Cherry Tomatoes & Lentil Feta Cheese Salad

This is a healthy salad, packed with proteins and fiber.  A great and delicious summer salad that is vibrant in color, crunchy and tangy. This is my hubby's favorite salad.   I made a bowl full for us for  dinner, but he asked me prepare another helping for him again.  He loves this salad.  You too try it may become your favorite, because it so simple, easy and filling too.

Ingredients
12 -15 Cherry Tomatoes - halved
1 Cup Boiled Sabut Masoor Dal / Brown lentils
1 Red onion - thinly sliced
100 Grams Feta Cheese or more according to your liking
1 Tablespoon Chopped Coriander Or Parsley Leaves

10 -12 Basil leaves - torn
A Pinch of Sugar
Salt and Black Pepper to taste

For the Dressing - mix together

1 Tablespoon Olive oil
1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar

Method

Slice the tomatoes In a large  mixing  bowl add the cherry tomatoes, lentils, onion,  coriander and  basil leaves  and season with salt, pepper and dressing (olive oil and balsamic vinegar) mix well then crumble the feta over it.

Serve.

My Notes

Feel free to add more tomatoes or lentils or feta cheese if you are making a bigger salad.

Labels : French Cuisine, Salads, Healthy, Sabut Masoor,  Lentils, Feta Cheese

CHANA DAL BARFI

This barfi is a lengthy process but worth the effort.  The most time taken is to cook the dal in milk or else it's a quick and easy barfi.

When boiling this dal take a wide thick bottom kadai to cook the dal, if you see the pics I, first used a big saucepan then changed it to a kadai, which quickened the process. It took me almost 2 hours to cook and dry the milk.  I just left it on low flame stirring in between after every 15 minutes,  Only in the last 10 to 15 minutes when the milk was nearly in evaporating stage I stirred it continuously.  So you can just leave it on low flame and finish all your cooking, then attend to it.  

Ingredients
1 Cup Heaped Chana Dal
1+1/4 Cup Heaped Tea Sugar
12 Skinned Almonds - sliced
1 Cup Ghee - I used Desi Ghee / Pure Ghee
1 Liter Milk
1/4 Teaspoon Cardamom Powder
A pinch Yellow food color

Method

Wash and soak the dal for 2  hours in water.

  

After 2 hours again wash the dal and boil it in milk in a pan / kadai.  

Cook till soft, when the milk starts evaporating , at this stage stir it continuously or else it may burn (so keep an eye on it ). 

When the dal is cooked and milk evaporated then immediately blend it in a small blender by placing a towel on the jar in case it opens with it the heat.  Blend to a fine paste.

Heat  ghee in a heavy bottom pan / kadai, add dal paste stir continuously, for about 10 minutes at least on low flame or till you get a aroma and it also starts bubbling and the ghee is absorbed. 

Now add  sugar, food color and cardamon powder keep stirring again continuously on low flame. Cook till the mixture starts to leave the sides of pan and starts to  form a ball in the center, remove in a well greased tray and press it to level it ( could not take pics at this stage since I had to stir this continuously). 

Decorate with sliced almonds. Leave to set, for an hour then cut in cubes and again leave it to cool completely for about 6 to 8 hours .
   

Store it in airtight containers, for a day or two out and then in the fridge ( since it has milk and will mildew quickly).  

This barfi is really yummy taste as though its brought from the sweet shop.

These are packed for my Diwali party... you too make and enjoy.

Sending this to MLLA , hosted by Cooking with Siri which completes 100th this month

Labels : Chana Dal, Lentils, Festival Sweets, Barfi

Tomato Pappu / Tomato Dal - Andhra Style

This dal is nutritious and flavorful it's made from softened pigeon peas, sauteed with onion, tomato and  a blend of spices. Dal is an integral dish of every Indian kitchen. This is an Andhra vegetarian dish, also know as Tomato Pappu . Pappu in Telugu language is known as the dal.

