Amritsari Chhole

It is time for Tea Lovers like me to get excited, this dark vibrant Amritsari Chhole is cooked along with tea and spices.

Would I skip the chance to have TEA for lunch? Probably not!

When a recipe calls for Tea as an ingredient, I'm more than likely to try it out. There was no way I'd skip making this wonderfully vibrant Amritsari Chhole.

Chhole has always been a house favorite. When we go to any North Indian restaurant or may be just the food court at the mall, Raj consistently orders Chhole-Bature. Just to prove he isn't this predictable, he toys with available options, but eventually we do end up with a bowl of dark Chhole and a spaceship sized Batura on our table. That man, so predictable, I say!!

So come weekend, I made this dark spicy Amritsari Chhole with soft fluffly Puris. To make Amritsari Chhole, you need to soak the dried chickpeas or kabuli chana/chhole overnight. The next day cook it along with spices and a tea bag. It is this Tea that gives it that wonderfully dark handsome look.

I love to try out different types of teas - Green Tea, Darjeeling Tea, Fennel Tea and what not. But when it comes my daily cuppa Chai or Tea, it has to be Assam Tea. That dark bold tea boiled with milk and sugar, sometimes with added ginger is what I crave every morning and evening. It is this kinda tea, dark bold Tea that works best with this recipe as well. Light teas will not impart color or the depth of flavor that Amritsari Chhole is made up of.

If you don't have tea bags at home, just tie up regular tea powder or tea leaves in a small piece of muslin cloth and add it while cooking the chhole. You can make a similar pouch of the spices too and add it to the chhole.

Anardana or dried Pomegranate seeds powder is added for sourness in Amritsari Chhole. If you don't have it (I usually don't), just replace it with Amchur (dried Mango Powder) or tamarind juice. Also, in this recipe I have not used any ready made store bought Chhole Masala Powder, but I've used the Spice Powders that are available in every Indian Kitchen.

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 is there 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:

• Chhole Palak - Chickpeas cooked in a palak / spinach based gravy.
• Rajma - Red kidney beans cooked with a spicy tomato based masala.
• Corn Tomato Bharta - Curry made with grilled or roasted tomatoes and sweet corn.

Amritsari Chhole

Amritsari Chhole is made by cooking Chickpeas/ kabuli chana along with tea, spices, tomato and onion.

Recipe Type:  Main Course
Cuisine:          North Indian
Prep Time:     8 Hours (Includes chickpea soaking time)
Cook time:     60 minutes
Yield:              2-3 Servings

Ingredients:

1 cup dried Chickpeas / Kabuli Chana
2 medium Onion
2 medium Tomato
4-5 cloves Garlic
1" piece Ginger
1 Tea bag
1 Bay leaf / Tej patta
1" piece Cinnamon / Dalchini
1-2 Green Cardamom
1-2 Black Cardamom / Badi Elaichi
2-3 Cloves
1 tsp Jeera / Cumin seeds
2 Tbsp Pomegranate seeds / Anardana or 1 tsp Amchur / Dry Mango Powder
2-3 tsp Coriander powder
2-3 tsp Cumin powder
2 tsp Red chilli powder
2 Tbsp Oil
1 Tbsp Kasuri Methi
Salt to taste
Water as required
A handful Coriander leaves

Method:

Soak the kabuli chana in 2 cups of water overnight.
Pressure cook the chana along with 2 cups water,tea bag, bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon, green cardamom, black cardamom and around 1 tsp of salt until soft. It took me around 3-4 whistles or around 10-12 mins.
Drain the cooked chana and preserve the water. Discard the tea bag, cloves, cinnamon and bayleaf.
Dry roast the anardana and grind into a coarse powder. If you don't have anardana, you can use amchur.
Grind the onion along with the ginger and garlic
Heat oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds
Once they brown slightly, add the onion paste. Fry until all the water has evaporated and the onion turns slightly brown
Grind the tomato into a paste and add to the pan
Add all the spices to the pan and cook until the oil separates or around 8-10 mins on low flame
Add 1 cup of the water the chana was cooked in to the pan and simmer for 2 mins
Add the chana and salt. Add more of the cooking water if needed and simmer for another 5 mins.
Add kasuri methi and simmer for 1 minute.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves
Enjoy hot with puris or roti

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MIL's Spicy Tomato Curry with fried Bhindi (Okra) [Video]

Spicy Tomato Curry with fried Bhindi / Okra recipe with video instructions. Spicy Tomato Curry is a quick vegan tomato soup that is served with pan fried okra. Spicy Tomato Curry is vegan, gluten free and fits a Jain diet.

