Zucchini Dal, Zucchini With Lentils

          After all the sundal and sweet recipes last week, I thought I'll post a simple dal recipe today. The same dal/ lentils, when cooked with different spices and a different vegetable gets an entirely new flavor and taste. For today's dal I have used tuvar dal/ split pigeon peas, zucchini and seasoned it with panch phoron. This is a very easy recipe, extremely flavorful  and it goes very well with both rice and rotis..

Need To Have

• Tuvar Dal/ Split Pigeon Peas - 1/3 cup
• Diced Zucchini - 11/2 cups, used 1 medium zucchini
• Tomato - 1 medium, chopped
• Grated Ginger - 1/2 teaspoon
• Panch Phoron - 11/4 teaspoon
• Crushed Red Chilly Flakes - 1 teaspoon
• Coriander Powder - 1 teaspoon
• Turmeric Powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• Curry Leaves - 10
• Salt to taste

Panch Phoron : Take equal amounts of fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, onion seeds/ nigella seeds and cumin seeds.

Method

          Pressure cook the tuvar dal with water and 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder, once the pressure is released, mash the dal and keep. Heat some oil, add the panch phoron, when it starts spluttering, add the zucchini pieces and saute till you get light brown spots on it. Then add the crushed red chilly flakes, coriander powder and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder, mix it well, cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

          Then add the chopped tomato, cooked dal, grated ginger salt and some water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Garnish with the curry leaves, remove and serve it warm.

Note
Don't overcook the zucchini, it should retain it's shape and have a slight crunch to it.
You can use ghee/ clarified butter instead of oil for an extra flavor.
Use homemade coriander powder for nice flavor, also you can squeeze some lemon juice while mixing rice with the dal.

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Black Eyed Peas Sundal, Karamani Sundal

          As I had said before, I am going to post only Navarathri recipes this whole week. So today's post is again another sundal, Black Eyed Peas Sundal/ Karamani Sundal. We can cook the black eyed peas and just do the simple seasoning with mustard seeds, asafoetida and curry leaves, in fact we can do this simple seasoning with all the beans or lentils. To make it a little different and to add a nice flavor, I have used some freshly ground spices and added it to the cooked black eyed peas, and also a little jaggery which gives a light sweet taste to this delicious sundal..

Need To Have

• Black Eyed Peas - 1/2 cup
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Asafoetida - 1/4 teaspoon
• Curry Leaves - 5
• Salt to taste

To Grind

• Dried Red Chilly - 1
• Coriander Seeds - 2 teaspoons
• Jaggery - 1/2 teaspoon
• Grated Coconut - 1 tablespoon

Method

          Pressure cook the black eyed peas with some salt, drain the extra water and keep. Dry roast the red chilly and coriander seeds. Cool and grind it with the coconut and jaggery, don't add water.

          Heat some oil, add the mustard seeds, when it starts spluttering, add the asafoetida followed immediately by the cooked black eyed peas.

          Mix it well till all the moisture completely dries up, then add the ground mixture and the curry leaves and mix it well and remove.

Note
It takes approximately 15 minutes to cook the black eyed peas, after the first whistle in the pressure cooker.
Whenever you add curry leaves, slightly tear it and add, it gives a nice flavor.

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Verkadalai Sundal, Peanut Sundal

          I have decided that, this whole week, or at least till Friday, I am going to post some sundal or sweet dish only, so in line with that, today's post is going to be Verkadalai Sundal/ Peanut Sundal. This is one of my favorite sundals, usually I just do the basic seasoning with mustard seeds, asafoetida, red chillies and curry leaves. Today I have added some grated carrots, if your kids are like mine, likes peanuts but hates carrots, then I am sure, if you give them this way, they'll not mind the carrots in it. This can be had as a snack or even as a side dish or salad along with any meal..

Need To Have

• Dried Peanuts - 1/2 cup
• Grated Carrot - 1/2 cup
• Grated Coconut - 2 teaspoons
• Grated Ginger - 1/2 teaspoon
• Green Chilly - 1, finely chopped
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Asafoetida - 1/4 teaspoon
• Curry Leaves - 5

Method

          Pressure cook the peanuts along with some water and salt. Once the pressure is released, drain the extra water from the peanuts and keep. Heat some oil, add the mustard seeds, when it starts spluttering, add the chopped chillies, ginger, curry leaves and asafoetida and mix it for 5 seconds.

          Then add the grated carrots, salt, keep sauteing on reduced heat, till all the moisture is absorbed and the carrots are cooked, it should take not more than 2 to 3 minutes, then add the coconut and mix.

