Spinach Dal (Paalakura Pappu)

Ingredients
Toor Dal - 1 cup (wash & soak in 1 cup warm water for 1/2 hour)
Spinach, chopped - 2 cups
Onion - 1 medium, roughly chopped
Green chillies - 3, slit lengthwise
Salt to taste
Water - 1 cup
Ghee - 1tsp
Amchur (dry mango) powder - 2 tsp
For seasoning:
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Dried red chillies - 2, tear and deseed
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp

Garlic, chopped - 1 tbsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Oil - 1 tsp

Method

1. Pressure cook toor dal and spinach with onion and green chillies for upto 3 whistles.
2. Once steam is released, open the lid and mash the dal mixture lightly.
3. Heat oil in a pan for seasoning. Add mustard seeds and when they splutter, add rest of the ingredients listed under seasoning. Add this seasoning to dal mixture.
4. Add amchur powder, ghee and adjust salt.

Serve with warm rice!

Sorakaya-Tomato Pappu (Bottlegourd-Tomato Dal)

 

Ingredients

Toor dal - 1 cup (washed & soaked in warm water for 1/2 hr)

Sorakaya - 3 cups, chopped 1" cubes (peel the skin & chop)

Tomatoes - 3 medium, roughly chopped

Onion - 1 medium, roughly chopped

Green chillies - 4

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Salt - 1 tsp (adjust per taste)

Water - 1 cup

Amchur powder - 2 tsp

 

Seasoning/Popu:

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Dried red chillies - 2, tear and deseed

Garlic - 2 cloves, minced

Curry leaves - sprig

 

Oil - 2 tsp

Ghee - 2 tsp (optional)

Method

1. Pressure cook toor dal, sorakaya, tomatoes, onion, green chillies with turmeric, salt and 1 cup water for upto 4 whistles. 
2. When pressure is released, remove the lid and add amchur powder, adjust salt.
3. In a small saucepan, heat 2 tsp oil for seasoning. When oil is hot, add mustard seeds. When they start crackling, add rest of the ingredients called for under seasoning. Fry for just a few seconds and add this seasoning to dal mixture.

Stir in 2 tsp ghee for that perfect taste! Serve with warm rice!

Red Chard/Swiss Chard - Toor Dal

I guess most of the leafy vegetables make a nice pairing with dals and the bonus is, our family loves dal! so, it is Chard with Toor Dal.

Ingredients
Toor dal - 1 cup, wash and soak in warm water for 30 minutes.

Chard leaves - 1 bunch, roughly chopped (there are 5 or 6 big leaves in a bunch)

2 tomatoes, big - roughly choppped
1 onion, big - roughly chopped
4 green chillies, slit lengthwise
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Water - 1 cup
Tamarind pulp - 2 tsp

Oil - 2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Dired red chillies - 2, tear and deseed
Garlic cloves - 3, (chopped/minced)
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Ghee - 2 tsp (optional)

 Method

1. Pressure cook toor dal and chard with 1 cup water, tomatoes, onion, green chillies, turmeric & 1 tsp salt. Cook until soft or until 4 whistles.
2. Once the pressure is released, remove the lid and turn the heat on. Add tamarind pulp and let any excess water evaporate. Turn the heat off.
3. In a small saucepan, heat 2 tsp oil to do the seasoning.
4. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, red chillies, garlic & curry leaves. Let fry for just 1/2 a minute and add this seasoning to the dal. Adjust salt and add 2 tsp ghee.

Serve with warm rice or can be had with roti/phulka.

Amaranth (Thotakura) - Masoor Dal

Ingredients

Masoor Dal (Masara pappu / Red lentils) - 1 cup

Thotakura (Amaranth) - 4 cups, roughly chopped

Tomatoes - 2 medium, roughly chopped

Onion - 1 medium, roughly chopped

Green chillies - 4

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

Amchur powder - 1 tsp

Ghee - 2 tsp (optional)
Water

for seasoning /popu/tadka :

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Dried red chillies - 2, tear and deseed
Garlic - 3 cloves, chopped
Curry leaves - sprig

