Solkadi Recipe | Solkadhi with Coconut Milk Recipe | How to make Goan Solkadi | Kokum Solkadhi

Solkadi recipe with step by step video instructions. Goan Solkadi / Malvan Solkadhi is a refreshing savory drink made from aamsol or dried kokum peel and fresh coconut milk. Kokum kadi can be served as a curry along with rice or as a beverage. This recipe is vegan, gluten-free and suits a Jain diet.

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Solkadi is almost SOUL-Kadhi for the folks on the Konkan Coast of India. This sour pink drink with the creaminess of coconut milk and the spicy flavor of garlic and chilli is a must-have at the lunch table.

Details about Kokum

Kokum, a member of the mangosteen family, is indigenous to the Western Ghats. The fruit is used in 2 main ways - to make Kokum juice and to make Aamsol.

To make the Kokum juice, a glass jar is filled with the fresh fruit and sugar is added. The glass jar is covered and placed in the sun until the fruit dissolves into the sugar to yield a thick syrupy reddish purple color concentrate. And this juice is delicious!!! I buy the squash every year when I go to Mangalore.

To make aamsol or solan, the outer cover of the fruit is removed and is sun dried until completely dry. This is extremely sour and is used abundantly as a souring agent in cooking along the Konkan coast. The aamsol imparts a beautiful dark reddish purple color to the food where it is used. Aamsol is packaged and sold in grocery stores or in supermarkets. I was lucky to get two home dried batches - one from my sister's friend from Karwar and another from my husband's aunt. Both these impart a very rich color.

Over time, aamsol, tends to lose its color. Old aamsol will give you a brown color as opposed to the reddish-purple color. To keep aamsol fresh for longer and to retain the color, freeze it. 

Back to the dish at hand - Solkadi. 

The aamsol is soaked in hot water and left to release its color and flavor, while you prepare the fresh coconut milk. You can use store-bought coconut milk too, but the fresh one tastes better. The coconut milk can be flavored with garlic or ginger, I've also heard of it being flavored with onions. Goans usually use garlic and I love the taste. You can leave it plain too.

To make the coconut milk, grind the freshly grated coconut with garlic and a few green chillies for spice. Add water and pulse for about a minute. Squeeze the pulp to extract the milk. Add water to the squeezed pulp and massage it to release more milk. Squeeze again to extract the milk. You can do this one or two more times. I recommend stopping at the third press, else, the coconut milk becomes very thin and loses its creaminess. Strain the coconut milk to remove any pulp that may have accidentally gotten in.

Take the coconut milk in a large bowl, and add the vibrant water in which the aamsol was soaked by the spoonfuls. The water is very sour, so keep tasting as you add the spoonfuls. Stop when desired. Add in salt and taste. If the sourness feels less after adding the salt, add more kokum water. It is more of a taste and go kind of recipe.

If the solkadi feels less sour, you can soak more kokum and after 10 minutes add more kokum water to the solkadi. If it feels too sour, add more coconut milk or plain water.

Serving suggestions

Solkadi is served as a curry with rice, but I love drinking it like buttermilk too. If you want it to be chilled, you can store it in the fridge until you are ready to serve. When coconut milk is refrigerated, the fat in it solidifies on the top, just whisk it well before serving.

Serve solkadi with rice and potato fry.

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! 

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Video Recipe

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Solkadi Recipe | Kokum Kadhi Recipe | How to make Solkadhi

Solkadi or Solkadhi is a savory drink made from coconut milk and dried kokum peel. Solkadi is a popular drink from Goa and the Malvan region of Maharashtra. Solkadi is a sour drink that can either be served as a curry with rice or just as a refreshing drink.

