Tuar Dal Khichdi / Lentil Rice

Khichdi is my favorite comfort food.. Especially when cooked in a pressure cooker till the consistency is like a mashed up khichdi.. Just add a dollop of ghee on it and you have a complete one-pot meal. There are many ways to make khichdi. Some like it spicy while others prefer it to be plain. Also different kinds of lentils can be used to prepare your own version of khichdi. My hubby likes having lentils or legumes for dinner at least once a week. So, I am always on lookout for new lentil recipes. I learnt this khichdi from a Punjabi friend in Chennai 'S'.. It's quite simple and easy to make too. Hope you guys like it.

Ingredients:-

• 1½ cups rice
• ¾ cup tuar dal / split pigeon pea
• 2 onions (sliced)
• 3 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
• 2 tbsp clarified butter / ghee 
• 1 tbsp coriander pdr 
  
• 1 tsp crushed red chillies
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp turmeric pdr
• pinch of asafoetida / hing
• salt to taste

Method:- 

• Wash the dal and rice well and pressure cook along with salt, turmeric pdr and 4 cups water.
• Heat ghee in a wok and add onions, garlic and cumin seeds.
• When onion turns golden, add red chillies, coriander pdr and asafoetida.
• Meanwhile, mix the dal-rice mixture well and add to the wok.
• Mix thoroughly. and serve with an extra dollop of ghee and curds.

Notes:-

• You may add some cubed potatoes along with the rice while boiling if you want.
• Adjust the water as per the consistency of the khichdi you like.

Happy Cooking!!

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Vegetarian Dalcha

Dalcha is a healthy dish very hard to resist with it's unique flavours of lentil combined with spices and bottlegourd. My Mom makes dalcha with mutton and red lentils (masoor dal). I learnt this slightly different veg version of dalcha from my MIL and I am totally in love with this dish. It is among the most popular dishes from my MIL and again one of my family favorites. Believe me, this recipe is definitely worth-trying. 

Ingredients:-

• 1 cup bottlegourd (peeled & chopped)
• ½ cup split pigeon pea / tuar dar 
• 3 green chillies (slit)
• 3 big tomatoes (chopped) 
• 2 onions (finely chopped)
• 2 bayleaves  
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 2 tbsp oil 
• 1½ tsp coriander powder 
• 1 tsp red chilli powder 
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp clarified butter / ghee
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp all spice powder
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• salt to taste
• few chopped coriander leaves (for garnishing)

Method:-

• Wash the dal well.
• Pressure cook along with 2 cups water, ¼ tsp turmeric powder, ½ tsp red chilli powder and green chillies.
• After whistle, simmer  for 7-10 minutes and remove.
• Whisk the dal well and keep aside.
• In a wok, heat oil.
• Add onions and bayleaves.
• Fry till onions turn golden brown.
• Add ginger-garlic paste, tomatoes, ¼ tsp turmeric powder, ½ tsp red chilli powder, coriander powder, all spice powder and salt.
• Mix well and simmer along with 2 tbsp water.
• When oil separates and tomatoes are tender, add chopped bottlegourd and ½ cup water.
• Simmer on slow flame till bottle-gourd is almost tender.
• Add the whisked dal and bring it to boil.
• Simmer flame. Cover and cook for 8-10 mins.
• In a pan, heat clarified butter.
• Add mustard seeds and curry leaves.
• Fry till the seeds splutter.
• Pour this tempering over the dal. 
• Garnish with coriander leaves.
• Serve with baghaare chawal or plain rice.

Notes:-

• You may add ½ kg mutton after the onion turns brown and cook in the same way for non-veg version. Just increase the spices a bit.

Happy Cooking!! 

Sending this entry to :- Dish it Out – Lentils/Legumes and Mission Explore Food : Lentils & CookCookandCook & Thoushaltcook and Spotlight: Beans & Lentil 

Moong Ki Chilkewali Dal (Split Green Gram)

Today, I want to share a very healthy and nutritious dal recipe - Chilkewali Moong Dal. Green gram is very low in fats and very easy to digest as well. It is great source of dietary fibers, vitamins, proteins and minerals. I use yellow split lentil without the skin (moong dal) a lot in my everyday cooking but when it comes to moong ki chilke wali dal, the only thing that comes to my mind is Khichdi. So, for a change, I thought to try a different recipe this time. I immediately called my Mom, who suggested me three other recipes. I immediately liked this as it's quite easy to prepare with all the ingredients easily available at home. Thanks Mom for sharing this wonderful recipe. This has become my family favourite dal now.

Ingredients:-

• 1 cup chilkewali moong dal (split green gram)
• 3 - 4 cups water 
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder 
• salt to taste

Method:-

• Wash the dals well and pressure cook along with water, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt.
• Simmer for 5 minutes after one whistle.
• Whisk the dal well and keep aside. 

Ingredients for tempering:-

• 2 tbsp ghee / clarified butter
• 1 tsp garlic (finely chopped)
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• 2 - 3 akhi lal mirch (dried red chillies)
• 1 onion (sliced)

Method:-

• Heat ghee in a pan.
• Add onions, garlic, cumin seeds and dry red chillies.
• Fry till onion  turns light golden.
• Pour this seasoning over dal.
• Serve hot with chapati's or rice.

Notes:-

• You may adjust the water as per your required consistency.
• If you find the dal too thin cook for some time more on high flame after whisking it, or if you may add little water if you find the dal is too thick and give it a boil.
• You may add 2 whole green chillies in the dal and avoid red chillies in the tempering.

Happy Cooking!!

Sending this entry to :- Love For Mum & Jagrutis Celebrate Love For Mum and Food She Loved, I loathed and Foodelicious Cook Like Mom Event and WTML–Walk Through Memory Lane & Gayathri's Announcement page and My Legume Love Affair & Susan, the creator of this event & Lisa's MLLA and  Mission - Lentils

 

Chane ki dal aur lauki ki sabzi

Bottlegourd is a favourite vegetable among our family. It is a very delicious, yummy as well as a healthy dish. My mom prepares the best chane ki dal aur lauki sabzi and I learned this dish from her. I make this very often and hence wanted to share this recipe with you all.

Ingredients :-

• 200 gms bottle gourd / lauki (diced into medium pieces)
• 1 cup bengal gram (chana dal)
• 1 onion (finely chopped) 
• 3 tomatoes (sliced)
• ½ cup oil
• 15 - 20 curry leaves
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• ½ tsp turmeric pdr
•  ½ tsp all spice pdr
• 1½ tsp red chillie pdr
• 1½ tsp cumin pdr
• salt to taste
•  few coriander leaves (chopped)

Method :-

• Boil the chana dal in enough water till it becomes soft and tender but the grains should be whole and not mushy.
• Heat oil in a wok. Add curry leaves, mustard seeds and onion.
• When onion starts changing colour, add ginger-garlic paste and tomatoes.
•  Stir well and add red chillie pdr, turmeric pdr, cumin pdr, all spice pdr, salt and lauki.
• Add ¼ cup water and stir well.
• When oil seperates, add ½ cup water and cook covered on slow flame till lauki is done.
• Mix in chana dal lightly and simmer for 2 minutes.
• Garnish with coriander leaves.
• Serve hot with paratha or roti. 

Notes :-

• You may omit onions if you want and add  ½ tsp cumin seeds instead.
• I like this to have this as a side dish with chole, but if you wish you may add enough water to make gravy and have it with rice.
• You may use moong dal instead of chana dal.

Happy Cooking!!