Gujarati Dal from Sukham Ayu for ICC

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Dal is my all time favorite, let it be made from any dal, let it be spicy, sweet, with vegetables or without vegetables or just a simple dal. And I was very happy when I saw this month's Indian Cooking Challenge which Srivalli has chosen for this month. Its Gujarati Dal from Sukham Ayu. The original recipe is taken from  Sukham Ayu is very tasty and healthy. I loved this different taste and my daughter enjoyed it too.

Here is the recipe in my words:

I was planning to make this dal (toor dal, 1/2cup, soaked for half an hour)from the day the challenge was announced. But some or the other thing was not available.  First I searched for the drumstick(4to 5 pieces) and yam (3 to 4 pieces) and did not get. I thought of making the dal with potatoes.  Then the other day I got only the drumsticks.  I was happy. Then the problem was I forgot to bring dry dates. Day before yesterday I brought it thinking that I will make it on Sunday. But my Sunday went off. We had been to watch "Patiala House" After coming from the movie, my daughter's project work was pending. 

The other ingredients which I needed and had in the kitchen were groundnut(1 tsp), Green chillly(2 slit), Ginger(1/2", finely chopped), Jaggery(2tbsp), Kokam(4 to 5 pieces) or tamarind pulp(2 tbsp), Coriander powder(2 tsp), cumin powder(1tsp), rock salt to taste), Garam masala( a pinch) and haldi

And for tempering:

I had, Ghee(1tbsp), mustard seeds(1/2 tsp), Cumin seeds(1/2 tsp), Methi seeds(1/4 tsp),dry red chilly(2), Hing and curry leaves.

And, today was the last day for me to try. So I had to pull some time out from my schedule to make it. 

And I did it.

Pressure cook the toor dal with haldi with 2 cups of water till its soft. Remove cool and churn it. In a thick pan add this dal and all the ingredients except fresh coriander and garam masala. Cook it for another 15 minutes, by adding one more cup of water. Do not forget to stir it in between.

In another kadai, heat ghee. Add the ingredients for tempering. Add this to the boiling dal. Mix well. cook for few more minutes. Add garam masala and fresh coriander. Mix well. Dal is ready to eat.

And the dal I prepared was yummy... with all the tastes in the mouth. I had the taste of jaggery and very different taste from the dates. I had the taste of red and green chilly separately. It was just superb.

Thanks Valli, for giving this simple but still wonderful challenge for this month. Waiting for the next one.

I am always hungry when it comes to try any new food :-)

Sending this to

Indian Cooking Challenge

Keep Smiling,

Mangalore cucumber Sambhar

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Do not invite me for food, if you have this sambhar in your menu. I swear you will repent! I am going to finish all the sambhar with hot rice and ghee. I just love it. I love the way, it is prepared by Udupi people. I am not giving you the Udupi recipe. It is my version, which I make with home made sambhar pudi or masala.

I use any vegetable which is available at home. But I like it more when I use this Sambhar Kai  or Mangalore cucumber. 

Without much introduction I am coming to the recipe,

Ingredients used 

Mangalore cucumber - 1/2 of one big cucumber, washed and cut into medium sized cubes.

Add little water to cover the cubes and boil for 5 minutes.

Toor dal - 1 cup, cleaned, washed and boiled

To make into fine paste,

Tomato - 1 big, chopped finely

tamarind paste - 1 tsp

Click down for

Sambhar powder - 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Jaggery - 2 tbsp

Red chilly powder - 1 tsp

Transfer everything in a mixi or blender and churn it into a fine paste with little water.

For tempering

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Turmeric powder a pinch

Fresh coriander to garnish

Heat oil in kadai. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Add curry leaves and ground paste. Fry for 3 to 5 minutes.Add turmeric powder. Add boiled cubes. Mix it properly. Add boiled dal and two cups water. Cook for few minutes. Adjust the seasoning and add some more water if you feel the dal is thick. Cook for at least 10 minutes. Garnish with fresh coriander. 

Serve with hot rice, pickle and paapad.

Sending it to Priya of Enveetu Kitchen who is hosting the event which is started by Jagruti.

   Announcing Complete My Thali - Daal/Kadhi/Sambar/R...

 

Keep Smiling,

Idly, Sambhar and Chutney

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi all,

When I started my blog, I thought of starting with basic and simple foods. But some how I went on postponing it. 

Thanks to Mahimaa for organizing a event of basic recipes that made me to post idly, sambhar and chutney.

They say that South Indians never leave their home without having at least one idly for breakfast! But, now a days it has reached all over the world. And most of the people all around the world loves this food because of many reasons. Easy to make with readily available atta in the shops and ready to make products and if you have time you can prepare the batter at home easily. Because of its health benefits as it is steamed food, very good for the stomach. Especially when one is on travelling idly is the best food to eat, taking care not to eat the sambhar or chutney! It is Doctor's delight, best diet  food to advise for patients.

