Tasty split Bengal gram with some spices (according to your taste)

Here’s another yummy way to eat split Bengal gram that is so good for health.

Ingredients:

100 gms.                  Chaney ki daal (Split Bengal Gram)

1 pinch                      Asafoetida

Salt

Red chilli powder

Turmeric powder

1 Tsp.                        Fennel seeds (powdered)

1                                 Indian Bay leaf (Tej Patta)

Sunflower Oil

1 Tsp.                        Cumin

2-3                             Whole dried red chillies

1 small piece           Ginger (finely chopped)

1 medium                Onion/ shallot (finely chopped) (optional)

1 medium                Tomato (finely chopped) (optional)

¼ Tsp.                                   Garam masala

Green coriander leaves (finely chopped)

Procedure:

Take split Bengal gram, add water and boil it with asafoetida, fennel seeds, bay leaf, salt, red chillies powder and turmeric powder. 

Take it off the fire when it’s well done.

Tadka

Heat oil in a pan.

Add cumin seeds.  When they start spluttering add whole dried red chillies, ginger and onions.

Once the onion and ginger start turning brown, add chopped tomatoes.   Add boiled split Bengal gram to the mix once tomatoes are well cooked.

Mix well.  When the lentils start boiling, add garam masala.  Mix well.

Take off the fire and garnish with finely chopped green coriander.

Serve with steaming rice/ chapattis and/or vegetables.

I hope that you’ll enjoy this meal.  May you have a healthy meal!

Mixed Vegetable Soup

Ingredients :

1 Tb. Sp.          Butter

1                      Leek (Cut in big pieces)

1                      Turnip (Cut in big pieces)

1                      Carrot (Cut in big pieces)

1 big                Potato (Cut in big pieces)

½ cup              Water
½ cup              Tomato puree
Cream
Salt
Pepper

Procedure:

1.      Put a pan on fire.  Add butter.

2.      Once it starts melting add leek, turnip and carrot cut in big pieces.

3.      Continue stirring from time to time. After some time add potato.
4.      Add water when you can smell the fragrance of vegetables.
5.      Add salt and pepper. Stir well.
6.      Cover. Let it cook for approximately 15 minutes. Remove the lid and see if it is well cooked. If yes, then remove from the fire. If not, then add some more water, stir and cover till it is well cooked.  Now, add Tomato puree and let it cook for 4-5 minutes.

7.      Once cooked, remove from fire and let it cool down a bit.
8.    Use a hand-held mixer to grind it into a smooth paste. If it isn't liquid enough then add some water or milk (I prefer milk). Heat it before serving.  Add finely chopped pieces of leek and serve.

Daal waalaa parantha (Fried Indian Flatbread with Split Bengal Gram filling)

Paranthas are my favourite breakfast and there are so many types of paranthas.  Today’s recipe is daal waalaa parantha which is a parantha filled with Split Bengal Gram.  When I was young I used to call it lentils for the horse, a reference to the fact that in India it is fed to horses because of its nutritive value.  It is a good source of calcium, iron and dietary fibre.  So here’s the recipe.

Ingredients:

1 Cup             Wheat flour

50 gms          Split Bengal Gram (Chaney ki daal)

1 pinch          Asafoetida (hing)

1 Tsp  Salt

1 pinch          chilli powder

1 pinch          garam masala

1 small          Onion/ Shallot (finely cut)

1 or 2            Green chillies (finely cut)

Water

Ghee (clarified butter) or Oil

Procedure:

Knead flour so that when you make a hole in it with your finger, it doesn’t stick to your finger.

Filling

Take split Bengal gram, add water and boil it with asafoetida.

Take it off the fire when it’s well done and dry all water.  Mix and crush the Bengal gram, so that it becomes a sort of dry paste.

Add salt, red chilli powder and garam masala and mix well.

Add onions and green chillies.  Mix well.  Keep it aside.

