Hyderabadi Khatti Dal

Hyderabadi Khatti Dal

Recipe adapted from Times of India, Times Life (04/03/2012)

A very tasty dal, goes well with Rotis / Rice / pulao …

Serves: 4

Ingredients

For dal:

100 g tur dal / moong dal (spit yellow dal)

100 g masoor dal (pink color dal)

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

10 cloves garlic, chopped

2 well ripe tomatoes, chopped

2 green chillies (2 big size or 3 small size), slit lengthwise

½ teaspoon oil

¾ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon thick tamarind paste

Method

For dal:

Wash and soak dals in 3 cups of water in a pressure cooker for 1 hour. Add turmeric powder, chopped garlic, tomatoes, slit green chillies, salt to taste and oil and pressure cook for 20 minutes (Reduce the heat from high to medium after 3 whistles and cook for 15 minutes). Do not open the cooker. Allow the cooker to cool naturally.

Finally add 1 teaspoon tamarind paste (or ½ teaspoon to 1 teaspoon), mix well and boil on a low heat for 7 – 10 minutes.

For seasoning / tadka:

2 teaspoons oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

½ teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)

4 curry leaves

1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves

Method

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds. When they crackle, add cumin seeds and curry leaves. Saute for 2 – 3 minutes or until fragrant on a low heat. Pour this tadka over dal and serve with rotis / rice ..

Hyderabadi Khatti Dal (2 nd recipe)

Serves: 2

You will need

For dal:

100 g turdal
1/2 turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon oil
1/2 teaspoon milk
250 ml water (2 1/2 cups)

For seasoning:

1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 onion, finely sliced
1 green chilli, slit lengthwise
1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
1 tablespoon (15 g) garlic paste
1 1/2 teaspoon tamarind paste or 2 tablespoon tamarind juice
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
Extra 50 ml hot water
2 teaspoon chopped coriander leaves

Method

For dal:

Wash and soak tur dal in 2 1/2 cups water for one hour and mix with turmeric powder, oil and milk and pressure cook for 25 minutes or till done and soft (Reduce the heat after 2 nd whistle and cook on a medium heat for 20 minutes. Do not open the lid. Allow the cooker to cool naturally).

For seasoning:

In a wide pan, heat oil. Add cumin seeds and fry on a low heat for 1 minute.

Add sliced onion and fry till golden color and crisp. Add green chilli and saute well.

Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder. Stir well on a low heat for 1 - 2 minutes.

Add garlic paste and mix well.

Add boiled dal, tamarind paste / juice and salt to taste. Add extra 50 ml hot water if required.

Cover with a lid and cook on a low to medium heat for 12 - 15 minutes or until the dal slightly thickens / fragrant.

Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves and serve with Rotis / Rice,

Egg Curry

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Egg Curry

A good combination with Rice / Pulao / Rotis / Brown bread ...

Serves: 2

You will need

1 tablespoon oil
3 cloves
3 cardamoms
1 cinnamon stick ( 1- inch size)
1 onion, finely sliced
1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper powder
1/4 teaspoon coriander powder
1 tablespoon ginger - garlic paste
2 teaspoon (2 -3 teaspoon) tomato puree
1 cup (100 ml) water
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
2 boiled eggs, cut into halves
1 teaspoon chopped coriander leaves

Method

Dilute Kashmiri red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and pepper powder in 1 tablespoon water. Keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan. Add cloves, cardamom and cinnamon and fry on a low heat till fragrant.

Add finely sliced onion and fry till golden color and crisp.

Add diluted spice powder and stir on a low heat for 2 minutes.

Add ginger - garlic paste and stir well.

Add tomato puree, 1 cup (100 ml) water and salt to taste. Cover with a tight lid and cook on a low to medium heat 10 - 12 minutes or until the gravy thickens. Switch off the heat and gently remove cardamom, cinnamon stick and cloves.

In a serving bowl, arrange boiled egg halves. Pour the onion - tomato gravy over it. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves and serve with Rotis / Pulao / Rice / Brown bread.

