Dal Pachadi

INGREDIENTS 

5 tbsp white urad dal 

2 tbsp chana dal 

Few pepper corns 

3-4 tbsp coconut grated 

2 red chili 

1/2 tsp jeera 

Few curry leaves 

1/2 tsp chopped ginger 

1 tbsp oil 

Pinch of hing

1/2 tsp mustard seeds 

1 cup whipped curd 

Salt 

1/4 tsp Chili powder 

METHOD

1. Heat a pan and add dals, peppercorns, 1 red chili, jeera and few curry leaves and sauté until golden brown. Cook and add coconut. You can use fresh or dry coconut as you like. Grind it into a powder  

2. Beat the yoghurt with salt and dilute as much as you like. 

3. Add the powder and mix well. Over time the curd will thicken up. Add yoghurt or water as you like. 

4. Heat oil, add hing, mustard, broken red chili, curry leaves and little urad dal. Sauté. 

5. Add ginger and sauté again. Put in chili powder and pour on top of the yoghurt mix. 

6. Adjust consistency and top with fresh coriander. 

7. Relish with rice, dosas or serve as an accompaniment with upma like I did. It’s highly flavorful and refreshing. 

Dal wada curry

Eating dal is healthy and most of us enjoy it every day. I love the brown lentils we get here easily. Lots of fiber and texture. I try and use a lot of it. This is one recipe I tried and my family loved it. Sharing it so that we can enjoy it in another form.  Relish with parathas or rice! 

INGREDIENTS 

For wada~

1 cup brown dal soaked (can use moong, masoor, chana) 

1 chopped onion (optional) 

1-2 Green chili chopped 

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste 

Hing 

Salt 

1/2 tsp Chili powder 

1/2 tsp crushed saunf 

Oil to fry 

For curry~

2 tbsp oil 

1/2 tsp jeera 

1/2 cup tomato purée 

1 sliced onion 

2 chopped green chili 

1 tbsp ginger garlic crushed 

1/2 cup curd 

Salt 

Chili powder 

Haldi 

Coriander powder 

2 cups water 

Corina der leaves 

METHOD

1. Grind dal with little water. Add all other ingredients and fry wadas in hot oil. 

2. For curry, heat oil, add jeera and sliced onions, sauté. 

3. Add ginger garlic paste and all spiced. Sauté. 

4. Put all the spices and sauté for few secs. Add tomato purée and curd. Stir and add water for as much gravy as you like.

5. Boil with green chilies and coriander leaves. 

6. After a boil put in wadas and cover to allow gravy to seep in. Do this about 10 mins before serving as wadas absorb gravy. Adjust water again. 

7.  Serve hot with rice or parathas! 

Pongal savoury

      We are very fond of South Indian cuisine and often I try out various recipes and make some changes according to my requirements and enjoy this very lovely cuisine.So this week it was pongal time and not knowing how my family would enjoy it, I teamed it with kohlrabi sambhar.And it was a hit ! So one more variety on our plate.  :)
Ingredients
Rice                                               1 cup
yellow moong dal                          1/2 cup
Ghee                                              2 tbsp
Bay leaf                                         1 no
Pepper corns                                 6-7 nos
cashewnuts broken                        6-8 nos
chopped ginger                              1 tbsp
cumin seeds                                   1/2 tsp
haldi powder                                  1/2 tsp
Hing                                               1/4 tsp
Curry leaves a few
Salt to taste.
Method
Put dal in a pan and roast till golden brown.
Wash the rice and dal together.
Put about 4.5 cups of water in a pot, add rice and dal,salt and tumeric and cook till the whole mixture is soft but not mashy.There would be a lovely aroma to it by then.
Heat ghee in a pan, add hing, all the spices,cumin and cashewnuts.Saute till golden.
Add the ginger and curry leaves and saute.
Pour it on the pongal , mix and serve hot with ghee if you like.

Dal palak -Lentil with spinach

       This one of the most loved dishes in my home.It has the goodness of greens and proteins from lentils.Goes very well with rice or chappatis.If made a little thin,can be had almost like a soup.The goodness and smell of fresh spinach makes me want to eat bowl fulls of this lovely dish.
Ingredients
Bengal gram lentils                   100gms
Chopped spinach                     2 cups
chopped tomatoes                    2 nos
chopped onions                        1 no
chopped garlic                          1 tbsp
chopped ginger                         1/2 tsp
chopped green chilli                  1 no
lime juice                                  1-2 tsp
chilli powder                             1/2 tsp
coriander powder                      1 tbsp
tumeric powder                         1/2 tsp
garam masala                            1/4 tsp
bay leaf                                     1 no
cloves                                       3 nos
cumin seeds                               1 tsp
hing
salt to taste
Ghee/oil                                    1 tbsp
Method
Soak lentils (chana dal) for 30 mins.Pressure cook with water,tumeric and salt to 2 whistles in pressure cooker.
Heat ghee/oil and add hing and cumin seeds.Put in the bay leaf and cloves and let them colour.
Put in ginger and garlic and let them get golden.Now add chopped onions and let them cook till golden brown.Now put chilli powder, coriander and garam masala and stir well.
Now add the tomatoes and let them cook well together.Drop in chopped spinach and mix well.Simmer for 5 mins.Pour in the boiled lentils and mix well.Adjust consistency by adding more water if required.Boil for about 10 mins.Finally pour in the lime juice and serve piping hot with rotis or rice.

