Drumstick and tur dal curry

This recipe has been sitting in my drafts for way too long. I remember, when my mum lived with me, every morning post breakfast she and I got into a huddle of sorts in an effort to plan the meal for the day. During those days, at least most week days we cooked a vegetarian meal and stocked the fridge accordingly. On this particular day, the fridge seemed bare, and the only vegetable there was drumsticks. There was absolutely nothing else. I was dreading the thought of making lunch that only had drumsticks. But my mother's knack for making a curry out of anything amazes me. I guess that's what mothers are all about. Waving their invisible wands and cooking with the most mundane ingredients and turning them into a delicious meal.

Drumstick and Tur daal (aka pigeon pea) curry also known as Saango ani daalechi kadhi in Konkani, is a tasty curry that goes well with a simple meal of steamed rice and a pickle or fried fish. This is a traditional Mangalorean curry made with coconut and spices. In fact there are many such unheard of combinations that are a regular feature in a Mangalorean household. You can make a similar curry with eggplant instead of drumstick, other vegetable curries include different types of pulses, winter melon, bottle gourd, cauliflower etc that can be cooked with coconut, red chilly and other spices. More recipes on that later. For now I'd say, this is a must try for people who like coconut based curries and are keen to try vegetable curries.

Recipe credit: Cecilia Sequeira

Ingredients:

1. Drumstick - 3 nos
2. Tur Daal (pigeon peas) - 1/2 cup
3. Tomatoes - 2 medium

Grind the below mentioned ingredients with water:

1. Coconut - 1 cup, grated
2. Onion - 1 small (roughly chopped)
3. Garlic - 2 flakes
4. Kashmiri red chillies - 3 nos
5. Cumin seeds (jeera) - 1/2 tsp
6. Mustard seeds (rai) - 1/2 tsp
7. Coriander seeds (dhania) - 1 tbsp
8. Tamarind - 1 small lime sized ball
9. Turmeric powder(haldi) - 1/2 tsp

Tempering:

1. Oil - 2 tbsp
2. Curry leaves - 10 -15 nos
3. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Method:

1. Cook the dal and tomatoes in a pressure cooker, let it cook for two whistles and switch off the flame.
2. Once the dal is cooked, add the ground masala, drumsticks and salt to the pan. Let it come to a boil and then add water as per the desired consistency. Let it cook for about 5 to 7 minutes.
3. For tempering, use a small pan, pour oil, when the oil is hot add the mustard seeds, when they stop crackling, put off the gas flame and add curry leaves.
4. Put this oil immediately into the pan containing the curry.
5. You can temper the curry just before or after you put off the gas flame.