Rich and Flavorful- Dal Makhni (north Indian lentils recipe)

Dal Makhni is a very popular dish that is served in Indian restaurants. People generally assume that this lentil dish is healthy - The word "Makhni" means with butter and this lentil dish practically swims in butter and cream. But the taste is gorgeous and just melts into your mouth. It is assumed that if you can cook a good dal then you can manage the Indian cooking well. I like the dal without cream or butter and love to keep it simple. But when you crave for something rich and need that perfect restaurant dal then this dish is worth the effort.

What do we need?

Whole black gram (sabut urad dal)- 1 cup
Red kidney beans - 1/2 cup
Grated ginger- 2 inch piece
Butter- 4 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Onion- 1 big sized (chopped)
3 medium sized tomatoes (chopped)
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Fresh cream - 1/2 cup
Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing
Garlic - chopped (7-8 cloves)
Salt according to taste

How did I make it?


Soak urad dal (black gram) and red kidney beans in water overnight. The next day, drain and pressure cook it with half portion of the grated ginger till they become soft (reserve the other half portion of grated ginger for later use). Melt butter in a pan. Add cumin seeds. As they start to change color, add onions. Fry onions till they become golden brown. Add garlic, remaining ginger and tomatoes. Cook till the tomatoes are mashed and has mixed well with the rest of the ingredients. Add cooked dal to this. Add two cups of water and adjust salt according to your taste. Mix red chilli powder, garam masala powder and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Add fresh cream and mix well. Cook your dal on a low flame for 5 minutes. Serve with rotis/rice. Works great with naan! Garnish with coriander leaves and decorate it with a bit of cream.

There are two versions of making this dal- with/without onions- I find it more flavorful with onions and it really adds that zing to your dal!

Lemon Vermicelli

Small black mustard seeds merrily bouncing in a pan- happy, carefree till they meet up with rough and hot green chilli pieces. A savory story unfolds in my kitchen with the main star as vermicelli (type of pasta, thinner than spaghetti) and carrot pieces, green peas, green beans acting in a supporting role. The story becomes vibrant with turmeric powder in a special role and of course one can't undermine the role of lemon juice which becomes the whole essence of our savory story. The story rocks the box office with every bit of vermicelli lapped up by the hungry audience :) -

Ingredients-

Vermicelli - 2cups

1/2 cup green beans

1/2 cup carrot (sliced)

1/2 cup peas

curry leaves (4-5 leaves)

mustard seeds 3/4 tsp

cumin seeds 1/4 tsp (omit if you want)

1 tbsp lemon juice

turmeric powder 1/2 tsp

grated ginger (1/4 tsp)

1/2 tsp gram dal (yellow lentils) 

green chillies (2 ) chopped

coriander leaves chopped for garnishing

**Generally this dish is made without the vegetables- but then my savory story had to be different! 

How did I make it?

Cook vermicelli in boiling water with a little bit of oil (so that it doesn't stick together). Once cooked, drain excess water and keep it aside. This removes the starch and makes it non sticky! Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds. As they begin to sputter, add gram dal (yellow lentils), ginger, curry leaves and green chilli pieces. Add turmeric powder and mix well. Toss in the vegetables and cook on a medium flame till the vegetables become soft and tender- sprinkle a bit of water to cook the vegetables. Once the vegetables are cooked, add lemon juice. Mix in the vermicelli and adjust salt according to taste. Garnish with coriander leaves!

Aloo Gobi!

I realised that one Indian dish which has become universal is Aloo gobi. I was talking to a swiss lady in the tram and she confessed that she loved Indian dishes. In her german accent, she said- I love aloo gobi! A very popular menu in Indian restaurants, it sure has caught the fascination of people- Cauliflower (gobi) florets & potatoes (aloo) sauteed with Indian spices!

Ingredients-

1 medium sized cauliflower (seperate the florets from the stem)

4-5 potatoes - peeled and cut in small cubes

one medium sized onion (chopped finely)

garlic & ginger paste 1 tsp

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

cumin seeds - 1 tsp

red chilli powder- 3/4 tsp

garam masala- 1 tsp

coriander powder- 1tsp

salt according to taste

kasoori methi leaves (dry leaves crushed) 1 tsp (fenugreek leaves)

How did I make it?

