Dalma Recipe | How to make Dalma | Oriya Dalma Recipe [Video]

Dalma is a popular mix vegetable dal based curry from the region of Odisha in India. A variety of vegetables are simmered along with dal to give a delicious curry that is usually served with steamed white rice.

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Caution, this is not a Summer Recipe. But I still love it and can eat it anytime. 

The curiosity all started with a restaurant in Bangalore named Dalma. I would cross it and wonder what the name means. I had no clue it actually referred to this very popular classic Odia or Oriya dish. And then we met, me and Dalma, the curry, not the restaurant. The restaurant is still a mystery, never stepped in there.

Dalma was introduced to me by my neighbor who had an Oriya cook. He was fond of cooking his traditional cuisine once in a while and I loved it the first time I ate it. Unfortunately, I never took the recipe from him, but my neighbor who watched over him at times, gave this recipe to me. I have read online that there are different recipes of Dalma, some use coconut, some use onions, some use neither. I believe each region has adapted the dish to what is available locally. The coastal belt uses coconut while the interior regions do not. 

The Odia folks love Dalma so much that it is also served as a part of Chappan Bhog in Puri's Jagannath Temple.

Dalma is a very simple mix vegetable curry that is also very healthy. The dal is full of veggies and barely has any oil. The only oil used is that in tempering. Dalma is a hearty and wholesome curry that is usually served with Rice or Roti. If you plan to serve it with roti, add less water to keep the curry thick. Each variation of the recipe may use different vegetables, use what you can get your hands on. Vegetables that need time to cook are added in the beginning and once they are partially cooked, the faster cooking vegetables are added. The Oriya cook used to cook the dal in the same pan and while the dal was still cooking, he added in the veggies. I just sped up the process by using already cooked dal. Some folks may also use Chana Dal instead of Toor Dal or a mix of both. 

Wishing you a warm and comforting weekend with Dalma!

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are upto.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

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Dalma Recipe | How to make Dalma | Oriya Dalma Recipe

Dalma is a popular mix vegetable dal based curry from the region of Odisha in India. A variety of vegetables are simmered along with dal to give a delicious curry that is usually served with steamed white rice.

Recipe Type:  Curry
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     15 minutes
Cook time:     45 minutes
Total time:     60 minutes
Yield:                Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked Toor Dal (Pigeon Pea Lentils)
1 Drumstick, peeled and chopped
1 Raw Banana, peeled and diced
1 big Potato, peeled and diced
10-12 Beans, diced
0.5 cup diced Pumpkin
2 Brinjals, diced
1 Tomato, roughly chopped
1 Onion, sliced
2 Tbsp Mustard Oil
1 Tbsp Panch Phoran (whole spice mix)
1 Bayleaf
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1 tsp Cumin Powder
1 Tbsp chopped Coriander Leaves
Salt to taste
2-3 cups Water
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Add cooked toor dal (lentils) to a deep pan or kadhai. Add water as required and 1 tsp turmeric powder. Mix well.
2. Add in the drumsticks, raw banana, pumpkin, potato and beans.
3. Add salt to taste. Cover and cook until the vegetables are half cooked.
4. Add in the brinjal and cover and cook until the vegetables are almost cooked.
5. Add in the chopped tomato and cook until all the vegetables are cooked.
6. Adjust seasoning if required. Remove from heat and keep aside.
7. To make the tempering, heat mustard oil in a pan and add the panch phoran spice mix.
8. Once the spices splutter, add in the bay leaf and sliced onions.
9. Fry until the onions are translucent.
10. Add in red chilli powder and the cumin powder and saute for 1 minute.
11. Add the Dalma to the tempering and simmer for 5-6 minutes.
12. Add water if required.
13. Garnish with the chopped coriander leaves.
14. Serve hot with rice or roti.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Pancharangi Dal

Ghugni Masala

Undhiyu

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Nuchhina Unde Recipe | Nuchinunde Recipe | Steamed Lentil Dumplings [Video]

Nuchchina Unde or Nuchinunde are steamed lentil dumplings from South India. The dumplings are made from mixed lentils and flavored with herbs like curry leaves and dill. The lentil dumplings are vegan and healthy. 

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So, I just read a quote somewhere, "I start my new year resolutions in February, January was just a trial month". I'm beginning to believe in that.

