Moong Dal Sambar

This sambar I, have enjoyed, during my stay in Bangalore. I use to have this for breakfast every day with idli, dosa or vadas and filter coffee. I made it for our lunch along with Instant Urad Dal Flour & Rava Medhu Vadas. This was a classic combo which revived memories of my stay in Bangalore.

Serves 4 to 5
Ingredients
9 -10 Sambar Onions/Shallots - peeled
2 Small Tomatoes - chopped finely
A Small Lime size Tamarind - soaked in 1/4 cup warm water
½ Cup Yellow Moong Dal
1 Teaspoon Sambar Powder
¼ Teaspoon Turmeric powder
A Pinch Asafoetida
Salt to taste
1 Tablespoon Oil
A Sprig Curry Leaves
¼ Cup Packed Freshly Grated Coconut
For the Masala  
1 Teaspoon Oil
1 Tablespoon Coriander seeds
1 Teaspoon Chana Dal
4 Whole Dry Red Chillies
¼ Cumin Seeds
10 Grains Fenugreek Seeds
For the Tadka 
1 Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
2 Dry Red Chillies
A Sprig Curry Leaves
1 Tablespoon Oil
A Pinch of Asafoetida  

Method 

Fry all the ingredients under Masala in a teaspoon of oil separately, till fragrant and they start to turn brown. Grind the roasted ingredients well. I used half of the dry powdered masala ( keep the remaining in a airtight container with a label and used it the next time to make  sambar) and again ground it along with the freshly grated coconut and a little water to a thick fine smooth masala paste.

Wash and soak the dal for 30 minutes. Then pressure cook the dal for 3 whistles on high flame by adding  1½ cup water and a pinch of turmeric powder to it.

In a pan, heat a tablespoon of oil and fry the sambar onions for a minute, add the tomatoes and cook till tomatoes become mushy, 

add the tamarind extract(soak very little tamarind in hot water and extract juice), sambar powder, turmeric powder, curry leaves and salt, stir well. Now add the cooked moong dal and the ground paste. Add 2 cups of water or as per your desired consistency. 

Bring this to a rolling boil and then reduce to flame to low, let it simmer for 8 -10 minutes, keep stirring after every two minutes so that the dal does not settle to the bottom of the pan and get burnt. Taste for salt and seasonings add if needed according to your taste. Switch off the flame.

Now let's make the Tadka

Heat oil in a tadka pan add the mustard seeds, when they splutter add the red chillies, asafoetida and curry leaves. Stir this with a spoon and pour it over the dal. Cover and let it sit for 10 minutes. Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves.

Enjoy with Instant Urad Dal Flour & Rava Medhu Vadas
 or ildi, dosa or even steamed rice.
Labels : South Indian,Moong Dal, Sambar, Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten free, Main course, Breakfast, Healthy

Instant Urad Dal Flour & Rava Medhu Vadas

These are instant and crispy, but not so spongy  like the freshly ground dal, but  taste delicious . Have these with this Sambar and you will enjoy this.   

The  key to make these light is to beat for at least 15 minutes with a electric hand beater till bubbles are seen and the batter is fluffy.

Makes 12 - 14 depending on the size
Ingredients
1 Cup Urad Dal Flour
4 Tablespoons Heaped Rice Flour
½ Cup Heaped Fine Rava /Semolina
½ Teaspoon Cumin seeds
1 Green Chilly -finely chopped
6 Curry Leaves - finely chopped
1 Tablespoon Finely Chopped Coriander leaves
1/2 Teaspoon Salt 
1½ Cups Water
Oil for deep frying

Method 

Whisk  the urad dal flour with water( adding a little water at a time) till light and fluffy  dough for at least 15 minutes with a electric hand beater. When light, fluffy add rice flour, whisk till thick  and bubbly batter is formed. 

Now add the rava/semolina and beat again for 2 - 3 minutes.  Let it rest for 10 minutes.  Then add chopped green chillies, cumin seeds, coriander and curry leaves. 

