Panch Mishali Tarka Dal

This is a type of  Indian lentil Soup, Also called "Panch Ratna Dal", "Panch-mel Dal" or "Panch Mishali Dal" which basically means 5 pulses/lentils (a dal made using 5 lentils) soup.

This dal has 5 types of pulses (lentils) in it. Masoor dal (red lentil), chana dal (Split bengal dal), urad dal (Vigna mungo), kali dal (split black gram) and mung dal (Split Green mungo beans) 

I soaked the lentils (dal) for almost 3-4 hours in lukewarm water. Then boiled it in a pressure cooker with salt, 2-tej pattas (bay leaf) and 1 chopped onion.

Ingredients for tarka/ Chaunk (Tempering) :

• 3 tomatoes 
• 2 onions 
• 7-8 garlic pods
• 1 tsp of turmeric powder
• 1 Tsp of chilly powder
• 2 tsp of cumin seeds 
• A pinch of asafoetida 
• 1 tsp of garam masala powder 
• 3 tsp of ghee or refined butter

Procedure:

In a kadai (or) pan pour 2 tsp of ghee. When it's hot add cumin seeds and hing (asafoetida) when the seeds starts spluttering add the 2 chopped onions and cook till it gets deep brown then add the garlic pieces, turmeric and chilly powder. Cook it for 1 min and add the tomato pieces along with required amount of salt. Cook till it melts . Now add the boiled dal and mix properly. If the consistency is too thick add some warm water . Let the dal come to the boiling point. Lastly add 1 tsp of ghee and a spoon of garam masala from top. Boil for another 2 minutes and turn off the stove. Garnish with coriander leaves on top. 

Enjoy it with roti or naan.

PS: What is dal? (Indian Lentil Soup) >>Wikipedia

Vegetable Cutlets

During chilly evenings with pouring rain and a pleasant breeze, Winter evenings with Hot steaming tea....watching the sunset, This is a snack that will lift up your spirits & accompany your tea :) Eat them while hot along with your tea! Hope you try this out this winter! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 beetroots (the bulbs) 
• 4 medium sized carrots 
• 1 big potato
• 100 grams of green peas
• 1 tsp of turmeric powder
• 2 tsp of chilli powder
• 1 onion
• 4-5 pods of garlic
• few twigs of coriander leaves
• Bhaja (fried) masala ( powdered spices of dried red chilly, bay leaf,coriander,cinnamon,cumin seeds)
• 1 tsp of clarified butter or ghee
• Besan (chickpea flour)or gram flour
• Breadcrumbs 
• Oil to fry 

Recipe:

• Boil the vegetables first.
• Mash the boiled vegetables nicely while adding salt, chilly powder, and turmeric powder to the mash.
• Take 1 tsp of oil in a pan and fry chopped onion and garlic. Now saute  the mashed veggies for 2-3 minutes and add 2 tsp of bhaja masala(See above) and a spoonful of clarified butter from top & give it a good stir.
• Let this mixture cool down for sometime.
• Meanwhile prepare a batter with chickpea flour (besan) and salt and water.
• Take a separate plate and spread out the breadcrumbs over the plate.
• Take little portions from the mixture which you prepared earlier and make small round shaped balls and flatten it out in your palms into cutlet shapes (like above)
• Keep these flattened cutlets in the refrigerator for an hour.
• Heat some oil in a pan.
• Dip the cutlet in the batter and roll it in the breadcrumbs and fry them in medium flame.

P.S.:  In absence of breadcrumbs you can roll it in semolina also.

Serve it with sauce of your choice 

Tomato Rice

Hi friends, How are you all, with the onset of winter. Now you'll find tomatoes in abundance everywhere. In the southern part of India, tomato rice is a rice preparation that is seen very often in packed lunches. Eating tomatoes is very good as it is rich in vitamin C which is great for hair and skin. Here in the south we find rice cooked in many interesting ways with tamarind, lemons, cabbage, carrots, beetroot. The basic spices for all these rice dishes remain the same but only the main ingredient used is different.

Today I'm going to share with you all my "tomato rice" recipe!

Ingredients:

The spices I've used

• 
  

• 400 gms of long grain rice
• 1 Tsp of red chilly powder
• 1 tsp of garam masala 
• 100 gms of onions (thinly sliced)
• 300 gms of tomatoes (chopped) 
• 1 Tsp of cumin seeds
• 1 tsp of mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp of aesofotida (hing)
• Salt to taste
• 2 Tsp of oil
• 10-12 curry leaves 
• 2 dry red chilly
• 2 tsp of baked Chana dal ( Futana)
• 2 Tsp of peanuts 
• 1 tsp of raisins
• Cashew nuts ( optional)

Procedure:

1.Boil the rice and keep it aside. Spread nicely so that it does not get sticky.

2.Fry the peanuts and keep it aside.

3.Heat some oil in a pan and once the oil is hot add the cumin seeds, mustard seeds, dried red chillies, asafoetida, curry leaves into the oil.

4. Now add the chopped onions into the same pan and fly till golden brown.

5.Then add the chopped tomatoes and cook in high flame for 2-3 minutes.

6.Now add the chilli powder, turmeric powder and garam masala powder.

7.Lower the flame and cook for almost half an hour till oil separates. The tomato mixture will reduce and look like in the picture below.

6. Now add the boiled rice  and chana dal (futana) (or) you can even add cashew nuts to the mixture and mix it properly.

Garnish with raisins and serve with curd or papad (nachos/tortilla chips)

ENJOY~