Chholar dal

Chana Dal - 1 cup
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Whole Garam Masala - a mix of cinnamon, cardamom, cloves
Turmeric - a pinch
Chopped Coconut pieces
Bay leaves - 2
Whole Dried Red Chilies - 2
Ginger - 1 inch grated
salt
Sugar - 1 tbsp
Ghee
Water - 4 cups






Heat a mix of ghee and oil in a pressure cooker pan. Add the cumin seeds, bay leaves, whole garam masala and the red chilies. Saute for a few seconds. Then add ginger paste and the chopped coconut pieces and fry till they turn slightly brown.


Now add the washed dal, four cups of water, turmeric, salt and sugar. Cook in the pressure cooker for 10 minutes after full pressure is reached.


Cool slightly and then mash some dal with the back of the spoon. Mix well and serve.

South Indian Cauliflower

Adapted from http://spiceandcurry.blogspot.com/2010/07/kopir-tarkari-with-dakhini-twist.html

Cauliflower- half, cut into very small florets
1/4th cup of fresh grated coconut
1/4th cup of crushed cashews
Curry leaves
1/2 medium size onion chopped finely
1 tomato chopped finely
1 tsp black mustard seeds
Turmeric - a pinch
2 tsp of roasted cumin powder
1 tsp of coriander powder
1 tsp of red chilli powder
Oil

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds.
Add chopped onion, coconut and crushed cashews to the hot oil. Stir fry for 4-5 mints till onions becomes little translucent and coconut and cashews become light golden.

Add in the cauliflower florets.

Add the curry leaves, turmeric, chilli powder, cumin, coriander and salt. Mix well with the cauliflowers and cook for some time.

Now add the chopped tomato. Add a little oil if required. Mix everything together and cook for about 15 minutes or till the florets are soft and completely cooked.

Alu Kumro Chholar Tarkari / Butternut Squash and Potato Curry

Butternut Squash - 1/2, cut into medium sized cubes
Potato - 1/2, cut into cubes
Kala chana / Whole Bengal gram - 1/2 cup, soaked, sprouted and cooked
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Grated ginger - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Hing - 2 pinches
Roasted Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Bay leaves - 2
Whole dry red chillies - 2
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt
Ghee - 1 tsp
Chopped Onion - 2 tbsp
Water - 1 cup

Heat oil in a pan. Temper with cumin seeds, bay leaves, hing and the dry red chilies.

Add chopped onion to the oil and fry for a few minutes. Add the potatoes and the cooked chana and fry till light brown.

Then add the ginger paste, pumpkin, turmeric, cumin powder and salt. Cook uncovered for a few minutes. Then cover and add a cup of water and cook till all the vegetables are well done.

Add a tsp of ghee on top and remove from heat. Serve with puris.

Brown Rice Payesh

Brown Basmati Rice - 2 tbsp, soaked overnight in water
Whole Milk - 1/2 gallon
Bay leaf - 2
Green Cardamom - 2
Sugar
Rosewater
Golden Raisins and Cashewnuts - a handful

Boil the milk in a heavy bottomed pan with bay leaf and cardamom. As soon as it starts to boil, add the soaked and drained brown rice. Cook on low heat for about an hour stirring occasionally so that the milk doesnt get burned at the bottom of the pan. Once the rice is cooked and the milk has reached thick consistency, add the sugar and rose water. Cook for five minutes more. Sprinkle raisins and cashewnuts on top. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Honey Roasted Nuts

Pecans - 2 cups
Almonds, Walnuts, Cashews - 1 cup
Water - 4 tbsp
Honey - 4 tbsp
Brown Sugar - 4 tbsp + 2 tbsp
Olive Oil - 1 tsp
pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 350F. Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes till the cashews are light brown in color. Remove and cool. Heat a pan, add 2 tbsps of olive oil, 4 tbsps of water, 4 tbsps of brown sugar and 4 tbsps of honey. Do not stir the mixture and let the bubbles form. Then allow it to boil for 1-2 mts. Add 2 tbsps brown sugar and a pinch of salt and combine well. Immediately add the toasted nuts and cook for 3-4 mts or till the liquid is completely absorbed by the nuts and they appear shiny. Remove onto the baking sheet to cool.

Quick Tomato Egg

Hard Boiled Eggs - 3
Red Onion - 3 tbsp, finely chopped
Tomato - 1 small
Cloves - 2
Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Salt
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Red Chilli Powder - 1/4th tsp
Oil

Heat a little oil in a non-stick pan. Coat the boiled eggs with salt and turmeric powder and lightly fry them. Remove the fried eggs and add a little sugar in the oil. When the sugar caramelises, add the cloves, cinnamon and chopped onion. Cook till the onion browns. Now add the turmeric, red chilli powder, salt and chopped tomato and cook till it mixes well with the onion and oil leaves the sides. Add the fried eggs, mix well for a minute and serve.

Chilli Paneer

Paneer - 1 lb
2 spring onions
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp chopped ginger
2 tsp soya sauce
2 tsps vinegar
1 tbsp corn flour mixed with 5 tbsps water
1/2 tbsp sugar
2 green capsicums, thin slices
Onion - 1/2 , thickly sliced
1 1/2 tbsps tomato sauce
Green Chilli - 4
salt to taste
2 tbsps oil

Marinate paneer with below ingredients for a few minutes
black pepper powder
salt to taste
1/2 tsp chopped ginger
1/2 tsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp corn flour + 5 tbsps water

 Heat oil in a flat non-stick pan, place the thinly coated paneer pieces next to one another and shallow fry till brown. Flip over and let it brown the other side. Remove and keep aside.