I had so many plans for 2019 and it has been slowly going down the drain. January may have well been my most hectic and tiring month of all time. I had planned to go off sugar, something I've been wanting to do for so long. But I just caved it once the stress rose. Guilty as charged, I am a stress eater and when stressed I crave chocolate, like any other woman on the planet. So yes, I gave in to my chocolate cravings. It also did not help that a colleague of mine got me special candy because I helped him shop last time he was over in India. How does one just ignore such a nice gesture. Very soon 1 candy turned to 20 and I had no control over myself. I had to send the bag over to my sisters. Multiple weddings in January didn't help either. February just started today, let's hope I make this one count.

I had also resolved to blog more. But I've actually been blogging less than ever. It's not that I haven't had the time. It's just been one of those fortnights where I want to crawl into bed and watch reruns of TV shows. Currently hooked on to My Kitchen Rules and Come Dine with Me. 

So what have you been up to recently? How was January? 

So for all the sugar I ate in January, I'm trying to compensate with these healthy steamed lentil dumplings. It suits all sorts of diets - vegan, plant based, high protein, low fat etc. So you really have no excuse not to try it. If you thought just because it fit all those diets, it does not have flavor, think again! Because if you are a dill lover like me, this one is all Dilly. Pun unintended. 

These nucchina unde or lentil dumplings were a breakfast my mom used to make. The first time I tried them I fell in love with them. To make the dumplings, you need to soak mixed lentils for a few hours. You can also leave them soaking overnight. Then drain and grind them coarse. Add in the dill along with coconut, ginger and chilly for added flavor. Shape into dumplings and steam until done. And if you aren't in such a healthy mood, just deep fry them to make Masala Vadas. Tastes great both ways.

No matter how you make it, don't forget to serve it along with spicy Chutney.

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are upto.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google+ or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

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Nuchina Unde Recipe

Nuchchina Unde or Nuchinunde are steamed lentil dumplings from South India. The dumplings are made from mixed lentils and flavored with herbs like curry leaves and dill. The lentil dumplings are vegan and healthy.

Recipe Type:  Snacks, Breakfast
Cuisine:            South Indian
Prep Time:     4 hours
Cook time:     15 minutes
Total time:     4 Hours 15 Minutes
Yield:                11-12

Ingredients:

0.75 cup Toor Dal or Pigeon Pea lentils
0.5 cup Chana Dal or Split chickpeas
1 cup chopped Dill leaves
1 Green Chilli
0.5 tsp Ginger
5-6 Curry leaves, finely chopped
0.25 cup grated Coconut
A pinch of Asafoetida
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash the toor dal and chana dal. Soak the dals in water for 4-6 hours.
2. Drain out the water and coarsely grind the dals without adding any water to the mixer.
3. Remove the dal mixture into a large bowl and add finely chopped green chilli, finely chopped curry leaves, chopped dill leaves, ginger paste, asafoetida (hing) and salt.
4. Mix well until combined and shape into dumplings. If the batter feels watery, add a little besan or chickpea flour.
5. Steam for 10-12 minutes until done.
6. Serve hot with chutney.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Khaman Dhokla

Mixed Dal Handvo

Battalu Kadabu

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Bisi Bele Millet Recipe [Video]

Spicy South Indian one pot main made by simmering millet with lentils (dal), mix vegetables and spice blends. Vegan and healthy.

So, here I am with another Millet recipe. As I mentioned in my last week's post, I'm all on the millet wagon. I'm enjoying discovering these grains and creating recipes with them. I made a Pulao last week with Millet that tasted awesome. Leave me a comment if you want me to post that recipe.

Apart from that, I had a super tiring Saturday and a totally relaxing Sunday, just as I had planned, or not. So the whole saturday was spent gardening. If you are new here, I should let you know I have a small balcony garden where I try to grow vegetables organically. More recently, I've acquired a few flowers and fruit too, but majorly focusing on herbs and vegetables. My okra and chilli plant from last month have germinated and are coming along fine. This Saturday, I've been ambitious and planted daikon radish, beets, french beans, and brinjals. And I'm so excited!!

Sunday was the day I turned a year wiser. I spent it doing absolutely nothing. Breakfast was at Gee's place and lunch at my in law's. Dinner was take out. So all I did was lie around and watch reruns of sitcoms all day long. My dream day, almost. It would be perfect if the day was 48 hours long.

What would be your dream birthday celebration?

