This chapter needs more recipes about Dals. For now, I only have a recipe for 'sambar' a thin dal recipe from South India. This is typically served with idlis or plain rice. Idlis are hard to make and I haven't been able to find a satisfactory recipe for them to date.
Recipe from Sriram
Ingredients
1 cup Toor Dal
Boil the toor dal with 3 cups of water. Fry channa dal, dhania seeds, hing, and red chilies
for a few minutes, and then fry them with the grated coconut. Grind the above mixture with
water. Fry the green pepper in oil for a few minutes. Boil the tamarind paste, water, salt,
turmeric, tomato and vegetables. Add ??? 3 ??? and cook for about 5 minutes. Add boiled dal
and bring it to a boil In the meantime fry the mustard seeds and onion. Add the above
ingredients & coriander leaves to the mixture.
(Serves 4)
Ingredients
1 c Dal (Moong - yellow, or masur - pink)
Wash the dal and drain it. Boil water and add the dal, salt, pepper, turmeric, finely chopped
ginger, and garlic. Cover the pot and simmer for 20 minutes. When done, heat the ghee, add the
cumin and fry until golden brown. Add thinly sliced onions. Fry until crisp and brown. You
may add paprika and finely chopped tomatoes to the above for color (Pour over the dal and serve).
Ingredients
1 c Urad or Mah dal
Clean, wash and add the dal to boiling water. Add turmeric, salt, half of the finely chopped
ginger, garlic and cook on medium heat for 2-3 hours or pressure cook at 15psi for 1/2 hour.
Uncover, cook further in same pan on low heat for 1/2 hour, stir and mash every now and then
until a creamy consistency is achieved. Heat the ghee, add remaining ginger, stir, add sliced
onions, chili, and fry until golden brown. Add cumin or coriander (optional). Pour over dal
just before serving.
(Serves 6 - 8)
Ingredients
2 c Red kidney beans
Wash beans and boil for 2-3 hours or 1/2 hour in a pressure cooker. In the meantime make
Masala of onions, garlic, ginger and tomato as in chicken curry. Add to the beans and cook
again until most of the liquid dries up and the beans are soft and thoroughly cooked. Garnish
with coriander leaves and serve.
Ingredients
8 oz Garbanzo beans
Clean, wash and soak the beans overnight. Boil them in the same water with salt, 1 small
finely chopped onion, 4 cloves garlic, 4 large cardamom, a 1" piece of ginger and 6 cloves.
Simmer in pan about an hour or until tender, or pressure cook for 7 minutes at 15 psi. Heat
oil. Fry thinly sliced remaining onions and cloves of garlic. Cook until mixture browns and
dries up. Add finely chopped tomatoes and cook 4-5 minutes more. Add the beans and cook for
10 minutes more. Add the mango powder and pomegranate seeds, grated ginger and simmer over
low heat for 15-20 minutes. Before serving, pour 1 oz. (2 T) sizzling ghee over the beans.
SAMBHAR
1 tsp Tamarind
3 tsp Salt
a pinch Turmeric
2 tsp Channa Dal
3 tsp Dhania seeds
1 pinch Hing
3 Red chilies
1/4 cup Grated coconut
1 tsp Mustard
10 Coriander leaves
1 Green peppers cut into pieces
1 Onion chopped
1 Tomato cut into pieces
MASUR DAL (LENTILS)
3 1/2 c Water
to taste Salt
to taste Pepper
1/4 tsp Turmeric
2 cloves Garlic
1" piece Ginger
1 small Onion
2-3 Tblsp Ghee (Can be replaced by butter)
1 t Cumin seed
MAH KI DAL (WHOLE BLACK BEANS)
1" piece Ginger
12 cloves Garlic
Water
to taste Salt
2-3 Tblsp Ghee (Can be replaced by butter)
to taste Green chili (optional)
to taste Garam Masala
1/4 t Turmeric
RED KIDNEY BEANS (RAJMA)
3 qt Water
1 t Turmeric
1 T Salt
1/4 c Oil
1 c Onion, Chopped
1" piece Ginger, chopped
1 t Garam Masala
3 Chopped tomatoes
Coriander leaves for garnish
CURRIED GARBANZO BEANS
to taste Green chili (optional)
12 cloves Garlic
2" piece Ginger
to taste Pepper
1 large Cardamom
6 Cloves
1" Cinnamon stick
to taste Salt
Paprika
4 oz Oil
Mango powder
3 Onions
Dried pomegranate seeds
4 Tomatoes
Recipe from Sriram, 1985
Ingredients
2 large Onions cut lengthwise
Heat vessel with butter. Fry bay leaves, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon. Put onions and
chilies in vessel and fry on low heat until onions turn brown. Add ginger + garlic paste and
fry until oil separates. Add tomato and fry for 1 minute. Add chicken + salt + yogurt and
fry for one minute. Add mint + coriander leaves. Cover and cook until the gravy becomes
semi-solid. Cook rice in a separate vessel. Put rice into chicken and mix (It is advisable to
cook rice about 3/4 ths and then let it cook with the chicken). Remove and serve (Will serve
about 4 hungry grad. students.)
From Sriram, 1985
Ingredients
1 c Rice (Preferably Basmathi rice)
Clean the rice with water and set aside. Cut the onions length wise. Fry the onions and
cardamom in butter for about 4 minutes. If you are using green chili, then add the chili.
Add bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon and fry until the onions turn golden brown (This will probably
take another 4-5 minutes). Add the garlic and ginger paste (preferably prepared from fresh
ginger and garlic). Add dhania powder and chili powder (if green chili was not added before).
