Pumpkin Sambar and Cabbage Poriyal - Easy Lunch Menu | Healthy Diet Plan #2

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This is one of the easiest and comforting meal I could think of on a lazy noon. My hubby loves cabbage so its a total yes yes when it comes to cabbage. So this is lunch menu for a hearty, comforting and healthy lunch. So whats next?! its going to be dessert time - fruits salad with custard, stay tuned :)

Pumpkin Sambar Recipe

Ingredients:

• Toor dhal - 1 cup
• A small lemon sized tamarind ball - 1
• Shallots(Chinna vengayam) - 3 to 4
• Tomato - 1 large
• Turmeric powder - a generous pinch
• Sambar powder - 1 tbsp
• Vegetable of your choice - I used pumkpin (4-5 cubes)
• Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp chopped
• Salt - to taste

To temper :

• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Urad dhal - 1/2 tsp
• Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves - few
• Hing - a generous pinch

Method:

1. Soak tamarind in 1 cup water for 15mins, squeeze the thick pulp out and keep aside.
2. Pressure cook toor dhal with 1.5 cups of water until mushy.Smash it well once and keep aside.
3. In a pan, add oil temper mustard seeds, urad dhal once they crackle add fenugreek seeds, curry leaves and hing. Now add onion and tomato saute until raw smell of tomato leaves. Now add the veggie(pumpkin) saute it slightly.
4. Now add the smashed dhal, add turmeric powder, sambar powder, required salt and mix well. Allow it to boil for 5mins then add tamarind pulp mix well.
5. Allow this to boil for 10mins until the sambar starts thickening. Switch off and garnish with coriander leaves.

Cabbage Poriyal Recipe:

Ingredients:

• Cabbage - 1/2 from a medium sized cabbage (chopped finely)
• Onion - 1/2 chopped finely
• Grated coconut - 1 tbsp
• Salt – to taste

To temper :

• Oil - 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Jeera - 1/4 tsp (optional)
• Urad dhal - 1/2 tsp
• Green chillies - 1 slitted
• Curry leaves - few

Method:

1. Heat a pan with oil, add mustard seeds, urad dhal, jeera allow it to crackle. Now add green chillies and curry leaves, saute for a minute.Add onions saute for 3mins.
2. Then add grated cabbage, saute for 2mins. Sprinkle little water (do not add more water as cabbage will let our water by itself) and cook keeping lid closed until cabbage gets cooked and becomes soft.Add required salt.
3. After few mins say 5-7mins the water would have evaporated completely and the cabbage would have turned soft and dry.
4. Add coconut give a quick stir and switch off.

This was my lunch menu a few weeks back. Rice , pumpkin sambar, cabbage poriyal and mango patchadi

My Notes:

• For cabbage poriyal, you can also add a tbsp of cooked moong dhal.
• I sometimes add channa dhal for tempering too.
• You can use any veggie for ur choice and proceed with the above recipe for sambar. Saute and cook the veggie accordingly.
• Drizzle ghee while mixing sambar with rice and enjoy a heartful meal.