          Finally add the peanuts, mix and remove.

Note
You need not soak the peanuts before cooking.
Usually in a pressure cooker, after the first whistle, it takes 8 to 10 minutes to cook the peanuts.
You can add some lemon juice and chopped coriander at the end, after switching off.

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Chickpeas Sundal With Sesame

          It's Navaratri time, though we don't celebrate this nine day long festival, I love to see the Golu at my friends'. I see that the festival mood has caught up with the bloggers too, I see a lot of sundals and other goodies in many of the blogs. I have a couple of them, in my space too,Chickpeas Sundal and Chana Dal Sundal, thought I'll share another one today. This is also made out of chickpeas, here I have made a small change to the regular sundal recipe. I have added sesame seeds which give a nice flavor to it, try it if you like sesame seeds..

Need To Have

• Cooked Chickpeas - 11/2 cup
• White Sesame Seeds - 1 teaspoon
• Grated Coconut - 1 tablespoon
• Red Chillies - 2
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Asafoetida - 1/8 teaspoon
• Curry Leaves - 5

Method

          Roast the sesame seeds and red chillies in a few drops of oil, when the sesame seeds turn golden, remove, cool, make a coarse powder with the coconut.

          Heat some oil, add the mustard seeds, when it starts spluttering, add the curry leaves and asafoetida followed by the cooked chickpeas, ground powder and salt. Reduce the heat and keep mixing it for 3 to 5 minutes, till you get the nice sesame flavor. Remove and serve it warm.

Note
Soak overnight and pressure cook the chickpeas with some salt and use.
If you don't like sesame seeds, just leave it and use dry chillies and coconut alone.

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Whole Moong And Mushroom Curry

          Whenever I cooked mushrooms, I have either sauteed it, or used it in combination with vegetables like baby corn, capsicum or potatoes, never have I tried it with some dal. I gave it a try, cooked it along with whole moong/ moong beans or green gram and some freshly ground masala paste. The curry turned out good and it went well with both rice and rotis..

Need To Have

• Whole Moong - 1/2 cup
• Button Mushrooms - 200 gms
• Tomato - 1 medium, chopped
• Onion - 1 medium, chopped
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 teaspoon
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Curry Leaves - 10-15

To Grind

• Coriander Seeds - 1 tablespoon
• Cumin Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Chopped Ginger - 2 teaspoons
• Tamarind - marble sized ball
• Dried Red Chillies - 5
• Grated Coconut - 1 tablespoon

Method

          Grind together all the ingredients given under ' to grind '. Pressure cook the whole moong beans.

          Heat some oil, add the mustard seeds, when it starts spluttering, add the onion and curry leaves, saute till the onions turn pink.

          Add the chopped mushrooms and saute for a minute, then add the chopped tomatoes and saute for another 2 minutes. Add turmeric powder, salt and a cup of water, cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the lid, add the cooked moong beans and the ground paste, some water and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes. Add some more curry leaves, remove and serve it warm with rice or rotis.

Note
You can make this curry as thick or thin as you want, add more or less water, reduce the moong beans.
Can make it as spicy as you want, increase or decrease the red chillies, or add some sliced green chillies along with the chopped onions.

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Dal With Spring Onions/ Lentils And Green Shallots

          Spring Onions/ Green Shallots/ Vengaya Thaal, till some time back, I had used this vegetable only in Chinese dishes, I'll buy a bunch, use a little for a fried rice or noodles and the rest, most of the time, will end up in the trash can. But of late, I have started using it in other dishes, today's dal being one of them. The spring onions give such a nice flavor to this dal, very easy to make and makes a nice side dish for both rice and rotis..

Need To Have

• Lentils/ Dal - 1/2 cup ( a mix of tuvar dal, chana dal and moong dal )
• Spring Onions - 11/2 cup, chopped
• Tomato - 1, chopped
• Turmeric Powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• Red Chilly Powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• Coriander Powder - 2 teaspoons
• Cumin Seeds - 1 teaspoon
• Fenugreek Seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
• Asafoetida - 1/4 teaspoon
• Salt - to taste

Tuvar Dal - Split Pigeon Peas
Chana Dal - Bengal Gram, Split Chickpeas
Moong Dal - Husked, Split Green Gram

Method

          Pressure cook the dal/ lentils with the turmeric powder and water. Heat some oil, add the cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds, when it starts sizzling, add the asafoetida, followed by the spring onions. Saute it well till you get a nice aroma.