Recipe Type:  Beverage
Cuisine:            Goan, Malvan
Prep Time:     30 minutes
Cook time:     0 minutes
Total time:     30 minutes
Yield:                Serves 3-4

Author:                Anupama

Ingredients:

1 large Coconut
10-15 Kokum skins / Aamsol pieces
5-6 Garlic cloves
2-3 Green Chillies
3-4 cups Water
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Soak the aamsol in 1 cup of hot water.
2. Break the coconut and grate the flesh. Try to only get the white flesh, avoid grating the brown part that is closer to the shell.
3. Add the grated coconut to a blender or mixer along with the garlic and green chillies and add 1 cup of water.
4. Pulse the mixer for 30-45 seconds until the coconut releases its juices. Don't completely blend the coconut into a paste or chutney.
5. To squeeze out the coconut milk, you can empty the contents of the mixer onto a muslin cloth and squeeze it until all the juice is out, or you can take a little pulp in the hand and squeeze it to extract the milk. Sieve the juice to remove any pulp.
6. Do not discard the pulp.
7. After you have squeezed out all the pulp, you get the thick first press of coconut milk.
8. To make the thinner second press or more, add water to the pulp and massage it in.
9. Repeat the same process of squeezing out the milk as described above.
10. This is the thinner second press. You can continue to do it for further presses, although we recommend stopping at the third press.
11. Mix in the water the aamsol was soaked in by the spoonfuls. Aamsol is very sour, so add as per taste. Add in salt and mix well.
12. Serve chilled or at room temperature along with rice or just as a refreshing drink.

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Coconut Milk Recipe | How to make Coconut Milk at home [Video]

Coconut Milk recipe with step by step video instructions. How to make fresh coconut milk at home with fresh coconut. This recipe will show you how to make the thick first press and the thinner second press of coconut milk. This recipe is vegan, gluten-free and suits a Jain diet.

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I am all about making my own coconut milk at home. The milk is fresh and free of any additives, preservatives, emulsifiers, and whatnot. And it tastes GREAT!

Why you should make your own Coconut Milk:

• It's FRESH! I cannot think of a more appropriate reason.
• No additives of any kind - emulsifiers, xanthan gum, preservatives, nothing, NADA.
• You get to decide the thickness of the milk. It is completely up to you to either stop at the first press or to go thinner to the second or even third press.
• You can go crazy with the flavoring, or you can just leave it plain.
• You can make just as much as you need. This one ranks really high for me. I always mess up with how much I need if I buy, making my own lets me control that.

The details...

Your coconut milk will be as good as the coconut you choose. If you can get the sweetest and meatiest variety, go for it. Just a note, that coconut milk cannot be made with the green tender coconut that you get to drink on roadsides, you need regular cooking coconut - the brown one. But not the Khopra or dried one.

Making coconut milk is easy if you have someone to grate the coconut for you. In my case, Raj and I divided the work and it wasn't tiring at all. My advice is to get as much of the white flesh as possible and to avoid using the brown part of the coconut, that is closer to the shell.

Once you have the grated flesh, put it in a blender/mixer with just enough water to get the mixer started. I needed at least 1 cup, you may need more or less depending on the style of the mixer. The less water you add, the thicker is your first press. You don't need to grind the coconut, just pulse enough for a shorter duration to get the juices out.

After you have blended the coconut, you can add all the pulp to a muslin cloth and squeeze out all the milk in one go, or like my video, you can do it by the fistfuls. Whichever is easier for you. This is your first press which is thicker and richer.

To get the second and third press (I wouldn't go beyond this), to the squeezed pulp, add more water. Again, it depends on how thin you want the coconut milk to be, so add water accordingly. I added 1 cup again. Massage the water into the pulp and again, squeeze out the milk either by the fistful or using a muslin cloth. This is the thinner second press. Repeat the same for the third press.

How to use the Coconut Milk?

The options are so vast. This fresh coconut milk can be used to make curries, desserts, smoothies, or use it to soak up your cereal. I've tried all these and it works fantastically. The only thing I've never tried is using it in my tea or coffee. If you do, let me know how it turns out.

