Kandhe Khas Khas

We  all have  that one  traditional dish, passed on generations after generations.  No matter however trendy the food gets, you always yearn for that delicious dish. Khande Khas Khas is one of them.  'Khande' meaning onions and 'Khas Khas' meaning poppy seeds, this dish is made of chana dal cooked with cubed onions and poppy seeds paste.  This recipe may differ from one family to another. My mother follows this, while my Mother-in-law avoids poppy seeds paste and cooks chana dal with onions.  But, I guarantee you will love this dish and make them quite often.  Combine them with roti or dosa, though they taste best with roti.

Please note that it is a spicy dish.  I have prepared them lightly spiced because my kid doesn't like too much of spice.  If you are preparing for your family, I suggest you add more chilly powder, accordingly.  

Sambhar

    Hi all.... back from my short vacation.  And since my daughter leaves to her summer camp, my routine life is almost back... Filling up my refrigerator with freshly brought veggies and fruits, cleaning up my partially-messed home, ... list goes on.  Going on vacation sounds much easier, but when it comes to post-vacation work, I always save an huge 'sigh' :/   Yesterday, day went quite interesting watching over election results.  Victory was predicted, as usual, but winning by 1:6 ratio (Congress: BJP) was quite an 'whooping result'.  Similarly goes with Tamilnadu where ADMK gained 37 out of 39 available seats.  Fabulous, isn't it?  Let us see if this decision solves our stagnating economy and deals with the price rise as well....

   Yes and coming back to our post, born and brought up at Chennai, I could'nt miss this special SAMBHAR prepared by my mom.  Infact, this is my favourite and same with my husband too.  Sambhar is south-indian dal preparation, mostly tuvar dal (yellow pigeon peas), with sambhar powder (an aromatic powder made out of chana dal, dried red chillies, curry leaves, whole cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds, asafoetida, few peppercorn etc), tamarind, assorted set of vegetables (like brinjal, drumstick, snakegourd, pumpkin etc), finished with an sweet touch of jaggery.

The trick in preparing an perfect sambhar lies in perfect balance of spice-sour and an sweet taste.  As an first-try, I have messed up by adding more sourness (more amount of imly/tamarind) into my sambhar.  So, I strongly recommend you to add only half of prescribed tamarind during cooking, other half you can wait till you complete the cooking, check the sambhar and add accordingly.  Also, kindly note that this 'sour' factor depends on tomatos you are adding.  Since, I have added hybrid tomatos, I have included tamarind.  In case, I am going with country tomatos ,(which has an higher sour content) I would prefer not to add tamarind as the former itself gives out required 'sour' effect.

DINNER

MAIN COURSE 

ROTI / PARATHA/ WRAP

·        Aamla paranthas

·        Ajwain paratha

·        Aloo ki paratha

·        Carrot paratha

·        Hot dog wraps

·        Kheema ki parantha

·         Peas paratha

·         Rumali roti

PASTA  

·        Chokolya

·        Spaghetti with meat sauce

·        Desi-styled spaghetti

·        Lasagna

GRAVY/CURRY/DAL  - VEGETARIAN

·        Aloo ki bhaaji

·         Baby cabbage gravy

·         Dum Aloo

·         Gobi kandhaari

·         Harira

·         Hiruva masala shaak

·         Hot & Sour corn balls

·         Kache kele ki kofta curry

·         Kadaai khumb

·         Kadaai kobhi

·         Kadaai vegetable

·         Khoya matar

·         Khuskhuswali khumb

·         Kichi bhajji

·         Low calorie kofta curry

·         Malaai gobi matar

·          Malvani khumb curry

·          Mangalorean curry

·          Mili-juli subzi

·          Mushroom and capsicum stir-fry

·          Mushroom dopyaza

·          Mushroom ki Roganjosh

·          Mushroom theeyal

·          Padwal ki masaledar dal

·          Padwal ki nilgiri gravy

·          Palak paneer

·           Paneer masala

·          Phool makhana curry

·          Shahi khumb

·          Sindhi saag

·          Soya aur tarkari ki masala

·          Spicy and creamy bottlegourd gravy

·          Thai green gravy

·          Tomato chutney

·          Vegetable taka tak

·          Vegetables in garlic sauce

    

