Panchratan / Panchmel Dal

The afternoon rain left me craving for something that was wholesome and comforting. I always associate cold weather with Kadhi, Pakoras and this Panchratan / Panchmel dal. Made with 5 dals and a generous use of tomatoes, this Dal is nutritious and very, very comforting. I generally have this by itself, without any Rice or Roti. This is my contribution for the JFI:Tomato event over at RP's Workshop.

1/4 cup Split Urad dal
1/4 cup Chana Dal
1/4 cup Sabut (Whole) Masoor Dal
1/4 cup Split Moong Dal
1/4 cup Tur / Arhar Dal
3 medium tomatoes, chopped (I used 2 handfuls of grape tomatoes, cut into half)
2 cloves
1/2" dalchini (cinnamon)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 green chillies, finely chopped
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2" ginger, grated
6-7 curry leaves
2-3 tbsp lemon juice
Chopped coriander to garnish (Optional)
Salt to taste
Oil
Clean and wash all the dals. In a pressure cooker, add the dals, 3 cups of water, turmeric powder, a few drops of oil and cook till the dals are cooked. Remove from heat and keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, cloves and cinnamon stick. When the seeds begin to sizzle, add the grated ginger, green chillies and curry leaves.Cook for abut a minute and then add the tomatoes and Salt. Mix well and cook till the tomatoes are mushy and cooked. Add the Dal to this tomato tadka, mix well and on low heat let simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Now add the lemon juice and mix well. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot. Enjoy !

Simply Red - Tomato Curry

This recipe is from Dad - my father in law. He is truly a foodie. He enjoys not only eating good food, but also cooking. What I like best about his cooking is the use of minimal ingredients and is big on flavor. Thanks to him, I have learnt some Mangalorean recipes and manage to surprise K once in a while :)
Ripe, juicy tomatoes, a few curry leaves, browned onions and green chillies - they all come together in this immensely satisfying and comforting curry. RP of the wonderful My Workshop is hosting the JFI for this month which is tomatoes. This is my contribution for this fun event.

Lunch today : Garlic Naan, Baked Potato, Tomato Curry

8 large tomatoes, slice into 8 pieces each and remove the skin
2 medium onions sliced and brown in oil
3-4 green chillies, sliced
6-7 curry leaves
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
Oil

Heat oil in a pan and fry the onions till brown. Add the curry leaves and sliced green chillies. Cook for a minute, then add the sliced tomatoes, chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt. Mix well, cover and let cook till the tomotoes begin to break down. Add one cup water and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the tomatoes are cooked and the gravy is thick. Serve hot with Roti /Paratha. Enjoy !!

Bharwa Baingan - Stuffed eggplant

K had got these beautiful eggplants from the local farmer's market last weekend. Thankfully, even after a week of lying in the 'fridge, they were fresh. I was craving for "Bhare (Stuffed)Baingan" but did not want to use an elaborate recipe. Surfing the Net I found this simple recipe from this blog. I made a few minor changes and believe you me, the taste was divine :)
8-10 pieces of tiny eggplants
1 tbsp red chili powder
2 tbsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp jeera powder
1 tsp chaat masala
Salt, to taste
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Chopped coriander leaves, to garnish
Mix red chilli powder + coriander powder + garam masala powder + jeera powder + salt + lemon juice in a small bowl and set aside. Wash the eggplants, pat dry and slit them through the middle (see picture). Now put the filling into the slits of the eggplants. Heat oil in a non-stick pan and add the eggplants. Cover cook on medium heat, turning them once in a while so that the eggplans are evenly cooked. Sprinkle chaat masala, and the chooped coriander leaves and serve hot with Rice - Dal or with piping hot Parathas and Raita. Enjoy !

