Gujarati Dal

This month’s Indian Cooking Challenge was very simple, as in simple to make and a very simple dish too. But as they say the good things in life are always simple, this Dal too turned out to be very good.

Every region in India has its own version of the Dal. Tadka Dal in the north, Amthi in Maharashtra, Saaru in Karnataka, Sambhar in the South and so on. The Gujrati version is a bit sweeter and has a whole lot of flavours, that of Kokum, spices and all the vegetables that you can put in it.

As always, I made it at the last minute and decided there and then that it wont be the last time that I make it. This gives a good change from the normal version of Dal that we are used to.

The recipe is from the Book Sukham Ayu, written by Jigyasa Giri and Pratibha Jain. Thanks a lot for sharing the recipe with us.

Gujrati Dal

Ingredients

For the Dal

• 1/2 Toor dal
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 4-5 pieces of Dry Kokam / Tamarind pulp
• 1 tsp Jaggery
• 4 Hard dry dates (Kharik), halved – I didn't have this so skipped it.
• 1 tbsp Groundnuts
• 2 Green Chillies, slit
• 1” Ginger, finely chopped
• 2 tsp Coriander Powder
• 1 tsp Cumin Powder
• 1/4 tsp Garam Masala
• Fresh Coriander leaves, chopped
• Rock Salt
• Vegetables such as drumstick, yam, cluster beans etc (I have skipped this)

For the tempering

• 2 tsp Ghee
• 1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
• 1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds
• 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1-2 dry red chillies (I used only one since the ones I have are very hot)
• 1/4 tsp Asafoetida
• 5-6 Curry Leaves

Method:

Cook the Dal along with turmeric till completely cooked and mushy. Mash the cooked Dal to give an almost smooth paste. Transfer it to a thick bottomed pan and bring to boil.

Add one cup of water along with all the ingredients listed for the dal except for the Garam Masala and Coriander leaves. Let the Dal simmer for about 10-15 minutes, keep stirring.

In a small kadai, prepare the tempering by heating the ghee and then spluttering the mustard seeds. Then add the fenugreek seeds. Reduce the heat and then add the rest of the ingredients for tempering.

Pour the tempering over the simmering Dal and mix well. Let it cook for 5 more minutes. Now add the Garam Masala and the coriander leaves and switch off the heat.

Serve hot as an accompaniment to Roti-Sabzi or with steamed rice for a comforting meal.

My Notes: Delicious Dal! S lapped it up with her Chapati & asked for more, and that in itself is a testimony. You can hardly expect a 3 yr old to appreciate something in a better way than that but then she went ahead and told me that the Dal was yummy!

Dont skip the Rock Salt, it really makes a huge difference to the taste.

I also didn't add any vegetables to the Dal. I would definitely like to try it with the vegetables next time, but this time we liked it just as it was.

Parippu Vadai from a Diverse Kitchen

Aparna’s blog, A Diverse Kitchen, has been a constant source of inspiration. For me, its the best example of a food blog which successfully combines traditional and western recipes. If you have to decide the ‘category’ of this blog by going through the recipe index, its a tough job. The main reason being the wide variety of recipes you will find here. The blog totally lives up to the name and is indeed very diverse. It is the chosen blog for this month’s T & T event  being hosted by Srivalli at Cooking 4 all seasons.

I made these Parippu Vadai from Aparna’s blog and couldnt have found a simpler traditional palakkad iyer recipe, which goes a long way. They can be an accompaniment to the main meal or treated as snacks. Whats more, since they do not have any onions or garlic in them, they can be included in the Naivedya Thali too. I followed the exact recipe but I am giving it here anyway for easy reference.

 

Parippu Vadai (Spicy Lentil fritters)

Ingredients

• 1 cup Chana Dal (split Bengal Gram)
• 2 tblsp Toor dal (
• a pinch of Hing (Asafoetida)
• 6-7 Curry Leaves
• 1-2 Dried red chillies (depending on how spicy you want it & how hot the chillies are)
• Salt
• Oil for deep frying

Method:

Soak both the dals together for about an hour.

