moong dal palak recipe ( spinach moong dal )

Again, this is such a comforting dish. It is essentially very similar to my split green moong dal recipe but with added health benefits of spinach!! Full of iron, full of protein, it is sooooo healthy it is incredible!!! don't let this put you of though with me saying how healthy it is, because it really is equally as yummy!! I promise that I will pop some nice photo's of this dish soon, so watch this space!! :-)

Here it is............

Ingredients:-
1 cup split green moong dal
1-2 cups of washed and chopped spinach. It must be fresh, not frozen or tinned!!
3 cups of water
1 tbs sunflower oil
1/4 tsp hing
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2-3 green chilli's
1/2 tsp grated ginger
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp kashmiri chilli powder- or to taste.
1 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp garam masala
fresh coriander
1 tbs butter ( optional but really nice )

Directions:-

1) Soak dal in boiling water for 1/2 hour - 1 hour if you have time. If you don't have enough time to soak the dal you can always add some more water and cook for another whistle. Drain before cooking.

2) Heat the pressure cooker over a medium heat and add the oil

3) Add the cumin seed and asafoetida and just let them sizzle for a few seconds and then add the green chilli, turmeric and the ginger. Fry again for a few seconds.

4) Add the drained dal, spinach and the salt. Cover and cook for 3-4 whistles.

5) I like to let the steam escape naturally, because this keeps everything cooking slowly, but if you don't have time you can just run the pressure cooker under cold water until all of the pressure is released. Mash everything well with a potato masher.

6) Add the lemon juice, garam massala and the coriander. Mix well test the seasoning
and adjust to your taste.

Serve hot with chapatti's, cacumber ( onions, tomato and cuccumber salad ) and papads. Or plain and simple on it's own!!! UMMMMM

Yellow moong dal (with a difference)

Yellow moong dal has always been one of my favourite dals and there are countless ways to cook this highly nutritious little gem. I have adapted this recipe from a traditional dry version called sukhi dal. I have changed it to suit my taste and methods of cooking because I was never really all that happy with the end result. I definitely prefer this dish to have a sauce, so you definitely can not call this dish sukhi dal. The other ways of cooking this dal is to completely obliterate the dal in a pressure until it is all smooth and silky. So, i just thought that this way would be a nice change, to have the dal retain its shape, but to have a nice gravy too.

So here is my delicious experiment.....

ingredients:-

1 cup yellow moong dal- rinsed and soaked for about 2 hours in hot water,
2-3 tbs oil
1 small onion (optional)
1 heaped tsp garlic purée,
1 tsp ginger paste,
1/2 tsp mustard seed,
1/2 tsp cumin seeds,
a large pinch of asafoetida,
3-4 curry leaves,
1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder (recommended to give a nice colour but you can use normal chilli powder)
1 tsp turmeric powder,
1 1/2 - 2 tsp coriander-cumin powder,
2 tsp sugar, or to taste,
1-2 tsp lemon juice, or to taste,
1 tsp salt, or to taste,
fresh green coriander.

Directions:-

1) When the two hours are up, drain the dal and heat the oil in a pan over a medium to hot heat.

2) Add the mustard seeds and cook until the pop before adding the cumin seeds and asafoetida.

3) Take off the heat and add the curry leaves. Fry for just a moment.

4) Add the onions, ginger, garlic and fry over heat until they start turning brown. (That's if you are using them)

5) Add the spices, sugar and about a cup of water. Bring to the boil and then add the moong dal.

6) Turn the heat down to low and cook with a tight fitting lid for about 15 minutes or until cooked.
But BEWARE!! Do not stir the dal until you put in the lemon juice and salt, but even then you only want to fold those ingredients in otherwise it will all turn to mush.

7) Check the seasoning and serve garnished with coriander. It goes really nice with plain boiled basmati rice and Healthy mixed vegetable curry.

Please enjoy and feel free to give advice, comments and experiences.

Chora nu shaak recipe. (Black eye beans or Lobia)

This is a real comforting, but also a healthy dish to eat. When I cook this dish you can guarantee there will never be any scraps left because it is sooooo good!. It's also a really good dish for the kids to have to because if they like baked beans then they will definitely like this dish. Black eye bean are so so full of goodness to! They are low in calorie's, high in fibre, high in protein so they are excellent for vegetarians, mega high in potassium which is good for the heart and a massive amount of zinc and iron, making them power houses for nutrition! It is also Very delicious so go on! give it a go and let me know what you think. :-) :-) :-)

Ingredients:- Amounts can be doubled for a family.

1 tin of black eye beans,
2 tbs extra mild olive oil or sunflower oil,
1 medium onion - blended,
1 small tin of chopped tomato,
1 heaped tsp garlic paste- or to taste,
1 green chilli - or to taste,
1 tsp ginger paste,
5-6 curry leaves,
1/4 tsp black mustard seeds,
1/4 tsp cumin seeds,
a pinch of asafoetida (hing) - optional,
1/2 tsp turmeric powder,
1/2 tsp red chilli powder or to taste,
1/4 tsp garam masala.
salt
1 1/2 tsp sugar
Fresh coriander and spring onions for garnishing.

Directions:-

1) Heat the oil in a medium pan over a medium to hot heat. Then add the mustard seeds and let them pop and crackle.

2) Then add the cumin seeds and asafoetida and let them sizzle.