Some recipes to get you started:

• Vegetable Stew
• Creamy pumpkin pasta sauce
• South Indian Chana Masala
• Eggplant Coconut Curry
• Thai Green Curry
• Vegan Laksa
• Cauliflower Rendang
• Pumpkin Curry
• Lahsuni Methi Mushroom
• Raw Banana Kofta Curry
• Chana Dal Kheer (Dessert)
• Vegan Date and Walnut Cake

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! 

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Video Recipe

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Coconut Milk Recipe | How to make Coconut Milk at home

How to make coconut milk from fresh coconut. Recipe of coconut milk with step by step video instructions.

Recipe Type:  Beverage
Cuisine:            Asian
Prep Time:     40 minutes
Cook time:     0 minutes
Total time:     40 minutes
Yield:                2.5-3 Cups

Ingredients:

1 large Coconut
2-3 cups Water

Method:

1. Break the coconut and grate the flesh. Try to only get the white flesh, avoid grating the brown part that is closer to the shell.
2. Add the grated coconut to a blender or mixer and add in just enough water to get the mixer going. We added 1 cup of water. The lesser the water, the thicker the coconut milk, so add accordinly.
3. Pulse the mixer for 30-45 seconds until the coconut releases its juices. Don't completely blend the coconut into a paste or chutney.
4. To squeeze out the coconut milk, you can empty the contents of the mixer onto a muslin cloth and squeeze it until all the juice is out, or you can take a little pulp in the hand and squeeze it to extract the milk. Sieve the juice to remove any pulp.
5. Do not discard the pulp.
6. After you have squeezed out all the pulp, you get the thick first press of coconut milk.
7. To make the thinner second press or more, add water to the pulp and massage it in.
8. Repeat the same process of squeezing out the milk as described in step 4.
9. This is the thinner second press. You can continue to do it for further presses, although we recommend stopping at third press.
10. If not using immediately, store the coconut milk in the fridge and use it within 2-3 days.

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Pineapple Squash Recipe | How to make pineapple juice concentrate [Video]

Pineapple squash recipe with step by step photo and video instructions. Pineapple squash is a pineapple drink concentrate made from fresh fruit. Water is added to the concentrate to make an instant juice when desired. Pineapple squash is vegan, gluten-free and fits a Jain diet. It is served chilled. 

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Pineapple Squash + Cold Water + Ice cubes = Summer in a glass.

I'm not a big fan of the sweltering heat of Summer, but I love all the cold drinks that come with it. My ideal summer scene would have been sitting on a shack near the beach, sipping a chilled drink and eating french fries. An evening I had in my plans but had to get postponed due to everything happening in the world at the moment.

But no regrets, because now I get to sit in my unusually quiet balcony on my bean bag without a care in the world and sip on this instant pineapple juice while I listen to all the bird activity. With all the humans inside, the birds have returned. It is nice to hear them chirping or even cawing around. I went from hating a pineapple as a child to loving it as an adult. And I love having this pineapple squash at hand these days.

What is pineapple squash?

Pineapple Squash is a pineapple juice concentrate that you can mix with water or plain soda to instantly make a pineapple flavored drink. It also can be used in mocktails and cocktails.

The details...

Firstly, pick the ripest and sweetest pineapples, that are really fragrant. You will need less sugar if the fruit itself is very sweet. You can peel and cube the pineapple whenever you have time and keep it in the fridge until you are ready to prepare the squash.

Use a juicer or a blender to puree the pineapples. This puree needs to be strained to remove any fiber that is present. Use a fine-mesh strainer to get the smoothest puree that is free of any large bits or unwanted fiber. 

The sugar syrup is a simple one, 2 parts sugar to 1 part water. The amount of sugar required depends on how sweet you like your drink and how sweet is your fruit. The fruit I bought was not very sweet, more on the tard side, so I needed all the sugar I used. The sugar syrup is boiled until you get a one string consistency. Once you have that, add in the strained puree and simmer on low heat for 5-8 minutes. I realized that the longer I cook the squash, the more the pineapple loses its freshness, hence I cooked it much less. However, it does need cooking, so don't skip it, especially if making large batches.