Once ready, grind together all the ingredients except the oil into a thick coarse paste using as little water as possible. The ideal would be to use no water at all. Aparna suggests reserving some dal before grinding and then adding it later on to the paste.

Heat the oil in a kadai. Now shape the vada using your fingers – flatten the mixture using your thumb & fingers and gently slide them into the hot oil. Fry them at a medium low flame until they are crisp and start to brown.

Drain them on a kitchen towel and serve hot.

My Notes: The Vadas were crispy and really tasty. I was wondering how they will taste with only red chillies and no other spices. But that was enough and the Hing adds its own flavour.

Spicy Red Kidney Bean wrap

The weather here nowadays is the best it can be. Bright & sunny most of the times with just a bit of drizzle thrown in now & then to cool it off. You would want to spend each weekend at the beach. Although that is practically not possible for us, we have decided to compensate for it by going away to the beach for a week – a day for each weekend of the summer! While we are super excited about the trip, we are also keeping our fingers crossed that the weather doesn't do a flip on us and it stays the same for the month end when we will be at the beach, after all its no fun if it keeps raining and gets too cold at the beach.

When it is hot around, you dont really feel like spending too much time in the kitchen and the sandwiches & wraps come to your rescue, giving you that much needed break from cooking as well as from the routine food. Our all time favourite is the Bombay style sandwich using this chutney. But every now & then we play around with different wraps for a change. When I came across this wrap on Sailu’s blog, I wanted to make it as soon as possible. We had it the next day for a light dinner and it was perfect. Its also perfect as an entry to Nupur’s Blog Bites #5 – Sandwiches & Wraps.

I did make some changes to suit the things I had with me, the significant one being that I used wholemeal pita bread instead of the wrap given in the recipe.

Spicy Kidney Bean Wrap

 

Serves 2

Ingredients

For the filling

• 1.5-2 cups Red Kidney Beans, cooked
• 1/2 tsp grated ginger
• 1/2 tsp Green Chilli paste
• 1/2 tsp Coriander powder
• 1/4 tsp Cumin powder
• 1/4 tsp Garam Masala
• 1 tblsp Tomato Ketchup
• salt
• 2 tblsp fresh coriander leaves, chopped
• 1 tblsp oil

 

For the spread

• 1/2 cup yogurt, beaten
• 1 small tomato, chopped
• salt

To Assemble

• Thinly sliced Onion
• 2 Wholemeal Pita Breads

Method:

Heat the oil in a pan. Add the grated ginger and chilli paste and fry. Next add all the dry spices along with salt and a little bit of water to prevent the spices from burning.

Add the tomato ketchup and mix well. Then add the cooked Red Kidney beans along with a little water, mix and let it cook for 5-7 minutes.

Add the coriander leaves, mix and turn off the heat.

Mix the yogurt, tomatoes and season with salt and keep ready.

To assemble, toast the Pita breads and then slice them open. Spread a little of the yogurt mixture and then spoon in the filling along with the sliced onions.

My Notes: The original recipe needed Kasuri methi to be added in the end while cooking the filling. I was going to do it but completely forgot about it. I am sure this would have given a different flavour to the filling.

Also for the yogurt mixture, Sailu uses hung yogurt while I just used normal one.

The best thing about this recipe is that it can be adapted in such a lot of ways. You can change the combination of spices, use other herbs such as oregano along with a touch of Tabasco sauce. Do you have any other ideas ?

Masala Chawli (Black eyed beans)

First of all thank you everyone for the lovely entries for Think Spice:Think Amchoor. As I will be able to compile the round up only during the weekend, I am accepting entries that reach me before Friday. So you can say that the deadline has been pushed to 5th March!