Mix well and again keep it aside.

Let this rest  till oil is getting hot in a kadai.

When the oil is hot make small vadas and fry on medium flame till crisp and golden.

Enjoy!!

We had it with Moong Dal Sambar for our Sunday lunch, a change from the routine food.  Enjoyed it thoroughly!!

Labels : South Indian, Instant Mixes, Snacks, Breakfast, Main course, Deep Fried, Vegan

Ghugni/White Peas Curry- Pressure Cooker

Ghugni/ Dried White Vatana/ White Peas Curry is an evening snack/ street food, which is popular in Eastern India, North India wherein dried white peas are cooked with gravy in the traditional Indian style. We had this for our lunch with Dhuska which is a classic combo.

Serves: 3 - 4
Ingredients
1 Cup Dried White Vatana/Peas
3 Baby Potatoes -  diced
1 Large Onion -  finely chopped
2 Medium Tomatoes - finely chopped
1/4 Teaspoon Turmeric powder
2 Teaspoons Cumin powder
2 Teaspoons Level Red Chilly powder
½  Teaspoon Garam masala
3 Cloves Garlic - minced

½" Piece Ginger - minced
3 Tablespoons Oil
Salt to taste

2 Tablespoons chopped Coriander leaves

2 Green Chillies - slit & de seeded
Lemon Slices for garnish
Method 

Wash and soak the dried vatana/peas overnight. Next morning, drain the soaking water and wash it in fresh water. Pour this into a pressure pan add ½ teaspoon Himalayan salt, water above an inch of the vatana. Cover and cook on high flame for one whistle, reduce the flame to low and keep it for 10 -12 minutes. Switch off the flame and let the cooker cool. Open this and check if the vatana is cooked or else keep it for a minute or two more. I cooked it for exactly 12 minutes and they were perfectly done. Remove this into a bowl.

Heat the oil in  the same pressure pan. Add the minced ginger-garlic , fry till it starts to turn brown

add the onions and cook till they turn translucent. Add the diced tomatoes

 cook till they are mushy and oil separates.

Now, add the turmeric powder, cumin powder, red chilly powder, garam masala, mix well.

Add the  potatoes and  fry till the masala coats the potatoes.

 Now add the cooked peas along with the stock, mix lightly. Add little of the coriander leaves and about a quarter to half  cup of water (or  according to the consistency required). Bring this to a rolling boil, cover with the lid  and  take one whistle on high flame, reduce the  flame  and let it cook for 2 -3 minutes. Switch off the flame and let the cooker steam settle down.  

Open the cooker  and check the gravy consistency, if it is too watery then let it simmer open till it   thicken and  oil starts to surface.  Now add the slit green chillies and let is simmer for a minute.  The consistency of the ghugni is neither too thin nor too thick.  Switch off the flame, squeeze  half an lemon juice and mix well.

Garnish with sliced tomatoes, coriander leaves  and lemon  slices.

Enjoy with Dhuska, this is a classic combo.

Ghugni  can be enjoyed as a chaat or as a curry with any  Indian bread too.

Labels :  Chaat, Dried, Gluten free, Main course, North Indian, Peas, Snack, Vatana, Vegan,  Street food, Gluten free, Multicooker Monday  
Multicooker Monday July 2020: Recipes using Small Kitchen Appliances

• Instant Pot Chicken and Rice from Making Miracles
• Crockpot Stuffed Peppers from Veggies First Then Dessert
• Instant Pot Saffron Risotto from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Ghugni/White Peas Curry- Pressure Cooker from Sneha's Recipe
• Slow Cooker Cottage Ham with Green Beans and Potatoes from Palatable Pastime
• Crockpot Cheesy Potatoes from A Day in the Life on the Farm 

Dhuska - Deep Fried Pancake/Puri

Dhuska is a traditional cuisine very popular in North India, a specialty of Jharkhand and Bihar. No festival is complete without it. 