  DAL 

          ·            Bhaja moong dal

·           Chilly kabuli chana

·           Dal bukhara

·           Dal ki soya

·           Dal maharani

·           Dal tadka

·           Dal with tofu

·           Katachi aamti

·         Mooli ki dal

·           Pindy choley

·          Punjabi rajmah

·           Rajma masala

NON – VEGETARIAN GRAVY

·           Chungdi jhola

·           Goan egg curry

·           Kadhai lasuni gosht

·          Karahi chicken

·           Kolhapuri pandhra rassa

·           Kolhapuri taambda rassa

·            Kolyaas ki shaak

·           Murgh makhani

·           Murgh Pasanda

·           Prawn balchao

·          Shimla mirch ki kombdi

     

RAITA / SALAD

·          Coleslaw

·          Cucumber raita

·          Koshimbir

·         Sprouts salad

·          Detox salad

Bhaja Moong dal - Potluck party, cyber style December 28th 2013

   For this month of potluck party, I was paired with Sutapa.  I was too happy because I am an dal or gravy-aholic lady.  In this blogging world, we can see many bakes, many goodies  or many virtual treats, but when it comes to your home-cooking, making gravies or dal for dinner becomes an wondering part of life because breakfast and lunch preparation gets over my morning itself.  And for me, I simply quiz what to cook up, with my refrigerator and provisions shelf wide open  :D  :D   This potluck party, very clearly compensated my thought :P  

Bhaja moong dal, an bengali dal is an rich and exotic dal.  'Bhaja' means 'fry' and so moong dal was fried with ghee before pressure cooking and tempered with spices and coconut.  When I prepared, I can notice a pleasent aroma and taste, unlike other dal preparations.  So, thanks to Sutapa for introducing such an nice dal to us, I enjoyed them thoroughly with roti. 

Padwal ki masaledar dal

Well, well, well... What can I say about this dal?  This is one of my hubby's favourite and he asks them quite often to make.  Little does he know that this dal, when first made was an yesterday's left-over kootu, that got churned over to masala dal with garam masala touch!!  :D  :D  After that, I started preparing masaledar dal frequently, atleast once a week.  Hopefully, this dal has lots of padwal/snakegourd that is healthier too!!

 

I must admit that this dal goes on rocking combo with dosa/kal dosa.  Roti also makes an better match.  They taste best the next day (Don't know why, experts please explain)  Don't worry with snakegourd still staying in your refrigerator.  Just grab them, and prepare this dal, for I am sure, you won't be disappointed :D

Bisibela baath

   Bisibela baath, a two-word recitation and that dates back to my school days where my mother used to prepare on every saturdays.  Served hot with ghee, these would literally melt in my mouth. This meal, as such is heavy on ur stomach and will mesmerize your mind wanting for more!!!!!!!   Back at home, found best time to prepare, that is on sunday when my hubby (who always requested to make some) was there to support   :P  :P

     Bisibela baath, orginating from Karnataka cuisine lets out meaning like "Hot Lentil Rice" .  Here,  an array of vegetables (Brinjal, snakegourd, pumpkin, carrot, beans, drumstick etc) are cooked in dal tempered like sambhar style.  Cooked rice is mashed, added to the dal and masala comes at the end.  The much interesting part of cooking bisibela baath is its spice mix.  Since I luved my mom's, called her and got her ratios.  Tweaking a bit, I proceeded and yes !!!!!  Bisibela baath was very awesome, it got over by end of the meal!!  :)  

Kichi bhajji

Kichi bhajji  is one of our authentic dish prepared during Sankranti/Pongal.  We accompany this with Bhakri, or dhapaatya.   This healthy finger-licking gravy is an composition of spinach, veggies, and all sorts of dry pulses like chana, double beans, soya, green peas etc.

 I still remember in my childhood days, where my granny used to prepare it in large vessel and she used to store it for about ten days without even  refrigerating it.  And the best part of kichi bhajji is that the taste gets better day by day, after everytime it is heated.  Though i made it in large quantity for this pongal, bhajji got over by the end of third day.. such is its excellance.... I wish I had prepared more and had it now  .... :(  :(

Preparation time mostly takes an hour, and back at home, I chopped  all vegetables previous day,  to make my tomorrow's work little easier.  Cooking time would be some three to four hours.  

