Glorious Garlic Lasooni Dal

Garlic cannot bestow immortality but it can make you lead a longer life. Garlic is making news in all fields for having antibiotic, anti cancer and many other properties. Although it has a strong flavor it is a good spice to have on hand as it vastly improves the flavor of many dishes. Take for example the humble dal, we make it almost three times a week and I like to have variations to the recipe and this one makes a soul satisfying dish! Lasooni, means garlicky and this Lasooni Dal is a hit with even the kids.

Lasooni Dal

Ingredients

1/2 cup each Moong and Masoor dal, cooked until soft

2-4 tbsp chopped garlic

2 dry red chillies

2 tbsp ghee

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp red chili powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves for garnish

Method

Heat ghee in a pan and add the dry chillies, cumin seeds, garlic and cook for a minute or two, then add the red chili powder and turmeric. Pour this, on the salted and cooked dal. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rice or rotis.

The gentle lentil: Khatti Masoor Dal

I acquired this recipe from a very traditional Ghaziabad Agarwal family, where this type of dal is a regular item in their daily cuisine. While I was living in Delhi, our neighbor was a wonderful woman who took pity on us students living the dorm and offered us home cooked meals once in a while. One of the dishes in her repertoire was this very simple, Khatti Masoor Dal; I.e Whole Masoor dal ( pink color) stewed with tamarind and ginger. Just as simple as that and on a cold winter day it was a soul satisfying dish eaten either with rocks or rice....just divine!

You can substitute any whole lentil for this dish, it will taste just as good.

Khatti Masoor Dal

Ingredients

1 cup whole red lentil/ sabut masoor dal, soaked and cooked until fork tender

1 tbsp tamarind paste

1 tbsp chopped ginger

1 finely chopped green chili

1 tbsp oil/ghee

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp asafoetida

Coriander leaves to garnish

Salt to taste

Method

Soak the lentils for about half an hour (optional) and cook until the lentils are soft when pressed between your fingers ( approx 10 mins cooking time ). Don't drain the lentils, keep the water aside for thinning down the lentils while simmering.
Heat oil/ ghee in a pan, add the asafoetida, cumin seeds, ginger, garlic and let it sputter, add the tamarind paste and cooked lentil along with the boiling liquor. Add salt to taste and allow it to simmer on a low flame for 10-15 mins. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with roti or rice.

Season to keep old memories alive

Time: 5:30am. I woke up. It was cool outside and the breeze came through with a whoosh as I flung open the windows. It was raining.

Standing by the window and looking at the rain made me think of my childhood - spent in Bombay………the rains came down in sheets. Everything around me took on this wonderful silver hue at daybreak. The fragrance of fresh rain and earth made for a heady perfume.

I like the rains.

Overwhelmed, I ran out the door. Standing in the rain, drenched to my bones in utter silence…….what an incredible feeling it was.

I wanted, no needed a bowl of hari moong ki dal. During the monsoons, my mother often made a Mung bean dal that really warmed our cold bones and souls too…..thanks, mom!

Now that I’m back in India and experiencing a monsoon after two decades I just had to make this moong dal from my childhood memories, of course it does not taste half as nice as the one my mom makes, but maybe she will come visit me next monsoon…..wink wink, mom are you listening?

Whole green mung beans are fairly easy to find at most grocers and let’s face it, beans mean lean, so you can have a big bowlful and not feel guilty. I’ve found this dal tastes better when eaten with a hearty bread that sops up the liquid gravy and still holds its texture.

Monsoon Moong Dal

Ingredients
100 gms/ ¼ lb Whole green mung beans, washed and soaked for an hour (if you have the time)
1 large red onion, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, finely chopped (Roma, if available)
3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
½ inch piece of ginger, chopped
1 green chilli, chopped
4-8 curry leaves (optional)
2 tsp coriander leaves, chopped
½ tsp cumin seeds
¼ tsp turmeric powder
¼ tsp red chili powder
½ tsp cumin seed powder
½ tsp coriander powder
2-3 tsp oil
Salt to taste

Method
Boil the soaked Mung beans and cook until al-dente. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan and add the cumin seeds, allow it to sputter, then add the garlic, green chilli, ginger and cook on a medium flame until the onions turn pink. Add to chopped tomatoes and spice powders. Cook until the tomatoes are pulpy. Add the cooked mung beans and cook on a low flame for 10-15 minutes, or until the beans have softened but still retain their shape. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves before serving.