I have just finished reading Jeffrey Archer’s ‘The Paths of Glory’ and was reminded why  I love his books so much. He takes a totally different subject this time and manages to weave a great story around it while putting forth a lot of information about the chosen subject at the same time. A must-read for all the Jeffrey Archer fans and great-read even otherwise. I would have liked the end to be a little different though. Isn't that always the case? Someone or the other will always disagree with the ending that any author chooses.

By the way, remember the Bajra Aloo Roti? This flavourful Masala Chawli (black eyed beans) was made to accompany that. The recipe is from the same Rajasthani Cookbook by Tarla Dalal. I have already said that the book is a good collection of authentic Rajasthani recipe but does lose out on the genuineness some times. I would like to add here that some more pictures would have been great. And this has nothing to do with the fact that I love ogling at those delicious looking food pictures in the cook books, in fact thats the first thing I do when I get hold of a new book! But really, there are some dishes in the book, that some of us have not even heard of. It would have helped if each recipe was accompanied by the respective picture and more importantly on the same page. Actually I have seen this in a lot of books. Why are the pictures put in randomly on any of the pages and then they have to give a key where the name of the dish is followed by the page No on which the recipe appears.

Masala Chawli

Serves 2-3
Ingredients

1/3 Cup Black eyed beans (Chawli/Lobhia)
1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, pureed
1/4 tsp Kasuri Methi
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder (Haldi)
1 tblsp Oil
Salt

To be ground into a paste
1/2 cup Mint leaves
1 tsp Grated Ginger
2-3 Green Chillies
1/2 tsp Lime Juice

Method:
Soak the Chawli beans for about 2 hrs and then pressure cook them until they are cooked but allow them to go mushy.

Heat the oil in a pan. Add the onions and sauté till they start browning.

Add the tomato puree, kasuri methi, Turmeric powder and salt and cook till the oil separates.

Add the cooked Chawli and some water (about 1/2 cup, depending upon how dry/gravy like you want it to be), mix well and let this cook for 3-4 minutes.

Add the ground Masala paste, mix and cook for 5 more minutes.

Serve Hot with Roti. I served it with the Bajra Aloo Roti and it was a great combination.

My Notes: This was a very pleasant change from the normal Chawli that we make at home (will post that too). I felt that the mint was a little overpowering but maybe it will help if I reduce the amount next time. Also feel free to add more lime juice when serving, if required.

Misal Pav – My way

I often sit & wonder how certain food items must have been ‘invented’.Actually I would really like to know the history of all the food items. I wonder why someone thought of collecting the wheat grains and making a powder (flour) out of it, adding water to make a dough and then rolling out Rotis and then baking them on the Tawa (griddle). What must have prompted the earliest human being to make curd/yogurt from the milk, how they might have stumbled upon it. How they discovered that certain things were edible & tasty when made in a particular way. Who thought of boiling /steaming the rice and how did they come across so many varieties of it. It must have been a massive trial & error session as regards to the rice, I am sure.

More than the complex recipes it is the simple and basic things that intrigue me. The complex ones, if you ask me, are easy to build on when you know the basics. Similar to spelling out large words when you are thorough with the ABC’s. It might take some time to learn but you know you will get it.

These thoughts were triggered as I sat there thinking how to introduce the dish in question here – Misal Pav. The first thing that came to mind was that people must have started with the basic Usal, which is made with sprouts or dried beans. So someone must have added some farsan to the Usal just for that extra crunch & liked it so much that ‘Misal’ was invented. So there you are, Misal is nothing but basic Usal mixed with Farsan (Namkeen/Mixture), topped with garnishes such as chopped onion, chopped coriander etc.

But while Usal can be with a bit of gravy as well as dry, the one made specifically for Misal should have a lot of liquid to compliment the addition of Farsan which tends to soak up some of the gravy. The correct or the traditional way of making Misal is to make two separate things namely the usal, which is made dry and the Kaat which is the one with the gravy. But I have been making Misal by combining the two steps together to save a bit of time.

This is my version of the Misal.

I always make a sprouts Usal and most of the times it is Matki (sprouted Moth Beans). To get the sprouts, soak the Moth Beans overnight and then drain them well and cover and leave them at a warm place. It takes 1-2 days for the sprouting, so you have to plan ahead.