In a hurry? Jump to Video or Jump to Recipe

They say winter is over. While I love the promise of sunshine all through the day, I miss the chill in the air. Luckily, it is still chilly in the morning, so I'm enjoying the last few days with my jacket until it is stacked in the cupboard for the next 6-7 months until the monsoons bring on some more chill.

Winter may be over, and warm nights back on the calendar, but hey, that really does not stop me from enjoying hot meals. And speaking of hot meals, especially my Mother-in-law's Spicy Tomato Curry. This curry is perfect for winter nights or rainy nights when all you want is a bowl of spicy sour soul warming goodness. But don't let the weather stop you from enjoying something this delicious. Unless you live on the coast in a tropical country in the Northern Hemisphere, you still have a few days of cold nights left, use it to enjoy this Tomato Curry.

While the name suggests curry, this is really a spicy Tomato Soup flavored with cumin, thickened with chickpea flour (gram flour/ besan) and garnished with fried okra (bhindi). Isn't fried okra the BEST? Crispy crunchy salty and we can always pretend it is healthy, after all it is a vegetable. If I haven't convinced you to fry that okra, you can just as well be a health freak and grill it up until it is nice and charred. My mother in law sometimes adds boiled potato cubes to the curry as well, but okra is the family favorite.

This is probably the quickest and absolutely no fuss soup I know to prepare. So no fine chopping, no 100 ingredients, no exotic spices (unless you consider cumin exotic), no hours and hours of simmering. NADA!!! Just 3 main ingredients and barely 40 minutes to prepare. No chopping, just blending.

Making this curry is super simple. I pressure cook the tomatoes whole for 8-10 minutes or 1-2 whistles. Then allow them to cool a little, before peeling them and blending. Meanwhile, fry up your chopped okra or boil the potatoes. Heat oil in a kadhai or pot and add cumin seeds. When they brown, add in the gram flour and saute it well for 1 minute. Then add in the blended tomatoes. Add water if required. Season with salt and red chilli powder and allow it to simmer for 5-8 minutes. If it is too thin, add more gram flour. If it is too thick add water. Too sweet, then add a little tamarind juice or lime juice. Too sour, then you can sweeten it with sugar or jaggery. Just TRUST your taste buds more than anything. I like my curry hot, sour with full flavor of cumin. Add the fried okra or potato just before serving.

Serve it with some crusty bread and dinner is done! You can also serve it with rice, though then I'd recommend you keep it thick.

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 is there 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!!)

Video Recipe

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Spicy Tomato Curry

Spicy and easy Tomato Curry or Soup made with fresh tomatoes, thickened with gram flour and garnished with crispy fried okra.

Recipe Type:  Soup
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     10 minutes
Cook time:     40 minutes
Yield:                Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

5-6 large Tomatoes
6 tsp Oil
1 Tbsp Gram Flour (Chickpea Flour / Besan)
1 tsp Cumin seeds (Jeera)
15-20 small Okra (Bhindi)
0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder (Optional)
A handful of Curry leaves
Red Chilli Powder to taste
Salt to taste
Water as required

Method:

