Chapati and Beans Thoran

Its been two years since I have posted anything on my blog. To be frank I didn’t even realize it. It’s not that I have not cooked anything in the last 24 months. I did try some salads, grilled stuff, my version of shrimps and grits, simplified versions of Kerala dishes – fed lot of my friends the experimentation’s – some were liked, some got a  nonchalant response. But none of that made it to the web. I can probably give lot of excuses – work, my judo, etc etc. But I will be straight  –  I just fell off the bandwagon of blogging. Now I trying to get on it.

We are in Bombay for our vacation. My wife and I reached at 3 in the morning, and parents were at the airport to receive us. Knowing my mom’s way’s I knew she must have cooked something irrespective what time it was. During our 2009 visit she made beef and unniyappam. This time it was much simpler  – chapati and beans. And of course she had also made jars of mango pickle, garlic pickle, and inji curry (puliyinji/injipuli). Inji Curry is one of my wife’s favorite dishes – according to her rice and and a serving of inji curry is the best way to start a day.

My mom is known within my family and friends for her “square” chapati’s. I don’t know how she does it, but when she has rolled out the dough the chapati is pretty much a perfect square.  A chapati is a unleavened flatbread made with whole wheat flour cooked on a flat griddle.

Here is a video of her making a chapati –

 

Beans Thoran

1. 1 pound beans diced small

2. Shallots/Onions, ginger, green chillies diced fine

3. Curry leaves

4. Turmeric powder (1/2 teaspoon)

5. Salt to taste

6. 2 teaspoons oil

Heat a deep frying pan and add oil. Fry the ginger and green chillies until they are soft. Add the onions and curry leaves and fry till onions turn light brown and translucent. Lower heat and add turmeric powder. Add the diced beans, add salt and stir. Cover with lid and steam on low to medium heat till beans are done. When done, the beans will be soft but still retain a crunch.