If you are a bit careless, you will land up making this dish into one soggy yellow paste. The potatoes take a longer time to cook and cauliflowers cook pretty easily. First step is to heat oil and add cumin seeds. As the seeds start to sputter, add onions. Fry the onions for 3-5 minutes till they become translucent. Add ginger-garlic paste and cook for a couple of minutes. In a small bowl of water, mix coriander powder, garam masala, chilli powder and turmeric powder to a liquid paste. Add this paste to the onions that are getting sauteed and cook for a couple of seconds. Mix in the potatoes and cover the wok to cook. When potatoes are half done, add the florets and salt. Cover to cook. Open after a few minutes, add kasoori methi leaves and mix them thoroughly. Sprinkle a bit of water, if need be. Allow the cauliflower to cook with potatoes for 5-8 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves and enjoy it hot!

carrots & potatoes cooked in a masala gravy

Nothing fancy about this dish- all I can describe is - hearty, comforting with simple flavors to go with roti or rice! I just made this dish and my whole house is smelling of a lovely coriander flavor with garam masala wafting through out the house. Should get that appetite up and running, shouldn't it?

What do we need?

2 cups chopped/cubed carrots
1 cup chopped/cubed potatoes
garlic/ginger paste - 1 tsp
cumin seeds
1 green chilli- chopped
garam masala 1/2 tsp
1 medium onion chopped
1/2 cup tomato puree
salt according to taste
1/4 tsp red chilli powder

How did I make it?

Once the veggies are chopped, cooking the dish takes about 10-15 minutes. It is a gravy based dish and works well with rice dishes. Heat oil in a wok. Add cumin seeds and allow them to sputter. Add green chilli pieces and chopped onions. Fry them for about 2 minutes till the onions become translucent. Mix the garlic/ginger paste and toss them for a second. Add the tomato puree and cook for a couple of seconds. Blend in the garam masala and red chilli powder. Add the carrots and potatoes to this mixture with a bit of water for them to cook. Adjust salt according to your taste. Cook on a medium flame till the vegetables are cooked. Bring in the magical coriander leaves for garnishing! Enjoy :)

Lentil dumplings in Yoghurt (Dahi vada)

Cricket has become a religion for India- There is a buzz in the air when you gotta match on weekends. Especially, when your home country is performing badly (the atmosphere is tense)- players are criticized for their techniques, captain takes the blame, there is disappointment written all over the faces of viewers...and then things start turning in your favor. Last few overs are thrilling when the match is evenly paced and you are not sure if your team is going to win... Food becomes critical for such crucial matches- I threw in some bruschetta and a south Indian lentil dumplings to go for the occasion. Of course, things turned out great with a win for India and my lentil dumplings in yoghurt was a hit! Simple to make, the dumplings taste awesome when soaked in yoghurt seasoned with mustard and coriander- a true match winner :)

Ingredients- (for dumplings)

Urad dal ( 1 cup)- white gram/lentils

2 tsp rice

chopped curry leaves

salt according to taste

black peppercorns (1/2 tsp)

1 green chilli

For yoghurt base-

Thick yoghurt

corriander leaves finely chopped

green chilli pieces (finely chopped)

salt according to taste

mustard (1/2 tsp)

broken red chilli pieces

oil to saute

Preparation-

Batter preparation is the tricky part. Soak urad dal (lentils) with rice in water for an hour. Drain the water completely after an hour and blend it in a mixer to a smooth dough by adding green chillies, pepper, salt. The batter should be firm and not watery. Avoid using water when blending in the mixer. Once batter is ready, add chopped curry leaves and blend it well. Heat oil in a wok. When the oil is hot, shape batter like a doughnut with hole in middle and fry it to golden brown on both sides.

Yoghurt base preparation-

Blend chopped coriander and green chilli pieces in yoghurt. Add a bit of water and whisk it to a smooth texture. Adjust salt according to your taste. 