Once the squash cools down, we add lime juice to help in preservation. Although I really didn't need it, considering the squash barely lasted a week, and that too because I had a decent stock of Lemon Ice Tea already in the fridge and some store bought soft drinks.

Store the pineapple squash in a clean sterile bottle in the fridge. I prefer a glass bottle, but you can use plastic too. I'd completely avoid metal bottles.

And when you are in a mood to have pineapple juice, mix the concentrate with plain or sparkling water, throw in some ice cubes and enjoy!!

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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Pineapple Squash Recipe | How to make Pineapple Juice Concentrate

Pineapple squash is a pineapple drink concentrate made from fresh fruit. Water is added to the concentrate to make an instant juice when desired. Pineapple squash is vegan, gluten-free and fits a Jain diet.

Recipe Type:  Beverage
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     20 minutes
Cook time:     30 minutes
Total time:     50 minutes
Yield:                500ml

Ingredients:

2 small Pineapples (600 gms), peeled and cubed
1 cup Sugar
1 cup Water
1 Tbsp Lime Juice

Method:

1. Add the peeled and cubed pineapple to a blender along with 0.25 cup of water and blend to a smooth puree.
2. Strain this puree using a fine mesh strainer and keep aside.
3. Heat the sugar and 0.5 cup water in a large sauce pan to make a simple sugar syrup. Simmer the sugar syrup until it has 1 string consistency.
4. Pour in the pureed pineapple and cook on low heat for 5-8 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
6. Add the lime juice and mix well.
7. Store in a clean glass or plastic bottle in the fridge.
8. To serve, fill 1/3rd of the glass with pineapple squash and add 2/3rd glass of cold water. Add ice cubes if desired.
9. Serve chilled.

Step by step photo instructions:

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Chutney Pudi Recipe | Chutney Powder Recipe | Gunpowder Recipe [Video]

Chutney Pudi recipe with step by step photo and video instructions. Chutney Pudi is a popular condiment from North Karnataka. Chutney Pudi is a spicy peanut and roasted gram powder that can be eaten as a dry chutney along with ghee or oil. Chutney Pudi is served as an accompaniment to idli, dosa, chapati or rice.

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This wonderful orange spicy powder with an odd crystal of sugar or a small bit of tamarind was basically my school lunch. Yes, I am not joking. I cannot tell you how much I loved chutney pudi as a school kid. Every day for four years my mother had to make me 2 chapatis and then slather them with homemade ghee (yummm) and lots of chutney pudi, fold it into small triangles and pack it off with me. I'm not sure why, but I would not eat anything else for lunch/snack. I mean my "lunch" break was at 10am, so that was definitely a snack, and not really lunch. I was definitely the teacher's pet for getting a healthy snack while some of the other kids got cookies and other sweet treats, which for some odd reason did not tempt me back then. Not so much now, I'd gobble up a cookie anytime.

Having chutney pudi at home is extremely convenient for those busy days when you don't have time to cook. It is also extremely convenient that chutney pudi has a reasonably long shelf life, it will easily last you from 6-8 weeks if you use fresh and high quality ingredients. 

Chutney Pudi is a popular condiment that is served along with idlis or dosa. Mix it with ghee or oil and make an instant chutney that can be mopped up with the idli or the dosa. It is mixed with curd or yogurt and popularly eaten along with Joladda Rotti or Jowar Roti in North Karnataka. I loved dunking my pav or bread in curd and chutney pudi back in the day. I have made butter and chutney pudi sandwiches, that taste really nice by the way. As I already told, you can eat chutney pudi with chapati or roti. Mix it along with hot steamed rice and ghee or coconut oil and make it an easy meal.

