Masoor ki dal

Masoor dal is a very delicious and easy to cook lentil. It is very nutritious and is one of the fastest cooking dal.
Ingredients:
Masoor dal : 1.5 cup
Tomato: 1 medium size
Garlic cloves(optional) : 5 cloves
Green chilli : one finely chopped
Jeera : 1 tbsp
Asafoetida or hing : 1 tsp
Ghee or oil : 1 tbsp
Tumeric: 1/2 tsp
Chopped fresh Dhaniya/Corrainder for garnishing

Procedure

• Chop the tomato and garlic finely.
• Wash the dal well and soak in 2.5 cups of water
  
• Heat ghee or oil(ghee gives better flavour) in a pressure cooker pan
• When the ghee is hot add the jeera and stir it for 1 min
• Now add the garlic and chopped green chilli and stir till garlic is golden brown
• Add the chopped tomatoes and stir for 2 mins.
• Now add the dal and water.
• Add salt ,tumeric powder and hing.Stir well
• Now cover with the pressure cooker lid and cook till 2 whistles.
• Remove from flame and let the steam go off completely before opening the lid
• Garnish with chopped corrainder and serve hot with rotis or rice!
  

Bread Pakoras

Spicy hot bread pakoras are great as an appetizer, finger food for any type of the gathering, and a tasty compliment for your afternoon tea. This is one of my favourite appetizers.
I picked this recipe from Manjula's kitchen and the pakoras just come perfect.

Make 12 pieces.

Ingredients:

• 4 slices of firm white bread
• 1 cup gram flour (besan)
• 1 tablespoon rice flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of asafetida (hing)
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
• 2 finely chopped green chilies
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro (green coriander)
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons of water
• Oil to fry

Method:

1. Remove the crust from all sides of the bread.
2. Slice the bread lengthwise into 3 equal parts.
3. Mix all the dry ingredients together: Gram flour (besan), rice flour, asafetida, cumin seeds, and salt. Rice flour adds to the crispness.
4. Add the water slowly to make a smooth batter. (Batter should be the consistency of pancake batter or dosa batter)
5. Next, add the green chilies and cilantro. Mix well.
6. Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium high heat.
7. Frying pan should have at least 11/2 inch of oil. To check if the oil is ready, put one drop of batter in the oil. The batter should come up but not change color right away.
8. Dip the bread slices in the batter one at a time and slowley drop into the frying pan.
9. Fry the pakoras in small batches. The pakoras will take about 4 to 5 minutes to cook.
10. Turn them occasionally. Fry the pakoras until both sides are golden-brown.
11. Repeat this process. The crispy, delicious pakoras are ready to serve.

Tips:

1. If oil is too hot pakoras will cook too fast and will not be crispy; if oil is not hot enough pakoras will be greasy.
2. You may have to adjust the heat as needed while cooking.

Vetta Kozhambu or sour and spicy curry

Vetta Kozhmabu is a favourite sour and spicy dish in Tamil Nadu. Its one of my husband's favourite dishes and it is very simple to make.
I usually like vendakai/bhindi(okra) in it.But you can put brinjal or only onions and make it too.
Here goes the recipe for yummy vendakai vetta kozhambu

Ingredients

• Tamarind concentrate .It should be thick.I usually use the ready concentrate available in the indian stores -1 tablespoon or 2 teaspoons
• Cut okra or bhindi - 2 cups
• One large onion- sliced longitudinally
• Red chilli powder - one teaspoon
• Sambar powder - 3 teaspoons
• oil- one table spoon
• rice flour - one table spoon
• mustard seeds - one teaspoon
• Urad dal- one tablespoon
• Haldi or turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
  

Procedure

• Heat oil in a kadai or sauce pan.Add mustard seeds and urad dal to it.
• Once the mustard seeds splutter, add the haldi powder and redchilli powder to the oil and mix well
• Now add the sliced onions and fry for 2 mins
• Now add the cut okra and salt and stir the mixture for 5 mins .
• Add the tamarind concentrate mixed in 3 cups of water and the sambar powder . Stir well and let the mixture boil.
• The concept of vetta is to let it boil for about half hr till a lot of water evaporates and the mixture becomes thick.
• Add one spoon of rice flour to make it thicken quickly.
• Keep boiling for about half hr till okra cooks very well and the mixture becomes thick
• Remove from fire and server hot with rice.

Spinach Paratha

I have taken this recipe from Manjula's kitchen.Manjula aunty has taught me so many new dishes and this is one dish that comes out very well.

This is a great “anytime” meal. Spinach Parathas are whole-wheat Indian flatbread stuffed with a spicy spinach filling.

Makes 6 parathas.

Ingredients:

Dough:

• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1/2 cup water (Add more water as needed)
• Pinch of salt

Spinach Filliing:

• 2 cups chopped spinach
• Pinch of asafetida
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon red chilly flakes
• 1/4 cup whole-wheat flour for rolling
• Oil to cook

Method

Dough:

1. Mix flour, salt and water togather to make soft dough (if needed add more water).
2. Knead the dough for a few minutes on a lightly greased surface to make soft, smooth and pliable dough.
3. Set the dough aside and cover it with a damp cloth. Let the dough rest for at least ten minutes.

Filling:

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan on medium-high heat. Oil is the right temperature when cumin cracks immedialety after being put the oil.
2. Add the asafetida and cumin seeds. After the cumin seeds crack, add the spinach.
3. Stir-fry, making sure to press the spinach down so the water can evaporate.
4. Cook the spinach until most of the water has evaporated. Spinach still should be moist and should be able to form a ball. Add the salt and pepper and mix well. Set aside until the spinach cools off.