These idly s are kid's favorite. You can add vegetables into it to make it healthier. My younger daughter calls it "adalilil"

I think (failed) introduction to the food is sufficient as it is the most popular breakfast.

Here the measurement is to prepare for 3 to 4 people.

First recipe is for Idly,

Normally the Idly s are prepared with Raw rice, Urad dal and Methi seeds or prepared with Urad dal and Idly rawa.

You will get 14 varieties of idly s  in EC's Simple Indian Food- An Easy Cooking Blog.

Here I am giving the recipe for Idly is prepared with Urad dal and Idly rawa. Idly rawa is available in shops. Its easy to make as there is no need to soak the rice and grind it with Urad dal. 

Urad dal - 1 cup

Idly rawa - 2 1/2 cup

Methi seeds - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Soak the urad dal and methi seeds in water for 4 to 6 hours. The water should be more than double of dal.

(After some time, urad dal increase in size and the water will be less.)

Wash the idly rawa with good water and put it in a vessel in which you want to keep the batter to ferment. 

Grind it into fine paste. Mix it properly with rawa and salt. Keep it to ferment in a warm place for at least 8 hours. During cold weather, the batter takes more time to ferment. Check the batter after 8 hours. If it is not doubled in size, keep it for some more time. (usually I do not keep it more, as no patience to wait for more time. :-) ) 

Mix it properly and keep it ready. 

  

Keep water till one inch height in a cooker or if you have Idly cooker. Keep it on heat. Till it starts boiling, apply oil and pour the batter in to all the plates. Keep it in the cooker without weight on the top. Steam it for 10 minutes on high flame and 5 minutes of low flame. Allow it to cool. Idly s are ready to serve. 

Coming to the next recipe i.e  chutney,

Easy and fast to prepare if you have Mixer or grinder.

Fresh coconut - 1 cup, grated or cut into pieces

Green chilly - 2

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Tamarind paste - 1 tsp

or lime juice - 1 tsp

Ginger - very small piece, chopped

Sugar - 1 tsp

Fresh dalia - 2 tbsp(optional)

Salt to taste

Curry Leaves - few

Water to help in grinding in to fine paste.

Add everything in a grinder and make into fine or coarse paste(as you like). My mom likes the coarse chutney as she loves to feel the coconut in the mouth. But for me, I like it fine paste!! 

For tempering,

Oil - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Hing - pinch

Heat oil in a small kadai, add mustard seeds and curry leaves. Remove it from heat. After a minute add hing. Allow it to cool and add it to the chutney.

The last recipe is  Sambhar,

Preparing sambhar is totally your choice. As there are 1000 ways to cook delicious sambhar. Here I am giving a simple sambhar or you can say instant sambhar! without any vegetables. In future, hope fully I will try to post the veg. sambhar that goes well with Idly.

Toor dal - 1 cup (You can use other dal also, put Toor dal is the best for this type of sambhar)

Hing - pinch

Onion - 1 small, chopped into long slices

Tomato - 2 big, chopped

Curry leaves - few

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Jeera or cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Methi seeds - 1/2 tsp

Ready sambhar masala - 2 tbsp ( I use MTR SAMBHAR POWDER)

(If not available do not worry, I will give the masala recipe)

Oil - 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Red chilly powder - 1 tbsp or 1 1/2 as per your taste

Jaggery - 1 tbsp

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Tamarind paste - 1 tsp

Water to make required consistency

Wash and soak the toor dal for 15 to 30 minutes. Cook it with hing. It should be fully cooked. keep it aside.

To prepare the sambhar :

Heat oil in kadai, add mustard and cumin seeds. when mustard seeds splutter add onion and curry leaves. Cook for a minute. Then goes tomato and tamarind paste, cook it till tomato starts leaving oil. Now add MTR POWDER, red chilly powder, salt, jaggery and turmeric powder. Mix it and allow it to cook for few seconds. Add cooked dal, mix it with the masala, close the lid and cook for 2 minutes. Open the lid add water. Again boil it for 5 minutes. Adjust the seasoning and cook for some more time. Sambhar is ready.

Now, if you do not have ready sambhar masala, 

This is my mother's way :

Fry 

 few pieces of fresh or dry coconut, 

1 tsp jeera, 

1 tbsp dry coriander seeds

1 Dry red chilly 

!/2 tsp methi seeds. 

grind these ingredients into a fine paste.

And the same procedure follows only to add the homemade powder instead of MTR powder.

(Sorry for not taking the separate photo of sambhar!)

I want to send this to  "Cooking Basics Event" held by Mahimaa of  Indian Vegetarian Kitchen.

