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! 

Tindli ka achaar

 Tindli is one vegetable my kids love. I wanted to pickle it and see if it works. And it did!! Loving the flavors. Can’t wait for a few days and enjoy with rice! 

INGREDIENTS 

1 cup washed and sliced tindli 

1/2 sliced onion 

2-3 chopped garlic 

6-8 roughly chopped green chilies 

1 tsp roasted crushed mustard seeds 

1/2 tsp roasted crushed methi 

Hing 

1 tbsp ready made pickle masala 

1 tsp haldi 

1 tsp chili powder 

Salt 2 tsp 

Juice of 1 lemon 

2-3 tbsp oil 

METHOD 

1. Dry the tindli and chilies well. 

2. Heat oil and add ginger garlic paste and onions. Sauté till golden. Add tindli and garlic  

3. Put haldi and salt and sauté on high heat till bit golden.

4. Add the green chillies, spices and salt and toss well. Pour in the lemon juice. Toss well. Cool and fill in jars. Relish with rice and dal! Keep in sun for few days for better taste. 

Karela ka achaar (pickle)

Karela is one of favorite vegetables. Since it’s not as easily available, I really wanted it to last as long and what better way than making a pickle! I used South Indian spices to make it and I must say it’s just phenomenal! Can’t wait to relish with paratha! 

INGREDIENTS 

1.5 large cup sliced karela 

1/2 sliced onion 

2 tbsp ginger garlic paste 

2 tbsp chana dal 

1/4 cup oil 

8-10 chopped roughly green chilies 

2 tbsp mustard seeds roasted and ground 

1 tsp roasted and crushed methi 

1 tsp sambhar masala 

2 tbsp chopped tamarind 

3 tbsp thick tamarind paste 

1 tsp chili powder 

1 tsp haldi 

Hing a large pinch 

2 tsp sugar 

3 tsp salt 

1/2 lemon 

METHOD

1. Dry green chilies and karela well for few hours. 

2. Heat oil, add hing and chana dal and sauté. 

3. Add onions and ginger garlic paste. 

4. Add onions and sauté till light Golden. Add karela and sauté well. Add salt and haldi. Sauté till half cooked. Add the green chillies  sauté for few seconds  

5. Add the spices, tamarind and sauté well. Add sugar and lemon juice. 

6. Let oil ooze out. Cook and put in bottles. Enjoy with parathas or curd rice! Keep in Sun for few days for the flavors to blend! 

Tang ki mirch

My dad’s recipe! My dad made these to spice out our meal! Always a hit with everything  

INGREDIENTS 

8-10 green chilies slit 

Salt 

2 tbsp oil 

Amchur/ lemon 

METHOD

Heat oil on tawa, kadhai, add slit green chillies with loads of salt. Sauté in high heat. Once half cooked, wilted or colored, sprinkle lots of amchur to make them crispy or lemon juice if you don’t have amchur. Relish with dals. It’s such a simple dish but goes with lovely missi rotis, dals like whole mung or urad.

GREEN CHILI CHUTNEY

Green chili chutney...Really spicy but goes amazingly with anything. I used to make these with spl red chillies in jakarta. Here I tried with green and it’s a killer! 

8-10 Green chillies as sharp as you can find( can use red too)

2-4  garlic cloves

salt 

1/2 lemon 

1 tbsp mustard oil 

1/4 cup water

METHOD

Put everything in a blender and grind with water and lemon juice. Make it watery. Add mustard oil for extra zing! Use on dosas, hot rice, serve with pakodas!

Healthy Hirse idlis

Hirse idlis (golden hirse from Aldi)

2 cups hirse washed 

1/2  cup round urad dal 

1/2 tsp methi

Salt. 

Just follow the same method. Soak and grind the hirse and dal. These are slightly heavier. Just make a thinner batter. But have more flavor and texture. Love these.

Shalgam mangodi Kashmiri kadhi

 I have been exploring a bit of Kashmiri cuisine lately thanks to a friend from Kashmir. I love the use of fennel and dry ginger powder. The flavors are gentle and not too much of spice. Found this recipe online and tweaked a bit for our tastebuds. Do try. It’s a real blend of flavors. 