Cabbage Stir-fry

I have been travelling extensively the last couple of days, surviving solely on artery-blocking, cholestrol increasing food. My entire system was crying out for something simple, yet healthy. Afterall the body can survive only so many meals from Denny's, Mickey D and the like.
This recipe is courtesy my brother in law D

1 medium sized cabbage, finely chopped
2 green chillies
1 tbsp mustard seeds
5-6 curry leaves
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste

Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds and when the seeds begin to pop, add the curry leaves + cabbage + turmeric powder. Mix once, cover and cook till the cabbage is almost done, stirring occasionally. Now add salt to taste and lemon juice. Mix well and cook for 5 minutes or so. Serve hot with Roti / Paratha and Raita. Enjoy !

Masoor Dal

When I saw Sandeepa's post "Masoor Dal", I took a trip down memory lane. I always associate this Dal with the Rains or cold, bitter winter. Ma would do the tadka with tomatoes and garlic - heavenly taste. This dal is a simple one, with no masalas (spices) - the Panch phoran, tomatoes and garlic give it the delightful flavor.
(Recipe adapted from Sandeepa)

Split Masoor Dal

1 cup Masoor Dal
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 green chilli, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 fat cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp Panch phoran
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt to taste
Chopped coriander to garnish
Oil
Pressure cook the Dal with turmeric powder, Salt and 3 cups of water for 2 whistles. Remove from heat and let cool. Whisk the dal gently, till mixed, adding 1 to 1 1/2 cups of water to make the dal a little thin. Keep aside.
In a pan, heat oil and add the Panch Phoran, garlic, green chillies. Cook for a couple of minutes, till the garlic turns light brown. Now add the tomatoes and cook till the tomatoes are cokked and oil separates. Add this mix to the dal, bring to boil and simmer on low heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently. (You can add some more water, if you want a thinner consistency). Now add the lime juice, mix well, garnish with the chopped cilantro leaves and serve hot with plain rice. Enjoy !!

Say No to Plagiarism

Image courtesy : Sandeepa of A Bong Mom's cookbook

Yahoo! India believes it is right to pass off other people's work as its own. Read the details about this here and here. We take a lot of time and effort to work on our blog(s) and it pains me to see a certain section of people take such a casual attitude to our hard work. It just takes a moment to ask permission or give credit where it is due. Is that so difficult ?
Please join me and my fellow bloggers to protest against this crime.

Happy Holi

Lal Chana - Red Garbanzo Curry

Both K and I like Garbanzo. As a student, many a meal was made using the combination of Rice, Spinach and Garbanzo beans. For variety we used to switch between the white, green and reddish brown garbanzo. Hummus, Garbanzo curry, as a snack ... there was no end to how we used this versatile bean.
One of my favorite garbanzo curry is the way Ma makes it. Today, I am going to share her recipe with you.

1 cup dried garbanzo, soaked overnight in warm water
1 medium tomato, chopped
2 onions - 1 onion sliced fine; 1 onion chopped fine
2 garlic pods, chopped
1" ginger, grated
2 Bay leaves
1 black cardamom
1" stick cinnamon
2 cloves
2 green cardamoms
1 potato, cubed (I used Red potato)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
To garnish : 2 green chillies, sliced lengthwise & chopped coriander leaves
Oil
In a pressure cooker, put garbanzo beans, chopped tomato, chopped onion, garlic, ginger, bay leaf, cardamoms, cinnamon stick, cloves, cubed potato, 1 tbsp oil, 3 cups water and pressure cook for 3 whistles. Remove from heat and cool.
Heat oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds. When the seeds begin to sizzle, add the sliced onion and cook till the onion turns brown. Add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and salt and cook till the masala is cooked. Keep sprinkling water occasionally so that the masal does not stick to the pan. Add this masala to the garbanzo curry and cook on medium low heat for about 10 minutes, till all the flavors have blended. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and green chillies and serve hot with Rice / Paratha / Roti. Enjoy !!!