But not sure about its getting entrance to the event as there is already a post for Idly and chutney. No worry, if it is not accepted.  I will post something else for the event.

Keep Smiling,

Full meals ready(ಊಟ ತಯಾರಿದೆ)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

When you travel for a long distance, as lunch or dinner time comes, you search for this board on the roads. And once you get inside the hotel or restaurant,  you will search for a menu card which is not available in this type of small shops. If you ask the waiter he will come and say something very fast which you will not understand! Again you  have to request!!! him to tell the menu slowly. Then you will realize he is saying the things available in a Thali.

And this is Thali in my restaurant!!!

I will go on giving recipes for each food,

First comes Rice, I love rice in any form!!!!!!

This is Plain Jeera Rice :

Long grain basmati or any other type rice - 200 gm

Cumin seeds - 2 tbsp

Ghee - 1 tsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Tej Patta - 1

Salt to taste

Water to cook the rice

Wash the rice and drain it and keep aside for 15 minutes.

Heat oil and ghee in a cooker.

Add Jeera and fry for 10 seconds. Add Tej patta(bay leaf) and immediately add rice. Fry it for a minute. Add salt and water till the rice is covered. Cover the lid and give just one whistle. Allow the cooker to cool.

Rice is ready! (single and ready to mingle with Dal)

Next is Dal Tadka

Toor Dal - 1 cup

Onion - 1 small, peeled and cut into long thin slices

Tomato - 2 big, washed and cut into long slices

Garlic - 8 to 10 cloves, cleaned and cut into small pieces

Curry leaves - few

Dry long red chilly - 4 to 6

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Dhania (Coriander powder) - 1 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Fresh Coriander - hand full, cleaned, washed and chopped
Oil - 1 tbsp
Ghee - 1 tsp
Lime juice - 1 tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp

Wash the toor dal, soak it for half an hour. Till it is soaked, keep other ingredients ready.

Boil the dal till real soft. You can blend for half a minute if it is not fully cooked.

Now heat oil in a kadai and add mustard and cumin seeds. Fry till the mustards start talking :-)

Put onion and garlic. Fry till brown. Add curry leaves and red dry chilly. Add dhania powder, red chilly powder, salt , sugar and turmeric powder. Mix well and add tomatoes. Without waiting add the boiled dal. Let it cook till first boil. Adjust the seasoning and water consistency. I like it thick but you can add little more water to make like a curry. 

Add lime juice and Fresh coriander and keep it with rice to serve.

 Third is Dry beans subji

long beans - 200 gm, cleaned, washed and chopped

Oil - 1 tbsp

Urad dal - 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Green chilly - 2 slit

Fresh coconut - 1/4 cup, grated

Salt to taste

Hing - pinch

Keep chopped beans in a microwave for 3 minutes or boil in a vessel with little water on flame. Drain the water and keep aside

Add oil in a kadai and keep it on the flame. When hot, add mustard seeds add urad dal. When dal turns into golden color add curry leaves and green chilly. Add hing and boiled beans. Mix properly before adding salt. cook for a minute. Add coconut and boil for 2 more minutes, taking care of not to burn the beans. 

Beans sabji is ready to serve.

All these serve for 3 to 4 people.

   Photos taken by my elder daughter!!!

Sending this to "Cooking Basics Event" held by Mahimaa of  Indian Vegetarian Kitchen.

Keep smiling,

Burnt Jeera dal(reposted)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita
Hi All,

I posted this recipe on March 21st 2009,  Burnt Jeera dal. 

As my blog was new and did not had friends who knew about it, I did not get any comments. Thanks to Jaya of Desi Soccer Mom who has taken this event which demands the reposting of 2 posts out of first ten posts.

So I am taking this chance to repost my dal and wait for the sweet comments from you all!!

(Do these lines look very formal??) Its fine. That is what my heart is telling to write down!

Here is the recipe, 

(Earlier, I was not very good in handling camera and taking pics. So this dull photo may make you laugh. Now also I am not so good, but learnt little more than before)

Here the jeera must be burnt and the flavour of burnt jeera with flavour of dal is toooooo good to resist!!!

Here is the recipe:

Toor dal or yellow moong dal - 1 cup(Boiled and mashed)

Tomato - 1/2 chopped length wise

Long dry red chillies - 4 to 5Jeera - 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Haldi - 1/4 tsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Ghee - 1 tbsp(you can skip this and add 2 tbsp oil)

Coriander - 2 tbsp to garnish

 Heat the kadai, add jeera and let them become black or almost burnt.

Immediately put oil and ghee. After few seconds, and red chillies, haldi, salt and then red chillies.

now add tomato and let it cook for 2 minutes.

Add toor dal or moong dal. Add little water and let it boil for a minute.

Check the salt and adjust according to your taste.

If you like, you can add 1 tsp lemon juice after you off the gas.