          Now add the red chilly powder, coriander powder, tomatoes and salt, keep sauteing till the tomatoes turn mushy ( if it sticks to the pan, sprinkle some water ). Now add about a cup of water, bring it to a boil and let it simmer for sbout 5 minutes on reduced heat. Serve it, garnished with the green part of the spring onions.

Note
If you don't have a pressure cooker, soak the lentils for an hour and cook it in a regular pot.
You can also add some chopped garlic, but I wanted this dal to just have the unique flavor of the spring onions.

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Mulaikeerai Kootu/ Amaranth Leaves With Lentils

          Both my husband and daughter love green leafy vegetables, so I make them at least 2 or 3 times a week. It'll be some kind of kootu or masiyal or sometimes a sambar or saute. When I saw this fresh bunch of Mulai Keerai, also known as Amaranth Leaves and Chinese Spinach, I had to pick it up, but this time I didn't want to make the regular kootu, wanted to try something slightly different. This kootu is a very easy one, no grinding required but still is very flavorful with the added ginger, goes very well with both rice and rotis..

Need To Have

• Amaranth Leaves - 5 cups, cleaned and chopped
• Tuvar Dal/ Split Pigeon Peas - 1/2 cup
• Onion - 1 medium chopped
• Tomato - 1 medium chopped
• Grated Ginger - 2 teaspoons
• Grated Coconut - 1 tablespoon
• Red Chilly Flakes - 1 teaspoon
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 teaspoon + 1/8 teaspoon
• Roasted Cumin Powder - 1/4 teaspoon
• Asafoetida - 1/4 teaspoon
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Cumin Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Urad Dal/ Husked Black Gram - 1 teaspoon
• Salt - to taste

Method

          Pressure cook the tuvar dal with the 1/4 teaspoon turmeric, mash and keep. Cook the chopped spinach with salt and a little water till done.

          Heat some oil, add the urad dal, mustard seeds and cumin seeds, when it starts spluttering, add the onions and ginger, saute for about 2 minutes and add the tomatoes.

          Saute the tomatoes for a minute, add the coconut, 1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder, cumin powder, asafoetida and chilly flakes, keep sauteing till the tomatoes become mushy and everything comes together, switch off.

          Add the cooked dal to the cooked spinach, mix , then add the sauteed mixture, mix and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and serve it warm.

Note
While cooking the spinach, do not cover with a lid, cooking it uncovered will keep the amaranth leaves green.
You can replace amaranth leaves with spinach and do the same kootu.
You can replace the grated ginger with grated garlic for a garlicky flavor.

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Tomato Capsicum Dal/ Lentils

          Dal/ Lentils is the main source of protein in a vegetarian diet, but eating the same old dal or sambar every single day can become a little boring. Adding a different vegetable or slightly tweaking the spices added can result in very different flavors, this Tomato Capsicum Dal is one such attempt. The capsicum, fenugreek, coconut and jaggery added makes this dal taste different from the usual and it goes well both with rice and rotis, give it a try, you might like it..

Need To Have

• Tuvar Dal/ Split Pigeon Peas - 1/4 cup
• Tomatoes - 2 medium, chopped
• Capsicum - 1, chopped
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 teaspoon
• Red Chilly Powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• Coriander Powder - 2 teaspoons
• Grated Coconut - 1 tablespoon
• Jaggery - 1 teaspoon
• Asafoetida - 1/4 teaspoon
• Urad Dal/ Black Gram - 1 teaspoon
• Mustard Seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
• Fenugreek Seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
• Chopped Coriander - 1 tablespoon

Method

          Pressure cook the tuvar dal with water and turmeric powder, mash slightly and keep. Heat some oil, add the urad dal, mustard seeds, when it starts popping, add the fenugreek seeds and the asafoetida. Just as the fenugreek seeds start changing color, add the chopped capsicum pieces and saute for about 2 minutes. Then add the chopped tomatoes and mix for a minute.

          Add the chilly and coriander powders, coconut and jaggery, mix for another minute till the tomatoes turn mushy. Now add the cooked dal and about 2 cups of water, bring it to a boil and simmer for about 5 minutes. Finally, add the chopped coriander and switch off.

Note
You can also use a mixture of tuvar dal and chana dal/ split chickpeas.
Make small batches of coriander powder, it loses its flavor very fast.

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Chana Dal Vadai/ Split Chickpeas Fritters

          Vadais/ Lentil Fritters, I make them once in a while, since it's a deep fried snack, and even then, I mostly make the Ulundu Vadai. I very rarely make these Chana Dal Vadais. These vadais are again crispy on the outside, soft on the inside but not spongy, a great tea-time snack. I have added just onions to the batter, though we can add other vegetables like cabbage, spinach and vazhaipoo/ banana flower. These vadais taste best when hot, can have it as such or with some coconut chutney..