Misal

Ingredients

• 2 tblsp oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 8-10 curry leaves
• A pinch of Asafoetida
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 Tomato, chopped
• 1-2 tsp Red Chilli powder
• 1.5 tsp Goda Masala
• 2 Cups Sprouts (I used Matki i.e. sprouted Moth Beans)
• 1 Medium Potato cut into small cubes
• Salt

To serve

• A pair of  Pav buns (or white rolls)
• Farsan (Namkeen/Mixture)
• Chopped onion
• Chopped fresh Coriander
• A Wedge of Lime
• Thin Sev (Optional)

Method:

Heat the oil in a deep vessel and add the mustard seeds. As they start spluttering add the Curry leaves and Asafoetida.

Add the crushed garlic & fry until the garlic just starts browning. Put in the chopped onions and fry till the raw smell goes away and onions turn translucent.

Next, add the chopped tomato and cook till the tomatoes are all mashed up. Add the salt, red chilli powder and the goda masala and keep frying till the oil separates.

Add the chopped potatoes and cook for 5 min with the cover on. Add the sprouts and mix well.

Add about 3 cups of water, enough for the potatoes & sprouts to cook and also to be left with some gravy. Bring this to a boil and then simmer until cooked.

To serve, take a bowl and fill a little more than half of it with the Farsan. Pour over the Usal, adding gravy enough to immerse the Farsan. Top this up with chopped onions and Coriander and the thin sev. Serve this with the wedge of lemon and the Pav.

My notes: If you don't find the right Pav or white rolls, substitute with bread.

This is my entry for Sunday Snacks – Spill the Beans being hosted by Priya of Akshaypatram.

Varan/Tavvi – Simple lentils

This forms one half of the ultimate (for me atleast!) comfort food – Varan Bhaat. The other half is simply boiled/steamed rice. Varan for me is something which I had always taken for granted, simple sounding & simple tasting, surely it must be very simple to make. Although it is very easy to make, I initially struggled to get the exact taste & consistency of the Varan that Mom used to make.

Varan can actually have 2 forms, one where the lentils are simply boiled and then salt and a bit of turmeric powder are added and mixed well. This is the version served in festive meals & weddings, on the mound of rice along with Tuppa (Ghee) and Sambhar.

The other version involves tempering the cooked lentils and this is what this post is about. There are no Masala powders (Spice Mix) involved. The procedure is very simple and the ingredients are all routine ones.

As for my struggle to get the right taste & balance, it all started because I had always felt that Mom used a lot of ‘unnecessary’ stuff while making Varan. In those days, according to me, Curry leaves & Coriander were something that came in the way of enjoying something tasty. I always picked out these two from any food item and would complain about it. If we had to take them out later on, why add them to the dish in the first place? Same was the case with the Varan, so naturally when I tried to replicate it, I skipped both of them and ended up with a very bland tasting Dal.

And so it happened every time, I would either skip the curry leaves or the coriander and look for an excuse to explain the difference in the taste. All this even while I remembered that Mom always said that those were the things that imparted the taste to the Varan. But now I am ‘older & wiser ‘, so I know that these are a must. In fact both these are a mandatory part of almost everything I cook nowadays.

So here it is, the comforting & delicious Varan. Although the list of ingredients might look very non-glamorous, don't skip any of them as that will definitely alter the end result.

Varan / Tavvi – Simple Lentils

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 cups of cooked Toor Dal (Split Pigeon Pea) – I cook this in the pressure cooker, the consistency should be such that the Dal should give in easily when mashed with the back of a spoon.
• 1 tblsp Oil
• 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
• 8-10 Curry Leaves
• 1/4 tsp Hing (Asafoetida)
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
• 2 Green Chillies, slit lenghtwise
• salt
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 2 tblsp Chopped fresh coriander
• Lime juice

Method:

Heat oil in a deep pan. Once hot enough add the mustard seeds. As they beging to splutter, add the curry leaves and Hing.

