Naval kol sabzi

Naval kol is a cabbage like vegetable .It is shaped like any onion .Its colour is like green cabbage.It tastes like cabbage .It is a solid mass unlike cabbage which has layers.

I love this vegetable as I like variety.It is quite a tricky vegetable.It may look fresh & yet may be hard to cut as also get cooked.It has leaves like radish.I discard the leaves & only use the solid mass for sabzi.I peel the vegetable to remove small offshoots which are there on the outside & cut it like any other vegetable.If I find any part of the vegetable very hard,It has to be discarded as it will not cook .The rest can be cut & cooked.

Ingredients : 2 navalkols- chopped into half inch pieces,1 green mirchi-chopped into 2-3 pieces,1-2 sprigs of curry leaves,1/2 tsp urad dal,1/4 tsp haldi,1/4tsp hing,1/2 mustard seeds,1tbsp oil,1tbsp fresh dessicated coconut,salt to taste.

Method : Heat oil in a kadhai.Add mustard seeds.When they  pop up,add urad dal.After urad dal has turned golden ,add mirchi & kadi patta.Then add the navalkol pieces along with haldi & hing.Mix all.Cover with a lid & cook for 5 minutes.Remove lid & sprinkle some water.Mix & cook again for 5minutes.Prick the navalkol pieces to see if they have turned tender.If tender ,add coconut & salt & mix nicely & cook covered with lid for another 2-3 minutes.Put off the gas.Serve sabzi as side dish to chappatis or even as an accompaniment to rasam-rice.

If they are not tender,add some more water.Cover with lid & cook again.After the veggie pieces have turned tender,add salt & coconut.Mix nicely.Cover with lid & cook for 2-3 minutes.Put off gas.Navalkol sabzi is ready.

Gundpangulu

Ingredients : Rice 2 cups,urad dal 1 cup ,1/2 poha or 1 tsp methi (fenugreek seeds),1 tsp jeera,1 ' inch ginger ,2 large onions,1-2green chillies (hari mirchi),4 tbsp oil  ,salt to taste.

Method :Soak rice & urad dal together with poha or methi seeds for 5-6 hours.Drain the water & grind finely in a grinder.Add little water while grinding.The dough after grinding must be of idli batter consistency. Ferment this overnight.Next day ,add finely cut onions,green chillies,grated ginger & jeera to this mixture.Add salt.Mix thoroughly.

Now take the vessel as shown in the photograph .Oil the inside of the cups in the vessel.Pour a tablespoon of the dough mixture into each of the cups in the vessel.Light up the gas & keep the vessel on the burner.Cover with a lid.After two minutes,turn the balls in the cups with a spoon & reverse them one by one.They will all have turned golden brown.Again cover the vessel with lid & let it cook for another 1 minute.Now remove the balls from the cups with a spoon with sharp edges.The gundpangulu are ready to be served with coconut
chutney.

More gundpangulus can be prepared by oiling the cups after each batch gets cooked.

Tips: Grated carrot can be added to the dough to make it more healthy.Appams are also made in this fashion & they are sweet in taste.

If the vessel is a non -stick one then less oil is needed.