1. Pressure cook the tomatoes with 1 cup of water for 1-2 whistles or 8-10 minutes. If cooking in a pan, cook the tomatoes until they are soft. Reserve the water.
2. Peel the tomatoes and leave aside to cool.
3. Chop the end of the okra.
4. Heat 3 tsp oil in a small pan and fry the okra until they are slightly browned and crispy. Keep flipping the okra so that they cook evenly.
5. Once the tomatoes have cooled, blend into a puree with 1 cup of reserved water.
6. Once the tomatoes have cooled, blend into a puree.
7. Heat 3 tsp Oil in a large pan or pot and add the cumin seeds and curry leaves.
8. Once they brown slightly, add the gram flour and saute for 1 minute until the raw smell disappears.
9. Add turmeric powder and red chilli powder.
10. Pour in the blended tomatoes and 1 cup of water. Add salt to taste.
11. Let it come to a boil and then simmer for 5-8 minutes.
12. If the consistency is too thick, add more water. If it is too thin, add a 1 Tbsp gram flour mixed in water.
13. If the curry is too sour, add a little sugar. If the curry is not sour enough add a little tamarind juice or lime juice.
14. Add the crispy okra just before serving.
15. Serve hot with crusty bread or rice.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Corn Tomato Bharta

Tomato Saar

Tomato Gazpacho

Read more ...

Alsane Tonak | Goan Pao Bhaji

You know that feeling when you soooo want to eat something, you can already taste it before you have laid your hands on it, but it is so far away that you cannot reach it? Disappointed?

I miss Pao!!

Pao, sometimes called the lifeline of Goa, is a bread that was introduced to Goa by the Portuguese settlers and is by far the best bread I've ever had. Pao, sometimes called Pav, is available almost all through the country, but no one makes it the way it is made in Goa. It has a crusty outside and a chewy crumb; a texture that is just incomparable. Pao is such an integral part of Goan cuisine, that the Government actually subsidizes the cost of Pao.

I've pretty much eaten Pao every single day I lived in Goa. I've bought it for my grandparents when it cost as little as 25 Paise and today, when it costs 20 times more. I still wait for the Poder (local Pao seller) to come on his bicycle fixed with a cane basket in the back, honking his way through the meandering little streets bringing bread to every local man.

Look at this variety of wonderful Pao that I picked up on my recent vacation to Goa.

Just this week, I was in Goa. It was a short 5 day vacation where I met up with family and haunted all our favorite food joints across the state. While Bangalore is cosmopolitan and you pretty much get everything here, except probably the purple yam. I miss those certain somethings, that I took so much for granted when I stayed in Goa - a simple cheesy Mushroom Capsicum sandwich; Gobi Manchurian made exactly how it is supposed to be, fresh and with no food coloring; Chocolate cakes with chocolate cream that are to DIE for; that too sweet, yet perfectly enjoyable Badam Milk that you have to drink standing outside on the road; Samosa which has little pieces of beetroot in it along with the potato; that garlicky Batata Vada and lastly, loads and loads of Pao Bhaji. 

As much as I miss that wonderful Pao, I miss the coconut filled Bhaji too. It is pretty much my standard breakfast when I go to Goa. The Goan Pao Bhaji is very different from the Mumbai Pav Bhaji that is made with mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables. The Goan Pao Bhaji is usually made with some beans and coconut. Sometimes with Mushrooms too.

Goan bhaji is also called Tonak with Alsane Tonak being the popular one around. Alsane or Alsande are red cowpeas. To make Alsane Tonak, these red cowpeas are simmered in a spicy roasted coconut masala. 

To make Alsane Tonak, you need to coax the coconut gently to turn golden brown, before you grind it along with spices to make the Tonak gravy. This Alsane Tonak is not a recipe to be rushed, it encompasses the spirit of Goa - Relaxed, Sosegado... This is where you add all your love and patience into the otherwise simple gravy. The darker the color, the better the dish. However, don't burn it, trying to get it dark. 

When you go to a restaurant and ask for a "Mixed Bhaji", you will get the Tonak served with a helping of a simple Potato Bhaji on the side. So if the spice gets a bit much, let your next spoonful be the salty turmeric potatoes.

If you liked this, you may also like:

• Mushroom Cafreal - Another famous Goan curry made by cooking mushrooms in a coriander sauce.
• Banana Blossom with White Peas - Dry Goan curry made with banana flower and dried white peas.
• Misal - Spicy gravy made with sprouts from the western coast of India.

