Puran (filling) Poli (flat bread) is one of my husband and his family's favorite dishes. During a holiday/festival you are bound to find it during meals at his family home in Gujarat, India.
Ingredients
For filling (puran):
1 cup toover dal (split pigeon peas)
1 cup sugar
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
For dough:
2 cups chapatti or whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon neutral oil
Pinch of salt
½ cup or less all-purpose flour, for rolling and dusting
¼ cup or less ghee (clarified butter), for brushing
Directions
Wash split pigeon peas few times. For oily dal make sure all the oil is washed off. Soak in about 2 cups of water for 1 to 2 hours or until peas are soft in a medium size soup pot. (Soaking is optional).
Cover dal with a lid and cook it with water on a medium heat until peas are very soft, about one hour. Dal can also be cooked in a pressure cooker, according to manufacturer’s direction.
While dal is cooking make dough. Put chapatti or whole wheat flour in a medium mixing bowl. Add salt and 2 tablespoons oil and mix it with hands. Gradually add water and knead until it makes soft and smooth dough. Cover the dough with a plate or a kitchen towel and let it rest while dal is cooking and you make the filling.
Once dal is cooked, add sugar and cook until mixture thickens, stirring frequently, about 25 to 30 minutes. (You can also cook filling in microwave uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes). Let filling cool for 45 minutes to an hour or until cool to handle. Add cardamom and nutmeg and stir to combine. Divide filling into 12 to 15 equal portions and roll into balls.
Pour 1 teaspoon oil on top of the dough and knead it few times until smooth. Divide the dough into 12 to 15 equal portions and roll into balls.
Put about half a cup of all-purpose flour into a flat dish. Dip the ball of dough into flour and flatten it on a smooth cutting board (wooden or marble). Dip the flatten dough into flour again on both sides. First roll out a biscuit size (about 3 inch in diameter) small circle. Put one ball of filling in the middle. Gradually make folds around the edges to cover filling. Pinch the folds together, twist the dough on top and press the dough down so that it makes small circle. Dip the circle into flour on both sides .Roll out into a circle about 6 inches in diameter, dusting with flour if the dough starts sticking to the board. If some stuffing comes out or dough breaks, it’s fine.
Heat a griddle or a flat non-stick pan on a medium heat. Transfer puran poli on to heated pan. Let the first side cook for 30 seconds to 40 seconds or until small bubbles appear on surface and flip to the other side. Let the other side cook for one minute. Remove from the heat. Brush the first side with about 1 teaspoon of ghee. Repeat the process with all the remaining dough and filling balls. Stack cooked puran poli. Serve warm with a shaak (vegetable) like okra, tindola or bataka ni sukhi bhaji.
1 teaspoon dhana-jeeru (spice blend of ground coriander and cumin)
1 golf ball size piece of jaggery or 1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Directions
Wash turiya, remove the sharp edges and cut into ½ inch dice.
In a wok or a frying pan, heat oil. Add cumin seeds and let it sizzle. Add turmeric and chili powder. Add garlic, green chili and sauté it for 30 seconds. Next sauté chickpea flour for 30 seconds. Add water, turiya and season with salt. At this point if you want to use uncooked patra rolls, add them. Cover the wok or pan and let turiya and patra cook 10 to 12 minutes, stirring few times.
Uncover the wok or pan and if you are using cooked patra rolls, add at this point. Add dhana-jeeru, jaggery and lemon juice and let shaak (vegetable) cook for 4-5 minutes or until jaggery is melted. If gravy is too thick add more water.
Cut the rolls into 3-4 pieces before serving. Garnish shaak with cilantro and serve warm with rotli or paratha.