Zucchini and chana dal sabzi

       I looked into my fridge and found one zucchini staring back at me.Was wondering what to cook with it for the three of us which is nice.My tongue was dying for some different taste of zucchini.One thing led to the other and soon I made this preparation which was relished by us with hot rotis.It has the goodness of green vegetable and the proteins from lentils.I also make it with gravy and serve it with rice.
Ingredients
Zucchini chopped into1cm cubes                                 1 no
Horse gram(chana dal) soaked                                    3/4 cup
Chopped onions large                                                 1 no
chopped tomatoes                                                      3 nos
chopped garlic                                                           1 tbsp
chilli powder                                                              1/2 tsp
coriander powder                                                       2 tsp
tumeric powder                                                          1/2 tsp
bay leaf                                                                      1 no
oil                                                                              1 tbsp
cumin seeds                                                               1 tsp
garam masala/hot spice                                              1/2 tsp
hing                                                                           1/4 tsp
Amchur powder/lime juice                                         1 tsp
salt to taste                                                                                                
Method
Heat oil in a pan.Add cumin and hing and let them crackle.
Drop in garlic and let them get golden.Put in onions and let them get brown.
Add the tomatoes and salt and cook till a bit soft.
Put in the lentils without the water.Turn them and add about 1/2 cup water and cover to cook.
When half cooked, add the spices and saute.Now add the chopped Zucchini.Mix well and cover to cook.
Turn them now and then and make sure it does not get burnt.
Make sure the lentils and vegetable does not get mushy and the vegetables has no water left.Add the amchur powder and mix.Serve with hot rotis.

TIP-
You can also put water in it and make it into a curry which you can eat it with rice.Just make it a little more cooked and the lentils need to be a bit mushy.

Zucchini and bell pepper dal

I like to combine lentils with some vegetable as it brings 2 things into one dish so more nutrition, taste and less work! In India I made ridge gourd with lentils which my kids really relished.So here I tried it with zucchini and it was loved by my family.I team it with some rice and salad or even a hot roti is lovely with this dal.Thin it a bit and it could be eaten almost like soup.
Ingredients
Red lentils(lal masoor)     100 gms
zucchini chopped             500 gms
sliced red bell peppers     1 no
chopped onions               1 no
chopped tomatoes           2 nos
chopped garlic                 1 tbsp
chopped ginger                1 tsp
lime juice                          1 tbsp
ghee                                1 tbsp
cumin                               1 tsp
hing                                  1/4 tsp
haldi                                1 tsp
chilli powder                     1 tsp
coriander powder            1 tsp
salt to taste
browned roasted onions    1/2 bowl

Method
Wash and soak the lentils.Heat ghee ,put in hing and jeera and let them splutter.Add the chopped garlic and ginger and saute.Add the onions and let them cook till slightly golden.Add the zucchini and cook till golden.Put in red bell peppers and turn them around for a while.Add the chopped tomatoes and cook.Put in haldi, coriander powder, chilli powder and salt.Put in dal and add about 2 cups water.Cover and cook till the dal is cooked and make sure the vegetables are not over cooked.Adjust the consistency of water.Add the lime juice.Pour into a bowl and top with browned roasted onions.Serve hot.

Kali dal

     Split kali urad dal is not a very popular or often eaten lentil in India.It is relished more in the Northern part of India.I have eaten this lovely dal cooked on slow fire in a earthen oven {chulah} which was fired by wood.This was served with hot rotis cooked in the fire of the chulah too.I can still savor the taste or feel the taste in my memories.If I do not share on my blog would be unfair to those wonderful memories and to people who are fond of good food and try new tastes.So do try this dal and serve it with chilli pickle,onion salad and ginger and chilli salad.Relish it with crisp rotis and butter.Yummmmm.Need to make it again.

Ingredients

Split urad dal                1/2 cup

chana dal                      1/4 cup

bay leaf                         1 no

cloves                            3 nos

cinnamon                      2' pc

cumin seeds                  1/2 tsp

chopped onions            1 no

chopped tomato            2 nos

chopped garlic              1 tbsp

chopped ginger              1 tbsp

chopped chilli                 1 no

hing                              1/4 tsp

chilli powder                  1/2 tsp

haldi                              1/2 tsp

dry red chilli                   2 nos

salt to taste

ghee                              2 tsp

lime juice                       1 tsp

Method

Wash and soak dal for 30 mins.Add haldi and salt and boil for 15 mins.Allow to cool.

Heat ghee and add hing.Add cumin seeds and red chillies.Add in the whole spices and when they brown, add chopped ginger and garlic.saute and add green chillies.Now put in chopped onions and saute till brown.Add the chilli powder and then the tomatoes.Let them cook and when they are mashed well, pour in the dal and boil again till well done.It should not get mashed up.Put in lime juice and top with chopped coriander.Serve with rotis or rice.