Alsane Tonak | Goan Pao Bhaji

Alsane Tonak is a Goan Pao Bhaji curry made by simmering red cowpeas in a spicy roasted coconut gravy.

Recipe Type:  Side
Cuisine:            Goan
Prep Time:     8 hours
Cook time:     1 hour
Yield:                Serves 4-5

Ingredients:

1 cup Red Cowpeas, dried
2 cups fresh Coconut, grated
2 Onions, chopped
1 Tbsp Coriander seeds
2-3 Cloves
5-6 Peppercorns
0.25" Cinnamon
1 Bay leaf, dried
2-3 dry Red Chillies
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Garam Masala
4-5 Kokum Peels or Marble sized Tamarind
2-3 cloves Garlic
0.5" Ginger
4-5 tsp Oil
Salt to taste
Water as required

Method:

Soak the cowpeas overnight or for 7-8 hours.
Drain the water and cook the cowpeas with 2 cups of water and 1/2 tsp Salt until done. The cowpeas should not be mushy, they should still have a bite. If using a pressure cooker to cook the peas, keep it for only 1-2 whistle and then release the pressure immediately, else they will overcook.
Drain the water and keep aside. Do not throw out the water, we use it later in the recipe.
Soak the kokum peels or tamarind in 1/2 cup of warm water and keep aside.
Heat 3 tsp Oil in a kadhai or pan and add half the onions.
Fry until the onions are translucent.
Now add the grated coconut and on low flame roast until the coconut turns golden brown. Stir occasionally to prevent the coconut from burning. This slow roasting takes time, almost half an hour.
When the coconut turns golden brown, add the cloves, cinnamon, bayleaf, peppercorns and dry red chillies and continue to roast for another 3-4 minutes.
Allow to cool, then add the turmeric powder and the water in which the Kokum or Tamarind was soaked and grind to a fine paste.
Crush the ginger and garlic into a coarse paste.
Heat the remaining oil in a pan and add the onions.
Fry until translucent. Now add the ginger-garlic paste and fry for 1 minute until fragrant.
Add the ground coconut masala and mix well.
Add the cooked cowpeas along with 0.75 cup water in which it was cooked.
Add salt if required.
Allow it to come to a boil, then cover and simmer for 4-5 minutes.
Serve hot along with Goan Pao or bread.

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Cauliflower Rendang Curry

Cauliflower Rendang is a vegan version of the spicy flavorful Malaysian curry made with lemongrass, red chillies and coconut milk.

Have you ever wondered how a fire breathing dragon feels? Fire in it's belly, fire in it's throat and fire on it's lips. I felt exactly the same way when I made this curry the first time. I was so excited with the bright red chilli paste that I ended up adding all of it and made this curry so hot that I felt like a fire breathing dragon for almost half the day. My tummy burned, by throat burned and my lips were literally on fire. Water didn't cool it off, neither did cold milk. 

Ever felt this way? What did you do to calm the fire?

Like lightening, in this case, the fire definitely did not strike a second time. I wised up. I used less red chillies. It was still hot, a Rendang is meant to be hot, but it was heat that I was comfortable with. Let me warn you though, I do eat spicy food at least 2-3 times a week, so I am spice tolerant. If you are not used to spicy food, I'd say go light on the chilli paste. You don't have to use all the chilli paste. You can store it in a glass jar in the fridge and use it to make some Honey Chilli Sauce or to add heat to other meals you cook.

I'll let you in on a little secret - I absolutely LOVE Asian curries!!! Yeah, well, no secret...

I was a big fan of Thai curries for a looong time, until I tried the Vegan Amok in Cambodia. And I kinda changed favorites. I've made that a couple of times with the Amok Powder I picked up in Siem Reap, it is sooo tasty, I feel like I'm cheating on Thai curry when I have it.

The only Asian curry that I had heard for a long time, but never had a vegan version was the Malaysian Rendang. Usually Rendang is made from Beef or Chicken, but since I consume neither, I wanted to make my own vegan version of it. I added Cauliflower, Cauliflower greens, and Sweet Potato to replace the beef or chicken in the curry. And girl... it was goooooood...