Millet flour flat bread with fenugreek greens (fenugreek greens are bitter greens, especially eaten during winter months)
Ingredients
2 cups bajri (millet) flour
½ cup bhakhri flour or cream of wheat
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon chili powder (optional)
2 teaspoons salt or to taste
4 teaspoons sugar or to taste
3 cups fresh chopped methi (fenugreek) leaves or frozen, thawed
¼ cup chopped cilantro
2 jalapeno or serrano chili, finely minced
1 inch piece of ginger, finely minced
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
½ cup yogurt (not Greek)
Neutral oil for semi frying
½ cup all-purpose flour for dusting and rolling
Directions
Combine millet and wheat flours, olive oil, salt, sugar, turmeric and chili powder in large mixing bowl with hands. Add methi, cilantro, chili, ginger, garlic and yogurt. Mix them with hands and knead into soft dough. If mixture is dry, add some water to knead into soft and smooth dough. Cover dough with a plate or a kitchen towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Divide dough into 20 to 25 equal parts and form into balls.
Place all-purpose flour into a flat dish. Roll a ball of dough into flour and flatten it on a smooth cutting board (wooden or marble). Dip the flatten dough circle into flour again on both sides. Roll out into 4 inch diameter circle, dusting with flour if the dough starts sticking to the board.
Heat a griddle or a flat non-stick pan on a medium heat. Transfer the dhebra on to heated pan. Let the first side cook for 30 seconds to 40 seconds or until small bubbles appear on surface and flip to the other side. Let the other side cook for one minute. Pour about one teaspoon of oil on the top surface of dhebra and flip. Cook the dhebra by pressing with a spatula on top surface for 30 to 40 seconds and flip. Cook the other side same way. Remove from the heat. Repeat the process with all the remaining dough balls.
Serve as a snack or lunch with cilantro chutney and/or tomato chutney. Can also be served with a vegetable.
Notes
You can also use greens like spinach or kale in this recipe instead of fenugreek greens.
Traditionally millet flour flat bread (bajri na rotla) is made with hands (without use of rolling pin and flat surface) and cooked in a griddle made of clay.
Ingredients
1 cup bajri (millet) flour
¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
Water as needed
½ cup bajri or all-purpose flour, for dusting and rolling
⅛ cup or less ghee or melted butter for brushing (optional)
Directions
Combine salt and bajri flour in a medium mixing bowl. Gradually add water and knead into soft and smooth dough. Divide into 5 to 6 equal portions and roll into balls.
Start heating a skillet or a griddle on medium high heat.
Place flour for dusting and rolling in a plate. Dip a ball into flour and gently flatten it with your hand. Flip it on other side and roll it in flour. Start rolling dough on a wooden or marble cutting board either with a rolling pin or with your hands by gently pressing on dough and moving in a circle, until it makes a circle of 4 inch diameter. To roll this dough easily you will have to constantly dust flour on both sides.
Transfer it to a heated skillet or a griddle and cook it on one side for 40 seconds to a minute or until small bubbles appear on surface. Flip it and cooked it on other side for a minute to minute and a half. Remove a skillet or a griddle from heat and increase heat to high. Place the first side of rotla on open flame and let the rotla puff up. Flip it to other side and let it cook for a 10 to 20 seconds. Remove from heat and transfer to a plate. Replace a skillet or a griddle over medium high heat. Dust off extra flour from rotla and brush the first side with ghee or melted butter. Repeat the process with remaining dough balls. Stack cooked rotla, and to keep rotla warm, wrap it in kitchen towel. Serve warm with a vegetable or bean dish and garlic chutney. Children love to eat rotla with ghee and jaggery (Indian raw sugar).
1 jalapeno or serrano chili, cut lengthwise in 4 pieces
7 to 8 curry leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
⅛ teaspoon asafetida
¼ teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon dalia (roasted and hulled split chickpeas) or roughly chopped peanuts
½ teaspoon salt or to taste
Pinch of sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Directions
Put shredded cucumber in a colander on top of bowl to catch drippings. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon salt on cucumber and let it stand for 30 minutes. Squeeze out water from cucumber and transfer to a plate.
Heat oil in a medium sauté pan on medium high heat until shimmering, 2 to 3 minutes. Add mustard seeds and let them sizzle. Add sesame seeds, asafetida and turmeric. Add chili, curry leaves and sauté for 30 to 40 seconds. Add dalia or peanuts and sauté for a minute.
