Sometimes the easiest preparations come from street eateries. Serving a large bunch of people at the blink of an eye is no trivial skill
When one is in a hurry, one has to innovate. It is in such instances, especially the 2 hours before office time hunger pangs, that I seek lunch quickies. There won't be time to saute vegetables on low flame till they reach the right texture and the condiments get enough time to release their flavors. NO way! These are the ideal instances with ample time to chase perfection. But we live in the real world. So, we make our own perfection!
Maybe it is brain's adaptation to quickly come up with solutions to stay alive for its own sake ;D Because if it was left to me, I will just opt for the ideal scenario. So I guess my brain got me this idea for its own good
The brown payar, because it can be stored dry, is a permanent fixture in my pantry. And there are many preparations in which it stars like the brown payar thoran
I made the following recipe for lunch on a day when I really could not spare much time in kitchen, but I was so famished I needed something immediately
What I used
- Washed brown payar: 1 cup
It cooks easily if it has been soaked overnight - Finely chopped ginger and garlic: 1 teaspoon each
It is also enough to throw in only garlic cloves sliced in half - Any chilli (based on how much heat you want): 2 green chillies is what I used
- Salt: to taste
- Coarsely sliced shallots: 4-5
Half an onion is also good enough - Water: enough too cook
- (Optional) Mustard seeds: 1/2 teaspoon, vegetable oil:1 tablespoon, curry leaves: a sprig
How I made it
- Add all the above (except the last optional set) into a small pressure cooker, with enough water to submerge the ingredients
- Cook on medium flame till you hear 4 whistles
- Turn off the flame and let the contents cook in the steam. This might take about half an hour
- When you open the lid, if the water has not evaporated, transfer the contents to a hot frying pan and cook till the water evaporates. This stock is very nutritious, so refrain from draining it away
- This is semi-solid and hence suffices as a side dish for a meal
- If you can spare 3 minutes more, splutter the mustard seeds and curry leaves and add to the curry just made and mix well or add the contents of the pressure cooker to this tadka and then cook. Either way is fine
I add curry leaves to whichever dish possible because its presence signifies my taste of Indianess
I am crazy about all forms of brown payar and usually share it with rice, pulissery and fish fry. I have tried this with chappathy also under compelling circumstances and it was not bad