Have you ever tried sweet potato in a curry? If not, you really really should. I'm not such a big fan of boiled or roasted sweet potato, but when boiled in a curry, it is super tasty. I put it first in the Amok and now the Rendang, I've loved it both the times. Raj assumed he would be getting all the sweet potato in the curry, he was taken aback when he realised he had to compete with me in fishing them out in the curry.

To complement the curry, I made a simple cumin rice where I cooked short grained rice with salt and cumin. It went really well with the Cauliflower Rendang. Next time you feel like having curry, try this rendang out and take pictures and tag me @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram, or @OneTeaspoonLife on Twitter or share with me on Facebook.

If you liked this, you may also like:

• Mushroom Cafreal - Vegan curry from Goa made by cooking mushrooms in a coriander sauce.
• Punjabi Dum Aloo - Vegan curry made from baby potatoes.
• Corn Tomato Bharta - Vegan curry made from grilled tomatoes and sweet corn.

Cauliflower Rendang Curry

Cauliflower Rendang is the vegan version of the Malaysian Rendang curry where Cauliflower and sweet potato are cooked in a spicy lemongrass, red chilli and coconut milk based sauce.

Recipe Type:  Main
Cuisine:            Asian
Prep Time:     20 minutes
Cook time:     45 minutes
Yield:                Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

1/2 Cauliflower
1 small Sweet Potato
200ml Coconut Milk
4-5 Lemongrass Stalks
5-6 dry Red chillies
1 tsp Cumin powder
1 tsp Coriander Powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
4-5 Garlic cloves
1/2" Ginger
1 tsp Tamarind Pulp
1 tsp Sugar
2 Tbsp Oil
2-4 Tbsp Water
Salt to taste

Method:

Soak the dry red chillies in a cup of hot water and keep aside for 10 minutes
Remove the outer layers of the lemongrass stalk until you reach the soft white center.
Break the cauliflower into florets and cut the sweet potato into chunks.
Drain out the chillies and remove the seeds.
Grind 3 of the lemongrass stalks, chillies, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, ginger, garlic, tamarind and sugar along with a little water to a fine paste.
Heat oil in a pan and fry the paste for 3-4 minutes.
Bruise the remaining lemongrass and add it to the pan along with the cauliflower and the sweet potato.
Add salt and mix well.
Cover and cook on low heat until the cauliflower and sweet potato are almost done. They should be slightly undercooked.
Add the coconut milk and simmer on low heat uncovered for 8-9 minutes until you get the desired consistency and the vegetables are cooked. Adjust the sugar and salt as required.
Serve hot with rice.

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Goan Mushroom Cafreal Recipe | How to make Mushroom Cafreal

Mushroom Cafreal recipe with step by step photo and video instructions. Mushroom Cafreal is a Goan semi dry curry made by stir frying mushrooms marinated in a coriander based green sauce. Mushroom Cafreal is vegan and gluten free.

In a hurry? Jump to Video or Jump to Recipe

This Mushroom Cafreal was the perfect finish to my weekend. I spent some quality time with my favorite girl in the whole wide universe and I had to end the day with some real quality food. 

What quality time you ask? With whom you ask?

I spent my weekend strolling through crowded lanes of local markets with my favorite girl, my sis Gee - some real awesome quality Sister Time. We went to the old Bangalore areas of Chickpet, Raja Market, Baba Market and walked through lanes and little markets that we had never seen before. While we did not have any real shopping to do, we literally bought nothing - NA DA, we did something we hadn't done in such a long time. We did this a lot when we were both single and had all the time in the world to do what we do best - Window Shopping! We'd pick a street or a market and walk through it gazing at all the goods, barely stopping for a meal. That's exactly what we did, we walked, talked and laughed and ate just one Vada-Pav each and came back.

