Dal Fry

 Dal Fry or Lentil soup is the most popular recipe from North India. It is super delicious when prepare in authentic style. My Favorite and I prefer to have it with milky white Basmati Rice. But it is indeed a tasty side treat along with phulka, rotis/chapatis. Got this recipe from a friend but i made a few changes while making it in my kitchen. Came out well. In North they use combination of dals too to make this curry. Here I have used normal Thuvar Dal. 

Ingredients :

Tuvar Dal (Yellow split pigeon Pea)        3/4 Cup

water    3 1/4 cups

Ghee  1 Tbsp

Cumin (Jeera ) 1Tbsp

Onion Finely chopped 1 Medium size

Green Chillies 3 no.s

Ginger Garlic paste 3/4 Tbsp

Curry Leaves one / two twigs

Tomato Finely chopped 1 small

Turmeric Powder 1/2 Tsp

Chilly powder 1 Tsp

Salt as required

Corriander leaves and a small piece of Lemon for garnishing

 Preparation :

Wash  tuvar dal thoroughly. Use warm water for the first rinse. and repeat the same with normal water too. Cook the lentils in a pressure cooker by adding water and salt. After one whistle keep the flame on low or medium and cook for another 4 whistles. Switch it off and let it sit un disturbed for another 20 minutes. 

In a heavy bottomed Kadai pour ghee and add cumin seeds first. Let it crackle. Then add chopped onion, curry Leaves and splitted green chillies. Saute it and after five minutes add ginger garlic paste too. Once the onions become translucent and color turns to brown. add chopped tomato, mix it and cover it for five to seven minutes. so that tomato will be cooked well. open the lid and add turmeric powder and red chilly powder and a pinch of garam masala powder too which is optional. Open the pressure cooker Mix well the cooked lentils with a whisk. Pour it to the prepareed gravy. Let it boil and switch it off. I didnt add water since water consistency was right. If you find it thick then you can add boiled water little by little if you get the right consistency during the process. Finally squeeze a small piece of lemon over the curry and garnish it with corriander leaves. serve it hot and enjoy it with Rice or Roti or chapati or with any main dish of your choice. 

If you like kasuri meti you can add it too crushed during the final stage of cooking. 

Soya Chunks Biriyani

 

This is a simple biriyani which is easy to prepare and rich in protein. 

Ingredients :

Basmati Rice    1 cup

Water 2 cups

Soya chunks 1/2  cup even less than half cup will do

Fresh yoghurt /curd 2Tbsp

Onion Sliced 2

Tomato 1

Green chilly 3

Ginger garlic past  1Table spoon

Corriander powder 1/2 Tsp

Red chilly powder 1/2 Tsp

Black pepper powder 1 Tsp

Turmeric powder 1 Tsp

Whole spices:

Cinnamon sticks  2 inch stick broken into small pieces

Cloves 6 nos

Dried Bay Leaf 2

Thakkolam  (star anise ) a small petal

Saffron crushed a pinch

Corriander and mint leaves finely chopped 1/4 cup

Oil and salt as required I used sunflower Oil. 

Preparation :

Wash and soak biriyani rice for 20 minutes.  Drain and keep it aside. Soak soya chunks in hot water for 15 minutes. it will turn soft squeeze  it nicely to remove the water. repeat the process again for two times by washing it in normal water to ensure to remove the stinky smell or flavor . cut each chunk to two pieces, This will help the chunks to absorb all masalas well. 

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Add whole spices first and sliced onion and green chilly too. Saute well and add ginger garlic paste too. Once the onion is translucent add chopped tomatoes and saute well. Fry until tomatoes become soft, Keep the flame on low. Now add coriander chilly, pepper and turmeric powder. Add chopped coriander and mint leaves too. fry it for 2-3 minutes. Add drained soya chunks and curd. mix well, Add Rice too sauté for two minutes and pour water and salt. Cover with a lid. Once its boiled simmer the flame for five minutes and switch it off. Let it remain undisturbed for half an hour. Once you Open the lid after half an hour it will be done. Serve it hot with raita.

Keep the proportion rice and water as 1:2. Also make sure you soak the rice for twenty minutes before cooking. Soak soya in hot water for twenty minutes, 

Saffron Milk (Kesar Doodh )

Saffron is a very famous spice in India. Traditionally saffron milk is prepared by adding a few saffron strands in warm milk  You can add sugar or honey for sweetness. Optionally you can even add cashew or almond crushed for added taste.  You can even add cardomom powder for extra flavor,  Drink it when its warm. It is one of the widely recommended drink for women during pregnancy. Saffron also increases body heat so it is a perfect drink during winter. 

Saffron milk  is delicious in taste and is rich with nutrients. It acts as a protection against cold. It has various healing properties. It is great for your skin too. A glass of kesar doodh can be a great memory booster for your brain. Good for cardiac health too. 

Muringayila Thoran (Drumstick leaves stir fry)

 Morniga is affectionately called the miracle tree. Moringa leaves contains lots of nutrients. They are wonderful source of protein and one of the excellent sources of minerals like calcium, iron, copper, zinc and magnesium. Moringa contains more iron than the spinach. Pregnant, breast feeding women, elderly women and children would benefit from nutritious sources of such food. It is a good vegetarian substitute for protein supplement. 

Tender leaves are preferred to prepare this thoran. Separate leaves from the big stems. Do not overcook by closing with a lid since the taste will turn to bitter. In kerala we avoid cooking or eating  these leaves during monsoon /karkkidakam. Drumstick trees have the ability to suck lot of water along with the toxins and store it in its trunk. Chances are that during monsoon these toxins are to be released in to the leaves, So Ayurveda practitioners suggests do not eat this during karkitakam. 

Drumsticks leaves cleaned and washed  - 150 Gm.

Grated coconut  (small ) 1/2

Green chilly 2 small

Cumin seeds Apinch

Garlic  a small clove

Turmeric powder 1/2 Tsp

Toor Dal 1/4 cup (optional)

For seasoning : 

Mustard seeds 1/2 Tsp

Whole dried red chilly 2

Curry Leaves 1 Twig

Salt and coconut as required

Pressure cook the dal for 1 whistle adding sufficient water. Keep it aside. Coarsely grind the coconut along with turmeric powder cumin seeds, garlic and green chilly. keep it aside. (I always add parippu since my daughter like it that way)

In a hot kadai pour 1Tbsp coconut oil and splutter the mustard seeds. Keep the flame on low. add curry leaves and red chilly. Now add the ground coconut too. mix well. Add leaves and dal and salt too. Do not add excess water if any with the dal. Little bit of water you can sprinkle. Cover it for 3- 5 minuets. Its done  and spread the mix after opening in order to evaporate the excess water and let it dry.  you can have this curry with either rice or chapathi. 

For making the curry which is gravy type,  same steps can be followed but you can add water while cooking and ground paste consistency should be thick creamy not coarse. Ingredients remain the same.