Ingredients
1 Cup Tur Dal / Pigeon Peas
1/2 Teaspoon Cumin seeds
A Sprig Curry Leaves
1 Large Onion - finely chopped
8 Cloves Garlic  - lightly crushed
4 Green Chillies - seeded and slit
1 Teaspoon  Red Chilly powder
2  Tablespoons Oil
1 Tablespoon Butter
4 Big Tomatoes - chopped
1/4 Teaspoon Turmeric powder
1/2 Teaspoon Mustard seeds
1/2 Teaspoon  Salt or according to taste

For the Tempering 

1 Tablespoon Oil

1/2  Teaspoon Mustard seeds

1/2 Teaspoon Cumin seeds

A Sprig Curry Leaves

3 Dried Red Chillies
A pinch of Asafoetida

Coriander leaves chopped for garnishing

Method

Wash and soak the dal for at least an hour.
Then rinse the dal in fresh water. In a pressure cooker, add the dal and water an inch above the dal, bring it to a rolling boil,  remove. the scum that surfaces then close the pressure cooker with the lid and pressure cook for about 8 to 10 minutes or for 2 whistles. Let the cooker  cool down.

Meanwhile, heat oil in the pot/ kadai, add 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds, cumin seeds and when they start to splutter, add the garlic crushed and saute it for a second only, add turmeric, curry leaves onion, green chillies and saute for a minute or till the onion is translucent. Add tomato, salt,  cook until the tomatoes become soft and mushy. Add the butter,  dal and 2 cups water or according to the consistency you require give it a quick stir. Reduce the flame to low and let it simmer for 10 minutes stirring in between.

For the tempering 

Heat a tablespoon of oil in pan, add mustard, cumin seeds, whole red chilly, curry leaves and asafoetida let it sizzle, then pour this over the dal.   Serve hot,   garnish with coriander leaves and enjoy with steamed rice or roti, chapatti, or naan. 

Labels : Vegetables, Tur Dal, Lentils, Healthy, Vegan

Kondakadalai Sundal / Chickpeas Sundal

Sundal is a healthy and nutritious evening snack or salad with legumes. There are many types of  and variations of sundals prepared with different legumes , moong bean (paasi payaru), chickpeas (kondakadalai), chana dal ( kadalai paruppu),  peas (pattani), Lobia (Alasandula) etc.  This is a chickpea sundal also know as Kondakadlai Sundal. 

We had this as a salad for healthy dinner,  it's filling that it makes you feel full and reduces hunger pangs,  also reduces the urge to have any unhealthy snacks, its simple, healthy and yum too. Lets make the sundal.

Serves 2  or 3

Ingredients
1 Cup Dried Chickpeas / Garbanzo beans / Kondakadalai
1/3 Cup Frehsly Grated Coconut
A Sprig Curry leaves
3 Dry Red chillies
1 Teaspoon Mustard seeds 

A pinch of Asafoetida
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Oil

Method

Soak chickpeas / kondakadalai for about 6 - 8 hours or overnight. Drain the water that they were soaked in and rinse them in fresh water.


Pressure cook the these in 2 -3 cups of water and 1/2 a teaspoon of salt till done. When done and the pressure has cooled down completely then drain the chickpeas in a strainer. 

Heat oil a pan or wok oil, add mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add curry leaves, asafoetida,  dry red chillies, saute for a few seconds. Add the grated coconut and again saute for a second, add the chickpeas and salt, toss them till they are well mixed in the seasoning.  Take off flame.

Serve and enjoy a healthy and delicious meal!!

Labels : Lentils, Chickpea, Salads, South Indian, Healthy

Medhu Vada - Savory Lentil Doughnut

Medhu Vada or savory lentil doughnut, is a South Indian snack, it's also a famous Mumbai street food which is mainly had for breakfast.  These are crisp vadas from outside and soft from inside.  Serve these with sambhar or chutney.    Try them and enjoy.

Ingredients
1 Cup Urad dal / White Lentils
½ Teaspoon Cumin seeds - lightly crushed with your hands
1 Green chily -  chopped
1 Tablespoon Rice Flour
A sprig of Curry Leaves - finely chopped
1/2 Teaspoon Baking powder
Salt as required
Oil for deep frying

Method

Wash and rinse the urad dal in water for a couple of times.  Soak them in enough water overnight or for at least 5 hours.

After that drain well and take 2 curry spoons of lentils in a  small  grinder jar  and grind them to fine paste with a  tablespoon of water.  Switch off the grinder  after a  minute or two and scrape the sides of the jar with a spatula and grind again in intervals scraping and stirring the batter a few times till it is ground to a fine past.  When the batter is  smooth, fluffy and soft, stop grinding, take it out in a big bowl .

