Yard long beans palya with moongdal - a simple homely side dish

Is there such a thing as blogger's block? How does one overcome it? I am trying to write my post for the last 2 days and it is not going anywhere. I have pictures in my draft but not happy with the way my words come together. I like to write about a recipe, the story behind it, who made it and why it is dear to me before I post it and I am struggling to put words to my expressions. Not sure if it is because I am exhausted  by the time I sit down to write or I am just bringing work home and not able to focus on the blog post, I sure hope this is a temporary thing...

So I will hold on to some of my special recipes until I can make a come back and will write about a very simple everyday palya - most common fare in any Kannadiga household. There are equivalents in all other Indian regional cuisine I am sure. Though common and simple, there are umpteen varieties of palyas, some are stir fried, some sauteed and some pressure cooked. Some of them are just put together with a simple seasoning or vaggarane while some are made with palyada pudi or spice powder. Palya is typically a dryer curry eaten as an accompaniment to either rice or roti  while the main entree is a saaru (rasam) or Huli (sambar). Nammamma puts a garnish of grated coconut in almost every palya and makes it delectable :-).

Palya made with a combination of moong dal & vegetable is one of my favorites as it combines proteins and vitamins into one dish. Yard long beans are tender beans that are used before the seeds plump up. These beans have tougher skill than the regular green beans and take a tad bit longer to cook. Tender yard long beans chopped up, cooked with moong dal and seasoned with coconut and a dash of lime will set you up for a fulfilling and healthy meal.

What do you need to make yard long beans palya? 
12-15 tender yard long beans (alasande kaayi)
1 cup moong dal/hesaru bele
1 Tblsp grated coconut
2 Tbslp finely chopped onion (optional)
1 Tsp lemon juice
1 Tsp salt (adjust to taste)
For seasoning:
1 Tblsp oil
1 Tsp mustard
1 Tsp urad dal/uddina bele
1 Tsp chana dal/kadle bele
4-5 curry leaves
2 dry red chilies
1/4 Tsp asafortida

How do you make yard long beans palya? 

• Wash the moong dal and bring it to boil with 1 cup of water and salt.
• Wash, cut the ends of the yard long beans and chop them into small pieces.
• Add the chopped beans to the moong dal, reduce heat to low-medium and let cook and until moong dal is soft but holds shape. Will take about 8-10 minutes. 

• Heat oil in a pan, add the seasoning ingredients and let cook until mustard pops and the dals turn light pink. 
• Add the chopped onions (if using) and fry until it turns pink.
• Add the seasoning to the cooked moong dal & beans along with grated coconut and lemon juice. Mix well. 

• Serve warm with rice or roti, we had ours with the makki roti last week. 

Notes:

• You need to control the amount of water in the palya as it should stay dry. Start with 3/4 cup of water and add small quantities to help cook the moong dal. 
• Do not over cook moong dal as the texture and taste differs vastly when overdone. 
• Onions are optional and I make this palya with and without them, both taste good. 
• I usually use equal volumes of moong dal and chopped beans, you can increase or decrease to suit your preference.