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This recipe has been submitted for the event, My Legume Love Affair (MLLA-24), created by Susan of the The Well-Seasoned Cook and hosted by Diana of A little bit of Spain in Iowa

Feel my Pulse

As much as I love to have variety in my food, my heart yearns for a large bowl of dal with plain white rice. Once a week I make a family favorite – Traditional Gujarati sweet and sour tur dal which I like to serve with plain white cooked rice, roasted papad and a salad of finely chopped cucumber, onion, tomato, cilantro and dressed with the juice of fresh lime & salt…….that’s all that’s needed, to feed my soul.

This dal can morph into another dish called Dal Dhokli instantly! The recipe is exactly the same, excepting that I add small bite sized pieces of cooked/uncooked chappati and boil it in the dal for a few minutes prior to serving, making it an excellent dish to be served on cool winter nights or on days when one feels low and needs an instant boost (i.e., when retail therapy is not condusive).

Gujarati sweet and sour tur dal

Ingredients
1 cup uncooked tur dal
3-4 tsp peanuts, skin removed
1 medium sized tomato, finely chopped
1-2 green chilies, slit
1 dried red chili (optional)
6-8 cloves
1-2 inch piece of cinnamon
1 tsp cumin seeds
¾ tsp mustard seeds
A pinch of asafetida
½ tsp turmeric
2- Kokum skins, or 1 tsp tamarind paste, or juice of 1 lime
2-4 tsp jaggery/brown sugar, depending on your taste
Few curry leaves
2tsp chopped coriander leaves
1 tsp oil
1 tsp ghee or unsalted butter
Salt to taste

Method

Wash tur dal well and add 4-5 cups water, turmeric and peanuts. Cook this in a pressure cooker for 15-18 minutes or in a dutch oven for 30-45 minutes or until the dal has completely disintegrated. Whisk the mixture and set aside.

In a another cooking pot add oil and ghee and bring to a smoke, add dried red chili, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, mustard seeds, curry leaves, green chilies (in the exact order) and allow the seeds to sputter. Add the chopped tomato and cook until pulpy (about 1-2 minutes). Add 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Add the dal mixture the kokum skins/tamarind juice if available. Allow this to simmer on a med-low flame for about 15 minutes, add the jaggery and cook for a few more minutes. Remove from fire, add lime juice and coriander leaves. Serve warm with rice or roti’s.

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This recipe has been submitted for the event – Delicious Dal’s from India, hosted by Suma of Veggie Platter

A Gourd of Good

Happy New Year!!!!

I've been missing from the blog scene for a while now due to drastic changes in my life (all good changes, I assure you) and as you have probably guessed - part of my NY resolution is to regularly update my blog and so without further ado....(drumroll please) here is something to wish you much peace and joy in the coming year!

Poritha Kootu, is a traditional coconut based gravy dish served in most south Indian households. The gravy stays constant, however the main vegetable can be substituted with any locally available gourd like zucchini or french beans, or potato, or mixed vegetables of your choice.

Poritha Kootu

Ingredients

1 lb Snake gourd, chopped
½ cup tuar dal – cooked
½ tsp turmeric powder
2 tbsp grated coconut meat
2 + 1 dried red chillies
1 tbsp + 1 tsp Urad dal
1 tsp whole black pepper
1//2 tsp whole black mustard seeds
4-6 green curry leaves (optional)
Pinch of asafoetida
Cooked seeds of ripe jackfruit (totally optional, but I used them as I had some on hand)
Oil
Water
Salt to taste

Method

Cut snake gourd into half and then into quarters lengthwise, remove seeds and dice into ¼ inch pieces, cook in the microwave with ¾ cup water and turmeric powder and salt for 5-8 minutes, or until slightly tender. Heat 2 tsp of oil in a pan on medium heat add 2 whole red chilies, pepper, 1 tbsp urad dal and cook until the dal turns golden, add the grated coconut and cook for another minute. Grind this mixture into a fine paste with 1-2 tbsp water. Add this paste to the cooked gourd and cooked tuar dal (and add the cooked jackfruit seeds). Add a pinch of asafetida and bring to a boil. In another small pan heat 2 tsp of oil and when it smokes add a whole red chilli, whole mustard seeds, 1 tsp urad dal and curry leaves and allow the seeds to sputter, pour this over the gourd/paste mixture and serve warm with steamed white rice, roti/chappati or a good sourdough bread.