Add cucumber and sauté it for one minute. Season with salt, sugar and stir. Let cucumber cook for two more minutes. Off heat add lemon juice, cilantro and stir. Serve immediately as a side dish.
½ teaspoon dhana-jeeru (spice blend of ground coriander and cumin)
½ teaspoon salt or to taste
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Directions
Heat oil in a medium sauté pan on medium high heat until shimmering, 2 to 3 minutes. Add mustard seeds and let them sizzle. Add asafetida and turmeric. Add chili, curry leaves and sauté for 30 to 40 seconds.
Add cabbage and sauté it for 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and stir. Let cabbage cook for two more minutes. Add dhana-jeeru and let cabbage cook for a minute. Off heat add cilantro and stir. Serve immediately as a side dish.
At beginning of spring season (vasant rutu), raw mangoes (kacchi keri) are available. When raw mangoes are available for few months, it is used in various ways, in making pickles, drinks and salad.
Ingredients
1 small raw mango, seed removed, ¼ inch diced
1 red onion, ¼ inch diced
½ teaspoon salt or to taste
⅛ teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sugar or jaggery or to taste
Directions
Combine ingredients in a serving bowl and serve immediately as side dish.
Notes
With young raw mango, you should be able to cut through seed. With a late season raw mango, you can cut around mango to remove seed.
Where I grew up our house was surrounded by a garden. We had a couple of papaya trees and my mother used to make kacha (unripe) papaya nu chhin (shredded) frequently from papaya grown in our garden. This cachumber is also served with methi ni bhaji na gota (fenugreek green fritters), fafda (chickpea flour crisps), etc. When you buy gota or fafda from a street vendor or farsan (savory food) shop, you will also get this cachumber, especially in Gujarat.
Ingredients
Quarter of papaya, peeled, seeded and shredded
1 jalapeno or serrano chili, halved
10 to 12 curry leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
⅛ teaspoon asafetida
¼ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon dhana-jeeru (spice blend of ground coriander and cumin)
½ teaspoon salt or to taste
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon lime juice
Directions
Heat oil in a medium sauté pan on medium high heat until shimmering, 2 to 3 minutes. Add mustard seeds and let them sizzle. Add asafetida and turmeric. Add chili, curry leaves and sauté for 30 to 40 seconds.
Add shredded papaya and sauté it for 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and stir. Let papaya cook for two more minutes. Add dhana-jeeru and let papaya cook for a minute. Off heat add cilantro, lime juice and stir. Serve immediately as a side dish or with methi na gota (fritters).
This mixed vegetables recipe is quintessential Gujarati dish. It is a very famous dish from city of Surat in Gujarat. The variety of green beans called papadi used in this recipe are named after the city. The fresh papadi is available mostly in winter months in India. In US it is mostly available frozen in Indian grocery stores along with other vegetables. Most of the time, undhiyu is cooked on stove top but it is also cooked underground in a clay pot called matalu covered with food fire, known as matala undhiyu.
Ingredients
½ lb. frozen Surati papadi, thawed
½ lb. frozen Surati papadi lilva, thawed
¼ lb. frozen tuver lilva, thawed
¼ lb. frozen ratalu (purple yam), thawed
4 Indian eggplants
4 small yellow or red potatoes
1 sweet potato, 1 inch diced
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ajwain seeds
4 teaspoons green garlic or 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
¼ cup dhana-jeeru (spice blend of ground coriander and cumin)
2 teaspoons salt or to taste
4 teaspoons sugar or to taste
1 teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon garam masala
¼ teaspoon chili powder
¼ cup grated fresh coconut
Directions
Wash eggplants and potatoes, and pat dry. Make an X cut on ⅓ of eggplant on stemless side, keeping the stem. Make an X cut on ⅓ of potato on one side. Repeat the same with rest of eggplants and potatoes.
