Methi Dal

Methi dal recipe is pretty simple to make and This recipe made with fresh methi – fenugreek leaves. It is very healthy and Nutritious. For Methi dal we can use thur dal / moong dal / masoor dal or a combination of all of these. Here I have used moongdal and tur dal. I Serve t with hot steamed rice, jeera rice or pulao, roti’s and chapati for lunch and dinner.

Ingredients:

Tur dal - 1 cup.

Moong dal_ 1 cup

Methi leaves- 1 cup

Mustard seeds- 1 tsp

Cumin seeds- 1tsp

Dried red chilli-2

Red chilli powder- 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp

Garliccloves-2 chopped

Ginger-1 tsp

Green chilli-2

Tomato-1

 Onion-1

Oil-2 tsp

asafoetida- pinch

curry leaves- few

Salt- as per taste

Method:

1.Boil dals in a pan or pressure cooker till soft.

2.Heat oil in a pan add the mustard seeds, jeera, who red chili, ginger, green chilli, garlic cloves and curry leaves and allow to splutter.

3.Then add the onion and fry till translucent. Then add  tomato and saute till it turns soft and mushy.

4.Mix in turmeric powder and red chili powder and salt to taste. Saute for a minute and add the fenugreek leaves/methi and cook till the methi leaves/fenugreek leaves turn its color.

5.Add this cooked Meth i masala to the cooked dal and Mix well. adding water if required to adjust consistency. cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

6. Methi dal recipe is ready to serve hot., serve methi dal with rice or roti.

Dal Palak

 

Dal palak or palak dal must be one of the most popular comfort foods in India. Everyone has their own version of this dish. Hot rice and this dal make one of the most soothing and fulfilling combination. I have tried it many times with different dals like moong, chana, tuvardal or with combined dals. Every version I like it! and also tasted it. . Both Dal and spinach are healthy, light, visually pleasing and nutritious. It can even be a side dish for lunch.

Ingredients:

Moong  dal- 1cup

Palak/spinach-2 cups chopped

Onion-1 chopped

Tomato-1 chopped

Ginger-green chili paste-1tsp

Red chili Powder-1tsp

Coriander Powder-1tsp

Turmeric Powder-1/2tsp

Garam masala Powder-1/2tsp

Salt to taste

Oil-2tsp

Cumin seeds-1/2tsp

Method:

1.Cook Moong  dal and palak  separately

2 Heat oil in a heavy bottomed vessel, add cumin seeds and as they splutter, Add the chopped onions and ginger-green chilli paste and saute for 3-4 mts.

3 Add red chili Powder turmeric pwd, coriander pwd ,cumin pwd and garammasala powder combine and saute for 3-4min.. 

4.Add chopped tomato and saute for another 3min. Cook covered for 2-3 min till tender. Keep the flame low.

5.Add the cooked dal along with salt and half a cup of water and combine cooked palak cook uncovered till it gets mix well with the masala cook on low to medium flame till it get desired consistency..

Serve with rotis or Plain rice.

Sambar Sadam

Sambar sadam :Turdal and Vegetables cooked in Rice with Spices, Since it is cooked with lentils, vegetables and rice and it is nutritious along with dal with veggies . It’s a complete meal .. This rice for sure will tickle the taste buds of all sambar lovers. . It’s more like Bisi Bele bath, but without much of those spices .. we won’t need to prepare any vegetable curry with this. This has become a usual menu in my home. I am a great fan of this rice dish. It tastes great when served hot with papadam .Everyone in my home like this rice. It goes well with raitha ,Papadam and chips. I am sure anyone who had tried it would definitely love to have it.

Ingredients :
Raw Rice - 1 cup
Toor dal - 1/2 cup

Tamarind - small lemon sized ball

Pearl onions -15

Beans - 4-5

Carrot - 2

Potato - 2

Peas – handful

Brinjals - 4-5 nos

drumstick(cut into small pieces)-1

Radish – 1

Onion -1

green chillies (slit lengthwise)-2

Sambar powder- 1tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2tsp

Salt - To taste.

Water - 4cups'

Masala for Grinding (fry and dry grind)

Dry coconut-1/2 cup

whole red chillies- 7 no.s ,

coriander seeds-3 tsp,

gram dhal-1 tsp, -

fenugreek seeds- 1/2 tsp

Cloves - 2

Cardamom -1

Khus khus -1 tsp

Heat a tsp of oil, roast the above ingredients, adding coconut at the end. Roast everything till it becomes slightly brown in colour and dry grind it.

For the seasoning:

Mustard -1 tsp

Fenugreek - 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves - little

Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp

 curry leaves-few

Method:

Cut vegetable to cubes.

Cook rice & dal cook with 4  cups of water. Once  cooked Remove from the fire and keep aside

Dry roast the spices as mentioned in the ingredients and dry grind it.

Heat a tbsp of oil and add the ingredients for seasoning. When mustard splutters, add onions, green chilli and sauté till it they become transparent. Then add all the vegetables and sauté for a few more seconds.

Now add tamarind extract, needed salt and the masala powder, sambar powder let it boil well till the veggies cooked and raw flavor goes

Then add cooked dal, cooked rice and 4-5 tsp of ghee and mix well and remove from heat.

Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with papadam & Raitha.

 I am  sending this entry to Radika Vasanth & Sudeshan's Food for 7 Stages of Life-Tiffinbox.

Channa Dal Payasam

Kadalai Parupu Payasam

For Sri Rama Navami I would prepare payasam for puja naivedyam. This year I decided to go for chana dal payasam(we call it Kadalai paruppu payasam). Its long time since I prepared it.It is one of the favorite Payasam in my home. The payasam is a combination of chana dal, sabudana cooked with milk in jaggery syrup. . For giving a unique flavor to the dish, coconut, jaggery and cardamom are used. It is an easy to cook & a very simple but ultimate satisfying dessert. It can be enjoyed either hot or cold.

Ingredients:

Chana dal (Kadalai Paruppu) - 1 cup

Sago (sabudana) - 1/4th cup

Jaggery- 1cup

coconut milk-1cup

Water

Cardamom -2 (crushed)

coconut flakes-1/4 cup

Method:

Roast the chana dal till it becomes red.

Wash the dhal and Add 2 cups of water, mix well, set to boil, Cook on low heat, stirring continuously so that no lumps are formed.

Make sure the dal still holds its shape, so its very important not to over cook it.

In a small vessel put the sabudana with one cup of water and cook in low heat until the sabudana is cooked through. Keep it on side.

Grind the grated coconut and take the thick milk. Take milk from the coconut thrice. Keep the thick milk taken 1st, aside. Add the 2nd and 3rd milk and the jaggery solution to the dal.

Now take a vessel, add one cup of water with the jaggery and boil till the jaggery melts. Then add the cooked dal & sabudana, Let it boil for 5 minutes.Then mix and add the coconut milk.( Add the 1st milk to the payasam ).

The dhal should not boil after adding the milk. . Heat a pan wihth ghee and fry the coconut flakes and cashew nuts. Add a dollop of ghee & cardamom powder for a special taste. Serve chilled or hot.

Note:

Finally add the handful of dhal which was kept separately to the payasam.This gives a nitty gritty effect to payasam.Mix well and remove from fire.

If the final consistency is too thick can dilute using milk.Instead of coconut milk we can add milk also.