Every family, region, community in the Southern and Western parts of India makes their own version of dry chutney aka spicy lentil powders. This recipe is my mom's recipe. There are a few of her recipes that I listed down when I could and I don't change anything in them. I won't tweak them or enhance them. They are perfect the way they are. This Chutney Pudi is one of them. My recipe is made from roasted or fried gram (chickpeas), peanuts and dry coconut. Some make it with chana dal and some just with peanuts or dry coconut. Some add garlic, some don't. Except for the one with chana dal, I'll eat any other chutney pudi. 

My version of chutney pudi is very simple. The ratios of roasted gram to peanuts to dry coconut is 2:1:1. The peanuts are roasted to extend the shelf life and to help you deskin them. I don't deskin them because it really doesn't make much of a difference in the end product. But you can deskin them or use skinned roasted peanuts (preferably, unsalted). The dry coconut is warmed only to extend shelf life. It doesn't need to change color. The pan was way too hot while I was shooting this video which led to the slight coloring of the coconut, but usually, it doesn't. The coconut and the peanuts need to be at room temperature before you grind them, else they will release their oils. The peanut and coconut are ground together until you have a coarse powder of sandy texture or slightly bigger grains. Grinding the coconut and peanuts longer will make them release their oil. I recommend pulsing the mixer instead of running it continuously. 

The roasted gram or puthani or futana is divided and ground with different ingredients - first time with roasted red chillies and the second time with tamarind. Lightly roasting the dry red chillies in oil makes them crispy and help them in grinding into a fine powder. While grinding the tamarind, try to grind it until the tamarind is broken into small bits. It will never become a fine powder though. Sugar is optional, but tastes good. You can add jaggery powder too. Salt is mandatory. The tempering adds to flavor and extends the shelf life. But you need to ensure that the mustard has spluttered and that all the curry leaves are crispy, undercooked curry leaves can drastically decrease shelf life. If you don't have access to curry leaves, skip them. 

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! 

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Video Recipe

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Chutney Pudi Recipe | Chutney Powder Recipe | Gunpowder Recipe

Chutney Pudi is a popular condiment from North Karnataka. Chutney Pudi is a spicy peanut and roasted gram powder that can be eaten as a dry chutney along with ghee or oil. Chutney Pudi is served as an accompaniment to idli, dosa, chapati or rice.

Recipe Type:  Condiment
Cuisine:            South Indian
Prep Time:     10 minutes
Cook time:     20 minutes
Total time:     30 minutes
Yield:                3 cups

Ingredients:

2 cups Roasted Gram (Puthani / Futana)
1 cup Dry Coconut, grated
1 cup Peanuts
1 tsp Tamarind
10-15 Red Chilies
0.5 tsp Sugar
Salt to taste
10-12 Curry leaves
1 tsp Mustard seeds
2.5 Tbsp Oil

Method:

1. Dry roast the peanuts until they are slightly browned and tiny black spots appear on the skin. Remove from heat and keep aside to cool. Peel them if desired.
2. Add the grated dry coconut to the pan and roast until warm. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
3. Add 1 tsp of oil and add the dry red chillies and roast until they are puffed up and crisp. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
4. Add 1 cup of roasted gram to the mixer and add the roasted chillies. Grind until smooth. Empty the powder to a large mixing bowl.
5. Grind the peanuts and dry coconut to a coarse powder (sand like consistency). Add the powder to the mixing bowl.
6. Grind the remaining roasted gram with tamarind to a smooth powder. Add the powder to the mixing bowl.
7. Add salt and sugar and mix well until completely combined. Add red chilli powder if the chutney pudi is not spicy enough.
8. Heat the remaining oil in a pan for the tempering and add the mustard seeds.
9. Once they splutter, add the curry leaves and fry until crisp.
10. Add the tempering to the chutney pudi and mix gently.
11. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for weeks.

Step by step photo instructions:

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Lemon Ice Tea Recipe [Video]

Lemon Ice Tea recipe with video instructions. Lemon Ice Tea is a popular Summer non-alcoholic drink made by flavoring cold tea with lime juice. It is served chilled. 