Combine spice mixture plus 2 tablespoons of cilantro, 1 tablespoon minced chili, 2 teaspoons garlic and 2 tablespoons oil into a medium mixing bowl. Set aside ½ of spice mixture. Gently widen an eggplant and stuff it by gently pushing stuffing down by hand. Try not to break it and not over stuff it. Repeat the same with rest of eggplants and potatoes. If any stuffing remains, add it to set aside spice mixture.
Heat remaining oil on a medium-high heat in a roasting pan or a Dutch oven until shimmering, 2 to 3 minutes. Add ajwain seeds and let them sizzle. Add remaining garlic and green chili. Sauté it for 30 seconds. Lower the heat to low while you arrange vegetables on top.
In a Dutch oven, first arrange stuffed eggplants and potatoes in single layer. On top arrange papadi, papadi lilva, tuver lilva. Spread ½ of spice mixture on top. Next arrange sweet potatoes and ratalu in single layer. Spread remaining spice mixture on top. Or in a roasting pan, arrange first eggplants vertically on one side, next arrange potatoes, and then arrange one by one papadi, papadi lilva, tuver lilva, sweet potatoes and ratalu. Spread spice mixture evenly on vegetables except eggplants and potatoes. Add ½ cup water in Dutch oven or roasting pan. Cover with lid or aluminum foil. You can either cook vegetables on stove top on medium heat or a preheated 375 degrees oven until vegetables are tender, about 30 to 35 minutes. Check on vegetables half way through cooking and stir gently with spice mixture. If vegetables are sticking to bottom, add more water.
Once vegetables are cooked, add muthia and stir to combine everything. Let undhiyu cook for 3 to 4 minutes, uncovered. Garnish with remaining cilantro before serving. Serve warm with puri or other Indian flat bread. Serve cilantro chutney, garlic chutney and thin sev (thin crispy chickpea flour noodles) on side to add to undhiyu to enhance the flavor.
¾ cup oily or dry toover dal (split pigeon peas), uncooked
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
Small (golf ball size) piece of jaggary or 3 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon dhana-jeeru (spice blend of coriander and cumin powder)
1 teaspoon or to taste finely chopped or minced jalapeno or serrano chili
½ teaspoon finely minced ginger
1 medium tomato, diced
1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, for garnish
For Dhokali:
1 cup chapatti or whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon ajwain seeds
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon asafetida
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
Water as needed to make dough
For Tempering (Vaghar):
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
⅛ teaspoon cumin seeds
Pinch of asafetida
5 to 6 curry leaves
1 whole dry red chili (optional)
Pinch of red chili powder (optional)
Directions
Wash split pigeon peas few times. For oily dal make sure all the oil is washed off. Soak in about 1 ½ cups of water for 1 to 2 hours or until peas are soft in a medium size soup pot. (Soaking is optional but it will speed up cooking process).
Add diced tomato. Cover with a lid and cook it with water on a medium heat until peas are very soft, about one hour.
While dal is cooking, make dhokli dough. Combine flour, oil, salt and dry spices in a mixing bowl with hands. Gradually add water and knead into firm and smooth dough. Cover with a plate or a kitchen towel and let it rest 30 to 40 minutes. After dough is rested divide into four equal portions and roll into balls.
Once the dal is cooked, take off the heat and add ½ cup of water and mix it with a whisk or an immersion blender until it has a consistency of slightly thick soup. Start heating the dal on medium heat. Add salt, turmeric, dhana-jeeru, green chili, ginger and let it simmer on low heat or a simmer burner.
While dal is simmering, flatten a dough ball on to a smooth cutting board and roll out into a thin circle (as thin as pasta sheet). Cut dough into 2 inch squares or diamonds. If some pieces are small it’s fine. Drop the pieces one by one into simmering dal and stir with dal. Increase heat to medium high and let dal come to boil so dough pieces can cook. Repeat the process with remaining dough balls. If dal starts to boil over, reduce heat to medium. Let dal-dhokli simmer for 12 to 15 minutes and then add jaggery or sugar and lemon juice, stir dal-dhokli. Keep it simmering on low heat.