In the same way grind the remaining lentils to a smooth, fluffy and soft paste.

When all the lentils are ground to a smooth paste add the rice flour and whisk it well so that there are no lumps and it turns light.  Cover this bowl with a lid or cling film and keep it the refrigerator for an hour  at least.

After an hour heat oil in a kadai or pan for deep frying the vadas.
Take the batter out from the refrigerator and add the  cumin seeds, green chilies, curry leaves, baking soda and salt to it and again mix it well it turns smooth and fluffy.

Take water in a small bowl.  Wet your hands a little and take a little batter shape  into a the medu vada (  doughtnut) press finger into center of  it create a hole.   Fry them in medium hot oil till evenly golden and crisp.

Drain vadas on paper napkins and serve the  medu vada hot with coriander garlic coconut chutney or sambhar.  Enjoy ...

Coriander Garlic Coconut Chutney

Ingredients

1/2 Cup Packed Fresh Coconut - grated
A Handful of Coriander Leaves with stems - chopped
3 Green Chillies - chopped
3 Cloves Garlic - chopped
1/2 Teaspoon Cumin seeds
1/2 Teaspoon Sugar
1 Tablespoon Lime Juice

Salt to taste

Method

Grind all the above ingredients to fine paste with a tablespoon of water if required.  Chutney is ready.

Sending this to Foodie Extravaganza Party- Host Lauren Mitchell, thank you dear for hosting this event.

My Notes :
Do not add more water while grinding or else you will not be able to make the vadas easily.  The batter will be watery and the vadas will not be able hold shape.

Do skip adding the rice flour and baking powder, because this makes the medu vada crisp from outside and soft inside.


Labels : Lentils, Breakfast, South Indian, Foodie Extravaganza Party

July has arrived and that means it's time for another #FoodieExtravaganza! Each month we take turns hosting and selecting a foodie holiday associated with that month. Somehow in all the planning July was overlooked so in a mad dash in the second half of June, Lauren of From Gate to Plate told us to celebrate the doughnut. If anyone is keeping score, National Doughnut Day is actually the first Friday in June, but none of us are complaining to be celebrating one of America's favorite breakfast treats today. July is National Culinary Arts month so let's just go with that. Also in July: Fried Chicken Day (today, the 6th), Blueberry Muffin Day (the 11th), and Junk Food Day (the 21st). 

Posting day is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you're a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board! Looking for our previous parties? Check them out HERE

Gluten-Free Matcha Doughnuts – Three Ways! by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Raspberry Cookies n Cream Baked Doughnuts by Baking in Pyjamas

Lemon Poppy Seed Donuts by Making Miracles

Chocolate Snickerdoodle Doughnuts by Sew You Think You Can Cook

Baked S’mores Doughnuts by Tara’s Multicultural Table

Strawberry Shortcake Donut Tarts by Fearlessly Creative Mammas

Breakfast Donut Burger by From Gate to Plate

Cake Mix Donuts by I’m Hungry

Doughnut Trifle by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Watermelon Doughnuts by The Freshman Cook

Baked Cherry Lemon Donuts by Caroline’s Cooking

Orange Glace Donuts by Basic N Delicious

Medhu Vada – Savory Lentil Doughnut by Sneha’s Recipe

Lablabi - Tunisian Chickpea Soup

This is another Tunisian recipe for this month challenge with Mena which has my favorite harissa in it. This so delicious, light and hearty soup. We had this as a meal for supper and enjoyed it. The harissa in this soup gives a awesome flavor. Let's make this soup...

Servings 3
Ingredients

2 Cups Boiled Garbanzo beans / Chickpeas
2 Cloves Garlic - finely chopped
1 Tablespoon Harissa - homemade
1 Teaspoon Roasted Cumin powder
1 Onion - finely chopped
1 Veg Soup seasoning cube
Salt to taste
1 Tablespoon Lemon juice
2 Tablespoons Olive oil
Croutons  - homemade

Method

Wash the dried chickpeas and soak them in water overnight . Boil them with water to the level of the chickpeas in a pressure cooker till done (After a whistle on high flame, then on low flame for 8 - 10 minutes). 