Dhuska, is a kind of deep fried pancake/puri. This recipe is good for breakfast or as a snack, we had this for our lunch with Ghugni ( Dried White Vatana/ White Peas Curry) with is a classic combo for this.

1 Cup = 200 Ml
Serves 4 - 5
Ingredients
1 Cup Rice - I have used normal cooking rice
½ Cup Chana Dal
¼ Cup Urad Dal.chana
2 Green Chillies
¾ Inch Ginger
2 Tablespoons Chopped Coriander Leaves
1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
¼ Teaspoon Asafoetida
½ Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
¾ Teaspoon Himalayan Salt or to taste
¾ Cup Water - for grinding/making the batter
Method

Wash and soak each chana dal, 

urad dal and 

rice separately. Soak them in water for 2 -4 hours ( I soaked them for 2 hours).
After soaking for 2 hours drain all the water from it.
Grind each of them separately in a small grinder jar.

Grind the urad dal first with 

add just a tablespoon of water to a fine paste. Remove this into a bowl.

Grind the chana dal along with green chillies and ginger 

 to a fine paste, ( again by adding a tablespoon of water). Remove this too into the same bowl, along the urad dal paste.

Grind the rice in two batches

to a fine paste. 

Pour this into the ground dal bowl ( total quantity of water used to grind and make the batter is ¾ cup). 

Now add cumin seeds, asafoetida, turmeric powder, salt, chopped green coriander.

Mix all the ingredients well. Whisk the batter well, add the remaining water to make a slightly thick batter, Keep aside.

Heat oil in a medium deep frying pan . Do not add too much of oil just enough to cover the dhuska on medium high flame. Add the batter using a round spoon into the hot oil. 

When it puff up, flip and fry it on both side till golden. brown, ( see notes). Drain them out once they are fried and fry rest of the dhuska's.

Dhuska's are ready!! 

Enjoy!!

Serve it with Ghugni ( Dried White Vatana/ White Peas Curry) or any chutney. 

Enjoy, very simple & delicious!!
My Notes
Dhuska batter is never fermented. 

Since you fry them in little oil these take long time to finish frying all the dhuska's , so what I did, is that, 

in a broad frying pan, heat little oil and when they were fried on one side, 

transferred it to this pan let them fry on medium heat till they were cooked and 

golden brown on both sides, see how puff and beautiful they look.
Labels: Fried, Flatbread, Puris, Vegan, Gluten free, North Indian, Jharkhand, Bihar, Snack, Main course, Breakfast

Carrot Beet & Red Apple Soup#SoupSwappers

This cold soup has the freshness of apple and the earthiness of carrot, beetroot and ginger. A bowl of this before dinner will set your palate for other dishes to follow. This comforting bowl of red soup, is a delicious blend.

Serves 2
Ingredients
1 Medium Red Apple - chopped
1 Large Carrot - chopped
1 Large Beetroot - chopped
½ Teaspoon Grated Ginger
Lemon Juice to your taste
A Pinch of Salt

½ Cup Cold Water
A few cubes of Ice

Method 

Place all the ingredients except the lemon juice in a blender and blend it well. Strain the juice and add lemon juice to your taste. Have this immediately and enjoy a healthy and delicious cold soup. 

So simple and yet delicious. You will love to have this during summer it's so refreshing.

Labels : Carrot, Beetroot, Apple, Ginger, Cold Soup, Soup, Soup Swappers, Healthy, Vegan, Gluten free
Theme for July 2020 Soup Swappers is Summertime Soups - Hot or Cold and our host is Camilla. Thank you Camilla for hosting this event. 

• Carrot, Beet Red Apple Soup by Sneha's Recipe
• Chilled Peach Soup with Labneh by Palatable Pastime
• Cucumber Gazpacho by Veggies First Then Dessert
• Fresh Summer Corn Chowder by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Instant Pot Summer Soup by Making Miracles
• Summer Fresh Corn Chowder by Pandemonium Noshery
• Summer Vegetable Soup with Sausage and Lentils by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Zucchini and Summer Squash Soup by A Day in the Life on the Farm