Guest Post Series: LOBIA SUVA BHAJI SUBZI (Sauteed Dill with Black-eyed peas) by Shobana Rao

 

 Hope you all found Ashwini Kamath's Piyava tambali very useful last week. This week my guest is another senior blogger whom I hold in high esteem. She is respected by all and much liked in the blogging community. She is very humble, helpful and resourceful. It is my pleasure to introduce to you Shobana Rao. She blogs @ Cooking with Shobana.Her blog has a plethora of recipes that are traditional Konkani as well as several fusion recipes. She resides in Bangalore, India.

 I am honored to have her write a guest post for me. Today, she has brought us Lobia Suva Subzi which is essentially a dish in which black-eyed peas have been cooked with Dill leaves and spices in a very flavorful manner. Do check her blog "Cooking with Shobana" for more healthy and delicious recipes.


This healthy dish of legume and greens is made as a Guest Post for my friend, Suchitra Kamath who has an interesting blog full of healthy recipes called,"Su's Healthy Living." 

The main ingredients in this dish are Black Eyed Beans and Dill Leaves (called Lobia and Suva Bhaji in Hindi respectively). Dill leaves are called Shepu in Marathi/Konkani and Sabsigge Soppu in Kannada. You might be interested to know that Black Eyed Beans (also known as Black Eyed Peas) have many health benefits while Dill Leaves have a distinctive and special flavour all of their own.

You can enjoy this dish with rotis or as a side dish with the main meal.

Servings:

Ingredients:

• Lobia ( Black Eyed Beans), 1 cup
• Suva Bhaji ( Fresh Dill Leaves), chopped, 2 cups
• Rai ( Mustard Seeds), 1/2 tsp
• Jeera (Cumin Seeds), 1/2 tsp
• Curry Leaves, a sprig
• Green Chillies, slit, 3-4, or as per taste
• Garlic Pods, finely chopped, 3
• Large sized Onion, chopped, 1
• Salt, to taste
• Lemon juice, 2-3 tsp
• Oil, 1 tbsp

Method:

Wash and soak the lobia overnight or for 8-10 hours

Next morning, pour out the excess water

In a pressure cooker, cook the soaked lobia in adequate water for 1-2 whistles or till done.Take care to see that the lobia does not get overcooked.Once the cooker has cooled remove the cooked lobia and keep it aside.

Heat oil in a thick-bottomed kadhai and when it gets hot add the mustard seeds.When they splutter, add the cumin seeds and when they sizzle add the curry leaves and saute for a few seconds.

Next add the slit green chillies, chopped garlic, and onion and saute till the onion becomes translucent and the garlic gives off a nice aroma.

Add the chopped dill leaves, cooked beans, salt to taste and mix well.

Cover and cook on medium flame till the dill leaves get done.

Finally add the lemon juice and mix well.

Transfer to a serving bowl.

Serve hot with rotis or rice.

Enjoy!!

I am bringing this delicious dish of Shobhana akka's to all my friends at Throwback Thursday#39, Fiesta Friday#120  and Saucy Saturdays#45! Angie's co-hosts this week are Loretta @ Safari of the Mind and Linda @ Fabulous Fare Sisters

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

Dill-Cucumber-Radish Raita/Salad; Meatless Monday

Raita is a staple accompaniment to Indian dishes like Biryani and pulao. Raita is nothing but a salad that has a yogurt based dressing. However, unlike the usual salads,  raita has a copious amount of  yogurt in it, so much so that the yogurt is like a sauce or gravy.The most common raita is cucumber raita. Cucumber raita can be made by itself or with onions and tomatoes added to it. Raitas are often garnished with coriander/ cilantro leaves.The raita that I am bringing to you today has the added flavors of dill and the goodness of red radish. It is easy to make, healthy and delicious.

Servings: 3-4

Ingredients:

Cucumber: 1 medium, chopped fine.
Small red radish: 4-5, finely chopped julienne.
Onion: 1 small, chopped.
Green chillies: 1-2, chopped.
Yogurt: 2 cups
Salt: to taste
Dill leaves: 1 tbsp
Mint leaves: 1 sprig for garnish ( optional)

Method:

Add the chopped cucumber, onion, radish, green chillies, dill leaves to the bowl.