Making of paratha:

1. Divide the dough and spinach filling into 6 equal parts.
2. Roll the dough into 3 inch circles. Put the filling in the center. Seal by pulling the edges together and make into a ball. Procced to make all six balls.
3. Each ball needs to settle for two minutes before you start rolling. Note: If you don’t wait long enough spinach mixture will seep through the edges when rolling the paratha.
4. Heat the skillet on medium high. Note: An iron skillet works best. To see if the skillet is ready, put a couple of drops of water on it. If the water sizzles right away, the skillet is ready.
5. Press th filled ball lightly on dry whole-wheat flour from both sides.
6. Roll the ball light handed to make 6-inch circle. Note: Keep the sealed side of the ball on the top.
7. If the paratha sticks to the rolling pin or rolling surface, lightly dust the paratha with dry flour.
8. Place the paratha over the skillet.
9. After paratha start changing color and start puffing in different places flip the paratha over. You will notice some golden-brown spots.
10. After few seconds, spread 1 teaspoon of oil on the paratha. Flip the paratha and lightly press the puffed areas of the paratha with a spatula.
11. Flip again and press with the spatula making sure the paratha is golden-brown on both sides.
12. Cool the parathas on a wire rack so they don’t get soggy.
13. Parathas can be kept outside for up to 2 days wrapped in aluminum foil or in a closed container. For later use paratha can be refrigerated for 3-4 days.

Quick Sambar

I make Sambar a real complicated way. My mom in law taught me a simple 10 min sambar which tastes equally yummy.Here goes the recipe:
Ingredients:(Serves 4)

• 1.5 cups Tur dal
• 2 large tomatoes
• Vegetables for sambar( You can put any vegetable you like potatoes,onions, green pepper/shimla mirchi,beans,carrots, radish,okra/bhindi)
• Sambar powder(I use MTR)-3 spoon fuls
• Chilli powder -1/2 tsp
• 2 spoons thick tamarind extract/concentrate
• Curry leaves( 2 strands)

For seasoning:

• Methi seeds
• Rye
• 2 tea spoon oil

Procedure

• Soak the tur dal in water till we prepare the rest if the sambar.This makes it easier to cook.
• Cut the vegetables into big blocks of one inch. If it is radish/mooli cut it circular. Radish in sambar tastes wonderful so I always have radish.But you can add any of the above veggies.Cut approx 3 cups of veggies.
• In a pressure cooker add chopped tomatoes.You can chop them in larger chunks.
• Strain and add the Tur dal.Add the tamarind extract
• Add the cut veggies and add 3 cups water.
• Put the sambar powder,red chilli and salt to taste.
• Prepare the seasoning in a small kadai/vessel.Heat 2 spoons oil in a small kadai. Add the methi seeds and rye .Once the rye starts popping. Remove from flame and add the seasoning to the mixture in the cooker.
• Add curry leaves if available.
• Pressure cook till 3 whistles.
• Remove and serve hot with dosas or rice.

Delicious dhokla

Dhokla is a traditional gujrati snack I love

• Makes about 20 pieces.
  Ingredients:
  1 cup sooji (semolina flour)
  1 cup yogurt
  1/4 cup water as needed
  1/4 teaspoon salt
  2 teaspoon lemon juice
  Pinch of turmeric (haldi)
  1 green chili finely chopped
  2 tablespoon fine chopped cilantro (hara dhania)
  1 teaspoon Eno’s fruit salt (Sodium Bicarbonate and Citric Acid)
  For seasoning:
  2 tablespoons of oil
  1/2 teaspoon black mustard seed
  2 green peppers chopped into about 1/4 inch pieces
  Utensils to steam Dhokla:
  Large sausepan with cover
  Round cake-cooling rack
  Round 9″ cake pan
  Method:
  
• Mix the sooji, yogurt, salt, lemon juice, green chili, and cilantro together in a bowl and make a smooth batter; add more water if needed.
• Mix well so that no lumps are formed and the batter is of pouring consistency.
• Allow batter to rest for an hour.
• Grease the cake pan and set aside.
• In the saucepan heat about one cup of water on medium high heat. Water should just touch the cake rack. This will be used to steam the dhoklas.
• After water is boiling, turn down the heat to medium.
• Add fruit salt (Eno) to the batter, and mix well. The batter will foam up.
• Quickly pour batter into a greased cake pan.
• Next place cake pan into the saucepan over the cake rack.
• Cover the saucepan. Steam for about 10 minutes on medium heat.
• Check Dhokla with a knife. If the knife comes out clean, dhokla is ready.
• Turn of the heat and remove the cake pan from saucepan.
• Let it cool to room temperature, then cut into triangle or square shapes.

Prepare the seasoning:
Heat the oil in a small pan on medium heat. Add mustard seeds after seeds cracke add green chili stir for few seconds. Pour seasoning over the Dhokla. Serve with green chutney(separate recipe)
Dhokla can be refrigerated for a few days. Before serving, heat Dhokla in a microwave or heat over steam.

Green chutney

Green Chutney
Ingredients:

• Fresh Dhaniya/Corrainder leaves half cup
• Half a green chilli
• One small lemon
• Salt to taste

Procedure: Grind the dhaniya,chilli with salt and 4 spoons of water.Add lemon juice from one lemon and stir. Yummy chutney is ready to serve with hot vadas