Dal Pic: Priya Q

Like my mom few of you will find this dish a bit bland…I somehow liked it when I had this at my aunt’s place…though my aunt doesn’t eat onions I have used it…Onions give a nice touch to it )…… It tastes quite good with idiyappam …which I normally used to have with Vegetable Stew or Egg Curry…this dal recipe is a welcome variation to the combo !! and its unbelievably simple!

Chana dal – 1 cup ( dried split chickpeas)

Green Chilli – 1 to 2 nos (Split lengthwise)

Onion – 1 no (finely chopped)

Curry leaves – 3 to 4

Coconut Milk – 1/2 cup

Salt to taste

1. Pressure cook the chana dal along with green chillies
2. Remove the chilli from the cooked dal
3. In a small pan fry curry leaves and chopped onions till golden brown and add to the dal
4. Add coconut milk and salt
5. Serve hot with idiyappams or rice

till next time…happy cooking!

This is yet another creation of Biji ammai – simple, quick and yummy. What set it apart from the normal lentil preparation is the usage of Zucchini. If you don’t have Zucchini you can use pumpkin instead! Don’f forget to give me a feedback post you cook

Gram daal / chana daal (lentil) – 1 cup

Zucchini – 2-3 numbers

Cumin powder – 1 tsp

Coriander powder – 1 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

Salt to taste

1. Soak gram dal for 1 hour
2. Cook the dal with sufficient water without closing the vessel. Howver, dal should not get fully cooked.
3. Add chopped Zucchini and cook
4. Add cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric, salt and cook
5. Serve with Indian bread (chapatti) or rice

Till next time…Happy cooking!

Thanks ammai ….meet Ms.Biji Gopi Ram

photo credit: ritwikdey

Our friend Dr.Vinod is a fan of this dal. May be also because he was brought up in the north and now gets to eat Kerala food more often? Reason might be anything, but this dal recipe just rocks. Try it out!

Toor dal – 1 cup
Turmeric powder – 1 pinch
Onion – 1 medium (finely chopped)
Green chilli – 1 (slit length wise)
Ginger-Garlic paste – 1 tsp
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Asafoetida – 1 pinch
Tomato – 1 medium (finely chopped)
Oil – 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves – for garnish (finely chopped)

1.    Pressure cook / boil dal with turmeric and keep aside
2.    In a pan take oil and add cumin seeds when warm
3.    Add asafoetida, onions, ginger-garlic paste and green chilli and sauté well
4.    When onions turn light brown add tomatoes and sauté
5.    When oil separates, take pan off gas
6.    Add the above to the boiled dal
7.    Add salt to taste
8.    Garnish with coriander leaves
9.    Serve with rice or chapatti (Indian bread)

Another variant could be that you boil ginger-garlic paste, chopped onions, tomatoes and green chilli (slit length wise) along with dal. For tempering, take oil in a pan add Cumin, Fennel, Asafoetida and 1/2 tsp red chilli flakes and add this to the cooked dal. Sprinkle garam masala and garnish with coriander!

Till tomorrow….. happy cooking!…….hey don’t forget to post your feedback. I will be waiting!

click here for South Indian dal recipe..