To cook dal-dhokali in Instant Pot: Follow step 1 but instead of soup pot use insert pot of instant pot. Add diced tomato and cook dal on pressure cooker setting for 25 minutes. For unsoaked dal increase time to 35 minutes. Once dal is cooked, release steam. Add ½ cup of water and mix it with a whisk or an immersion blender until it has a consistency of slightly thick soup. Start heating the dal on sauté setting. Set it for 30 minutes. Add salt, turmeric, dhana-jeeru, green chili, ginger and let it simmer. Follow step 5. Ignore the temperature changes as temperature in Instant pot remains constant. If dal starts to boil over change setting to keep warm setting for few minutes.
Prepare Vaghar: In a separate small heavy bottomed sauce pan, heat oil on medium high heat until shimmering. Add fenugreek seeds and let it sizzle. Lower the heat, add mustard and cumin seeds and let them sizzle. Add asafetida, curry leaves, red chili and chili powder. Pour oil with everything over dal. Mix it with dal-dhokli and let it simmer for two to three minutes. Garnish with cilantro before serving. Serve warm. Can be served over rice. You can also add ½ cup vegetables like green beans, green peas or beans like black-eyed peas to simmering dal to make it one pot meal.
The chickpea flour is known as besan and the rolls are known as Khandavi. This dish was my mother's specialty. My mother used to make it on special occasions and whenever guests were coming over. She is not able to cook anymore but she has passed on this recipe to many of us. This is not an easy recipe to master. It took several attempts for me to make it right.
Ingredients
½ cup chickpea flour (besan)
½ cup yogurt (not Greek)
¾ cup water
1 teaspoon finely minced green chili (jalapeno or serrano)
1 teaspoon finely minced ginger
¼ teaspoon turmeric
Pinch of asafetida
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
3 tablespoons freshly grated coconut, see Note.
Oil for brushing on baking sheet
For Tempering (Vaghar):
2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
¼ teaspoon asafetida
½ teaspoon chili powder
Directions
Prepare two large or three medium sized baking sheets for spreading cooked besan. Invert baking sheets and brush them with oil and set them aside. You can also use silicon mat or spread on a stone kitchen counter.
Whisk together besan, yogurt, water, green chili, ginger, turmeric, asafetida and salt in a medium heavy bottomed sauce pan until smooth.
Start cooking besan on low heat, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Cook besan until it is fully cooked (like polenta), about 7 to 10 minutes. Immediately spread besan on to baking sheets in thin layer (like thickness of tortilla).
Sprinkle two tablespoons each of cilantro and coconut on baking sheets evenly. Make 2 ½ inch cuts evenly on spread batter vertically along the width of baking sheet.
Gently start rolling khandavi as tight as you can, until all spread batter is gone. This batter will make 12 to 14 khandavi. Arrange khandvi vertically on a casserole dish.
Prepare Vaghar: In a small heavy bottomed sauce pan, heat oil on medium heat until simmering. Add mustard seeds and let them sizzle, 30 seconds. Add remaining vaghar ingredients and let it cook 10 seconds. Pour over arranged khandvi. Garnish with remaining cilantro and coconut. Serve within few hours of making at room temperature.
Notes
Fresh grated coconut is easily available in Indian grocery stores in frozen section.
1 teaspoon finely minced green chili (jalapeno or serrano)
1 teaspoon finely minced ginger
¼ teaspoon turmeric
Pinch of asafetida
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons freshly grated coconut
Oil for brushing on baking sheet
Neutral oil for frying
For Tempering (Vaghar):
2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
¼ teaspoon asafetida
½ teaspoon chili powder
Directions
Whisk together besan, yogurt, water, green chili, ginger, turmeric, asafetida and salt in a medium heavy bottomed sauce pan until smooth. Brush with oil a small 6 x 10 baking sheet.
Start cooking besan on low heat, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Cook besan until it is fully cooked (like polenta), about 7 to 10 minutes. Immediately spread besan on to baking sheet in even layer.