Arrowroot Biscuit Halwa

Arrowroot Biscuit Halwa

Makes - 12 slices (1 steel thali of 6 - inches in diameter)

You will need

1 tablespoon ghee
14 arrowroot biscuits, powdered (net weight 75g)
125 ml milk
60 - 70 g sugar
2 pinches of cardamom powder
Shallow fried raisins and cashew nuts (optional)
Extra 1 teaspoon ghee

Method

Grease a steel thali with 1/2 teaspoon ghee and keep aside.

Make a powder of arrowroot biscuits in a mixer. Heat a thick non stick frying pan or kadai and heat 1 tablespoon ghee. Roast powdered biscuits in ghee on a low heat until fragrant and slight change in color (approximately 15 minutes). Maintain low to medium heat. Do not stir on high heat. Biscuit mixture will get dark brown.

Then add the milk mixture and stir well until it’s well mixed with biscuit powder.

Add sugar and cardamom powder. Mix well. Cover with a lid and cook on a low heat for 10 minutes or until the mixture leaves from the sides of the pan and dries up. Add shallow fried cashew nuts and raisins (optional) and mix well.

Pour the mixture on a greased thali and sprinkle remaining 1/2 teaspoon ghee over it and spread it evenly with a flat spatula. Keep aside to cool for half an hour and later cut it into desired shape and sizes. Or you can serve in dessert bowls.

Dahi Vada

Dahi Vada

Soaking time: 3 hours
Makes: 10 - 12 vadas

You will need

200 g ( 1 cup ) urad dal
2 1/2 cup water ( for soaking )
2 green chillies. finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon hing ( asafoetida )
1 - inch piece ginger, finely chopped
1 spring curry leaves, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt ( or to taste )
3 tablespoons water ( for grinding )
250 ml oil for frying

For Dahi (curd):

600 ml thick curd
2 teaspoon jeera powder (dry roast)
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon pepper powder
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
3 teaspoon chopped coriander leaves
Extra 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon chaat masala powder (optional)

For dahi (curd):

Blend dahi with roasted jeera powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, pepper powder, salt to taste and 1 teaspoon chopped coriander leaves (reserve 2 teaspoons). Keep aside.

Method

For vada:

Chop ginger, green chilli and curry leaves. In a bowl, mix hing ( asafoetida ) chopped ginger, green chillies and curry leaves.

Wash and soak urad dal for 3 hours. Drain out water completely.

Grind urad dal to a thick and smooth paste in a mixer in batches. Add / sprinkle 3 tablespoons water during grinding.

Transfer the vada batter into another flat bowl and mix it with chopped ingredients and salt to taste (Finally add salt).

Heat oil in a kadai / frying pan. Reduce heat to medium. Avoid frying on high heat.

Wet your palms and take batter into the palms. Shape it like a doughnut with a hole in the centre. The reason for putting hole is to allow for expansion during frying as well as to obtain uniform cooking through out the cross section.

Alternately one can shape it like a ball / bondas if one find it difficult to shape it like a doughnut. You can make 12 - 14 lemon sized balls with this batter.

Release the doughnut shaped batter / balls directly into the medium hot oil.

Care should taken not to splash oil on to your palms.

Repeat this as far as the space permitting in your kadai (4 - 5 vadas or 6 - 7 balls at a time).

Also too many vadas at a time may result in uneven cooking of vadas. Normally at first the underside of the vadas turn brown. So turn the vadas over so that the uniform color ( golden color ) is obtained through out the surface. Cook on a medium heat. Avoid high heat.

Drain and place on kitchen paper to absorb excess oil and put these vadas in 3 cups of lukewarm water for a few minutes to remove excess oil and make them soft. They should be removed from the water before they are soaked too much. Otherwise they may break.

Take out the vadas from the water and carefully squeeze out the water between the palms without breaking them.

Arrange vadas on a flat serving dish and pour blended curd / dahi over it. Keep aside for 1 - 2 hours to absorb flavour. Sprinkle reserved red chilli powder, chaat masala powder and chopped coriander leaves when serving. Serving suggestion with tamarind chutney (optional).