3) Take off the heat for a moment and add the curry leaves. Give them a stir.

4) Add the onion, garlic, ginger and the green chilli and cook until the onions are just starting to brown.

5) Then add the tinned tomatoes and cook the mixture down until it is a thick paste.

6) Add the spice powders, the sugar and the beans and give it all a good mix to coat the beans well.

7) Add sufficient water and simmer for about 15-20 minutes, then check the seasoning and adjust if you need to.

Serve with rice and chapati's or poori's
Garnish with coriander and spring onions.

Tomato Rasam recipe

There really is no better and more comforting side dishes for me. I think the reason why is that it was one of the first REAL Indian dishes that i had tried. It was steaming hot, served on top of fluffy basmati rice with fresh green coriander sprinkled over the top. This was also the first time that i had ever tried fresh coriander too. I had fallen in love instantly with real Indian food and I just wanted more, but I was to polite and shy to ask, as their was a family of three boy's and two adults in the house to feed, so I think that at first they were being polite when they fed me, so I did not ask for more. The lady that cooked this meal for her family was an absolute genius and a complete inspiration to me. I really wish that I took up the many invitations to learn how to cook these spectacular dishes, but of course the situation at the time was difficult to say the least, so like a plum, I never did except the once in a life time opportunity and learn from the best, but we learn from our life experiences and we can only correct them when we realise that we can. Take every opportunity as you can and live life to the full, no mater what your passion is it is achievable even if you know nothing from the start. Here is my attempt of learning from scratch to absolute comfort.

Ingredients:-

4 tbs of red lentils - rinsed, boiled and puréed in a blender. (This is untraditional in this recipe but I think that it add extra flavour and health benefits.)
1 tbs oil and 1 tsp ghee
1/2 tsp of mustard seeds
3/4 tsp cumin seeds
1-2 dried red chilli's
4-6 cloves
2 green cardamom pods
1 1/2 inch piece of cinnamon or cassia bark
1 tsp ginger purée
3/4 tsp garlic purée
1 green chilli
about 10-13 curry leaves
1/4- 1/2 tsp hing (asafoetida)
3 tbs freshly chopped coriander
3-4 medium tomatoes peeled and chopped finely
1/2 tsp of kashmiri chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp of home-made rasam powder or to taste.
2 tsp of sugar, or 1 tsp of jaggery
1 tsp of tamarind paste or to taste

Directions:-

1) Heat the oil on a medium heat in a pan and add the mustard seed and wait until they pop.

2) Add the hing and let it sizzle,

2) Then add the cumin seeds, red chilli, cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon, garlic, ginger, green chilli, curry leaves and stir for about 30 seconds off the heat to make sure that the mixture does not burn.

3) Then add the fresh coriander and stir fry until the coriander wilts.

4) Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until all nice and pulpy and the oil separates.

5) Add the rest of the powdered spices and cook for another minute.

6) Add the sugar or jaggery and add your desired amount of water. Maybe around 1-2 pints depending on how you like it.

7) Add the tamarind and green coriander, mix and check the seasoning.

Serve as a soup or on top of rice.

Split green moong dal recipe

When i was younger, there was one day when i felt quite ill. This day i had the privilege of one of my friends mums cooking and this was the dish that she cooked.
I think the combination of me feeling completely at ease in her company and her home, and me feeling ill and her feeding me this dish was absolute comfort to me. At the time my pallet was completely western, so the first few mouth-fulls were a new experience for me. The first mouth-full, i wasn't sure, but then i had another mouth-full and then another and then another, until the whole bowl was devoured and i was left feeling like i wanted more!

Since there is no chance of me sampling her food ever again it has been a bit of a mission of mine to re-create a few of those mega comforting dishes like this one. After lots of attempts i think that i have come close to it. Moong dal with spinach was always the closest contender, but then one day when i was feeling a bit under the weather, it just came to me this recipe! so i had to cook it! When i tasted it and adjusted the seasoning slightly i thought THAT'S IT EURICA!!!

So now i have another dish that i comfort eat too! OH NO i don't need another! oh well it doesn't matter with this one, i am aloud it as it is healthy for you!!! :-)

Here it is............

Ingredients:-
1 cup split green moong dal
3 cups of water
1 tbs sunflower oil
1/4 tsp hing
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2-3 green chilli's
1/2 tsp grated ginger
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp garam massala
fresh coriander
1 tbs butter ( optional but really nice )

Directions:-

1) Soak dal in boiling water for 1/2 hour - 1 hour if you have time. If you don't have enough time to soak the dal you can always add some more water and cook for another whistle. Drain before cooking.

2) Heat the pressure cooker over a medium heat and add the oil

3) Add the cumin seed and asafoetida and just let them sizzle for a few seconds and then add the green chilli, turmeric and the ginger. Fry again for a few seconds.

4) Add the drained dal and the salt. Cover and cook for 3-4 whistles.

5) I like to let the steam escape naturally, because this keeps everything cooking slowly, but if you don't have time you can just run the pressure cooker under cold water until all of the pressure is released. Mash everything well with a potato masher.

6) Add the lemon juice, garam massala and the coriander. Mix well test the seasoning
and adjust to your taste.

Serve hot with chapatti's, cacumber ( onions, tomato and cuccumber salad ) and papads. Or plain and simple on it's own!!! UMMMMM