Transfer the baking sheet to freezer for 2 to 3 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
Cut the batter into ½ inch thick fries. Heat oil into a frying pan until hot enough to fry. Fry the fries in 3 to 4 batches until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes per batch. Transfer fries to paper towel lined dish or on a wire rack to drain excess oil. Once oil is drained, transfer fries to serving dish or bowl.
Prepare Vaghar: In a small heavy bottomed sauce pan, heat oil on medium heat until simmering. Add mustard seeds and let them sizzle, 30 seconds. Add remaining vaghar ingredients and let it cook 10 seconds. Pour over the fries. Garnish with cilantro and coconut. Serve warm.
For vegetarians in India, dal (legumes) is a main source of protein. Varieties of dal is available through out India and each region has a unique way of preparing dal for a meal. The most common variety of dal used all over India is toover dal (split pigeon peas). It is usually served with rice.
This sweet and sour split pigeon peas soup is part of Gujarati thali (plate) and served almost everyday. The use of jaggery in dal is more common in Gujarat than any other region in India.
Ingredients
¾ cup oily or unoily toover dal (split pigeon peas), uncooked
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
Small (golf ball size) piece of jaggary or 3 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon dhana-jeeru (spice blend of ground coriander and cumin)
1 teaspoon or to taste finely chopped or minced jalapeno or serrano chili
½ teaspoon finely minced ginger
1 medium tomato, diced
1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, for garnish
For Vaghar (tempering):
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
⅛ teaspoon cumin seeds
⅛ teaspoon asafetida
5 to 6 curry leaves
1 whole dry red chili (optional)
Pinch of red chili powder (optional)
Directions
Wash split pigeon peas few times. For oily dal make sure all the oil is washed off. Soak in about 1 ½ cups of water for 1 to 2 hours or until peas are soft in a medium size soup pot. (Soaking is optional but it will reduce cooking time).
Add diced tomato. Cover with a lid and cook it with water on a medium heat until peas are very soft, about one hour. Once the dal is cooked, take off the heat.
Add ½ cup of water and mix it with a whisk or an immersion blender until it has a consistency of slightly thick soup.
Start heating the dal on medium heat. Add salt, jaggary, turmeric, dhana-jeeru, green chili and ginger. Stir dal and let it simmer for 10 to 15 minutes on low heat or a simmer burner.
To cook dal in instant pot: Wash and soak dal in instant pot container. Set instant pot on pressure cook setting and cook dal for 20 minutes (for unsoaked dal increase time to 30 minutes). Once dal is cooked, release steam and follow step 3. Next, set instant pot to sauté and follow step 4. Reduce simmer time to 5 minutes.
In a separate small sauce or frying pan, heat oil on medium high heat until shimmering. Add fenugreek seeds and let them sizzle. Lower the heat, add mustard and cumin seeds and let them sizzle. Add asafetida, curry leaves, red chili and chili powder. Pour oil with spices over dal. Mix it with dal, add lemon juice and let it simmer for two to three minutes. Garnish with cilantro before serving. Serve warm along with meal of Indian flat bread and vegetable, and over rice.
Notes
You can follow this same recipe for whole and split mung beans, split lentils and black-eyed peas mix with split pigeon peas. Do not use mustard and fenugreek seeds, instead, use only 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds.
This type of dal (lachko) is often served with Kathi (yogurt and chickpea flour soup) in Gujarati Thali. It is thicker than soup like dal often served with a meal.
Ingredients
¾ cup mung dal (without skin)
1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
Pinch of asafetida
¾ teaspoons turmeric
½ teaspoon red chili powder
½ teaspoon salt or to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
Water as needed
Directions
Pick through mung dal and rinse it.
Heat two tablespoons of oil in a medium sized pot over medium high heat. Add ½ teaspoon of mustard seeds and let them sizzle. Add asafetida, turmeric and chili powder. Add 1 ½ cups of water, rinsed dal and season with salt. Stir everything. Partially cover the pot and let it come to boil. Once it comes to boil, uncover the pot and let dal cook until the foam on top subsides, about 7 minutes. Cover the pot and let dal cook for another two minutes or until tender.