INGREDIENTS

2 cups of chopped turnip (shalgam)

1/2 cup broken badi/ mangodi

1 chopped onion 

1.5 tbsp ginger, garlic crushed 

2 chopped green chilies

2-3 tbsp besan 

1 cup sour yoghurt 

2 tbsp oil 

1 tsp crushed saunf

1 tsp ginger powder 

1/2 tsp chili powder 

1 tsp coriander powder 

1/2 tsp haldi 

Salt 

METHOD

1. Heat oil and add ginger garlic and green chillies  sauté. 

2. Add chopped onions and sauté  put in the mangori and sauté till golden.

3. Add the cubed shalgam and sauté well.

4. Add the spices and 1/2 cup water and cook till soft. 

5. Beat yoghurt with besan and pour into the curry. 

6. Cook well till everything comes together. 

7. Heat ghee/ mustard oil and add a little more saunf and chili powder. Pour on kadhi. Serve hot with rice. 

Absolute brownies

Ingredients 

100 gms butter 

100 gms chopped dark chocolate 

1/3 cup sugar 

1/3 cup brown sugar 

1 tsp coffee powder 

100 gms cream cheese 

3/4 cup flour 

1/4 cup cocoa powder 

1 tsp baking powder 

100 ml evaporated milk 

1/2 tsp salt 

1/4 cup chopped chocolate chunks 

1/4 cup chopped walnuts 

METHOD

1. Combine butter and chocolate but and melt in microwave. Mix well. 

2. Add cream cheese, sugar and beat well. 

3. Add the flour, cocoa powder, salt and milk. Mix. 

4. Add the baking powder and fold. 

5. Toss in the walnuts and chocolate chunks. 

6. Bake at 200 deg C for 30 mins. 

7. Serve hot! 

Kohlrabi (ganthgobhi) Curry

   

This vegetable is easily available here. Sweet and crunchy I have made pickles with it. Today tried making this curry as a dear friend treated me to it. Followed her recipe with few changes. This is inspired by Kashmiri cuisine. The flavors of dry ginger and fennel enhance the flavor of the vegetable. 

INGREDIENTS 

1 large kohlrabi sliced thick 

2 potatoes sliced thick 

1 small onion sliced 

1 tbsp ginger garlic chili crushed 

1/2 cup tomato purée 

1 cup chopped spinach ( I used 1/2 cup frozen) 

1 red chili dry 

2 tbsp oil 

1/4 cumin 

1/2 tsp ginger powder 

1/2 tsp fennel crusted 

1 tsp coriander powder 

1/2 tsp chili powder 

1/2 tsp turmeric powder 

Salt 

METHOD

1. Heat oil, add cumin and red chili and sauté. 

2. Add crushed ginger garlic and sliced onions. Sauté. 

3. Add all dry spices and sauté for few seconds. 

4. Add the vegetables and mix well. 

5. Add tomato purée and 1/2 cup water. 

6. Mix well and pressure cook for about 10 mins. 

7. Release pressure and serve hot with hot parathas. 

Indian arepas

 I like to keep experimenting in my kitchen and use whatever is around me to create magic in kitchen. Mix of flavors and cuisines is a good way to stay excited. Today it was cold at 2 deg with prediction of -13 in the coming week. The thought was chilling and thought of sarson saag with makki roti was tempting. My mixed veg pickle was ready to eat and so were the vinegar onions. I had eaten arepas, a Mexican bread made with corn meal. Taught by a friend we loved it. So experimented with it. Used the basic recipe with Indian flavors. It was a complete hit with family. 

Ingredients 

1.5 cup makki atta (cornmeal) 

1 cup milk 

1/4 cup water 

2 tbsp cream cheese optional 

1 tbsp butter 

1/4 tsp ajwain(carom seeds) 

2 chopped chilies

1 tbsp ginger garlic crushed 

Salt 

1/4 cup Chopped coriander 

1 chopped onion 

3/4 cup grated radish 

Salt

Oil and butter to cook 

Method 

1. Heat water and milk with butter. Add cornmeal and salt. 

2. Mix well and add all other ingredients. Make a thick batter. 

3. Keep aside for 30 mins.

4. Heat skillet and add butter. Take a paddle full and spread on it. Put some oil and butter and cover to cook. 

5. Turn over and cook again. Cook till crisp on both sides. 

6. Enjoy with mixed pickle, saag or cream cheese. Too delicious!