In a separate bowl whisk the yogurt thoroughly to make it smooth . Add this to the above bowl.

Add salt and mix well.

Garnish with mint leaves.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serve chilled.

Cooking made easy:

You could dilute the yogurt with some water if you want it to be thinner. Alternatively, you can make it a protein-rich dish by using Greek yogurt or hung yogurt.

Tip for healthy living:

For people who don't like vegetables or leafy salads, raitas can be the perfect way to incorporate the much needed veggies into your diet. Ensure that every meal is accompanied by some kind of salad or yogurt. You need atleast 4-5 servings of vegetables each day!

Food for thought:

Rules and models destroy genius and art. William Hazlitt

Dill Dal Fry; my experiments with Dill; Meatless Monday

While I have always known that there exists an herb Dill, I haven't ever cooked it. This is because where I am from which is Southern India, dill is not something that is available or cooked. I know that a lot of Maharashtrians and some North Indians cook it on a regular basis. It is called Sheppu bhaji in Marathi. While I was at the Farmer's market the other day, I came across this bunch of dill that was being sold at an extremely economical price. I couldn't resist. I decided to try it. I reached out to my cousin Usha, who is an excellent cook herself. She suggested this recipe that I bring to you all today. The main ingredients are Split chick peas and dill which have been cooked with cumin, coriander powder and chilli powder. I must say, it came out delicious! It is a very simple and easy to make dish, perfect for a weeknight dinner. You can pair it with roti/flatbed/ bread or rice.

I had also reached out to several of my friends on the Facebook foodie groups and received numerous suggestions to prepare dishes that use dill. One of them was using them in kadhi, which i made in kadhi with dill. Another was seasoning fish with it, which I did in my Fish Dum Biryani. Third was using it with rice in pulao, which again I experimented with in my Fish Dum Biryani. There are many more recipes that use dill that I want to try ! So watch this space in the coming days. It is amazing how many things can be made with dill!! 

Servings : 2-3 ( one cup each)

Ingredients:

Chana dal (Split chick peas): 1 cup
Dill: 2 cups, leaves only
Coconut oil: 1 tsp
Onion: one small, chopped fine.
Ginger: 1 inch piece, chopped fine.
Garlic: 3 medium cloves, chopped fine.
Green chillies: 2, chopped fine
Haldi ( turmeric powder): 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder: 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder: 1/4 tsp
Lemon juice: 1 tbsp
Water : 2 cups
Salt: 1/2 tsp
Sugar: 1/4 tsp

Method:

Wash Chana dal and soak it in water for atleast 3-4 hours.

In a pot cook the Chana dal with water. As it boils, you see scum appear on top. Discard this scum. When the dal is half cooked (around 8-10 minutes), turn off the flame and keep aside.

In a sauté pan, heat 1 tsp oil. Add chopped garlic, ginger and sauté for a few seconds. 

Add the chopped onions, green chillies and sauté until the onions turn slightly  golden brown. 

Add cumin and coriander powders, red chilli powder and sauté for 30 seconds.

Now add the cooked dal, salt, sugar, dill leaves and cook on low flame until the dal is tender. Do not overcook the dal.

Serve hot with rice/roti/ bread.

Dill dal fry served with rice, ussal and kale stirfry.

Enjoy.

Cooking made easy:

This recipe can be made with pretty much any kind of lentils. Just be mindful of the cooking time as some lentils cook faster than others and some lentils do not require soaking.

The rationale behind combining lentils with dill is not only to make it protein-rich but to add bulk to the dish. Dill when cooked reduces significantly in quantity.

Dill is a very strong herb. A little goes a long way. Some may not like the taste of it. So if you are new to it, start by using a little in your dish.

Tip for healthy living:

Dill is a very potent herb. A little bit goes a long way. It belongs to the same family as parsley, cumin and bay leaf. It is a great source of calcium, manganese, iron and flavonoids known for their anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-viral properties. Dill has strong anti-microbial properties. Dill has been purported to regulate insulin levels in diabetics and also help reduce triglyceride and cholesterol levels thereby being heart-healthy too. Dill also is great for digestive issues as it has anti-spasmodic properties. Dill is might help stabilize irregular menstrual cycles and help promote fertility in women. 

Food for thought:

It is not so much our friends' help that helps us, as the confidence of their help. Epicurus