Add in the tuermic powder and the slit chillies and stir.

Roughly mash the cooked dal and add it to the tempering along with half a cup of water.

Add salt and sugar and mix well. Bring this to boil and simmer for about 4-5 minutes.

Next, add in the chopped coriander, mix and let it cook for a further 2-3 minutes.

Switch off the flame, wait for a minute or two and add the lime juice and combine.

Serve hot with Rice. It also makes for a great accompaniment with Chapati-Bhaji.

This comforting bowl of lentils is going to Sunshinemom at Tongue Ticklers, who is hosting the current edition of My Legume Love Affair-13, an event originally started by Susan (The Well Seasoned Cook).

Kaatachi Aamti (Kattina Saaru)

With 3 of the Puran dishes (Puran Poli, Kadabu, Haygreev) already on this blog, this one was long due. I confess that when I made those three, I made this Aamti/Saaru every time. How can I let go of the chance where I have the Kaat (the water in which the split chickpea, reqd for the Puran, is cooked)? But never took the chance of posting it, but now here it  is.

The consistency for Kaatachi Aamti is very Rasam like, unlike the normal Aamti which is on a slightly thicker side with the lentils clearly showing.

Kaatachi Aamti

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 3-4 Cups Kaat (Water in which the split Chickpea is cooked)

Note1: When you cook the split chickpea for the Puran to make Puran Poli, collect the water in which they are cooked along with some (about 2 tblsp) split chickpea, mashing them a bit in the water. This is the Kaat, called Kattu in Kannada.

 

Note2: If you are making this Aamti without making the Puran Poli, take 2-3 tblsp of split Chickpea in 1.5 to 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Simmer and cook till the split chickpea is fully cooked. Mash the chickpea in the water and use this water as the Kaat.

• 1 tblsp Ghee (Clarified Butter)
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 7-8 Curry Leaves
• A pinch of Asafoetida
• 1 Tblsp Tamarind pulp
• 1/2 Tblsp Jaggery (Adjust acc to taste)
• 2-3 tblsp Grated coconut (optional)
• Salt

To be ground into a coarse powder

• 1” piece of  Cinnamon
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
• 1-2 Cloves
• 5-6 Peppercorns

Method:

Grind all the dry Masalas as mentioned above or coarsely pound them in a mortar-pestle and keep aside.

Heat the ghee in a deep pan. Add the mustard seeds. As they start to splutter add the cumin seeds & the curry leaves.

Next, add in the asafoetida and turmeric powder. Mix and add the ground Masala powder and let it fry for a minute.

Reduce the flame & pour in the Kaat . Add the tamarind pulp, salt, grated coconut (if using) and Jaggery.

Bring it to a boil and then simmer for about 10-12 minutes.

Serve hot with Puran Poli & rice.

That was our thali  -  Puran Poli (with lots of ghee of course!), Kaatachi Aamti, Batata Bhaji and a bowl of milk to go with the Puran Poli.

My Notes: The Ghee lends that unique taste to the Aamti so I would recommend not to substitute it with oil.

The cloves & peppercorns add enough heat, but if required add a tsp of chilli powder, this will also give the Aamti a nice colour.

Adjust the amount of Tamarind & Jaggery as per your preference, what I have given here will yield a sweet, sour & spicy Aamti.

Jeera Rice with Dal Makhani

 

There are comfort foods and then there are some more.  Dal-Chawal, Varan-Bhaat or Anna-Tavvi, called it by any name, is the all time favourite comfort food, for me too as for so many others. But sometimes the craving is for something richer! Dal Makhani fits the bill perfectly here. And if it is combined with Jeera Rice, even better!

The best part about this combination is that apart from being a comfort food for me, it can also feature on a menu, when guests are expected or on days when we want to have a little more than dal-Chawal!

