Green Pepper & Potato Poriyal

Life has been a little busy, both at home front and at work. We are enjoying the company of our in-laws this summer and will miss them thoroughly once they leave. :-(

Summer is almost about to end and I've a couple of veggie grilling recipes that I need to post before we close our patios & decks for the upcoming chilly seasons. Hopefully I get to them before late.

Coming to the Poriyal; this recipe is from Chandra Padmanabhan’s Dakshin-Vegetarian South Indian Recipes cookbook. The recipe calls for mixing yogurt with chopped green pepper and marinating for 10 minutes and then make the curry. I thought that was a little different and did it, even though I wasn’t sure if that additional step really made any difference to the taste. It went well with steamed rice and mixed veggie sambhar.

Ingredients:
Green peppers – 2 medium, chopped
Potatoes – 2 medium, chopped
Yogurt – 2tbsp
Turmeric – ½ tsp
Poriyal Powder** – 2tsp

For tempering:
Mustard seeds – 1tsp
Cumin seeds – 1tsp
Curry leaves – 6-8

Method:

• Mix yogurt into chopped green peppers and keep aside for 10 minutes.
  
• Heat 2tbsp oil in a sauté pan; add the tempering ingredients and once the seeds splutter add potatoes and peppers along with turmeric.
• Cover and cook until veggies are tender, about 10-12 minutes.
  
• Add poriyal powder & salt. Mix well and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Serve hot with steamed rice.

** Poriyal Powder:
Ingredients:
Coriander Seeds - 1 1/4 cups
Chana dal (Bengal gram/ Senagapappu) - 3/4 cup
Urad dal (Black gram/ Minapappu) - 1/2 cup
Dry Red Chillies - 3/4 cup
Oil - 3tsp
Hing - 2tsp
Tamarind Ball - marble sized
Salt - to taste

Method:

• Dry roast Coriander seeds, bengal gramdal and black gram dal.
• Fry the red chillies in the oil.
• Mix all the ingredients together and powder almost fine.
• Store the powder in anairtight container and use as required.