Final preparation-

Soak the lentil dumplings in hot water for few minutes till it becomes soft. Squeeze water gently from the dumplings and drop them in yoghurt. Allow the dumplings to absorb the yoghurt. In a small frying pan, heat oil and add mustard seeds, broken red chilli pieces with asafoetida powder. As the mustard begin to sputter, remove from fire and add them to yoghurt. Chill it for half an hour and serve!

Punjabi cholay

Cholay is a very popular chickpea dish in northern India. Cooked in a rich brown gravy with exotic spices this dish tastes heavenly with roti, rice or bhature. Chickpeas can be cooked in a simple normal gravy with spices but then if you ever had the chance to taste punjabi cholay you will never want to eat anything else! So, take a plunge and get cooking with something exotic and flavorful.

Ingredients

Chickpeas/garbanzo beans -1 cup

For the gravy

2 onions chopped
1 tomato chopped
Ginger - peeled and grated (about 1tsp)
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp red chilli powder

Spices

Coriander seeds 2tsp
Seeds of wild pomegranate/anardhana (omit if not available)- 1/2tsp
1 piece cinnamon stick
3 cloves
1 tsp black peppercorns
4 black cardamom
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 bay leaf
1 dry red chilli piece

Preparation

Soak the chickpeas overnight in water. It will double in size the next day. Rinse it thoroughly and pressure cook it with a tea bag. Yeah, yeah, you read it right- tea bag! Why tea bag? Punjabi cholay is known for it's rich brown color and when you cook it normally it turns out yellow in color. To give it a good brown color you always pressure cook it with a tea bag. The chickpeas should be cooked super soft and should melt in your mouth.

For the spices, roast all the above ingredients in a pan. Keep tossing them and do not allow them to get burnt. Once roasted, grind them to a fine powder.

Now comes the gravy- Heat oil in a wok and add the chopped ginger. Add the onions and sauté them till translucent. Add the tomatoes and cook the mixture till the oil separates (takes around 8 to 10 minutes). Add the fresh ground spices and garam masala with chilli powder. Cook on a medium flame till the masala gets incorporated. Mix the cooked chickpeas and adjust salt according to taste. Add a little bit of water to cook the chickpeas. Allow it to cook on a medium flame for 20 minutes(keep stirring it consistently). Garnish with chopped onions, lemon wedges, split green chilli pieces or coriander leaves. Enjoy!

cottage cheese and onion stuffed roti!

Gloomy sunday afternoon always demands spicy food! Cottage cheese, onions, spices stuffed in a flat bread and fried to golden brown- top this with spicy pickle and yoghurt on the side. Now that's what I call a belly filling dish :)

Ingredients (for stuffing)

1 cup grated cottage cheese
1 onion chopped finely
coriander leaves chopped finely
2 green chillies (chopped)
salt (according to taste)
garam masala (1/2 tsp)
coriander powder (1/4 tsp)
Kasoori methi leaves (1 tsp)- fenugreek leaves
2 garlic cloves (chopped finely)

Ingredients (for the base)


Wheat flour (11/2 cup)
water
salt

Preparation


Knead the flour to a smooth dough with the help of water and set it aside. In a bowl mix all the stuffing ingredients with a liberal dose of oil. Take a ball of dough and flatten it to a small circle. Add the filling in the middle and fold the sides to make it into a small pouch. Flatten this small pouch to a medium sized circle. Fry this in a pan to golden brown on both sides. Serve with yoghurt and pickle. Enjoy!

Potatoes cooked with peas in a gravy (aloo matar)

Come sunday and my house smells of good authentic Indian food. I love taking my time to whip up something special. The demand of the house was aloo matar and boy, we had a sumptuous lunch with basmati rice, aloo matar, lemon pickle and raita. Here is my take on the famous north Indian dish- Potatoes cooked with peas in a gravy (aloo matar). Enjoy!