So back to my millet wagon, this Bisi Bele Millet is a take on the Bangalore classic, Bisi Bele Bhaat. Bisi Bele Bhaat is a simple one pot main dish made by making a sambar - a curry with lentils and vegetables and adding rice to it and simmering the two together. In today's recipe, I have replaced the rice with millet. I used little millet or samai. Navane or Foxtail Millet can be used too. You can also use Quinoa.

Bisi Bele Millet is a spicy one pot comfort dish that is perfect for those lazy evening when all you are all worked up but cannot be bothered to get a take out. This dish is even easier when you have done all the prep work in advance. The lentils/dal can be cooked and stored in the refrigerator and so can the millet. The vegetables can be diced and stored in the fridge too. So on the night you want to eat the Bisi Bele Millet, just put one pot on the stove and get it going.

Bisi Bele Millet tastes delicious with the traditional topping of spicy boondi. If you aren't vegan, then I highly recommend stirring a teaspoon of ghee or serving it with a side of raita.

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are upto.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google+ or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

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Bisi Bele Millet Recipe

Spicy South Indian one pot main dish made with cooked lentils, millet, mix vegetables and spice blends. Vegan and healthy meal.

Recipe Type:  Main
Cuisine:            South Indian
Prep Time:     15 minutes
Cook time:     30 minutes
Total time:     45 minutes
Yield:                Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked Little Millet or Samai
2 cups cooked Pigeon Pea lentils or Toor Dal
2 cups mixed chopped Vegetables (Carrots, French Beans, Potato, Kohlrabi)
2 tsp Bisi Bele Bhaat Powder or Sambar Powder
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder
Pinch of Asafoetida (Hing)
Salt to taste
Water as required
2 tsp Oil
0.5 tsp Mustard Seeds
10-12 Curry leaves

Method:

1. Boil the diced vegetables until done. You can salt the water if you want.
2. Cook the vegetables until they are done, but not mushy.
3. Add salt, bisi bele bhaat powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and asafoetida. Mix well.
4. Add boiled lentils and mix well. Allow it to come to a rolling boil. Add a little water if it is too thick.
5. Add boiled millet and mix well. Allow it to cook on low heat for 5-6 minutes.
6. Heat oil in a small pan and add mustard seeds.
7. Once they splutter, add the curry leaves and immediately pour on the bisi bele millet.
8. Mix well.
9. Serve hot with raita.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Millet Lemon Rice

Raw Mango Rice

Healthy Millet Salad

Read more ...

Vegan Zucchini Spaghetti and Lentil Meatballs in Roasted Pepper Sauce [Video Recipe]

Spaghetti made from zucchini tossed in a spicy roasted red pepper sauce with pan fried vegan lentil meatballs.

So Summer is pretty much out of here. The fruits are going off the shelves. And pretty soon, so will the veggies. So I wanted to use up some gorgeous summer zucchini before it goes out and this Zucchini Pasta definitely improved my mood, and let's hope, my health too.

I am a stress eater. I wish I was the other kinda of person who feel no hunger when stressed, aka Gee. But unfortunately, I am drawn to food when I am stressed. Just yesterday, I downed 2 aloo parathas with so much butter. I was in a buttery heaven but I definitely bid goodbye to my diet. 

Recently I have been under quite a bit of stress. I also read somewhere that STEM careers are in the top of careers that cause a burn out in women along with medicine and journalism. So it's an accepted piece of the job. But all that stress is making me crave carbs - bread, rice, pasta. Just give it to ME!

So today, I was very reasonable. I cheated my stressed inner foodie. I had Quinoa Tava Pulao for lunch where I took this recipe and replaced the white rice with quinoa. Just healthifying my lunch. But that wasn't enough and I did it again for dinner. But honestly, I'm very happy, cause I did not miss my carbs at all.

So my dinner today is this ah-mazing Vegan Pasta where the pasta is actually just fine strips of zucchini. I don't own a spiralizer, so I just use my potato peeler to make fine ribbons of zucchini and then I cut it into thin strips with a sharp knife. This pasta done not really need to be cooked, I just tossed it in hot sauce and let the heat from the sauce soften it slightly. I have been considering investing in a good spiralizer for some time, so if you have suggestions on which product is good, leave me a comment. It will be really appreciated. 