 Heat a heavy bottomed vessel, pour the left over shallow fried oil , add the green chillies, chopped ginger and garlic and saute on high flame for about 30 secs.

Add the chopped spring onion whites and saute for 2 minutes. Add sliced capsicum and stir fry on high flame for 2 mts.

Add  tomato sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and combine. Add the sauteed paneer and toss for a minute on high flame. Add the cornflour water and combine on high flame, tossing the contents, for 2 mts.

Garnish with spring onion greens.

Tondli / Kundru with Fennel Powder

Adapted from http://kichukhonn.blogspot.com/2008/07/kundru-ki-sabzi.html

Tondli / Kundru - 30, washed, ends removed and cut into quarters lengthwise
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Fennel powder - 2 tsp
Aamchur powder - 1 tsp
salt

Oil, hing and cumin seeds for tempering

Marinate the tondlis with all the powdered masalas and salt for 15 minutes. Heat oil and add cumin seeds and hing. Add the tondlis and fry well for some time. Add a little water and cover and cook till done.

Spinach Lentil Soup

Red lentils (masoor) / Yellow lentils (mung) - 3/4th cup
Baby Spinach - 2 cups
Onion - 1/2 chopped
Ginger - 1 inch, grated
Garlic - 3 cloves, grated
Tomato - 1 peeled and chopped
Salt
Water - 4 cups

Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/4 tsp (optional)
Coarsely ground black pepper - 1/4 tsp

Put everything (except oil and cumin seeds) in the rice-cooker and cook for 40 minutes. Alternatively cook in the pressure cooker for 5 minutes after full pressure is reached.

Heat olive oil in a pan, temper with cumin seeds and add the cooked dal.

Using a hand blender blend it well and cook for a few minutes more. Sprinkle black pepper on top and serve hot.

Aloo Paratha

Atta / Whole Wheat Flour - 1 and a half cups
Potato - 2
Red Onion - 1/2 very finely chopped
Cilantro - 1 bunch - washed and chopped finely
Garlic - 2 cloves, grated
Ginger - 1 inch, grated
Green Chillies - 5, finely chopped
Lemon Juice - 1 tsp
Chaat Masala - 2 tsp
Salt

Maida for rolling paratha
Ghee

Steam the potatoes till fork tender. Remove and grate them with a grater. Add chopped onion, cilantro, green chillies, ginger, garlic, salt, lemon juice and chaat masala. Mix well and make 5 balls out of the mixture.

Make a dough from the wheat flour after adding a little salt and some warm water. The dough should be very soft and pliable. Add a tsp of oil to the dough and keep it covered with wet cloth for 10 minutes. Then make 5 balls out of it. Now take a ball of dough and stuff it with aloo mixture ball. Roll out thick parathas using maida for rolling. Heat a cast iron griddle and cook the parathas with a little ghee. Serve with sweet mango pickle.

Urad Dal Vada

Adapted from http://kichukhonn.blogspot.com/2010/07/biri-bora-biri-bada-lentil-fritters.html

Serves 2 people
Urad Dal - 1/2 cup, soaked overnight and ground into a paste
Red Onion - 1/2  finely chopped
Green chillies - 5 finely chopped
Cilantro - 1/2 bunch, washed and finely chopped
salt

Oil for deep frying

Mix everything together. Heat oil in an iron wok and put small amount of the mix gently in the hot oil using a teaspoon. Fry till golden brown.

Masoor Dal with lau aar gajor

Masoor Dal / Red Lentils - 1 cup
Carrot - 1 chopped into medium sized roundels
Lau / Bottle Gourd - 1/2 small, cut into medium size pieces
Green Beans - optional
Panch Phoron - 1/2 tsp
Dried red chillies - 3
Green chillies - 3
Onion - 1/2, thinly sliced (optional)
turmeric
Salt
Oil

Soak masoor dal in water for an hour.

 Heat oil in a pan. Add the panch phoron, red chillies and green chillies.

If using onion, add the onion slices and cook till soft.

Then add the chopped lau and carrots and turmeric and toss for a few minutes. Add the soaked dal, sufficient water to cover  it and salt.

Cook covered for around 20 minutes or till the dal and the vegetables are soft and completely cooked.

Kothimbir Vadi / Cilantro Fritters

1 bunch cilantro leaves, washed and chopped fine
1/2 cup chickpea flour/besan
4 green chillies, minced fine
1 tsp. ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp. sesame seeds
1 tsp. poppy seeds
2 tsp. lemon juice
pinch of turmeric
pinch of asafoetida
pinch of garam masala
pinch of baking soda
1 tsp. sugar/gur
salt to taste
1 tbsp oil

3 tbsp Oil for frying
Mustard seeds for tempering and  finely chopped onion pieces (optional)

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl with a little oil.

Sprinkle some water if required to mix everything together to make a dough. Then make small roundels of the dough.

Grease a steamer lightly. Place the roundels in the steamer.

Steam for about 30 minutes in the rice cooker by adding 2 cups of water.

Let cool, and cut into slices.

Heat 3 tbsp oil in a skillet and temper with mustard seeds. Then fry chopped onion till golden and then add the kothimbir vadis. Toss on medium high heat for around 10 minutes or till the vadis are crispy and golden.