Apple gourd/Tinda curry in Pressure cooker

This is a very quick, less ingredients and easy recipe which is cooked in pressure cooker. This recipe can be made in instant pot also.

Introduction to Tinda/Apple gourd

Tinda is small to medium in size, averaging 5-8 centimeters in diameter, and is globular, squat, and slightly lopsided in shape, similar to a cross between a green apple and a pumpkin. The skin can be green, yellow, to brown and has shallow dimpling, lumps, and very small, soft, semi-prickly hairs that cover the surface. When immature, the skin will be thin and edible, but when overly mature, the skin will turn thick and tough to eat. The white flesh is tender, moist, and spongy and contains many small, edible, cream-colored to pale yellow seeds. When fresh, Tinda is soft with a mild flavor similar to a cucumber. 

Selecting Tinda

1. Try pressing your nail into Apple gourd. Nail would enter easily when it’s tender. You should buy such apple gourds.While preparing, cut apple gourd/tinda in half. Small and soft seeds indicate a tender tinda.
2. Thick and hard seeds means  tinda is over ripe. Hard seeds can be removed and can be roasted and consumed as a crunchy snack (We will not use hard seeds in preparing the curry). You may also want to chop it into smaller pieces to get cooked well.

Sr No.	Ingredients	Quantity
1.	Apple gourd/ Tinda	1.5 Cups
2.	Oil	1 Tablespoon
3.	Mustard Seeds	1 Teaspoon
4.	Cumin seeds	1 Teaspoon
5.	Asafoetida (Hing)	1/4 Teaspoon
6.	Soaked Chana Dal	1/4 Cup
7.	Green Chilli	2-3
8.	Curry Leaves	3-4
9.	Garlic Crushed	2-3 Pods
10.	Tomato	Medium size chopped
11.	Coriander Powder	1 Tablespoon
12.	Turmeric Powder	1/2 Teaspoon
13.	Red Chilli Powder	1 Teaspoon
14.	Garam Masala	1 Teaspoon
15.	Salt	To Taste
16.	Sugar	1/4 Teaspoon
17.	Water	1/4 Cup
18.	Fresh Coriander Leaves	2 Tablespoon Chopped

Process

1. Heat pan/kadhai on stove and put little oil in it. Let it get hot.
2. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida(hing), garlic, green chilli, soaked chana dal and tomato in oil and mix it. Sauté it for minute or two.
3. Add all the spices like coriander powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala and mix it for 1 minute.
4. Finally add apple gourd/tinda, salt, sugar and water. Deglaze the base of the pot.
5. Lock Pot lid and and let it whistle for 1and then switch OFF the gas.
6. Open the pot with care. Contents are steaming hot.
7. If you think the gravy is watery then you can heat for 1-2 minutes.

If you are cooking this recipe in instant pot

1. Follow all the process till closing the lid on SAUTE mode of IP.
2. Close the lid , set the whistle/knob on sealing mode.
3. Pressure cook for 1 minute, and then Natural Pressure Release (NPR).

Video Recipe

No Fail Sabudana khichadi with very less oil

Sabudana, also known as tapioca or sago, is primary ingredient in food consumed on days of fasting in India.

Soaking Sabudana

1. Sieve sabudana to remove all the powder starch.
2. Take 2 cups of sabudana in a bowl and wash it 3-4 times. Sabudana is ready when water remain clear after washing. Finally, remove all the water. I usually pour from bowl into strainer and let out water. Put sabudana back in the bowl.
3. Add 2 cups of water to the bowl. Let it soak for at least 4 hours. Results are better if soaked overnight.
4. Sabudana is ready when pearls are big and soft to touch. You can mash it into a paste. Let it soak for a while if you feel grains while mashing. Also, there should be no water sitting at the bottom of bowl.

Tip: Use lukewarm water to soak sabudana when in hurry. Sabudana will be ready in 2-3 hours.