Ingredients required

Pressure cooking part one (Combine spinach with imli, green chilly  and pressure cook for one whistle, keep aside)

• 2 bunches of palak spinach, cleaned and finely chopped 
• 2 bunches of amaranthas leaves/molai keera, cleaned and finely chopped
• 2 bunches of small methi leaves, cleaned and finely chopped
• 2-3 slit green chillies
• one cup of water
• 4 tsp of thick tamarind extract

Pressure cooking part two (Combine chopped vegetables with 11/2 cup of water and pressure cook for one whistle, keep aside)

• 100 gm of cauliflower
• 100 gm of carrot
• 100 gm of beans
• 100 gm of raddish
• 100 gm of potato
• 100 gm of capsicum
• 50 gm of cabbage

Dal maharani

Dal maharani is an punjabi dal made with combo of black urad dal, chana dal, rajma cooked in creamy base in addition to normal spices.  Using punjabi garam masala can also be done, to enrich flavour.

Ingredients required

• 1 cup black urad dal
• 1/2 cup chana dal
• 1/2 cup rajma
• 4-5 tsp oil
• 1 tsp jeera
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 cup tomato puree
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp punjabi garam masala
• 1 tsp salt
• 11/2 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp dhanya powder
• 1/4 cup khoya/cream/milk
• 4 tsp of finely chopped coriander leaves, to garnish

For paste

• 2-3 cashews
• 1 tsp fennel seeds/sombu
• 2-inch piece of ginger
• 4 tsp finely chopped mint leaves
• 2-3 crushed green chillies

Method

Soak all daals, pressure cook them till done and keep aside.

Make paste using all above ingredients using mortar and pestle.

In a kadaai, heat oil , saute jeera and onions.

Add in crushed paste and cook

Add in tomato puree, followed by all the spices

After this gets cooked, add cooked dal along with water.  

Add in khoya/cream.  Check the seasoning and spice.  Cook for another 5-10 minutes on simmer flame and serve hot garnished with coriander leaves

It was very nice, yummy too!!

And i have an big kadaai full of dal maharani mixture.. anybody over there... Be my guest!!!

Rajma masala

Ingredients required

To be dry roast and powdered (rajma masala powder)

• 1 tsp whole dhanya
• 1/4 tsp dry ginger powder
• 1 tsp whole cumin
• 3-4 dry red chillies
• 1-inch piece of cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp amchoor powder/dry mango powder
• 1/2 tsp whole peppercorn
• 2-3 green cardamon
• 2 cloves
• 1/2 tsp each of nutmeg and mace powder
• 1/4 tsp pomegranate seeds

To temper

• 1 tsp whole jeera
• 6-7 tsp of oil
• 1 tsp finely chopped ginger
• 1/2 tsp finely chopped  green chilly

other

• 1/2 cup of chopped onions
• 1 cup tomato puree
• 1/2 tsp haldi/turmeric powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 11/4 cup rajma, soaked overnight and pressure cooked till done
• Few coriander leaves, to garnish

Method

Heat oil and add ingredients for temper

Add in chopped onions and tomato puree

Add in powdered rajma masala, salt, turmeric, ginger-garlic paste.

Throw in cooked rajma and simmer the flame for ten minutes..  Serve hot with paratha/roti/rice

Mooli patta ki dal

Raddhish leaves are called as mooli patta.  Since it is actively available during this winter season, better to buy and consume a lot in cooking because they have lots of nutritious values like iron, minerals etc.  Here radhish leaves are combined with toovar dal and is tempered with mild spices.

Ingredients required

For temper

• 3 tsp oil
• 1/2 tsp jeera
• 1/2 tssp hing/perungayam
• 3-4 broken red chillies
• 3-4 curry leaves
• 4 tsp finely chopped onion

other

• 1/2 cup finely chopped raddhish leaves
• 1/2 cup boiled toovar dal
• Salt, to taste

Method

Add ingredients for temper one by one.

Throw in radhish leaves and saute till partially done.  This should take ten minutes on simmer flame.

Add in boiled toovar dal, adjust salt.  Cover and cook.  Serve hot with roti/rice

Dal aur lehsun ki chutney

Ingredients required

• Handful of urad dal
• 4 tsp oil
• 2 tsp of chana dal
• 4-5 whole red chillies
• one cup of finely chopped onions
• one cup of finely chopped tomatos
• 8-10 garlic pieces
• half cup of chopped coriander leaves
• 1/4 cup of chopped mint leaves
• 1/2 tsp hing/perungayam
• 1 tsp thick tamarind extract
• 1/2 tsp salt

Method

In a kadaai, add oil and saute whole red chillies.  Add urad dal and chana dal, saute till golden brown, keep mixture aside to cool.  In same pan add onion, tomato, garlic, coriander and mint leaves and saute till tomatos are soft and mushy.  Blend both redchilli-dal combo and onion-garlic combo together with tamarind extract, hing, salt.  Serve with idly/dosa.