Need To Have

• Chana Dal/ Split Chickpeas/ Bengal Gram - 1 cup
• Dried Red Chillies - 3
• Fennel Seeds - 2 teaspoon
• Onion - 1 big, chopped
• Chopped Coriander - 1/4 cup
• Curry Leaves - 15, roughly torn into small pieces
• Salt - to taste

Method

          Soak the chana dal for an hour and grind it along with the red chillies and fennel seeds, without adding any water, it should be a coarse mixture.

        To this add the chopped onions, curry leaves, chopped coriander and salt. Make small lemon sized balls.

          Heat some oil for deep frying. Wipe your left palm with a little water, take a ball, flatten it slightly, it should be 1/4" to 1/2" thick disc.

          Drop the discs into the hot oil, cook till it turns golden brown on both sides. Remove and drain the excess oil on some paper towels. Serve it hot with some chutney.

Note
The batter should be as coarse as possible, at the same time should be able to hold together, then you'll get really crispy vadas.
You can also add some chopped green chillies for extra spiciness.
The oil should be hot enough, when you drop a small piece of the batter, it should rise slowly to the top, not very fast, then the oil is too hot, only the outer layer will be cooked, the inner portion will be uncooked.
This quantity yields 20 to 25 vadais, depending on the size.

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Green Tomatoes And Chana Dal/ Bengal Gram

          Today has been a long day, I could sit with my blog only now. Though I had taken the resolution to schedule my posts in advance, not to stay up late, it works only for a week and then I am back to square one, I don't know when I am going to be more organized. Well, coming to today's post, Green Tomatoes With Chana Dal, I had picked up these tomatoes from my vegetable vendor, with not the slightest idea of what I am going to do with it. In fact, I think, this is the first time, I even cooked something with it. I made this dal, using bengal gram and also added some fresh coconut paste for some extra flavor, it went well with both rice and rotis..

Need To Have

• Chana Dal/ Bengal Gram - 1/2 cup
• Green Tomatoes - 2 cups, chopped
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 teaspoon
• Red Chilly Powder - 1 teaspoon
• Coriander Powder - 2 teaspoons
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Fenugreek Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Curry Leaves - 6
• Chopped Coriander - 2 tablespoons
• Salt - to taste

To Grind

• Grated Coconut - 2 tablespoons
• Fennel Seeds - 1 teaspoon
• White Poppy Seeds - 2 teaspoons

Method

          Grind together all the ingredients given under 'to grind' and keep. Pressure cook the chana dal with the turmeric powder.

          Heat some oil, add the mustard and fenugreek seeds, when it starts spluttering add the tomatoes and mix. Add the salt, chilly and coriander powders, mix for a minute. Now add about a cup of water, cover and cook till the tomatoes are done.

          Now add the cooked dal and the ground paste. Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. Finally garnish with the curry leaves and the chopped coriander and serve it warm.

Note
If you don't have a pressure cooker, soak the dal for an hour and then cook in a regular pot with water.
If the tomatoes are too sour then reduce to 1 and a 1/2 cup.
Soak the poppy seeds in little hot water for 10 minutes, so that you can grind it smoothly.

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Green Dal/ Lentils With Coriander

          Since lentils are the main source of protein in a vegetarian diet, I use it in my cooking, almost every single day, either in the form of sambars, kootus or dals. Some time back, I had jotted down this recipe from a newspaper, a very simple and easy to make dish. Green Dal, the name is because of the green color, it gets  from the coriander used in it, which along with ginger and garlic gives a wonderful flavor to the dal. This dal goes very well with plain rice or even with light pilafs or rotis..

Need To Have

• Tuvar Dal/ split Pigeon Peas - 1/4 cup
• Turmeric Powder - 1/8 teaspoon
• Curry Leaves - 10
• Lemon Juice - from 1/2 a lemon (small one)

To Grind

• Fresh Coriander Leaves - 1/2 cup
• Grated Coconut - 2 tablespoons
• Garlic - 2 cloves
• Chopped Ginger - 1/2 tablespoon
• Green Chilly - 1

Method

          Pressure cook the tuvar dal along with the turmeric powder, mash slightly and keep. Grind together all the ingredients given under 'to grind'.

          Heat some oil, add the curry leaves, mix once and add the mashed dal. Mix, then add the ground paste, about 1 to 11/2 cups of water. Mix, bring it to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes. Finally add the lemon juice, mix and switch off.

Note 
Add more or less green chillies depending on the spice level of the chillies.
You can add some more water and have this dal as a soup.

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