JFI:Aloo Parwal Bhujiya - Potato-Indian Gourd Stir Fry

Parwal or Potol(as it is called in Orissa) was the constant vegetable during the hot summer months back home. This tiny little green gourd ( similar looking to the Tinda ) along with Opo Squash was what you got in abundance and my mother constantly had to improvise in cooking methods to get us to eat this vegetable.
When I saw Trupti post a recipe with this vegetable, I walked down nostalgia lane. Imagine my delight when I found a packet of Parwal in the frozen food aisle of the Indian grocery store. I called up Ma and got this recipe from her. This is my entry for JFI-Potato.
2 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cut into long slices
1 packet frozen Parwal
1 small red onion, sliced fine
1 dry red chilli, broken into two
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
Chopped coriander leaves, for garnish (optional)
Salt to taste
Oil
Heat oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds. When they begin to sizzle, add the sliced onions. When the onion turns pink, add the potatoes. Cook till the potatoes are half done. Now add the Parwal, turmeric powder, coriander powder and dry red chilli. Mix well and on low heat cook till the potatoes and parwal is cooked, stirring occasionally. Add salt to taste, mix well, garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with Roti/ Paratha. Enjoy !

Tomato Chutney

I love tomatoes in any form - stuffed tomato, raw in salads, soup, chutney ... This tomato chutney is a staple in my house. The smoky taste of the tomatoes, coupled with the slightly sharp mustard oil ... it is a dance session for the tastebuds.
2 juicy beefsteak tomatoes
1/4 red onion, chopped fine
1 green chilli, finely chopped
Salt to taste
1 tsp mustard oil

Wash the tomatoes and pat dry. Lightly coat the tomatoes with a couple of drops od mustard oil. Heat 1/2 tsp oil in a pan, place the tomatoes, cover and cook on medium low heat till the tomaotes are cooked, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
In a bowl, add the chopped onion, chilli and salt. Add the cooked tomatoes and using a potato masher, mash to pulp. Add 1/2 tsp mustard oil and mix well. Serve as an accompaniment with Rice / Paratha. Enjoy !

Sweet Delight - K's Apple Pie

Apple Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream

Garlic Asparagus

The recipe is the same as the Lahsooni Tinda recipe that I posted earlier. Just substitute the Asparagus for the Tinda.

Kofta Curry

Recipe courtesy my Ma. She used to make Kofta curry with Jackfruit, Opo Squash, Plantain, Ground chicken/lamb ... pretty much anything. This recipe calls for few ingredients, and packs a flavor punch.
For the Kofta
1 lb ground chicken
1 onion, chopped fine
1" ginger, grated
2 green chillies, finely chopped
1 egg (optional)
1 1/2 tbsp besan (chickpea flour)
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste
Oil for frying
Mix all the ingredients well. Heat oil in a pan. Make medium sized balls and deep fry on low heat till golden brown. Drain excess oil on paper towel(s) and keep aside.
For the Curry
2 onions, finely chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 green chillies, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1" ginger grated
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp garam masala powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
Oil
Chooped coriander leaves, for garnish

Heat oil in a pan. Add the onions and cook till onions turn light brown. Add the garlic, ginger, green chillies and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and cook till the masala and tomatoes are cook and the oil separates. Add about 3 cups of water and salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat, add the koftas and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes. garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with Rice / Paratha. Enjoy !

Birthday Lunch - Peas Pulao, Garlic Asparagus, Kofta Curry, Rich Chocolate Cake

It's K's birthday today. To celebrate, I made Peas Pulao, Garlic Asparagus, Meat Kofta curry and to finish off this great meal, dessert was a rich, moist chocolate cake. This was the first time I was baking a cake, and in all honesty I cannot take credit for this super good cake. Thanks to Pilsbury Cake Mix, the cake was superb and I got all the compliments :)


PEAS PULAO

2 cups Basmati Rice, cleaned and soaked in water
2-3 cloves
2 green cardamoms
1" cinnamon
1/2 red onion, finely sliced
1 cup peas (I used the frozen ones)
Oil
Salt to taste

Heat oil in a pan and add the cloves, cardamom, cinnamon. When they begin to sizzle, add the sliced onion. Cook till translucent. Add the peas and salt. cook for a minute. Drain water from rice and add to pan. Mix gently. Add 4 cups water and bring to boil on high heat. Reduce heat to medium, cover the pan and cook till the water has evaporated and rice is cooked. Remove from heat and let sit for 5-10 minutes. Fluff gently and serve hot with curry of your choice. Enjoy !