Paranthas

Take a small part of it and roll it into a small ball and ensure that there’s no crack in the ball.

Roll this ball in dry flour and flatten it.

Use rolling-pin and flatten the circle further till it is around 4-5 inches in diameter.

Take 1 Tea spoon of the filling and put it on the flattened dough.

Take all ends and close it in the dough.

Roll it in some dry flour and flatten it upside down i.e. the folded end should face the plate.

Use rolling pin to further flatten it and make it into a bigger circle.

Put the girdle on fire.

When it is hot, put the flattened dough on the girdle.

Once it is cooked on one side (it will become somewhat yellowish brown), turn it over and put oil on the cooked side.

After some time, turn it over again and if the other side is cooked oil it as well otherwise turn it back till it is cooked.  Once it is cooked, turn it over and oil the other side (that you’ve not oiled earlier).

After around 1 minute turn it over and let it cook for some time.

Serve it with pickle or/and vegetables or/and plain yoghurt and/or raita and/or dahi pakodiyan and/or Tomato chutney.

I hope that you loved this healthy meal as much as I do.  Enjoy your meal!

Tikona Parantha

We've already made square paranthas but just for a change, you may think of changing the shape... So today, I'm sharing the way I make triangular parantha.  You can make simple paranthas or  namak-ajwain waaley paranthas, ingredients remain the same only the shape changes.

BTW did you know that you can also have paranthas with warm tea or pickle or both.  It's simple and delicious.  Another delicious way to have paranthas is to eat them with home-made butter.  Just yummy!

Mixed Vegetable Special

Ingredients:

1 Tb. Sp.                Sunflower Oil
2                             Green cardamoms  (use just seeds)

2-3                         Cloves
1 Tsp.                    Kasoori methi

2-3                         Bay leaves (Tej patta)

1 Tsp.                    Kalonji
1 Tb. Sp.               Cumin (jeera)

1 Tb. Sp.               Coriander seeds (dhaniya)

4-5                         Dried red chillies

Salt (according to taste)
1 pinch                 Red chilli powder (according to taste)
½ Tsp.                   Turmeric powder
2 cloves               Garlic (paste/ crushed)

1 Tsp.                    Ginger paste

1 pinch                 Asafoetida (hing)
1 big                     Onion cut along the length (big pieces)

200 ml                  Tomato puree

2 medium            Potatoes (peeled and cut into small cubes)



1 medium            Capsicum (Shimla mirch) (cut in big squares)

150 gms               Maize grains (I used a can)

100 gms               Tofu or Paneer (cut in big cubes)
1 Tsp.                    Garam masala
Water
25 gms                 Green coriander, finely chopped.
5-6 drops            Lemon juice (optional)

Procedure:

1.                   Heat oil in a pan.
2.                   Add kalonji, cumin and coriander seeds.
3.                   When the seeds start sputtering add red chillies.  Stir fry till they are golden brown.
4.                   Add asafoetida, bay leaves and kasoori methi.

5.                   Garlic and ginger paste.
6.                   Once it turns golden brown, add onions.

7.                   When the onions are well done, add salt, red chilli powder and turmeric powder and
                mix well.
8.                   Add potatoes and capsicum.  Mix well.
















9.                   Cover and let it cook at low flame for 15 minutes.
10.               Add tomato puree and mix.
11.               Let it cook for another 10 minutes.  Keep stirring from time to time.
12.               Add tofu (or paneer) and mix well.
13.               Cover and let it cook.
14.               Add maize seeds and mix well.  Keep at low flame for another 5 minutes.
















15.               Add garam masala and mix well.  Leave it on fire for another 5 minutes.
16.               Take off the heat and garnish with green coriander, mix.

I love to add a few drops of lemon juice.  When serving to guests, it is a good idea to put a piece of lemon as a garnish. 

I love to have it as side-dish with rice, poories, chapattis and parontheys.  It’s up to you to choose your favourite way to have it.

Feel free to add carrots or other vegetables.