Sr No.	Ingredients	Quantity
1.	Sabudana / Tapioca pearls	2 Cups
2.	Roasted peanut powder	1 Cup
3.	Salt to taste	(Used sendha namak)
4.	Sugar	1 tsp
5.	Black pepper	1/2 tsp
6.	Potato ( Chopped)	1 medium size
7.	Cumin Seeds	1 tsp
8.	Oil	1 Tbsp
9.	Grated Ginger	1/2 tsp
10.	Green chilli Paste/Chopped	1 tsp OR Adjust to taste

Process

1. Start Instant pot on sauté mode with high temperature.
2. Put 2 cups water in pot and let it get hot. This will fasten steaming later in recipe.
3. Heat pan/kadhai on stove and put little oil in it. Let it get hot.
4. Add cumin seeds, green chilli, potato, ginger in oil and mix it. Sauté it for minute or two.
5. Meanwhile add black pepper powder, salt, sugar and peanut powder in sabudana and mix it.
6. Add contents of pan to sabudana pot. Mix it well.
7. Switch off Instant Pot.
8. Place sabudana mixture pot on trivet. Cover pot with a lid.
9. Lock InstantPot lid and set the knob/whistle on SEALING mode.
10. Press STEAM button and set timer for 15 minutes.
11. Wait for NPR (6-7 minutes after the timer is done).
12. Open the instant pot with care. Contents are steaming hot.
13. Sabudana khichadi is ready with very less oil and no fail recipe.
14. Mix it lightly once again and serve with topping of shredded coconut and coriander/cilantro.

Additional Notes

1. Sabudana can be soaked ahead as a part of meal planning. Soaked sabudana can be kept fridge in airtight container for about a week.
2. Add some chopped coriander or mint for additional flavour.
3. You can also prepare this recipe in normal pressure cooker. Cook this sabudana khichadi for 2-3 whistles on medium flame.
4. This khichadi can be served with Curd, cucumber raita, ginger and green chilly pickle, peanut kadhi(amti), potato curry.

How to make peanut powder

Video Recipe of No Fail Sabudana Khichadi

Sabudana khichadi

Sabudana, also known as tapioca or sago, is primary ingredient in food consumed on days of fasting in India.

Soaking Sabudana

1. Sieve sabudana to remove all the powder starch.
2. Take 2 cups of sabudana in a bowl and wash it 3-4 times. Sabudana is ready when water remain clear after washing. Finally, remove all the water. I usually pour from bowl into strainer and let out water. Put sabudana back in the bowl.
3. Add 2 cups of water to the bowl. Let it soak for at least 4 hours. Results are better if soaked overnight.
4. Sabudana is ready when pearls are big and soft to touch. You can mash it into a paste. Let it soak for a while if you feel grains while mashing. Also, there should be no water sitting at the bottom of bowl.

Tip: Use lukewarm water to soak sabudana when in hurry. Sabudana will be ready in 2-3 hours.

Sr No.	Ingredients	Quantity
1.	Sabudana / Tapioca pearls	2 Cups
2.	Roasted peanut powder	1 Cup
3.	Salt to taste	(Used sendha namak)
4.	Sugar	1 tsp
5.	Black pepper	1/2 tsp
6.	Potato ( Chopped)	1 medium size
7.	Cumin Seeds	1 tsp
8.	Oil	1 Tbsp
9.	Grated Ginger	1/2 tsp
10.	Green chilli Paste/Chopped	1 tsp OR Adjust to taste

Process

1. Start Instant pot on sauté mode with high temperature.
2. Put oil in pot and let it get hot.
3. Add cumin seeds, green chilli, potato, ginger in oil and mix it.
4. Cover it for 3-4 minutes and let it cook, mix in between.
5. While waiting for potatoes, add black pepper powder, salt, sugar and peanut powder in sabudana and mix it.
6. Switch off Instant Pot, start sauté mode with low temperature. Sabudana khichadi will be sticky if prepared in hot temperature.
7. Add sabudana mixture to Instant Pot in batches.
8. Cover it for 6-7 minutes and mix in between.
9. Sabudana khichadi is ready when all the sabudana Pearls look transparent.

Additional Notes

1. Sabudana can be soaked ahead as a part of meal planning. Soaked sabudana can be kept fridge in airtight container for about a week.
2. Add some chopped coriander or mint for additional flavour.
3. Use boiled potato to cut cooking time.
4. You can also prepare this recipe in heavy bottom pans (like kadhai) or non-stick pans.
5. This khichadi can be served with Curd, cucumber raita, ginger and green chilly pickle, peanut kadhi(amti), potato curry.

How to make peanut powder

Video Recipe of Sabudana Khichadi

Katachi Amti

Katachi Amti is a type of seasoned dal prepared by using leftover water from boiled Chana Dal when making Puran. Makes a great accompaniment for Puran Poli!

