URAD SABUT AUR RAJMA

I think no Cuisine uses "lentils / daals" the way Indian cuisine does. The recipes are endless, the spices used is exhaustive & the results are always excellent. Some like their thick n creamy, there are others who like the watery consistency, n still others who prefer it mid-way i.e., not thick but a bit watery.

I prefer mine thick. Perfect to scoop up in a morsel of chappati, or mush it up with rice, or better - eat as it is.

I love black daals better than yellow ones too. I guess these are also personal preferences. Coz my husband likes yellow rather than black - so I keep it fair, n make both equally.

This particular combo is a favourite of mine. This version that I am giving you is the simpler one. The same combo is used to make the famous Daal Makhani, which I shall make some other day & post the recipe separately. This is a simpler & less caloried version, but the taste is great in its own way.






Ing -
1 katori - urad sabut (black one with skin on)
1/4 katori - rajma
1 inch pc of ginger
5/6 flakes of garlic
3/4 flakes of garlic (separate)
a pinch of hing
1/2 tspn - turmeric / haldi
3/4 - green chillies
1 jumbo onion or two medium ones
a pinch of sugar
salt as per taste
1 tspn - garam masala
1 tspn - jeera / cumin seeds
Either juice of 1 lime or 1 tspn of amchur powder

Method

Soak the daals overnight.
Take a pressure cooker, add 1 tspn of oil in it.
Grate the ginger & the garlic (or make a paste of both) & fry the same in that oil.
Add salt, & the lentils & cook for about 20 mins.
In a kadai - heat some ghee (for the real taste) or add half-half ghee-oil, or if you are way too concious just add any oil of your preference.
When hot, add the jeera till it sputters. Chop the garli flakes kept seaparately & fry till just about brown.
Add the hing.
Add the garam masala & stir well.
Separately add the lime juice or amchur into the daal & mix well. Test the salt & add if more required.
Now add half the tempering into the daal & mix well.
The rest of the half use for garnish

I served this hot plain rice & some gaajar-shalgam pickle & aloo paappad for a fulfilling lunch

KAALI DAAL

I absolutely loved this daal. The texture is smooth & creamy, yet not as heavy and rich as the Daal Makhani, which though, is a personal favorite, but rarely made. I actually do quite a bit of mix & match with daals, & use either urad sabut or masoor sabut to make the daal black or brown.

This is my latest experiment & it really turned out good.


Ing -
1-1/2 katori - black masoor daal
1/2 katori - chana daal
1 tsp - haldi
1 big onion
1 tsp - grated garlic
1 tsp - grated ginger
pinch of hing / asofetida
1 tsp - jeera
1 tsp - garam masala
either green chillies or red chilli powder
1 tsp - amchur

Method -
Wash & pressure cook the daals well, adding salt & haldi in the cooker itself.
In a fry pan, add the oil & when hot add the jeera
When it sputters, add the ginger & garlic & fry well
Add onions & on slow flame fry till about brown.
Add the asofetida / chilli.
Now add this tempering into the daal.
Add garam masala & amchur & mix well.
Cook for about 2 mins & garnish with corriander leaves.

Serve with rice, rotis or parathas.

There was a bit of confusion about the masoor sabut daal. I have therefore posted a pic of the same. Hope it helps

CHANA DAAL WITH GHIYA - SPLIT GRAM WITH BOTTLE GOURD

When it comes to comfort food - daal - tops the list. You can have a bowl of dal on its own, or with rotis, or parathas, or bread, or rice. You can use it to make rotis, dosas, pulao, kichri......the list is endless. Add some bottle gourd to it, & you have a nice wholesome daal subzi. I like this so much that I crave for this dish at times.........

Ing -

2 katoris - split peas / chana daal / kadla paripu

2 katoris - bottle gourd / ghiya peeled & diced into cubes1 big onion - roughly chopped

1 tsp -grated garlic

1 tsp - jeera / cumin

a generous pinch of hing / asofetida

1 tsp - haldi

1 tsp - red chilli powder

1/2 tsp - garam masala

1 tsp - lime juice

Method-

Pressure cook the dal & the ghiya along with salt, chilli & haldi. My normal procedure is to let one whistle pass & then cook on slow flame for about 10 minutes. The result is fully cooked but not mashed dal.

In a frypan, add the ghee. When hot add the jeera & let sputter.

Add the grated garlic & fry.

Then add the onions & fry till light brown in colour.

Add the hing.

Now pour this tempering onto the daal & add the garam masala & lime juice & mix well.

If you wish to add tomatoes you can do so at the time of pressure cooking or during the tempering.

I prefer it without the tomatoes. The flavor of the dal comes out excellently without them.

MOONG DAL FRY

Hi there!!

I have been a bit lazy today & all this blogging has really made me addictive. All I can think about is what to blog? Has anybody left a comment on my blog? Whose blog do I check out today?? I keep asking Diji (my friend at work) what recipes to post - she is a great help at that. I eat blog, I drink blog, I dream blog, I walk blog, I talk blog......blah, blah, blah!!! And the result has been that I have a constant headache these days (because my eyes are almost always glued to the computer !!) & I have a left eye infection (dont blame the blogging for that).

My eye is quite better now, therefore am back again.........cant keep myself away for too long, can I??

Moong dal is one dal that I have hardly ever had before marriage, & today, its the most frequently made dal at home. Now even my mom has started making it because of its simplicity.

Ing -

1 katori - moong dal (split green gram without the skin, which is a light yellow in colour)

1 tbsp - jeera / cumin seeds

5/6 garlic flakes - crushed coarsely

1 tsp - haldi / turmeric powder

1 tsp - red chilli powder

1 tsp - garam masala

Method -

Wash the dal well & pressure cook till done. Add salt while cooking. The ratio of the water should be 1:4 = dal:water.

In a small fry pan, add about 1 tbsp ghee.

When hot add the jeera. When sputterd add the garlic flakes

On slow flame let the garlic brown.

Turn off the flame & add the haldi, garam masala, chilli. (turning off the flame saves the masalan from being burnt since the oil is already very hot)

Add this into the cooker & mix well.

Garnish with corriander leaves

Serve with either phulka or rice

PALAK DAAL

Another dish that I was not too found till MIL came along. She has a wonderful hand at cooking & however much I try I cant come close to her taste, & that is even if I add the same ingredients, in the same proportion as she does.......I guess that's what's called "haath ka kamaal". I am giving you the recipe, maybe we could try & come to close to what she cooks. What she cooks is perfectly salted & has a creamy consistency, the onions are sort of caramalized & a rich garlic flavor......

Ing -
1/2 kg - spinach/palak leaves - cleaned, washed & chopped finely
1 katori - split green moong daal.
8/10 flakes of garlic
1/2 inch - ginger (grated)
1 tbsp - ghee
1 tsp - jeera
1 tsp - garam masala
1 tsp - haldi
a pinch of hing
green chillies to taste
2 big onions - chopped finely

Method -
In a cooker, add little oil.
When hot chop the garlic finely & add into the oil.
Add the grated ginger.
When they are a bit brown add the daal & the palak, add water & cook for about 2 whistles on high & 10 mins on slow. Let the steam pass.
In a small frypan, take the ghee, add the jeera.
When jeera sputters, add the hing & the onions. Fry the onions on a low flame till brown
Add the haldi & the garam masala
Pour the tempering into the cooker & mix well.

Yummy tasting dal with rotis or rice. I always take a katori in advance to eat by itself.