And as a plus point, in a totally unexpected little corner, I found a dry fruit store that pretty much has every nut and seed that I've only read of in recipes but never set my eyes upon. They had pecans and cranberries and pine nuts and hazelnuts etc etc. That tiny shop packed a punch. I'm so excited about my find!! Now all I need to do is find awesome recipes, so I can go back there and buy whatever nut I need.

Back to my dish of the day - Mushroom Cafreal. Although Cafreal is usually made with chicken, but this vegetarian option also rocks!

This Mushroom Cafreal is absolute MAGIC. The mushrooms are full of texture, and the green sauce is a full on flavor bomb. Mushrooms are always great, I simply LOVE Mushrooms. But if you don't replace the mushroom in this recipe with potatoes or cauliflower and it will taste just as awesome. I did make a Potato version for Raj and he loved it.

This Mushroom Cafreal is a game changer. Most people's idea of a curry is something that starts with roasting spices and involves cooking slowly on the stove top until everything comes together to get a balance of flavors. But this curry is nothing like it. It has only three steps - blending, marinating and frying. Of course, there are spices involved, but no roasting or frying them. And no slow cooking at all. This curry is complete from start to finish in almost 30 minutes. Yes, that's it - Half an Hour!!

The Cafreal is all about the sauce, that is also the marinade. It is such a simple sauce yet so delicious and versatile. It can be used not just for making Cafreal, but also in Biryani or to add zing to so many other curries. The green sauce is made of humble ingredients - fresh Coriander leaves, Garlic, Green Chillies, Cinnamon, Cloves, Cumin, Pepper, Sugar (optional), and lime juice. While the traditional recipe may call for vinegar, I can't stand its smell, and I also prefer the freshness of the limes over the vinegar, so I used lime juice. To make the marinade, just grind everything with a little water. You can store this in a glass jar in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. Add salt whenever you are using it.

Rub in the marinade to the mushrooms and let them soak in all that goodness. Then heat oil in a pan and fry the mushroom in one layer. If using a smaller pan, then it can be done in batches. Once the first side is browned, flip and allow the other side to brown. Then add the remaining marinade and fry for a few minutes until the raw smell goes off. If you want, you can also add water at this point to make a gravy. Garnish with coriander and lime and serve it with Pao or bread.

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 up to.

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 or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

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Goan Mushroom Cafreal Recipe | How to make Mushroom Cafreal

Mushroom Cafreal is a semi dry vegan Goan curry made by stir frying mushrooms marinated in a quick spicy coriander sauce.

Recipe Type:  Main
Cuisine:            Goan Mushroom Cafreal Recipe | How to make Mushroom Cafreal
Prep Time:     10 minutes
Cook time:     30 minutes
Total time:     40 minutes
Yield:                Serves 2

Ingredients:

200 gms button Mushrooms
2 cups fresh Coriander leaves
1 Tbsp Garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp Ginger, chopped
2-3 Green Chillies, finely chopped
1" Cinnamon stick
0.5 tsp Cumin Seeds
8-10 Black Peppercorns
2-4 Cloves
0.5 Lime
1-2 Tbsp Water
3-4 Tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Blend together coriander leaves, cumin seeds, cinnamon, black peppercorns, cloves, ginger, garlic, chilli, salt, lime juice with a little bit of water until smooth.
2. Clean the mushrooms and add in the blended marinade. Mix until all mushrooms are coated. You can halve the mushrooms if they are large.
3. Heat oil in a pan and add the mushrooms in a single layer. If using a small pan, this can be done in batches.
4. Cook on medium heat until the first side browns.
5. Flip and allow the other side to brown.
6. Add any remaining marinade and stir for 4-5 minutes or until the raw smell disappears.
7. If you want a gravy, you can add water at this stage to get the desired consistency and allow it to come to a boil.
8. Serve hot with pao or bread, or just like an appetizer.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Alsane Tonak

Mushroom Palak

Lahsuni Methi Mushroom

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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Garlic Stuffed Karela (with Step by Step Photos)

Happy Holidays!!!

The last week of the year is HERE! As the new year inches closer. and with it the new year's resolutions, I'm giving in to all my indulgences one last time. After all there are just 7 days left for 2016 to end.