Rinse dal and transfer to medium size soup pot. Add 1 ½ cups of water and let dal soak for 30 to 40 minutes. (Soaking is optional but it will speed up cooking).
Add tomato, cover the pot with a lid, and cook dal for about 45 minutes or until dal is cooked.
After dal is cooked, start heating dal on a medium heat. Add salt, turmeric, and dhana jeeru, green chili and ginger. Mix well. Let dal simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
In a separate small sauce or frying pan, heat oil on a medium heat until shimmering. Add cumin seeds and let them sizzle. Add garlic, onion, garam masala and sauté them until onion is light golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add whole chili and chili powder and sauté it for one minute and pour everything on top of the dal. Stir the dal and let it simmer for one minute. Add lemon juice and let it simmer for two more minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve over rice or as a soup.
To cook dal in instant pot: Follow step one. Set instant pot on sauté setting for 20 minutes. Heat oil until shimmering. Add cumin seeds and let them sizzle. Add garlic, onion, green chili, garam masala and sauté them until onion is light golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add whole chili and chili powder and sauté it for one minute. Add tomato and ginger and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour dal over Tarka and add salt, turmeric, dhana-jeeru and lemon juice. Add ½ cup water. Set instant pot to pressure cooker setting and cook dal for 20 minutes. (for unsoaked dal increase time to 30 minutes). Release steam and set instant pot to sauté setting for 10 minutes. (Optional: Heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil in small frying pan or soup pot until shimmering. Add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds and let them sizzle. Add pinch of chili powder and pour over dal. This will enhances flavor of dal). Garnish with cilantro and serve over rice or as a soup.
Sambhar is a staple of South Indian cuisine. It is served with variety of dishes like idali (steamed rice cakes), Dosa (crepes of dal and rice), Medu Vada (dal fritters) and Uttapam (rice and dal pancakes with vegetables).
Ingredients
1 cup toover dal (split pigeon peas)
1 medium tomato, diced
1 cup mixed vegetables like eggplant, zucchini and carrot, diced
5 to 6 pieces of sargavo (drum sticks), See Note.
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 ½ teaspoons dhana-jeeru (spice blend of ground coriander and cumin)
1 teaspoon tamarind paste or 2 tablespoons lemon juice
For Tarka:
3 tablespoons canola oil
½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
½ teaspoon asafetida
1 tablespoon urad dal (optional)
12-15 curry leaves
1 small yellow or red onion, ¼ inch diced
1-2 dry red chilies (optional)
Directions
Wash split pigeon peas few times. For oily dal make sure all the oil is washed off. Soak dal in about 2 cups of water for 1 to 2 hours or until peas are soft in a medium size soup pot. (Soaking is optional).
Add diced tomato. Cover with a lid and cook it with water on a medium heat until peas are very soft, about one hour. Once the dal is cooked, take off the heat.
Add ½ cup of water and mix it with a whisk or an immersion blender until it has a consistency of slightly thick soup.
Start heating the dal on medium heat. Add salt, turmeric, dhana-jeeru and sambhar masala. Add mixed vegetables and drum sticks. Stir dal and let it simmer for 10 to 15 minutes on low heat or a simmer burner. Next, follow step 6.
To cook sambhar in instant pot: Wash split pigeon peas few times. For oily dal make sure all the oil is washed off. Soak dal in about 2 cups of water for 1 to 2 hours or until peas are soft in a medium size soup pot. (soaking is optional but it will speed up cooking process). Add diced tomatoes. Set instant pot to pressure cooker setting and cook dal for 20 minutes. (for unsoaked dal increase time to 30 minutes). Once dal is cooked, release steam and follow step 3. Next, set instant pot to sauté for 15 minutes and follow step 4. Reduce simmer time to 10 minutes. Next, follow step 6.
