Budamkaya pappu and Beerakaya Talimpu

Well I was just going to end the day with some dish, just for the sake of filling my stomach. But then I was like why not make this interesting. So I decided my mundane dinner should be spiced up. I would be making Budamkaya (AKA Dosakaya) pappu, and Beerakaya talimpu, and some Kattu Charu from the Pappu. All decided why not add an Omlette to the menu to make it more filling? And this time I was going to boil pappu the traditional way. Hmmmm all this I was supposed to finish off before dear husband gets home so we could spend some timetogether. Was my project successful? Yes yes yes..and here is the recipe

Budamkaya Pappu :
Kandi bedalu/Toordal- 1 cup
Small tomatoes- 2 diced
Green Chillies- 10
Budamkaya- peeled and cut into cubes
Tamarind- small lime sized
Turmeric- a pinch
Cilantro- a few sprigs

For the Tiragavata (Seasoning)
Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
half onion small- sliced
curryleaves- 7-8

• Take 3 cups of water in a heavy bottomed vessel, add the bedalu or dal along with the green chillies, budamkaya mukkalu, tomatoes and pinch of turmeric and boil with a lid on the vessel until you see the bedalu soft but not really mushy. You can add salt in between.
  
• Just wash the tamarind and add it to the boiling pappu, and turn off the heat after 2-3 minutes.
  
• Now with the lid on the vessel, try to drain as much water into a separate vessel. This we will be using for the kattu charu.
• With a spoon or pappu gitti mash the boiled bedalu, budamkaya and everything inside along with the coriander leaves, if needed add salt accordingly.
  
• Now for the seasoning part, take a tbspn of oil in a small pan, wait till the oil gets hot add the mustard seeds, wait till they splutter and add the curryleaves next. Then add the onions fry for 2-3 minutes, take some of the tiragavata and add it to the charu kept aside.
• This is called Kattu Charu, which is very good for toddlers, and infants, and for grownups too.. why not heh..you can drink it for better digestion folks.
  
• Now add the mashed pappu into the vessel containing tiravata, and again back into the initial one..(well I am just complicating it for the sake of it...haha..just do what ever is convenient for you)

And bingo, my delicious budamkaya pappu was ready.
Now to the beerakaya talimpu recipe.

One of the talimpus my mom made (most of them I used to not like as a kid, coz they were not deep fried), and which my brother and I competed for was the beerakaya talimpu. As kids we always liked the fried stuff and not the usual koora/curry. Well who doesnot like fried bendakaya, dondakaya anyway? But poor mom, we would never be satisfied with the talimpus she would make. As the old saying goes, "Pakkinti Pullakoora chala Ruchi", we used to like the neighbor aunty's talimpu because it was nicely fried. Only when I grew up did I realize how healthy, and tasty the not so fried veggie talimpus/fries were. And one of the pastes that is used commonly in curries and talimpus is the fresh coconut, chilli, salt paste.And ooh..this makes anything taste like heaven!!
Ok now to the recipe

Beerakaya talimpu:
Ingredients:
beerakaya/Ridge Gourd- 2 long ones peeled roughly and cut into 1/2inch cubes
Turmeric- a pinch
Onion- 1 medium sized diced
Fresh coconut- 2 tbspns
Green Chillies- 8
Salt to taste
COriander leaves for garnishing

Make a paste of the coconut, salt and freen chillies.

For the Seasoning:
Oil- 3 tbspns
Mustard seeds- 1 tsp

• Take oil in a frying pan, wait till it gets hot, add the mustard seeds, wait till they splutter (yes you know the drill..), add the curryleaves, and the onions. Fry the onions till they are transparent, and then add the cut beerakaya pieces.
• Fry them for approximately 15 min on mediumheat with a lid on till they are a bit soft. Now add the green chilli coconut paste, and stir for a minute.
• Do not cover the pan with the lid now, and fry till you feel the raw smell of chillies no more.
• Add the coriander leaves finally.

And there you go, the tasty beerakaya talimpu is ready.

I made an omelette as a side dish for the pappu and talimpu, and kattu charu, and it was a complete meal. OOh did I say I took a share of majjiga mirapakayalu that my husband fried for himself. So double dhamaka for me. So my little nani had his favorite charu, and ourselves the whole menu..every one happy and full. And ready to go to sleep...
Good night every body and try these in your Happy Kitchen too!!!
Here are the final pictures that I took before I gobbled up everything.