In a pot heat a teaspoon of olive oil add garlic, onion and fry till onion is lightly softened. Then add the chickpeas, harissa,  cumin powder, soup seasoning and salt. Simmer for 15 minutes. To serve.. in a soup bowl lay croutons, ladle the soup on it add lemon juice and drizzle of olive oil.

Serve with extra Harissa and Croutons  . Enjoy this hot bowl of soup... delicious.. 

Labels : Chickpeas, Lentils, Tunisia, Soup, Mena Cooking Club, Lablabi

An InLinkz Link-up

White Kadala Curry/ Chickpeas Curry - Kerala Style

This is a delicious curry, it brings fond memories of my friend Mariam who use to bring this curry with puttu for lunch. 

Ingredients 

1.1/2 Cups Chickpeas / Kabuli Chana - boiled

1 Teaspoon Ginger Garlic paste
1 Medium  Onion - finely chopped
1 Medium Tomato - finely chopped
1 Green Chillies - finely chopped
3 Tablespoons Oil
A Sprig Curry leaves
1/2 Teaspoon Mustard seeds
2 Teaspoons Meat Masala powder
1 Teaspoon Red Chilly powder
1 Teaspoon Coriander powder
1/4 Teaspoon Turmeric powder

2 Tablespoon Coriander leaves -  chopped

Salt to taste

Method

Soak chickpeas in water  overnight or -  minimum 5 hours in warm water.
Drain the soaked water, wash, add water ( a cup over the chickpeas), cook the chickpeas in a pressure cooker with 1/4 teaspoon salt .

In a pan, heat oil, add mustard seeds when they crackle add the curry leaves.  Add sliced onion and sauté till it becomes translucent.  Add  the turmeric powder, green chillies, ginger-garlic paste , tomatoes and sauté till oil separates.  Add all the powders , salt to taste and  1/4 cup water,  fry for 2 minutes.  Add chickpeas saute for a minute then add the  water  in  which the chickpeas were cooked to make a thick gravy. 

Close and cook for 15 minutes on slow flame till oil separates.  Garnish with coriander  and serve hot.   

This dish is traditionally served with Appam, Idiappam  or Puttu.  We enjoyed it with chappati. 

I am sending this to My Legume Love Affair  host of the month Kalyani - Sizzling Tastebuds

Labels: Chickpeas, Kerala, Vegetables, Lentils

Dal Makhani

This a Punjabi Cuisine dal, which is really yummy, creamy and delicious you will love it.

Ingredients 

3/4 Cup Sabut Urad
1/4 Cup Rajma / Red Kidney Beans
1 Big Onion  - finely  chopped
2 Tomatoes - finely  chopped 

2 Green Chillies  -finely  chopped
2 Inch Piece Ginger - finely  chopped  

6 Cloves Garlic - finely  chopped
1 Big Bay leaf
2 Black Cardamons
2 Cinnamon Sticks
3 Cloves
2.1/2 Tablespoons Coriander powder
1 Teaspoon Heaped Red Chilli powder
1 Teaspoon Garam Masala
Salt To Taste
4 Tablespoons Butter
3 Tablespoons Ghee
100 ML Fresh Cream
1/3 Cup Milk

Method
Soak black urad dal and rajma overnight.  Next day wash it fresh water.

Boil with half inch ginger, cardamoms, cloves and  water till level of it .  Close the cooker and take a whistle on  high  flame then reduce the flame and keep it for 10 - 15 minutes or till the rajma and urad dal are soft.

Heat butter, ghee in a  pan, add cumin seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon,  green chillies, ginger, garlic and  onions.  Fry till the onions are light golden.  Then  add chopped tomatoes, coriander powder, Chilli powder.   Fry till the  tomatoes are soft and mushy .  Then add the dal and rajma , without  water and mash while mixing so that dal and rajma are mixed with masala well.  Add  water and let it cook on low flame for 10 minutes or till oil surfaces.  If the dal is thick add water to adjust the consistency bring it to a rolling boil.  Then add garam masala, fresh cream, milk give it a quick stir .  Take off flame garnish it coriander leaves and fresh cream,  serve hot with Jeera Rice  or Steamed Rice.

Labels : Lentils, Punjab, Vegetables