For Tarka: In a separate small sauce or frying pan, heat oil on medium high heat until shimmering. Add fenugreek seeds and let them sizzle. Add urad dal and sauté until light brown. Lower the heat, add mustard and cumin seeds and let them sizzle. Add asafetida, curry leaves, red chili and chili powder. Pour oil with everything over sambhar. Mix it with sambhar, add lemon juice or tamarind pulp and let it simmer for two to three minutes. Garnish with cilantro before serving.
Notes
You can get sambhar masala and also mixed vegetables which includes drum sticks for making sambhar in frozen section in Indian grocery store.
In Bengal (Eastern part of Indian), Panch Poran (five spices) is widely used in recipes.The combination of five spices gives unique flavor.
Ingredients
Panch Poran: (five spice mixture)
½ teaspoon brown mustard seeds
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
½ teaspoon nigella seeds
Dal:
¾ cup uncooked masoor dal (split red lentils)
1 medium size tomato or ¼ cup tomato puree
2 tablespoons canola oil
½ medium size yellow or red onion, sliced
1 garlic clove, finely minced
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 ½ cups of water
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro, for garnish
For Tarka (tempering):
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 clove garlic, finely minced
Directions
Rinse dal and add 1 ½ cups of water and let dal soak for 30 to 40 minutes in a mixing bowl. (Soaking is optional but it will speed up cooking).
Combine spices of panch poran in a small bowl and set aside.
Roughly cut tomato and make a puree either in food processor or with hand blender with ½ a cup of water. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Omit this step if you are using tomato puree.
Heat oil in a medium size soup pot until shimmering. Add panch poran and let seeds sizzle. Add onion and sauté until light golden brown. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Add dal with water, season with salt and turmeric. Stir dal to combine with spices. Cover the pot with a lid, and cook for about 45 minutes or until dal is cooked. Stir dal occasionally so it does not boil over.
After dal is cooked, start heating dal on a medium heat. Pass fresh tomato puree through a sieve. Add fresh puree or puree to dal. Let dal simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Make tarka: In a separate small sauce or frying pan, heat oil on a medium heat until shimmering. Add cumin seeds and let them sizzle. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Pour tarka on top of the dal. Stir the dal and let it simmer for one minute. Garnish with cilantro and serve over rice or as a soup.
To cook dal in instant pot: Follow step one to three. Set instant pot on sauté setting for 20 minutes. Heat oil until shimmering. Add panch poran and let all seeds sizzle. Add onion and sauté until onion is light golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and sauté it for 30 seconds. Add dal along with water, season with salt and turmeric. Pass fresh tomato puree through a sieve. Add fresh puree or puree to dal. Set instant pot to pressure cooker setting and cook dal for 20 minutes. (for unsoaked dal increase time to 30 minutes). Release steam and again set instant pot to sauté setting. While dal is simmering to prepare tarka, follow step 6.
(Yogurt and Chickpea Flour Soup) Even though this recipe does not have any legumes or grains, it is in this section because it is eaten in place of Dal. It is quintessential Gujarati recipe.
Ingredients
½ cup yogurt (not Greek)
2 tablespoons chickpea flour
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
3 to 4 teaspoons sugar or to taste, depending on sourness of yogurt
½ japapeno or serrano chili, finely chopped or minced
2 teaspoons finely chopped or minced ginger
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro, for garnish
For Vaghar:
2 teaspoons Ghee (clarified butter)
¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
Pinch of asafetida
2 to 3 cloves
Pinch of red chili powder (optional)
1 red dry chili (optional)
5 to 6 fresh curry leaves
Directions
Mix yogurt and chickpea flour into a medium pot with a whisk. Add water while mixing until it has consistency of thin soup. Add next four ingredients. Cook it on a medium heat until it starts to boil over, stirring constantly. Watch it while it cooks otherwise yogurt and water will separate or it will boil over.
Lower the heat and in a separate small soup pot, heat ghee on a medium heat until it shimmers, one minute. Add fenugreek seeds and let them sizzle. Lower the heat and add cumin seeds and let them sizzle. Add all the remaining ingredients. Pour ghee over kadhi and let it simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Garnish with cilantro and serve warm over rice or vegetable pulao.