Ingredients

1. Boiled chana dal water (Kat) 2 cup
2. Garlic 2-3 pods
3. Ginger 1/2 inch
4. Onion small
5. Dry roasted coconut 2 tbsp
6. Fresh Coriander 1/4 cup
7. Tomato small roasted
8. Oil 2 Tbsp
9. Coriander powder 1 tsp
10. Red chilli powder 1 tsp
11. Garam masala 1 tsp
12. Asafoetida / Hing 1/4 tsp
13. Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
14. Salt to taste
15. Curry leaves 3-4

Method

1. Take 1 tsp oil in a pan and sauté onion, garlic, ginger till onions turn brownish.
2. Add coconut in the pan and roast it and then add fresh coriander leaves and stir.
3. Add tomato and stir.
4. Take out the sautéed mixture in mixer jar and blend it.
5. Take remaining oil in the pan, add curry leaves and the blended sautéed mix and stir for 2-3 minutes.
6. Add coriander powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, hing/asafoetida and mix it.
7. Add chana dal water I.e. Kat( कट).
8. Add 1 tbsp of chana dal paste and salt.
9. Add water for the required consistency. And let it to boil for 3-4 minutes.
10. Katachi amti is ready garnish with coriander leaves and serve with Puran Poli or rice.

Variations

1. You can also use it in soups, curry, kneading dough.
2. This katachi amti can be made little tangy and sweet by adding tamarind and jaggery.
3. Amti can be made more spicy by adding green chilly while roasting onions or increasing the quantity of red chilly powder.

Video Link given below

Puran poli

Puran poli is the Indian maharshtrian food and it is served with a dollop of ghee.

Ingredients

A. For Puran/stuffing

1. 1 cup chana dal
2. 1 cup sugar or 1 cup jaggery or 1/2 cup sugar + 1/2 cup jaggery or the total amount of sweetener should be 1 cup.
3. 1tsp cardamom powder
4. 1/2 tsp salt
5. 1/2 tsp puran poli
6. 1 tsp dry ginger powder or saunth

B. For dough

1. 4 cup whole wheat flour
2. 2cups +1/2 tbsp water
3. 1 tsp salt
4. Oil 2-3 tbsp

Making Puran (in Instant pot)

1. Take 2 cups of water in IP liner. Place steamer rack or trivet in it.
2. Take 1 cup chana dal and 2 cups of water in a container and place it on the rack/trivet in IP. Some people put a pinch of turmeric in dal right now.
3. Tip: I used another container on top of it to cook rice.
4. Cover the lid, put the knob on the sealing mode.
5. Manual/ pressure cook for 8 minutes. [Alternatively, you can do this process in normal pressure cooker also for 3-4 whistles.]
6. Tip: Let us knead the dough till the dal is getting cooked
7. Wait for NPR (i.e. natural pressure release) once IP timer is complete.
8. Open lid and check Chana dal. You should be able to mash Chana dal by pressing between fingers. If it is still little hard, cook for few more minutes.
9. Take out all the water of dal, leave it aside. We will use this water for Katachi Amti. You can also use it in soups, curry, kneading dough.
10. Take a pan and put it on medium heat. Put dal in the pan, little ghee and then mash this dal with the potato masher. You can also use immersion blender or strain the cooked dal through the strainer before putting in pan.
11. Add sugar + jaggery to mashed dal and mix well. Stir the mixture till you can smell the aroma. Switch off the stove.
12. Tip: Sometimes the mixture gets dry. Add 1-2 tsp of dal water while stirring to keep moist.
13. Add cardamom powder, salt (optional), nutmeg, ginger powder or saunth. Mix it well. Puran is ready. Let it cool down to room temperature.

Preparing dough

1. Ratio of wheat flour and water should be 2:1 for regular poli/roti. I used extra 1 tsp of water to make the dough extra soft. A pinch of salt enhances taste and oil helps retain moisture and keep the Puran Poli very soft.
2. Knead the dough by hand or your food processor or stand mixer. Make sure to knead the dough till it becomes very soft and stretchy.
3. Tip: Sometimes, wheat flour is little coarse and dough does not become stretchy. Add some maida or all purpose flour while kneading to get soft n stretchy dough.
4. Let the dough sit while we prepare Puran.

Final step – Puran Poli

1. Take the dough ball and make it into a bowl shape. Put ball of Puran in the dough bowl and close it from all side.
2. Flatten it a little bit with hand and then put the closed side facing the board. Take the flour and roll the Puran Poli. Turn using hand every now and then. You don’t need to apply pressure, it will spread easily.
3. This is a difficult step don’t worry if you face any problem, practice will make it perfect.
4. Put the closed side of Puran Poli facing the medium hot griddle/tawa.
5. Turn the poli only 2 times.
6. Puran Poli is now ready to eat. Serve it with dollop of ghee.

Video Recipe