Ingredients-

4 big potatoes (boiled, peeled and chopped in cubes)
1 big cup thawed and ready to use frozen green peas
onion (1 big sliced)
2 tomatoes (chopped)
cumin seeds (1 tsp)
garlic (2 cloves)
red paprika powder (1 tsp)
coriander powder (1 tsp)
garam masala powder (1 tsp)
salt (according to taste)
dash of cardamom powder
coriander leaves to garnish

Preparation-

In a pan, fry the cubed potatoes and set it aside. Grind the onions, garlic to a fine smooth paste. In a wok heat some oil. Add the cumin seeds. As the seeds start to sputter add the onion-garlic paste. Fry the paste till the onion loses its raw taste and the gravy starts to become golden brown. Mash the chopped tomatoes to a pulp and add them to the onion-garlic gravy. Cook it for 5 minutes and then add the spices- paprika powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, cardamom powder and salt. Keep cooking on a medium flame for 10 minutes till oil separates from the paste. Add the thawed peas and some water for the peas to cook. When the peas are cooked add the fried potatoes and stir it for a while. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve it with roti or rice!

Craving for simple home food...

Yipeeeeeeeeee....I have completed 50 blog posts! Going down the memory lane, I realized my odd ramblings in the initial posts, my struggle to explain flavors, my triumph with certain dishes, my pictures (and the list goes on). To be honest, I have hardly done anything spectacular compared to the other food blogs I frequent. On the other hand, I am happy to have my own corner where I can put my thoughts on food...it's just a great feeling! I have always enjoyed good food and for me cooking is pure joy and creativity. 


Today, I am in no mood for anything remotely fancy. Just want to eat simple food- the usual vegetables and my roti with dal. After all, nothing beats a simple home cooked food and this is what we come home to...don't we??


Spinach potato curry- (Aloo palak)


Ingredients-
Fresh spinach leaves - chopped/shredded finely(2-3 cups) 
5 large potatoes (boiled, peeled and cubed)
1 large onion (chopped finely)
4-5 cloves of garlic (chopped finely) - need I say anything on my love for garlic??
1 red dry chilli - broken into pieces
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp paprika powder
1 tsp coriander powder
salt (according to taste)


Preparation- Once you have assembled the ingredients, it's an easy ride from there. Heat oil in a wok. Add cumin and dry chilli pieces. Allow them to sputter. Add the garlic and stir for a couple of seconds till the oil absorbs the garlic flavor. Add the onions and cook for few minutes till they start turning golden brown. Add the chopped spinach leaves and cook them till they become soft. Spinach tends to reduce in size as they cook. Now add the potatoes, salt, turmeric, paprika powder and coriander powder. Cook them on a low flame (stirring occasionally) for 5-8 minutes till the potatoes blend well with the spinach. Enjoy with roti and dal!

Dal- (lentils) 


I love cooking lentils with minimal flavors. The only flavors I like in my dal are garlic, cumin, crushed pepper, coriander leaves and fiery green chillies. I also like using three types of lentils- mung dal- 1 cup, chana dal- 1/4 cup and toor dal- 1/2 cup. Pressure cook them till they melt into your mouth. In a frying pan, melt 2 tbsp of butter. Add cumin, green chilli pieces (slit them with knife - do not deseed them). As the cumin seeds start to sputter add chopped garlic (4-5 big cloves). Cook them for a couple of seconds before adding the cooked lentils. Add crushed pepper and salt according to taste. Serve them with sprinkled coriander leaves. Some like the dal a bit soupy (like me) and some love it rich and thick. Vary the quantity of water accordingly when cooking your dal! 
    

Bring on the cabbage...

Cabbage is one vegetable which never catches my attention- I will go to the market and be interested in all the vegetables except cabbage. Never got around to know that vegetable, may be? Did you know that cabbage is a good source of vitamin c and contains a great deal of roughage! So finally, I swing by the market and get a big cabbage and cook it south Indian style- Enjoy!

What do we need?


1 big sized cabbage ( chopped)
mustard seeds (1 tsp)
cooking oil
curry leaves
turmeric powder (1/2 tsp)
chilli powder (3/4 tsp)
salt (according to taste)
broken dried red chilli pieces (3-4)
1 cup grated coconut

How did I put together?