The sauce - well, you can use ANY sauce you want when it comes to Pasta. But I LOVED this roasted red pepper sauce. And it is so simple. I wouldn't say quick, unless your roasted pepper came out of a bottle. But roasting your own peppers is not difficult at all. I rubbed the gorgeous red peppers with some good olive oil and roasted them in the oven. Keep turning them once in a while so that it chars throughout. Once you remove them from the oven, cover the peppers and keep aside for some time. Covering makes it very easy to peel. I just removed the peel and the stalk and seeds. I left the char on the pepper as is, cause I love the smokiness it adds to the sauce.  Once you are done roasting all you do is cook it with some onions and garlic and blend it into a sauce. Add oregano or thyme for added taste. I kept it simple and just added red chilli flakes for heat. 

The star of this dish is really the vegan meatballs made from red lentils, chickpeas and walnuts. It is so delicious, I'd suggest you make a lot more than what the recipe calls for. The below recipe made around 10 and I can tell you they were not enough. I could eat them just like a snack with tea. So take my advice and make more. You won't hate it. This is the only part of the meal that needs some planning. Especially since you have to soak dried chickpeas. While you could use canned one, the soaked dried ones give more texture to the meatballs, much like falafels. The flax egg, is optional if you are frying the meatballs, but they definitely made it moist. So I'd recommend it. You can also bake the meatballs. 

Finally just toss everything together and enjoy guilt-free!

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook, tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com. I'd love to see what you are upto. 

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google+ or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

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Vegan Zucchini Spaghetti and Lentil Meatballs in Roasted Pepper Sauce

Spaghetti made from zucchini tossed in a spicy roasted red pepper sauce with pan fried vegan lentil meatballs. 

Recipe Type:  Main
Cuisine:            International
Prep Time:     30 minutes
Cook time:     1 Hour 30 minutes
Total time:     10 Hours
Yield:                Serves 2

Ingredients:

For the Lentil Meatballs

0.5 cup dried Red Lentils
0.5 cup dried Chickpeas
1 Tbsp Flax seeds
4 Walnuts
4 Garlic Cloves
1 small Onion
1 Tbsp Flour
0.5 tsp Paprika
0.5 tsp Garlic Powder
2 tsp Oil
Salt to taste
Water as required
Oil to fry the meatballs

For the Roasted Pepper Sauce

3 Red Peppers (capsicum)
1 small Onion
4-5 Garlic Cloves
1 Tbsp Red Chilli Flakes
1.5 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Sugar (Optional)
Salt to taste
Water as required

For the Zucchini Spaghetti

2 medium Zucchini (around 6")

Method:

To make the Lentil Meatballs:

1. Soak the dried chickpeas in water for 8 hours.
2. Wash the dried red lentils and soak them in water for 30 minutes.
3. Heat 4 cups of water in a pan and allow it to come to a rolling boil.
4. Drain the lentils and add to the boiling water.
5. Cover and cook until the lentils are cooked through. Drain out the excess water and keep the lentil aside to cool.
6. Coarsely grind the walnuts.
7. Drain the chickpeas and coarsely grind them.
8. Grind the flax seeds into a powder. Mix in 2 Tbsp of water and keep aside.
9. Saute finely chopped garlic and finely chopped onion in 2 tsp olive oil until the onions are translucent.
10. Once the lentils have cooled, add the walnuts, ground chickpeas, sauteed onions and garlic, garlic powder, paprika, flour and salt and mix well.
11. Chill for 2 hours or freeze for 30 minutes. If the batter is still very wet to form balls, add a spoonful of flour or breadcrumbs.
12. Divide the batter into 10 equal parts and roll into balls using your palms.
13. Take a shallow pan and add oil to it. Once the oil is hot, add the meatballs.
14. Keep turning the meatballs when one side browns. Continue to cook until the entire meatball is browned.
15. You can also bake the meatballs.

To make the Roasted Pepper Sauce:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degree C.
2. Coat the red peppers with 0.5 tbsp of olive oil.
3. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Turn the peppers after every 10 minutes.
4. Remove the peppers from the oven and place in a bowl. Cover and keep aside.
5. Once the peppers have cooled, peel the peppers and remove the stalk and the seeds. Chop roughly and keep aside.
6. Heat the remaining oil in a pan.
7. Crush the garlic and chop them roughly. Add the garlic to the pan.
8. Once the garlic is fragrant, add finely chopped onion and fry until translucent.
9. Add the red pepper and mix well.
10. Add the red chilli flakes, salt and 0.5 cup of water.
11. Cook until the water reduces.
12. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
13. Grind into a smooth puree with little water.
14. Add the puree back to the pan and allow it to heat up.
15. Add more salt, paprika or sugar if required at this stage depending on your taste.
16. You can store this sauce in a clean glass jar in the fridge for 2-3 days after it cools.