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Have I ever mentioned how much I LOVE Ice Tea? Lemon Ice Tea is pretty much the only drink I have outside. Sorry, no soft drinks for me. And I've been adventurous with my ice tea as well, I've tried the rose, the peach, even the hibiscus Ice Tea. But as a loyalist, I keep coming back to the Lemon Ice Tea.

And these are the best day to enjoy a tall glass of ice tea. I love dragging my bean bag to the balcony, bask in the Summer sun while I listen to retro songs and sip on my chilled ice tea. Clean air and no traffic noise are some of the few benefits of the lockdown that I am enjoying.

Lemon Ice Tea isn't necessarily a healthy drink, but it definitely healthier than the bottled drinks you are buying. The sole reason being the sugar content. You get to control the type and quantity of the sweetener when you make Ice Tea at home. While I have used plain white sugar, the not so healthy option, you can easily substitute it with honey, agave syrup or maple syrup.

You can also go all crazy on the flavorings. Don't let your imagination stop you at just lemon. I did just that. I added a few other things to my ice tea that I love. While it would have been more appropriate to call this the Lemon-Mint-Ginger Ice Tea, I stuck to the dominant flavor while naming it. But it does have ginger and mint. Two things I believe make it taste even fresher. Oh yes, the other benefit of making your own Ice Tea - Freshness! Other than the tea leaves, which are obviously dried, everything else you put in there is fresh, so the flavor is so much more pronounced. And if you grow mint on your window sill, like me, it couldn't get any fresher than this.

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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Lemon Ice Tea Recipe

Lemon Ice Tea is a chilled beverage made by flavoring ice col tea with lemon juice.

Recipe Type:  Beverage
Cuisine:            International
Prep Time:     5 minutes
Cook time:     15 minutes
Total time:     20 minutes
Yield:                1 Litre

Ingredients:

1 litre Water
1-2 tsp Tea Powder
2-4 Tbsp Sugar
1 Tbsp Ginger, grated (Optional)
Handful of fresh Mint leaves
0.25 Lemon or Lime

Method:

1. Heat 1 litre of water until it reaches a rolling boil.
2. If using ginger, add it now and allow the water to boil for 2-3 minutes to infuse the ginger.
3. Add the tea powder and allow the water to boil for 3-4 minutes or until it has reached the desired strength. The tea should have the flavor of tea without tasting bitter, hence, the quantity of the powder is less.
4. Add in the sugar and mix well until combined. Add sugar as per taste. If replacing sugar with any natural sweetener like honey, agave or maple syrup, do not add it now.
5. Turn off the heat and add in the mint leaves, if using and allow to stand for 8-10 minutes.
6. Strain the tea. If using natural sweetener, add it now.
7. Allow the tea to reach room temperature and then add in the lemon or lime juice. Adding lemon juice when the tea is hot may turn in bitter, therefore, we are adding it once the tea has cooled.
8. Pour the tea in a bottle and chill for 8-12 hours or until cold.
9. Serve chilled, preferably, with ice cubes.

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Crispy Moong Dal Recipe | Moong Dal Namkeen Recipe [Video]

Crispy Moong Dal or Moong Dal Namkeen recipe with step by step photo and video instructions. Crispy Moong Dal is a deep-fried lentil snack that is popular in India. Crispy moong dal is inspired from Haldiram's moong dal namkeen and is great as a tea time snack. Crispy Moong Dal is vegan, gluten free and fits a Jain diet.

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Ok, I'll be honest, I've been spending wayyy too much time on Twitter following #workingfromhome. And I'm jealous, of the lovely co-workers, read pet cats and dogs, that so many folks have. And here I am stuck with actual humans. But I guess that has some advantages too, at least I don't have to do the dishes. But I still feel, one look at that smushy puppy face and I would have forgotten all my stress and anxiety. This working from home thing has me discovering some new things about myself. One, I like hoarding vegetables. Yes, I'm less of a grocery or TP hoarder, but leave me with less than 3 types of veggies in the fridge, and I'm anxious. Two, I can live without chips, chocolate and ice cream. I know the rest of the world ran out of TP, but Bangalore ran out of chips. Apparently, that's what we need to fuel us down here. Three, I still am not a fan of exercise, well that's not a new one. Four, I love cooking more than I ever thought.