Weekend trip

Some pics from our weekend trip. Enjoy !

Giant Redwood tree

Food for my Honey - Methi Rice, Dal Makhni, Tandoori Chicken

Methi Rice

Dal Makhni

Tandoori Chicken

(Recipes will be posted later today)

Love, Pyaar, Ishq ....

To my family, friends, blog readers ...

Southern Delights : Idli & Tomato-Mint Chutney

K has been under the weather for the last couple of days and I wanted to do something special for him to make him feel better. "Why not make idlis", I decided - it would be a change from eating cereal and milk for breakfast. I am generally not this adventurous regarding breakfast on weekdays ... The smile that lit K's face more than made up for everything :)

1 cup urad dal, picked and washed
2 cups idli rice, picked and washed
1 tsp methi (fenugreek) seeds
Salt to taste

Soak the rice and the urad dal in warm water separately. Add 1/2 tsp of methi seeds each with the rice and dal. In a food processor, grind the rice-methi seeds to a paste - the consistency should be like Rava/Semolina.
Grind the Urad dal to a smooth paste. Mix both the batters together in a large bowl and keep overnight to ferment. You know that the batter has fermented if the next day, the volume of the batter has doubled.
(Tip : When the weather is cold I generally put the batter mix in the oven and keep the oven light on. The heat from the lamp helps in the fermentation.)
Add salt to the batter and mix well. Lightly grease the idli molds and put the batter till 3/4 of the mold is covered. In a dutch oven heat about 1 glass of water. When it begins to boil, add the idli molds, cover and steam for about 15-20 minutes. (When you insert a toothpick, it should come out clean). Remove from heat, uncover and let sit for about 5 minutes. Using a butter knife, remove the idlis from the mold and serve hot with Chutney / Sambhar. Enjoy !!

Tomato-Mint Chutney ( Recipe courtesy Mythreyee)
4 tomatoes, chopped fine
10-12 mint leaves
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp Urad dal
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
A pinch of Hing
Salt to taste
Oil
Heat Oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds. When the mustard begins to splutter, add the cumin seeds and Urad dal. Then add the chopped tomatoes. When the tomato is half cooked add the mint leaves, turmeric powder, chilli powder, Hing and salt. Cook till the tomatoes are cooked.
Remove from heat and cool. Grind to a smooth paste without any water. Serve with Idlis. Enjoy !!

MBP : Hare Chane ke Kebab - Green Garbanzo Kebabs

Superbowl came and went and I still hadn't posted the recipe for this dish. I was bone tired after driving all the way to Chico, CA, participating in the college recruitment session and then driving back home. Add to that, poor K was in such a miserable shape, thanks to the Allergy season. He has been under the weather this entire fortnight ... anyhu to cut a long story short. My apologies and here is the recipe.
My friends M & J had hosted the Superbowl party at their house on Sunday and this was my contribution. (Wonderful party and wonderful spread M & J).
This is my entry for the super MBP event that dear Coffee has organized. I was inspired by Indira Thanks Indira for this super delicious and easy to make finger food. :)


1 packet frozen green garbanzo. (Keep it outside for a little while, so that the garbanzo can thaw)
1/2 cup greek style 2% yogurt
3 Thai serrano chillies
2 fat cloves garlic
1" ginger
1 tbsp grated coconut
4-5 curry leaves
2 tbsp besan (Chickpea flour)
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 small red onion, finely chopped
Salt to taste
Oil
Cooking Spray

Grind to a paste together - chillies, coconut, curry leaves, garlic cloves, ginger.