To make the Zucchini Spaghetti and assembling:

1. Use a spiralizer to make zucchini spaghetti or slice the zucchini into fine strips.
2. Heat up the roasted red pepper sauce.
3. Add the zucchini to the sauce and mix well. Leave it on the heat for 2-3 minutes until the zucchini is cooked to your liking.
4. Add the meatballs and mix well.
5. You can top the pasta with parmesan.
6. Serve hot with crusty bread.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Roasted Vegetable Torte

Vegan Zucchini Kale Lasagna

Vegan Pumpkin Sauce

Read more ...

Lentil Soup with Roasted Pumpkin and Dumplings

Warm hearty healthy vegan Lentil Soup with cumin roasted pumpkin and broken wheat dumplings for cold rainy evenings!

I'm blogging after a long time - one and a half months!! The last two months were tough. Too much happening at work, I was stressed out a lot and the thought of opening my laptop once I had shut down the office one was so stressful, I let the blog slide for a while. Add to that I had some unplanned weekend travel that left me exhausted. Toss in a sore throat and a runny nose with that and I'm sure you understand how bad the past 2 months were for me.

I did not stop cooking though, I cooked a lot!! Hoping to get all those recipes on the blog soon. First one comes today - Lentil Soup with Roasted Pumpkin and Dumplings!! (whew! long name)

Is it raining where you are? It definitely is pouring cats, dogs and elephants where I am and I have a higher chance of survival if I were a whale. Not sure if it is our friendly South West monsoons gone rogue or the effects of a depression in Bay of Bengal, but we've received a lot more rain than the city can handle. Flooded roads are adding to traffic and increasing travel time exponentially. 

With rain, comes wind - sharp and cold!! And all this cloudy cold is making me crave is hot hot HOT.. What's hotter and more comforting than soup on a cold windy day? Let us assume that I'm only talking about food for now. So Soup it is!! 

I was browsing through some really old magazines of mine and I chanced upon my sole copy of BBC Good Food magazine. I'm really upset they stopped the magazine in India. I hope they see the merit of starting it again someday. Waiting with crossed fingers! But yeah, the magazine had this exact recipe of Lentil Soup with roasted pumpkin and dumplings that I adapted from. 

This soup has 3 components - Lentils, Pumpkin and Dumplings.

Lentils - While the recipe mentioned Puy lentils, I used whole red lentils or Masoor. This cut down my cooking time as well as expense in half. To start with, just boil the lentils in water along with a little salt until they are done. Stop cooking before they are mushy enough to become dal. The lentils should preferably hold their shape and have the slightest of the bite in them. Cook them in vegetable broth for added flavor.

Pumpkin - Red pumpkin is roasted along with olive oil, salt, chilli powder and lots of cumin. Cube it and then roast it to reduce cooking time. These taste fabulous, so advise you to make a little extra, you can nibble on them as you cook. I definitely lost a good quantity of them to Raj and Gee while I cooked. A part of the pumpkin is pureed with the lentils and added to the soup while the rest can be just tossed in adding to the texture of the soup.

Dumplings - The recipe called for fine Bulghar wheat, what I used was Dalia or broken wheat, an Indian breakfast staple along with some millets. I soaked both the dalia and fox tail millets (navane) for half hour before draining and mixing in chopped onions, chopped coriander, salt, pepper, a tiny teaspoon of oil and plain flour. Mixed it and shaped into marble sized balls. I boiled them in water for 15-20 minutes until the wheat was almost cooked. Boil them in stock for added flavor.

The last step was combining all the 3 components and simmering for 10 minutes until everything came together. Garnish with chopped coriander and you are ready to serve.

This soup is very hearty and filling, it can keep you going for hours.

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook, tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com. I'd love to see what you are upto. 

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google+ or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email (How convenient!!)

If you liked this, you may also like:

• Black Bean Soup - Mexican style black bean soup. Vegan.
• Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Soup - Thick creamy vegan pumpkin soup.
• Panchrangi Dal / Panchmel Dal - A dal from West India made with 5 different types of lentils.

You can find more soup recipes here.

Lentil Soup with Roasted Pumpkin and Dumplings

Lentil soup with added cumin roasted pumpkins and dumplings made of broken wheat.