I've discovered in the absence of travel to work, I'm left with a lot more time, and I am investing that in cooking and prepping. We are eating more and more hot breakfasts that take a little longer to make, I've sundried two batches of potato chips, I've made 3 bottles of instant mango pickle, a few bottles of ice tea and pineapple squash, and I'm making a lot of snacks. Last week I posted the Paper Avalakki Mixture, which has been kind of a lifeline, because it also doubles up as breakfast when required. I've made loads of Churmuri Chiwda to much on along with tea. And this week I made this Crispy Moong Dal, in total Haldiram's style.

Crispy Moong Dal or Moong Dal Namkeen flooded the Indian market in the late 1990s and took the urban population by a storm. Everyone loved this simple salty snack. It became a family favorite, something to serve when your family and friends dropped in unannounced on the weekends. Kids loved it, double dipping their wet fingers into the bowl and amused when the dal stuck to their fingers, eh, just for this reason, always give kids their own bowl of moong dal. I've loved Moong Dal namkeen from the time I first ate it. But I never attempted to make it. Frankly I had no clue it was so easy to make it, until now.

Crispy Moong Dal requires just 3 ingredients in reality - the moong dal, salt and oil to fry it in. While the time taken to make the crispy moong dal is long, it is mostly effortless. The moong dal needs to soak for a good 3 to 4 hours and dry for nearly 1 hour before you can start frying it. This soak and dry time makes up for most of the time taken. Once the moong dal is dry, we fry it using a mesh strainer. The reason for this is simply because the dal is too small and if directly dumped in the oil, will spread all throughout and it will take a lot of effort to fish out every grain from the oil. A mesh strainer makes it much easier to fry. The temperature of the oil matters a lot here. If the oil is not hot enough, you will end up with a box of moong dal that is hard and not crispy. Very unpleasant. To test the temperature of the oil, drop in 1 or 2 grains, if they immediately rise to the top, the oil is hot enough.

Once you have fried the moong dal, use a clean paper napkin to remove the excess oil and immediately add seasoning. If you allow the dal to cool, the salt will not stick to the moong dal. I only added salt, you can add spices if you want.

Crispy Moong Dal stayed crisp and fresh for about a week in an airtight box. It didn't last beyond it for me to determine the shelf life.

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Video Recipe

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Crispy Moong Dal Recipe | Moong Dal Namkeen Recipe

Crispy Moong Dal or Moong Dal Namkeen is a deep-fried lentil snack that is popular in India. Crispy moong dal is great as a tea time snack. Crispy Moong Dal is vegan, gluten free and fits a Jain diet.

Recipe Type:  Snacks
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     5 Hours
Cook time:     20 Minutes
Total time:     5 Hours 20 Minutes
Yield:                200 gms or 1 cup

Ingredients:

1 cup or 200gms Moong Dal
Salt to taste
Oil to fry
Water as required

Method:

1. Wash the moong dal twice in tap water and drain out the water.
2. Soak the moong dal in water for 3-4 hours.
3. Drain out the water and spread the moong dal on a kitchen towel for 1 hour, allowing it to dry.
4. Heat oil in a kadhai. Allow the oil to become very hot, if oil it not hot enough the moong dal will turn hard instead of crispy.
5. Take a little of the moong dal in a net strainer and place in the oil.
6. Stir the moong dal with a spoon frequently.
7. Fry for 1 to 3 minutes until the moong dal is crispy. The moong dal will shrink and color will change slightly.
8. Pour the moong dal onto a bowl lined with a paper napkins.
9. With another paper napkin, wipe off the excess oil from the moong dal.
10. While the moong dal is still hot, add salt and mix well.
11. Once cooled, store in an air tight container at room temperature.

Step by Step Photo Instructions

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