Method

1. Wash and soak masoor dal in 1 cup water, for 30 minutes.
2. In a pressure cooker, add masoor dal, 1 cup water, sprinkle little turmeric and 1 tsp salt. Add thotakura, onion, tomatoes and green chillies.
3. Pressure cook upto 3-4 whistles. Turn the heat off and let rest for 10-15 minutes
4. Once the pressure is released, uncover, turn the heat on and add amchur powder (you may use tamarind pulp instead). Let excess liquid evaporate. Turn the heat off
5. Heat oil a small saucepan, add the seasoning/popu ingredients, starting with mustard seeds. When they crackle, add cumin seeds, red chillies, garlic and curry leaves.
6. Add the popu to dal mixture, adjust salt. Add 2 tsp ghee, for an enhanced tast

Serve with warm rice

Chana Dal - Coconut

Everything is good with coconut, right? Here is a very delicious dal-coconut combo! Chana dal with coconut!

 

Rice with Chana Dal and Majjiga Mirapakaya

Ingredients

Chana dal - 1 cup

Water - 2 cups

Fresh grated coconut - 1 cup

Onion - 1 medium, roughly chopped

Green chillies - 3, slit lengthwise

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Salt - to taste

For seasoning/popu

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Dried red chillies - 2, tear and deseed

Garlic - 2 cloves, finely chopped

Curry leaves - sprig

Ghee - 1 tbsp

Oil - 1 tsp

Method

1. Wash and soak chana dal in warm water for 30 minutes
2. In a sauce pan, add chana dal, onion, coconut, green chillies, salt, turmeric and water. Cover and cook just until the dal becomes soft, but not mushy
3. For seasoning, heat ghee and oil in a saute pan. Add mustard seeds; when they crackle, add cumin seeds, red chillies, garlic and curry leaves. 
4. Add this seasoning to the cooked dal, mix. Adjust salt and serve with warm rice.

Majjiga Mirapakaya (green chillies soaked in yogurt and sundried) served alongside, adds a punch!

Asparagus-Moong Dal (Pesara pappu/Yellow split peas)

I had tried Asparagus in Moong Dal at a friend's (Chithra) place and quite liked it! I thought that was a great way to eat one good, but rather bland vegetable! And so I tried it in my kitchen and discovered a new love for Asparagus. Thanks Chithra, for the inspiration!

Recipe

1 cup Moong Dal (wash & soak in water for 30 minutes)
1 bunch Green Asparagus (remove the tough end, cut into 1/2” rounds)
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
3 green chillies, slit lengthwise
salt, turmeric – to taste
1 tbsp oil
For seasoning : 1 dried red chillie – broken into pieces, ¼ tsp cumin seeds, ¼ tsp mustard seeds, 3 garlic cloves-chopped, 5 curry leaves

• Heat oil in a pan, add seasoning ingredients, chopped onion and saute for a couple of minutes
• Add soaked moong dal, green chillies, a cup of water, salt & turmeric
• Cover and cook until dal is half cooked
• Add asparagus, add water if required, cover & cook until done
• When done, asparagus should be firm to touch, but tender (should not turn mushy) and the dal, at grainy consistency

Finally, I add a couple of teaspoons of ghee.... and it tastes divine with rice!

Methi leaves in Moong Dal

Methi is probably one of the easiest leafy vegetables to be produced in your own garden. The methi plants from our patio garden came to my rescue when I was left with no vegetables in the refrigerator! All leafy vegetables are good with Moong Dal, so here is a simple, tasty & nutritious Methi Dal.

Recipe

2 cups of Methi leaves (pick just the leaves, no stems)
1 cup Moong Dal (wash & soak dal in water for 20-30 minutes)
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
½ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
1 dried red chillie, broken into pieces
3 garlic cloves, chopped
4 curry leaves
3 green chillies, slit lengthwise
¼ tsp turmeric
salt to taste
2 tbsp oil

Heat oil in a pan and add seasoning of mustard seeds, cumin seeds, red chillie & curry leaves. Add chopped onion & garlic and let fry for a couple of minutes. Add washed methi leaves and let fry for 3-5 minutes. Add the soaked moong dal, turmeric, salt, green chillies and a cup of water. Cover & let cook until the dal turns soft. Mix & turn the stove off. Serve dal with ghee, alongside rice. (If you like a smooth consistency of dal, mash the end product with a spatula)