Recipe Type:  Soup
Cuisine:            International
Prep Time:     45 minutes
Cook time:     60 minutes
Yield:                Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

150 gms Whole Red Lentils / Masoor
150 gms Pumpkin
4 Tbsp Broken Wheat / Dalia
2 Tbsp Foxtail Millet
2 Tbsp All Purpose Flour / Maida
1 small Onion
3 Tbsp chopped Coriander
1 tsp Cumin Powder
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1 tsp Pepper Powder
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt to taste
Water as required
4-5 tsp Oil

Method:

Soak the lentils in water for 30 minutes.
Soak the broken wheat and foxtail millet in water for 30 minutes.
Boil 3 cups of water in a large pot and add 0.5 tsp of salt to it.
Drain the lentils and add to the pot of boiling water and cook until the lentils are done.
Drain out the broken wheat and millets. Add all purpose flour, finely chopped onions, 1 Tbsp chopped coriander, salt and 0.5 tsp pepper. Mix until combined. If it is runny, add more flour.
Shape into marble sized balls.
Boil 2 cups of water in a pot and add the dumplings into it. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the dumplings are cooked.
Dice the pumpkin into bite sized pieces. Rub with olive oil, red chilli powder, cumin and salt. Lay onto a baking sheet.
Preheat the oven to 200 degree C. Bake the pumpkin for 20-25 minutes or until done.
Blend 1/3rd of the pumpkin with 1/3rd of the lentils and add to the boiled lentils. Add salt and pepper as required. Add more water if required and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the remaining pumpkin and the dumplings and simmer for 5 minutes.
Garnish with the remaining chopped coriander and serve hot.

Read more ...

Pancharangi Dal | Panchmel Dal

Cozy Comfort Food. Three words to describe the dish of the day - Dal. When you want to feel that cozy under a blanket feeling not outside but inside you, I say make dal. It is warm, hearty and healthy. No guilt trips to the gym either.

Dal is such an essential part of Indian cooking. From north to south, east to west, every region has their version of dal. I have so many dal recipes with me that I rotate frequently, some have made it to the blog and some may never make it here. Try out this Spinach Dal or this Restaurant Style Dal Fry sometime.

For those who have never attempted to make dal, I encourage you to do so. It is such a forgiving dish. You can add anything or absolutely nothing to dal, and it will still taste good. The simplest dal we make is something called "Tove" where all you add is a simple tempering of mustard seeds, curry leaves and green chilli to already cooked pigeon pea lentils or toor dal. Salt is added after it is served. Dal can be that basic. Or it can be cooked with ginger-garlic, tomatoes and spices. Or with vegetables like this Heerekai Tove / Ridgegourd Dal.

Panchrangi Dal or Panchmel Dal is a mixed lentil dal that uses 5 different types of lentils - Toor Dal or Split Pigeon Peas, Chana Dal or Split Bengal Gram, Sabut Urad Dal or Black lentils, Moong Dal or split Mung Beans and the last is not really a dal - Moong or Mung beans. I learnt this recipe from my Aunt who lives in Gujarat. Pancharangi Dal or Panchmel Dal is a famous recipe across Gujarat and Rajasthan in Western India. These places are arid and hence, home to a lot of delicious spicy lentil recipes.

The dals are soaked for 30 minutes to 1 hour and then cooked until done. Dal is meant to be mushy in general. So cook until all the dals are well cooked. Then mush them up with a spoon. Fry finely chopped onions until translucent, then add the ginger-garlic paste and fry till fragrant. Toss in the chopped tomatoes and spices and cook well. Add the lentils and little water along with salt and simmer until you have the consistency you desire. 

If you liked this, you may also like:

• Spinach Dal / Palak Dal - Dhal cooked with spinach leaves
• Dal Fry - Restaurant style dal fry
• Heerekai Tove - Dal cooked with ridge gourd or toorai

Pancharangi Dal | Panchmel Dal

Pancharangi Dal | Panchmel Dal is a Gujarati Dal made from 5 different types of dals and beans. It is a spicy mixed lentil soup.