The tough part is chopping the cabbage. Once done, cooking is just a matter of time...In a wok add oil and allow the mustard seeds to sputter. Add chilli pieces and chopped curry leaves. Toss in the chopped cabbage and allow it to cook on a low flame. I will sprinkle a little bit of water and cover the wok till the cabbage cooks and becomes soft. Do not put too much water otherwise the cabbage becomes soggy. As the cabbage becomes tender, add turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt and grated coconut. Mix thoroughly with a little bit of cooking oil. Enjoy with rice or rotis!

My mom is my inspiration and is the worst critic of my cooking- She looks at my post and says, this looks fine but you could have done it a bit differently. So I go, how different? She said, you need to chop the cabbage super fine (which apparently I haven't done in my recipe) and second instead of sprinkling water and cooking your cabbage, use liberal dose of oil to make it more sleek. I defended my cooking saying it is a healthier version. She wouldn't let me go so easily and said to compensate for the extra oil, you could omit the coconut. Okay, the final verdict is- you can do so many variations with this dish- Some add peanuts, yellow lentils (chana dal), green peas and some may choose to omit coconut powder. As usual, be creative and don't be afraid to bend the rules with cooking!

Stuffed Bell peppers

If you are a vegetarian, the first question everyone will ask you is- where do you get your proteins from? – Answer is simple: Tofu, of course! I was not a huge fan of tofu- because it tastes like rubber and practically has no flavor at all. Slowly, I started experimenting and discovered new exciting ways to make tofu fun! This is another one of my experimental recipe and turned out pretty well- As it is an experimental recipe, you can be super creative and have a little fun of your own! Enjoy J

For the stuffing you need crumbled tofu (around 2 cups), 2 small onions chopped, 1 big tomato chopped, 2 green chillies chopped, ¾ tsp paprika powder, 1 tsp garlic and ginger paste (alternatively, you can use crushed garlic and grated ginger) and salt according to your taste.

Ofcourse, for the base you need 4-5 paprika/bell peppers, with the top cut off and de- seeded-

To prepare the stuffing- you need to sauté chopped onions, crushed and chopped garlic, grated ginger and chopped chillies in a frying pan with liberal dose of cooking oil/butter- As they start to become golden brown add the tomatoes. Fry for 2-3 minutes. Add tofu, paprika powder and salt. Fry them till tofu blends well and gets the flavor. If you are fond of garlic like me, then add 5 big pieces (crushed and chopped) otherwise, go easy on garlic. To make it spicy, add up to one tsp of paprika powder. Finishing touch will be the chopped coriander leaves.

Once the stuffing is done, all we need to do is quote our bell peppers with butter and fill them with the stuffing. Grill them in an oven for 20-30 minutes till they are cooked and become golden brown. You can add mozzarella cheese on top for that extra zing! Enjoy with hot chilli sauce J

Nutty, lemony fidelini!

Vermicelli or fidelini is a kind of pasta that is thinner than spaghetti and looks like little worms :)
You can be super creative with fidelini and whip up something fast and tasty. This is my creative version of fidelini - of course with an Indian touch.




Ingredients-

• 2 cups fidelini/vermicelli
• 1 cup chopped red and green bell peppers
• 1/2 cup canned sweet corn
• 1 onion sliced
• 1/2 cup green peas
• peanuts
• crushed black pepper (1/2 tsp)
• cashew nuts
• lime juice (1&1/2 tsp)
• chopped corriander leaves
• turmeric powder
• mustard seeds
• chopped chilli pieces (1 big red chilli)
• garam masala (3/4 tsp)
• salt (according to taste)
• cooking oil

Preparation- Boil fidelini till they are soft. Rinse it in cold water to remove any starch. Make sure that the noodles don't stick to each other. In a wok, pour around three tablespoons of cooking oil. As it gets hot, toss in the mustard seeds and allow them to sputter. Add cashew nuts, ground nuts and fry them till golden brown. Put in the onions and fry them till they are translucent. Add green chillies, bell peppers, peas, corn and fry them till they are crispier. Toss in the turmeric powder, crushed pepper, garam masala and salt. As the vegetables take in the spice add the fidelini and cook them all together. Before serving add lemon juice and chopped corriander leaves- Enjoy!

Tofu stir fry- Indian style!

