Chicken and red split lentil stew

1 cup mysoor dal or red lentils

1/4 cup onions chopped

1 green chillie sliced

2 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp ginger grated

2 cups water add 1/2 cup more if needed

1 cup chicken pieces without bones

1/2 tsp chillie powder

2 tsp salt

2 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp garlic paste

1/2 tsp ginger grated

2 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp garam masala

3 tbsp coriander leaves optional

In a big pan mix washed lentils, onion, green chillie, cumin, turmeric, 1/2 tsp ginger and water. Cook covered in low heat until the lentils are soft.

Add chicken pieces, chillie powder and salt into the lentils mix and cook for about 1/2 hour in low heat until the chicken is tender, add more water if needed.

Heat oil in another pan add cumin seeds when it sizzles add ginger and garlic and fry then add this to the cooked chicken and lentils. Add lemon juice, sugar and garam masala. Mix and cook in low heat for 5 minutes.

Add coriander leaves and mix before serving it hot with rice, flat bread or bread.

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Red kidney beans curry

Red kidney beans (Rajma) curry

1 cup before soaking or 1 can of red kidney beans

1 tbsp oil

3 tbsp onion

1/4 cup tomatoes

1 tbsp curry leaves

1 green chillie chopped optional

1/2 tbsp garlic

1 tsp ginger grated

1/2 tbsp chillie powder

1/2 tbsp coriander powder

1 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp salt to taste

1/2 cup water

garnish coriander leaves chopped

I used a can of red beans, if using dried soak overnight before cooking.

Heat oil add onions, curry leaves, garlic, ginger and saute. Add the tomatoes and saute. Add all the spices and the beans.

Add water and cook covered in low medium heat till the beans are cooked well. Mash the beans a little and cook for a few minutes, if you like more gravy add more water. Garnish with coriander leaves if using.

Serve it with roti or rice.

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Sambar (lentil and vegetable stew)

This South Indian side dish has a combination of vegetables cooked with different spices. It is usually served with a savoury pancake known as dosa. You can use any combination of vegetables for this dish. You can also use mysoor or split red lentil instead of toor dal. 

Fried lentil dumplings (vada) in yogurt sauce

3/4 cup urud dal split black lentils

1/4 cup moong dal split mung beans

2 green chillies

1/2 tsp ginger grated

salt

1 tsp cumin seeds

3 black peppercorns coarsely ground or whole

1 tbsp raisins

2 tsp coriander leaves chopped

yogurt sauce

1 cup yogurt

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp black salt or chaat masala to serve

1/4 tsp roasted cumin powder to serve

1/4 tsp chillie powder to serve

tamarind chutney to serve

coriander leaves garnish

Wash and soak the lentils together for about 5 to 6 hours. Then grind the lentils with green chillie and ginger into a thick batter, use water if needed a few spoons at a time. Batter should not be watery.

Add salt, cumin seeds, coriander leaves, raisins, black pepper and mix throughly in a circular motion. One way in a circular motion with hands or wooden spoon for 2 to 3 minutes till the batter becomes soft, fluffy and changes colour lightly from yellow to white.

Heat oil then put a tablespoonful of batter and shallow fry few at a time in medium low heat. It will puff up and as to be light golden brown not dark, the inside of the vada should be cooked.

When the vada is cool, not hot at all soak it in luke warm water for 2 to 3 minutes. If it is hot it will become soggy. Squeeze the water by pressing each vada in between palms squeezing lightly. Place in serving bowl then cover with yogurt beaten with salt and sugar.

Garnish with chaat masala, cumin powder, chillie powder, tamarind chutney and coriander leaves over the yogurt.

Let the yogurt vadas sit for at least half hour before serving, the longer it is kept the tastier it will be. If the yogurt has absorbed, add more and garnish before serving.

This yogurt vada is modified from here and goes to MLLA #28 at Dil Se, cooking for kids festive food, hearth and soul, anyone can cook, only event festive food, Flavours of Punjab and bookmarked Tuesdays.

Happy to have been mentioned in best of bloghop.

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Chickpeas curry

1 can or 1 cup of chickpeas soaked overnight

2 tbsp oil

1 onion chopped 

1 to 2 tomatoes chopped

1 tbsp ginger grated

2 cloves of garlic grated optional

1/2 tsp chillie powder

1/2 tbsp curry powder

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp asafoetida

1/2 tbsp mango powder or lemon juice
1/4 tsp chaat masala

Heat oil, and add onions and the cumin seeds. Then add the ginger and garlic and sauté. Add the tomatoes, all the spices and the chickpeas. Cover and cook on low medium heat until the chickpeas are soft. Add water as needed to make gravy. Sprinkle the chaat masala and serve with rice, flat bread, or batura.

Pumpkin dal curry

1/2 cup pumpkin cubes

1/2 cup mysoor dal

1 tsp garlic minced

1/2 tsp chillie powder

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp garam masala

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 cup water

temper

1/2 tbsp oil

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

1 tbsp onions chopped

1/4 tsp garlic minced optional

curry leaves

Add the pumpkin and dal with the spices and water. Cover and cook in medium heat till the dal is cooked and soft.