Heat oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds. When they begin to sizzle, add the chopped onion. Cook till the onion turns a light brown. Add the green garbanzo and cook for about 5-7 minutes. Add the yogurt and salt and mix well. Cook on low flame, constantly mashing the chickpeas with a potato masher, till it is of a paste consistency. Cook till the water evaporates. Now add the besan and mix well. Check and adjust the seasoning. Let cool.

Heat a flat bottomed pan and coat lightly with cooking spray. Take about 2 tbsp of the garbanzo mix and roll into a ball shape between your palms. Gently flatten it. Cook on low heat till both sides turn a nice brown. Serve with a chutney of your choice and enjoy !

Southern Comfort : Dosa, Okra Sambhar, Coriander-Coconut Chutney

Babuji ( my father) loves South Indian food. He can eat Sambhar and Dosa 365 days a year for lunch and dinner. Once a month on Sundays, he would pack Ma and us four kids into the car and we would head to this lovely restaurant to have our pick of a Thali / Dosa-Idli's / Idli-Vada's and the like for lunch. Satiated and content we would troop back home, counting the days to the next such food outing.
Ma would make Dosa, Idli, Sambhar, Chutney at home quite frequently. As much as Rice, Dal, Curry were a part of our diet, so was Pongal, Rasam, Sambhar. I tried making Dosas a couple of times and to say they were a disaster was putting it mildly. I finally asked Ma for her recipe for Dosa batter and my Father-in-law for the Chutney. The sambhar recipe is courtesy Indira of Mahanandi and tried my hand and these dishes. Much to my joy and to K's approval, they came out really good.

Dosa

1 cup split Urad Dal, picked and washed
2 cups rice (I used Basmati rice, since that was the only one I had in hand)
1 tsp Methi (Fenugreek) seeds
Salt to taste
1/2 onion
Oil
Soak the rice, dal and methi seeds in warm water for 6-8 hours. Grind to a paste. transfer to a large bowl, cover and keep in a warm place overnight to ferment. If it is cold, then put the bowl inside the oven and switch on the light. The heat from the light bulb will keep the bowl warm and enable fermentation. You know the batter has fermented if the volume is double. Add salt and water. Make sure that the batter is not watery.

Heat a flat bottomed pan. Take the cut onion, dip in a little oil and lightly rub all over the pan. Take a ladleful of the dosa batter and pour in the pan. Using the bottom of the ladle, gently spread the batter in a circular motion. Take 1/2 tsp oil and spread around the dosa. Cook till it turns a light brwon. Your Dosa is ready to enjoy with Sambhar and Chutney.

Okra (Bhindi) Sambhar

1 cup Tur Dal, pressure cooked in 2 cups water.
Lime sized tamarind soaked in 1/2 cup warm water
1/2 packet frozen cut okra
2 medium sized tomatoes, chopped
1/2 onion, sliced fine
1 tbsp sambhar powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
7-8 curry leaves
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp minced garlic
Salt to taste

In a Dutch oven, heat oil. Add the minced garlic, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves. When the mustard seeds begin to pop, add the sliced onion and cook till light brown. Add the chopped tomatoes and okra. Now add the sambhar powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt, tamarind water and 2 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook till the okra is tender, about 15-20 minutes.
Now add the cokked Dal, mix well and simmer another 10-15 minutes till all the flavors are blended. Serve hot with Dosa / Idli/ Rice.

Coriander-Coconut (Nariyal-Dhaniya) Chutney

1 bunch coriander, picked, cleaned and chopped coarsely
1 cup freshly grated coconut
4 green chillies
10-12 mint leaves, chopped coarsely
1/2 tsp cumin powder
5-6 curry leaves
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
Salt to taste
In a food pocessor, make a smooth paste of the coriander leaves, mint leaves, coconut, green chillies, salt with 1/2 cup water. heat oil in a small pan, add the mustard seeds. When they begin to pop add the curry leaves. Pour this oil over the chutney and serve with Dosa/Idli. Enjoy !