When you come back from office, all you want to do is kick back your shoes- fling your purse and hit the couch with a big "plop" sound! I always believe in quick fix dinners. Something that can be cooked faster, easier and takes minimal effort. Well, this stir fry can be done easily- provided you are fast at chopping vegetables. Here we go with tofu stir fry- Stuff them in tortilla for a quick wrap.

Ingredients-

• Tofu (1 block)- tofu should be firm and not crumple
• 1 big cup paprika (bell peppers- red and green)- cut them length wise
• Spring onion leaves- chopped (1/2 cup)
• 1 tomato (chopped)
• 2 small onions (sliced)
• 1 spoon grated ginger
• 2 big cloves garlic (crushed and chopped to pieces)
• cumin seeds (1/2 tsp)
• 1/2 tsp paprika powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp curry masala powder (optional)
• salt (according to taste)
• chopped green chillies (2 small chillies)
• 1 spoon butter

Preparation-

The difficult part is chopping the vegetables and getting them ready- once done, it takes minimal effort to put them all in a wok and fry them till all the spices blend. Let's start with the stir fry- As mentioned above, the tofu has to be firm. Cut them in cubes- Cut, chop and slice all the vegetables. In a wok, pour oil and allow it to heat. Once hot, add cumin seeds and chopped green chillies. As the cumin starts sputtering, toss in the onions and allow them to fry till golden brown. Add ginger, garlic and tomato. Keep stirring till onions blend well with tomatoes. As it starts getting mushy, throw in the paprika and tofu. Stir for one minute before adding the spices- paprika powder, garam masala, curry masala powder and salt. Toss in the chopped spring onion leaves. Add one spoon of butter and allow the tofu and vegetables to absorb the spices! Leave it on a low flame for 10 minutes and ensure that tofu has absorbed the spices- Finishing touch will be chopped corriander leaves.

Enjoyyyyy!!

Leftover lentils?

What do you do with left over dal (lentils cooked with Indian spices)? Simple- make some paranthas (Indian flat bread) with them! One of the easy to make recipes which tastes fantastic with yoghurt.

  

                                                                                                        

Ingredients-

• Left over Yellow dal/lentils 
• Wheat flour
• Salt (according to taste)

Alternatively (if you don't have left over yellow dal) you can pressure cook some yellow split bean/moong dal around 1 cup and cook it simply with Indian spices. Here is a quick recipe for dal- 

Ingredients- Chopped ginger (1/2 tsp), crushed and chopped garlic (3 pieces)- if you are fond of garlic, go for four to five pieces, 1 onion chopped, 1 tomato chopped, 2 green chillies (chopped), cumin seeds (1/2 tsp)

Preparation-
As mentioned above, cook the yellow dal/lentils till they are soft or pressure cook them (for around 3 whistles). In a small frying pan heat some butter and once it melts, add cumin seeds. As the cumin seeds start sputtering add chopped ginger, garlic and green chillies. Fry them for a minute before adding some chopped onions and tomatoes. Fry them for ten minutes. Once it is fried well add salt and corriander leaves. Pour this gravy into the cooked lentils and cook the dal for 2 minutes- Remember your dal has to be soupy.

Now back to my original recipe for parantha-  I had good quantity of left over dal and this is what I did with it- In a big mixing bowl, add around 2 cups of wheat flour and with the help of the soupy dal knead it to a fine dough. Add salt according to taste. Try to avoid using water to knead the flour (the soupy dal should suffice). In case you run out of dal, add water. Once you are finished kneading the flour add a big spoon of oil to make the dough silky and pound it well. The end result should be like this-

For making paranthas take a small ball of dough and flatten it with a rolling pin using a bit of flour so that it doesn't stick to the surface-

Cook this parantha in a frying pan with oil/butter till they become golden brown on both sides-

Enjoy them with yoghurt and pickle or hot chilli sauce!

This is one style of preparing the parantha- there is another way to make this (with stuffing inside). Will blog someday about that as well - watch out for this space! Remember you can do this with any kind of left over dal/lentils -not just yellow dal- you can improvise this recipe by adding chopped corriander and chopped onions to the dough when kneading.