Heat oil add mustard seeds, onion, garlic and curry leaves; when onion is soft add to the cooked pumpkin dal curry.

This recipe goes to the well seasoned cook's MLLA 25 and to side dish showdown.

Chickpeas like in the beaches

1 can of chickpeas wash and drain

2 tbsp oil

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

2 tbsp onion chopped

1 tbsp curry leaves

1 to 2 tbsp coconut pieces

2 red chillie whole

1/4 tsp chillie flakes optional

1/2 tsp salt

Drain the water from the chickpeas. Heat oil add mustard seeds then add onion, curry leaves, coconut pieces, red chillie whole and flakes if using, salt then add the chickpeas. Stir fry for a few minutes and serve warm.

We love eating this for a quick evening snack, good for a breakfast. I was thinking of the warm evenings walking on the beach eating this rolled in a newspaper from street vendors as children.

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Soya meat curry

1 1/2 cups soya meat

boiling water

1 tsp oil

1 tbsp onion

1/2 tsp garlic ginger paste

1 tbsp tomato

curry leaves

1 1/2 tsp chillie powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp garam masala

1/4 tsp turmeric

1 tsp tamarind to pulp

1 tsp salt

1 tsp coconut milk powder

water

Soak the soya meat for about 10 minutes covered in boiling hot water and 1/2 tsp salt. Drain the soya meat squeeze and throw out the water.

In a pressure cooker heat oil, saute onions, garlic ginger paste, curry leaves and tomatoes. Add spices, soya meat, coconut milk powder, tamarind and water. Cover the pressure cooker and cook it in medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes, if needed simmer the gravy.

This recipe goes to the Twenty-20 cooking event and to Think spice Tamarind event.

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Lentils dal curry

This dish compliments rice and roti. Can use the same recipe to cook other lentils such as Toor dal. For Toor dal use a pressure cooker and more water.

1 cup masoor dal or red lentil

1/2 tbsp chillie powder

1/4 tbsp garam masala

1/4 tsp turmeric

1 tsp salt
2 to 3 cloves of garlic cut small
1 inch ginger cut small or grate
water

1/4 cup coconut milk optional

Add water 2 inches above the level of dal and cook with all the above ingredients in medium heat. Watch the dal as it might spill over. Can use a  pressure cooker to cook the dal faster. When the dal is fully cooked add coconut milk, this is optional.

tempering

1 tsp oil
1 tbsp onion
curry leaves

1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/8 tsp asafoetida 

Heat oil add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, onion, curry leaves. When the onion starts to lightly brown add the asafoetida and remove from the cooker. Add this seasoning to the cooked dal and mix it. 

For different variations
When the lentil is cooked halfway, add drumsticks or moringa pods and let it cook.
To make dal with spinach, purslane or callaloo add chopped greens to the same recipe towards the end and cook for a few minutes till the green vegetables mix and become soft.

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Crispy dosa and channa dal fritters

Crispy urud dal pancakes

dosa batter

1 1/2 cup parboiled, short grain or idly rice

1/2 cup husked split urud or black gram dal

1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds

1/2 cup rice flakes or cooked rice

1/2 tsp salt

Soak the rice with 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds in a bowl. In another bowl soak the dal with 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds overnight or for at least 6 to 8 hours. Water should be at least an inch above the level of the rice and dal.

Grind the soaked rice separately to a fine smooth paste. Grind the dal to a lightly coarse texture. Grind the leftover cooked rice or washed rice flakes with some water. Then add all the ingredients together with the salt to taste and leave it for about 6 hours to ferment in a big bowl as the batter may double when fermenting. 

Before making the dosa add water to the batter to make a pourable consistency that is not runny.

Heat a hot griddle and wipe it with some oil, then pour the batter with a ladle and using the back of the laddle quickly smoothen it in a circular motion. 

Sometimes I cover with a lid, as I find the dosa cooks quickly. When the sides are cooked it is easy to flip and cook the other side. 

Serve hot with chutney and sambar.

Coriander chilli coconut chutney

1/2 cup coconut

1/2 cup coriander leaves

2 green chillie

1/2 tbsp tamarind pulp

1/4 cup water

1/4 tsp salt to taste

Grind all the ingredients together.

Tempering

1 tbsp oil 

1/4 tsp mustard seeds 

1 tbsp onion

Heat the oil and the spices. Add the onion and when it is soft add it to the ground mixture and serve. 

Masala vada

1 cup channa dal or split chickpeas

water to soak

1 green chillie

2 tbsp onion chopped

1/4 tsp cumin and fennel seeds

1 or 2 curry leaves

1/2 tsp salt

oil for frying

Soak the channa dal overnight or for about 3 hours with enough water. Grind the dal coarsely without water, add a tbsp of water at a time if needed for the grinder. 

Cut green chillie, curry leaves and onion and add it to the ground dal with cumin, fennel and salt. 

I added a little hot oil into the mixture to bind before frying. Fry in high heat oil until the vada becomes golden brown, reduce the heat if the vada is becoming brown fast.

All rights reserved on photographs and written content Torviewtoronto © 2010 unless mentioned. Please Ask First