Recipe Type:  Main
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     30 minutes
Cook time:     45 minutes
Yield:                Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

0.5 cup Toor Dal (Pigeon Pea Lentils)
0.5 cup Moong Dal
0.5 cup Moong Beans
0.5 cup Chana Dal (Split Bengal Gram)
4 Tbsp Sabut Urad Dal (Whole black lentils)
1 Onion
2 Tomatoes
1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
3 tsp Coriander Powder
2 tsp Cumin Powder
1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
3-4 tsp Oil
Salt to taste
Water as required

Method:

Soak all the dals in water for at least 30 mins.
Cook in a pressure cooked until cooked.
Heat oil in a kadhai and add the mustard seeds.
Once the mustard seeds splutter, add the cumin seeds and allow them to brown slightly.
Add the chopped onions and fry until translucent.
Add the ginger-garlic paste and stir fry until for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
Add the chopped tomato and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Add all the spices to the tomato and cook until the tomato is a paste
Add the cooked dal, salt and water. Simmer for 5-6 minutes or until you get the consistency you desire.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Serve hot with rice or roti.

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Tondekayee Chutney | Tendli Chutney | Tindora Chutney

Today was Potluck at office. I took Dahi Kebab and Pathrode. My other friends got some really amazing dishes that I not only ate but packed in a box and got it home for dinner to share with my family.

Lunch was definitely my only extravagant meal of the week. I've been eating super simple food all week. More because the weather is just awesome and I cannot be coaxed out of bed to cook. It's been drizzling all through the week and it is cold outside. Perfect weather for snoozing, don't you think?

So what food does a lazy me cook or eat? Dosa and Chutney! I can eat that all week long and not get bored - true blue South Indian at heart and stomach. 

Let's get real, 50% of the taste of the dosa comes from its accompaniment, whether it is chutney or sambar. But I'm totally a chutney girl. So throughout this blog, you'll find me talking chutney many a times. And this Tondekayee Chutney is just one among my favorites. 

There is this little cart or gaadi near my house that makes awesome pillowy soft dosa and idli. It is a simple affair and very economical. The dosa is always served with 2 chutneys, a green coriander-coconut chutney and a red chutney. For a long time I believed the red chutney was made from tomatoes, so every time I made the chutney, I was always left wondering why my chutney tasted so different from his. I found out from Raj that the red chutney is actually made from ripe tondekayee (tendli | tindora | ivy gourd). The non foodie in the house knew more about chutneys than I did, what a shocker for me.

To make this chutney you need ripe tondekayee, the ones you usually throw away as they are squishy and mushy. Quarter the tondekayee and fry them up along with red chillies, garlic, chana dal (split bengal gram) and urad dal (split black gram). Grind it along with tamarind, salt, jaggery or sugar and a little water to a smooth chutney once the mixture has cooled. Add a tempering of mustard seeds and curry leaves, and enjoy your crispy hot dosa with this red chutney.

If you liked this, you may also like:

• Mint Peanut Chutney - Indian version of pesto, cooked peanut and mint chutney.
• Tamarind Date Chutney - Tangy sweet chutney made from tamarind and dates. Perfect for chaats.
• Heerekai Sippe Chutney - South Indian chutney made from fresh coconut and peel of ridge gourd.
• Mint Coriander Chutney - Popular green chutney of chaats made using fresh coriander and mint.

Tondekayee Chutney | Tendli Chutney | Tindora Chutney

Tondekayee Chutney | Tendli Chutney | Tindora Chutney is a South Indian chutney made from ripe ivy gourd and mixed dals. 

Recipe Type:  Side
Cuisine:            South Indian
Prep Time:     10 minutes
Cook time:     20 minutes
Yield:                1 bowl

Ingredients:

18-20 ripe Tondekayee (Tendli or Tindora or Ivy Gourd)
2 dry Red Chillies
2-3 Garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1.5 Tbsp Chana Dal
0.5 Tbsp Urad Dal
1 tsp Tamarind Pulp
1/2 tsp Jaggery powder or Sugar (Optional)
4-5 tsp Oil
1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 sprig Curry Leaves
Salt to taste
Water as required

Method:

Wash and chop the tondekayee into quarters.
Heat oil in a pan.
Add the chana dal, urad dal and red chilli and fry for 2-3 minutes on low heat until the dals are slightly browned.
Add the garlic and chopped tondekayee and mix well.
Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes on low heat.
Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Grind the fried mixture along with tamarind, jaggery, salt and 2-3 Tbsp of water into a coarse paste.
Remove to a serving bowl.
Heat the remaining oil in a small pan and add the mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add the curry leaves and immediately pour this tempering onto the chutney.
Serve the chutney with rice or dosa.
It stays fresh for around 7 days in the fridge.

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