Dal Makhani, also called Kaali (Black) Dal & Maa ki Dal, is something that I have always been in awe of. The name itself sounded intriguing to me. I was introduced to this Dal, by a Punjabi school friend of mine in Delhi. She called it Maa ki Dal and I was wondering if she meant her 'Maa' (Mother) had made the dal! After hearing it every time, she brought this in the lunch box, I innocently asked her 'Are there so many people at your home who make this Dal, that you have to specify each time...?' Now for me, this was a valid question since I knew she stayed in a joint family. But I myself burst out laughing when she told me what it was. 'Maa'  means whole Udad (Black gram) in Punjabi, which is the main constituent here and hence the name :)

 

Dal Makhani

Ingredients

• 1 cup Kali Urad (Whole blackgram)
• 1/4 cup Rajma (Kidney beans)
• 1/4 cup Kala Chana (Bengal Gram)
• 1-2 tblsp Ghee (Clarified Butter)
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
• 2-3 Tej Patta
• 2" piece of Cinnamon, coarsely ground
• 1 tsp Garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp Ginger paste
• 1 medium sized onion, chopped
• 2 green chillies, chopped
• 1/2 tsp Haldi (Turmeric)
• 1 tsp Red Chilli powder
• 1-2 tsp Garam masala powder
• 1/4 cup fresh cream (optional)
• Salt
• Fresh Coriander leaves

Method:

Soak the Udad, Kala Chana and Rajma for at least 6 hours. Pressure cook them with a little salt and keep aside.

Heat the Ghee in a pan. Fry the Tej Patta and Cinnamon until you get a nice aroma.

Add the cumin seeds. As they turn brown, add the onions and fry till they turn translucent.

Put in the green chillies and ginger, garlic paste and fry for some more time. Add the Haldi.

Now put in all the cooked dals, salt, red chilli powder and Garam Masala. Mix well, cover and cook on low flame for 6-8 min to allow the flavours to mix.

Remove the cover and add the chopped coriander leaves and leave on heat for a min. Switch off the flame and add the cream if using. Check for salt after the addition of cream.

Although the name is Dal 'Makhani' (buttery), I don't always add cream. The Udad already adds some creaminess to the Dal so the cream only adds to the richness, while diluting the taste some. So it is entirely dependent on what you are in the mood for :)

Jeera Rice

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Rice, preferably the Basmati variety
• 2 tblsp Ghee (Clarified Butter)
• 2 tsp Jeera (Cumin Seeds)
• 2 Green Chillies, Slit lengthwise (Optional)
• 2-3 Cloves
• 1 Black Cardamom (Optional)
• 1/2 tsp Salt

Method:

Wash the rice and soak it for half an hour.

Heat the Ghee in a pressure pan (or pressure cooker). Add the cloves and cardamom & fry till you get a nice aroma.

Add the jeera & green chillies. Once the jeera has browned, drain the soaked rice and add it to the tempering.

Mix well and roast for a couple of min.

Add about 1 1/2 cups of water, enough to just immerse the rice. Add the salt. The rice is not to be made sufficiently salty, hence the amount of salt is to be kept very low.

Mix and close the pressure pan and let it cook for 4 whistles (depends on the type of pressure cooker. This is cooked similar to Pulao)

Serve hot with Dal Makhani or any other Dal or even a curry with gravy.

Dal Makhani is my entry for this month's FIC at Tongue Ticklers, where the colours being featured are Black & Purple.

The Jeera Rice is on its way to the Rice Mela at Srivalli's Cooking 4 all Seasons.

While on the subject of Rice, you might also want to have a look at these...

• Fried  Rice with Baby Corn Manchurian
• Bisibele Bhaat

Mixed Dal

There are times when you just don't want to eat the same old regular stuff, thats when you start thinking about how you can spice up things and come up with a new/different dish. After all Necessity is the mother of invention! And if that dish turns out to be a healthy one all the more better!