Add the tomato paste and one cup of water (you have to experiment with the quantity of water
needed. I found 1- 1/2 cups to be optimal) and bring the mixture to boil. Add the vegetables,
rice and salt. If you like coconut, add 1/4 cup of coconut flakes. Reduce the flame and cover
the vessel. After about 4 minutes, stir the mixture. Cover the lid again and wait until
cooked (might take about 10-15 minutes). Sprinkle on the coriander leaves in the end.
Recipe from Sriram, 1985
This recipe is slightly spicier than the previous one.
Ingredients
1 c Rice
Wash the rice and drain the water. Extract one cup of water from tomatoes. Pour the butter
into a vessel and heat. Add cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Add onions and chilies and fry
until onions turn golden brown. Add ginger + garlic paste and turmeric powder paste and fry
until you get a nice smell. Now pour in the tomato water + 1 cup water. Add coconut,
coriander powder (Dhania powder), salt and let boil Add rice + coriander leaves + vegetables.
Reduce to low heat and let the rice cook.
Ingredients
2 c Rice
Soak saffron in hot water. Wash and soak rice in 3 c water (optional). Heat ghee and fry
onions and then remove and keep aside. Add cinnamon, cumin seeds, cardamoms, cloves and salt.
Wait 1 minute and then add the bay leaves and 1/2 the onions. Drain the rice and reserve the
water. Add the rice grains and stir for 4-5 minutes until all the water evaporates and the
grains of rice are coated with oil. Add the water and bring to a boil. Add saffron and its
water and pressure cook at 15 psi. Remove from the heat and allow the pressure to drop by
itself.
Ingredients
1 c Basmathi rice
For Mixing with rice before serving:
A) 1/4 c frozen peas (boiled), salt, 6 drops green food coloring mixed with 1 t water.
B) 1/4 c diced tomatoes, 1/4 t red pepper, salt, Garam Masala, 6 drops red food coloring mixed
in 2 t water.
Ingredients
1 Thinly sliced onion
Clean, wash, and soak rice in 1 3/4 c water for pressure cooking, or in 2 cups of water for
pan cooking. Heat oil and fry the onions. Add whole spices. Fry 1 minute. Add rice and fry
for 2/3 minutes to coat the rice grains with oil. Add the water which the rice was soaking in.
Pressure cook, building up the pressure to 15 psi and let drop, OR cook in a pan bringing to
full boil then down to a simmer followed by 20 minutes of cooking until the rice is done.
Divide rice into three parts. Thoroughly mix A with one part and B with another. Leave the
last part plain. Keep rice separate and warm in the oven.
(C) Meanwhile fry the onion until it is crisp. Remove and fry almonds, cashew nuts, pistachios,
raisins, ginger and chili. Chop egg and sprinkle with salt. Keep warm until required. To
serve, place onions, nuts, chopped egg and all of (C) in a dish and spread the three batches of
rice in clumps above it aesthetically.
CHICKEN PULLAO
2 large Chilies cut lengthwise
2 c Basmathi rice (about 1/2 kg. (1 kilogram = 2.2lbs))
1 large Tomato (cut into small pieces)
10-15 Coriander leaves
5 Mint leaves
1 clove Garlic
1" piece Ginger
1/2 cup Coconut powder
3 tsp Salt
3-4 Cloves
2 Cardamom
1 Bay leaf
1" Cinnamon stick
1 c Yogurt
2 tblsp Butter
1 lb. Boneless chicken
SOUTH INDIAN PULLAV (RICE)
1/3 c Tomato puree
1 large Onion
1 c Vegetables (preferably peas and carrots)
1/4-1/2 tsp Coriander powder
1/8-1/4 tsp Garlic powder or
1 1/2 cloves garlic
1/8-1/4 tsp Ginger powder
1/4" piece Ginger
1/8-1/4 tsp Chili powder
1 Green chili cut into small pieces
1-2 pieces Cardamom
1 piece Cloves
1/4" stick or 1/8 tsp powder Cinnamon
1 Bay leaf
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Coriander leaves (if needed)
VEGETABLE PULLAV (2)
1 1/2 c Water
1 c Vegetables
1/2" Cinnamon stick
2 Cloves
2 Cardamom
1 1/4 tsp Salt
1/8 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Dhania powder
2 Chilies or 1/4 tsp powder
1/2 can or 1 lb. (16 oz) Tomatoes
1/2 cup Coconut
1 bunch Coriander leaves
4 cloves Garlic
1/2" piece Ginger (made into a paste)
2 tblsp Butter
1 Onion cut lengthwise
SAFFRON RICE (KESAR CHAWAL)
4 c Water
6 T Ghee
1 t Saffron threads (or less)
2 T Hot water
1 c Sliced onion
1 small Cinnamon stick - splintered
4 Bay leaves
4 large Black cardamoms
1 T Cumin seed
4 Cloves
2 t Salt
NAVRATTAN PULLAO (NINE JEWELED RICE)
1 3/4 c Water
1/4 c Oil
1 small Finely sliced onion
6 Cloves
1" Cinnamon stick
1 t Salt
1/2 t Cumin seed
2 1/4 c Ghee
1 oz Almonds
1 oz Cashew nuts
1 1/2 oz Golden raisins
1 oz Pistachio nuts
1" piece Ginger thinly sliced
1 Green chili (optional)
1 Hard boiled egg
last updated 10/31/99