the cooked vegetable. Let this boil for 5 minutes. Now add the ground masala and 1 and 1/2 cup of water and boil well. 

Season with mustard seeds and dry red chilly, required amount of oil and curry leaves. Delicious sambhar is ready to serve.