PS.. You can also add kasoori methi while sauteeing the tomatoes.It gives it a very different and exotic taste.

Dal maharani and beetroot salad

    Dal maharani is just like its name....grand!!Tastes really good and very nutritious.I love it with tandoori roti or missi roti.I make it in plenty as I know my family would have bowl fulls and If there is any left over, it is polished off in no time, as it tastes even better the next day.It can be heavy on the stomach and so loads of ginger and garlic do the trick and also try and avoid for dinner if you tend to have issues with heavy foods.
Ingredients
Black urad whole         1/2 cup
rajma beans                  1/4 cup
chana dal                      1/4 cup
tomato puree                 1 cup
chopped onions             1 no
chopped ginger              1 tbsp
chopped garlic               1 1/2 tbsp
cream                             50 ml
chilli powder                   1 tsp
haldi                              1/2 tsp
coriander powder          2 tsp
cummin seeds                 1 tsp
hing                               1/4 tsp
whole garam masala-2 cloves,5 peppercorns,1 bayleaf, 2" pc cinnomon
salt to taste
oil                              1tbsp
ghee                           1 tbsp
Method
Soak rajma overnight.Next morning boil it for 15 mins.Now add washed dals in it.Add half of chopped ginger and garlic to it.Add the water,salt and haldi and keep it to boil.It would take about 15 mins of boiling in pressure cooker.Let it cool down.
In a pan add oil.Add hing and whole garam masala.When they start to change color and add cumin seeds.When they crackle, add chopped ginger and half of the garlic and saute to golden.Add the chopped onions and saute till golden.Add the tomamto puree and chilli and coriander powder.Saute well till dry.Add the boiled dal and boil.Add cream and cook till well done.The dal should be cooked well and should not be overcooked.When pressed, should crush easily.Garnish with chopped coriander and cream.Heat ghee in a pan and add chopped garlic.Saute till deep brown.Add chilli powder and let it change color.Put on top of dal and serve.Enjoy with missi roti,chilli pickle ,onion salad and a glass of chilled chaas.

PS- you can also add kasuri methi while sauteing onions to give a different flavor

Beetroot salad
  I just love this chilled nutritious salad.I have made it many times and each time people have wondered how a salad of beetroot can taste so divine.I love it specially on hot summer afternoon, it re-hydrates me instantly.
Ingredients
Boiled beetroots          2 nos
finely sliced onions       1 no
chopped cashew nuts   8 nos
raisins                          12-15 nos
olive oil                         1 tbsp
vinegar                          1 tsp
salt to taste
pepper powder            1/4 tsp
sugar                            1/2 tsp
Method
Grate beet root and add all the other ingredients well.Toss well and keep to chill.Serve this very tasty salad with any Indian or continental dish and enjoy the compliments.

Dhaanshak

    I came across dhaanshak on TV cooking show many years back.It was a non veg version and the thought of having the sweet sour delicacy with loads of vegetables and dals, excited me to no end.There are loads of variations but this recipe is simple and all the ingredients are at home.My family loves it and I make it as "IT IS A ONE POT DISH"!! One can add mutton and it tastes great.I also like to top it with a strong crushed garlic and red chilli tadka.
INGREDIENTS
Brown Lentils             3/4 cup
Bengal gram yellow     1/4 cup
Potatoes halved            8 pcs
carrots                         1 no
beans                         1/2 bowl
pumpkin                      1/2 bowl
onions                          2 nos
Methi leaves chopped   1 bowl
Brinjal  small                 2 nos
garlic                            2 tbsp crushed
ginger                           1 tbsp chopped
Tamrind                        walnut size
Jaggery                         1 tbsp
Tomatoes                      2 nos chopped
  For tempering:-
Oil                              1 tbsp
Ghee                           1 tsp
methi seeds                 1/4 tsp
mustard seeds              1/2 tsp
jeera                             1/2 tsp
cloves                            3 nos
bay leaf                          2 nos
pepper corns                  6 nos
green cardamom             1 no
hing                               1/4 tsp
cinnamon                        1 stick
haldi                               1/2 tsp
Coriander powder           1 tsp
garam masala                   1 tsp
chilli powder                    3/4 tsp
salt to taste

METHOD
Boil soaked dals with salt and haldi till almost cooked.In a pan heat the oil and add the potatoes.Turn them till they look a bit golden.Add pumpkin, beans,carrots,onions and brinjal(all cut into 1" x1/2 "pieces).Saute them and cook till a bit colored.Add the chopped tomatoes and let them cook.Add this mixture with chopped methi to the boiled dal.
Heat ghee and add all the whole spices.When the mustard splutters, add the ginger and garlic and saute till golden brown.Add all the dry powders and mix and immediately add to the dal and cook.Add tamarind paste and jaggery.Cook till the vegetables are cooked.Serve hot topped with chopped coriander and enjoy with brown onion rice.