Garnish with chopped coriander and serve with hot rice and pickle with papad.

Sending this to Jaya for her event The repost event and another set of rules :

Keep smiling,

Plain Toor dal(ಖಾರ್ ಬ್ಯಾಳಿ)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

One more a very simple, tasty and quick recipe from North Karnataka.This is one of common dal which is prepared for the dinner. The reason is, it is easy to cook, tasty to eat and goes well with jowar rotti and rice. When you go through the recipe you will agree with me!

Few ingredients needed for making this dal is,

Toor dal - 1 cup

Onion - 1 big, cut into cubes

Curry leaves - few

Salt to taste

Haldi -1 tsp

Red chilly powder - 2 tsp

Oil - 1 tsp

Fresh coriander - 2 tbsp(it is not in my photo, as I was out of coriander)

Water to make dal

Keep 3 cups of water to boil. Till it starts boiling, Wash toor dal and keep it aside. Cut onions and keep other ingredients ready.

Add toor dal to boiling water. Allow it to cook for few minutes. Remove the white layer that comes after few minutes boiling. Now add all the ingredients except fresh coriander. Cook the dal without cover till it is just cooked. Do not allow dal to be very soft. If you cover it with a lid all water will spill out.

Garnish with fresh coriander. 

Plain Toor dal(ಖಾರ್ ಬ್ಯಾಳಿ i.e khar byali means spicy dal) is ready to eat either with jowar
rotti and onion or with hot rice and paapad and pickle. Choice is yours.

Don't you think it is the easiest dal for a tired person for his/her dinner??
Sending this to 

 EC's event MLLA-19th Helping event announcement for the month of January 2010.
As per the rule of the event, I am linking my post to  Susan's event host lineup page..  also.Keep Smiling,

Malt for toddlers(Reposted)

Tried and tasted by Nivedtia
Hi All,

I thought of starting my recipe entries with baby food. I am giving this food to my second daughter since she is 3 months old.(Now she is 18 months old.) Thanks to my neighbour who shared this with me. Before I share the recipe I want to say something about this. I went back to India for my second delivery after 9 years staying in UAE. It was nice and I really enjoyed my stay there for 11 months. When Phalguni, my second daughter was 3 months old, my neighbour Shaila, who also had 5 months baby, gave me this malt powder and told me to start feeding Phalguni. And I started giving it, the baby enjoyed the first sip!!!!! So I decided I will make it in more quantity and will start giving her everyday.

So I prepared the ingredients and took it to Flour mill ( in Kannada we call it "Girani"). I told the old man to make it powder and give it. And after he finished I went to give him money for the same. But!!!!! he refused. He said he will not take the money for baby's food. I forced him to take but he refused. Even though its only Rs.5, for him it was big as per me. But he told me let any amount of quantity comes for baby food, he never charges for it. He said, babies are like God, and I feel happy to do this!!!!!!!!! Its like blessings for him.This is what India is!!! Now when ever I make this malt at home( as there are no flour mills available near my house in UAE) I always remember him and smile!!

Now coming to the recipe:

Rice - 2 cups

Toor Dal, yellow moong Dal - 1 cup

Channa Dal, 

split green moong Dal -1/2 cup(after 9 months)

Almonds - 6 to 8

Wash rice and all dals together. put it to dry inside the house for a day or two. Once they are dry, roast with crushed almonds. Keep it to cool. Then put it into mixi and make fine powder. Store it in a jar. You can keep it for a month in refrigerator.

Now to make malt:

Rice and Dal powder - 3 tbsp

raagi (Nachni) Powder - 1 tbsp(I get ready powder packet here in UAE, in Indian stores) (Or if you have an access to flour mill, you can take raagi seeds, wash and put it to dry. Roast seperately and add with rice and dal mix )

salt to taste

Oats - 2 tbsp

Keep water in a vessel to boil. Till it starts boiling, mix all the above ingredients in a bowl with enough water. Then put in the boiling water, Stir continuously for a minute as there is a chance of getting burnt. Add salt.(If baby is less than 9 months, add very little salt).Let it cook for 15 min. Keep on stirring in between. Off the gas. Feed your child for breakfast. Its very healthy and my daughter loves it. For a change, only alternative days I put raagi powder so that she will feel change,eating white color malt.

When Phalguni turned 9 months and I started giving her vegetables, I started adding grated carrot, beans, potato and cabbage to make it more healthy. And all the vegetables goes into her stomach without any fuss.

I am sending this recipe to PJ's event : Tasty Bites For Toddlers

Till today(she is 2 years old),  I am giving it as one of main meals.

This is going to participate in "Event Announcement: Food for 7 Stages of Life - Cooking for Infants and toddlers ( 0-3 yrs)' organized by Radhika  and of Sudeshna’s Cook like a bong.

Keep smiling,