While I'm filling up on all those chocolate cakes and french fries, I'm also bringing out the family favorite indulgences. One of them is my Mother-in-law's Garlic Stuffed Karela - Baby bitter gourds stuffed with a spicy masala of garlic and red chilli powder and fried in lots of oil. This is a tried, tested and loved recipe. It is what I call a flavor bomb, well they look like little bombs, don't they?

This Garlic Stuffed Karela is sure an explosion of flavors. It is S-P-I-C-Y, well you can reduce the spiciness by reducing the red chilli powder, but we love it spicy. It is heaven for garlic lovers (like me, of course), you can never kiss after this recipe, unless of course, the other person is filling up on it too. And if I haven't mentioned it enough times on this blog, I am a big bitter gourd or karela fan. Check these out if you have any doubts.

There is one thing that mellows down the sharp flavors of karela, chilli and garlic, and is also marries them all together, and that is Oil. This curry uses more oil than any other curry I've ever posted here. But it is an essential ingredient. Now you know why I call this an indulgence! You can decide to use less oil int he beginning and then add more as you go, or start out with a fair amount in the beginning. This Garlic Stuffed Karela is meant to be eaten with rice, either as a side with rice and dal or just mix it along with rice. If you are having it with just plain rice, add more oil.

This is a slow cooking recipe, perfect for holidays. This one cannot be rushed. The karela needs to be slowly coaxed into submission to bring out the best flavors. There is on silver lining though, once you have the karela frying, it requires minimal monitoring. Just check once in 10-15 minutes and flip 

them to ensure the all sides cook evenly.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

• Slit each bitter gourd lengthwise. Be careful that the knife does not pierce all the way through.
• Heat water in a shallow pan and add 1 tsp of salt and the tamarind juice to it. Allow the water to come to a rolling boil.
• Now add the slit bitter gourds and allow them to cook on medium flame for around 8-10 minutes until they change color. Do not cover the pan.
• Drain and keep aside.

• Make a paste out of the garlic, red chilli powder, salt and 2-3 tsp Oil.
• Stuff the bitter gourds with the spice paste.

• Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and add cumin seeds. Once the seeds splutter, add the curry leaves.
• Add the stuffed bitter gourds to the frying pan and cook on low flame for an hour. I prefer using a flat based pan, you can use a kadhai.
• Keep turning them frequently so all sides are cooked well.
• Sprinkle salt on top to coat all the bitter gourds. Mix well and cook for 1-2 minutes.
• The dish is done when the bitter gourds are soft.

Garlic Stuffed Karela

Garlic Stuffed Karela is vegan semi dry curry made with baby bitter gourds stuffed with a masala of garlic and red chilli powder and then fried.

Recipe Type:  Side
Cuisine:            South Indian
Prep Time:     20 minutes
Cook time:     1.25 hour
Yield:                Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

20 Bitter Gourd, small (Karela)
4 Garlic Pods
4-5 tsp Red Chilli Powder
0.5 tsp Cumin Seeds (Jeera)
5-6 Tbsp Oil
2 tsp Tamarind juice
1 sprig Curry leaves
Salt to taste
Water as required

Method:

Slit each bitter gourd lengthwise. Be careful that the knife does not pierce all the way through.
Heat water in a shallow pan and add 1 tsp of salt and the tamarind juice to it. Allow the water to come to a rolling boil.
Now add the slit bitter gourds and allow them to cook on medium flame for around 8-10 minutes until they change color. Do not cover the pan.
Drain and keep aside.
Make a paste out of the garlic, red chilli powder, salt and 2-3 tsp Oil.
Stuff the bitter gourds with the spice paste.
Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and add cumin seeds. Once the seeds splutter, add the curry leaves.
Add the stuffed bitter gourds to the frying pan and cook on low flame for an hour. I prefer using a flat based pan, you can use a kadhai.
Keep turning them frequently so all sides are cooked well.
Sprinkle salt on top to coat all the bitter gourds. Mix well and cook for 1-2 minutes.
The dish is done when the bitter gourds are soft.

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