One such necessity led me to pick up all the Dals/lentils  available in my kitchen and this mixed Dal was created. Now since there are so many lentils and a couple of legumes involved, this is a protein rich dish which will have me hunting for even more lentils & legumes when I make it again and this time it will be a deliberate attempt and not one born out of necessity :)

Serves 2

Ingredients

• A mix of various lentils & legumes, I used the following in equal quantities
• Chana Dal (Chickpea)
• Masoor Dal (Split Red Lentil)
• Toor Dal (Pigeonpea)
• Moong dal (Split Green Gram))
• Lobhiya (Black eyed Beans)
• Whole Moong (Green Gram)
• Whole Urad (Horsebean)
• 2 tblsp Ghee (Clarified Butter)
• 1 tsp Jeera (Cumin seeds)
• 1-2 pinches of Hing (Asafoetida)
• 1 tsp Haldi (Turmeric powder)
• 2 cloves of Garlic, chopped
• 2 Green Chillies, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 tsp Garam Masala
• 1 tsp Coriander Powder
• salt

Method:

Pressure cook the Dals till tender.

Heat the ghee in a pan and add the jeera. Add in the hing & Haldi. Add the garlic & chillies and roast.

Throw in the onion & tomatoes and cook till the tomatoes are soft. Add the Garam Masala & coriander powder and mix well.

Add the cooked Dal, salt and some water and cook till the Masala is incorporated into the Dal.

Add chopped coriander leaves and turn off the flame.

This tastes great as a side with Roti/Phulkas and Bhaji and can also be paired with steamed rice.

This protein packed Dal is my entry for Eat Healthy-Protein Rich event hosted by Sangeeth at Art of Cooking Indian Food.

Sindhi Moong Dal

This is my second entry for Mathy's JFI-Garlic event.

Actually Garlic is such an important ingredient that almost everything that I cook has Garlic in it. There are some dishes which just cant do without Garlic & some where it might be an optional thing, but I generally use them in every dish possible.

Apart from being tasty, Garlic contains a lot of medicinal value as well. Garlic is known to have antibiotic properties. I remember my granny used to give us dry roasted garlic whenever we had cough or cold. It is even suitable for young babies. I have myself used Garlic when S had cold when she was just 5 months old. A Garlic clove was immersed in boiling water for 2-3 min & removed and this water was used for her formula milk.

Its a well known fact now that Garlic is very helpful in combating high blood pressure. Eating 1-2 cloves of raw garlic first thing in the morning helps in maintaining healthy BP levels.

In fact most of the spices/herbs/ingredients used in Indian cooking are known to have such versatile properties. Haldi(Turmeric) being another example.

Coming back to the event, the reason I chose this Dal for JFI-Garlic is that it has a very distinct taste of Garlic in it. I would say that the main flavour itself is Garlic. None of the spices over shadow the taste of Garlic.
I found this recipe on the packet of Moong Dal that I had bought. I made it for the first time to just check out the recipe & it turned out so good that we have this Dal almost every alternate day now. Since Toor Dal is usually the staple Dal in our diets, it takes a while to get used to the taste of moong Dal.

I made some changes to the recipe I found on the packet. The major one being that they had asked to make the tadka & add it to the cooked Dal. Instead I made the tadka, added the cooked Dal to it & cooked for some more time so that the flavours got infused in the Dal properly.

Ingredients

1 cup Yellow Moong Dal

2-3 cloves garlic, chopped

1-2 green chillies (depending upon how spicy you like it), cut & slit

1 medium sized tomato, chopped

1/2 inch ginger, chopped

1 tsp Dhaniya Jeera (Coriander-Cumin) powder

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp Cumin seeds

Salt

Method:

Pressure cook the Dal along with the green chillies, ginger, tomatoes, haldi, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds and a little salt.

In a pan heat oil. Add mustard seeds, when they start to splutter add the remaining cumin seeds & garlic. Fry for sometime.

Then add the Dhaniya jeera powder & mix. Add the cooked Dal and salt. Let this cook for 4-5 min. Add chopped coriander leaves & cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Serve hot with Rice or Chapatis/Rotis.