Poha [ aval ] spicy pongal

Ingredients :

• Poha [ aval ] - 1 cup [ thick ]
• Moong dal - 1 / 4 cup [ boiled ]
• Oil - 3 table spoon
• Water - 4 cups
• Ghee - 3 table spoon
• Black pepper - 3 tsp
• Cummin seeds - 2 tsp
• Ginger - 2 tsp [ peeled and chopped ]
• Cashew nuts [ halved ] - 2 table spoon [ fried in ghee ]
• Green chillie - 1 [ chopped ]
• Curry leaves - little
• Asafoedida - 1 / 4 tsp

Method :

Take one small cooker. heat ghee and oil together, fry cashew nuts, green chilli, pepper, cummin seeds, asafoetida, and  curry leaves. When it splutters, add poha and fry till it turns in colour. Then add boiled moong dal, salt , 4 cups water and pressure cook till 3 whistle comes. Then remove from the gas. Then open the lid add  more ghee and mix well. Serve hot  with coconut chutney.

Guvar ki subji [ Gujarati Type ]

Ingredients :

• Guvar [ kothavaraikai ] - 1 / 2 k. g.
• Onions - 1/ 4 k. g. [ cut in lenth wise ]
• Tomatoes - 2 [ chopped ]
• Salt - as required
• Turmeric powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Coriander, cumminseed powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Garam masala powder - 1 / 4 tsp
• Sugar - 1 tsp
• Chopped coriander leaves - little

For seasoning :

• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Asafoetida - 1 / 4 tsp
• Oil - 2 to 3 tbsp

Method :

Wash and cut the guvar in to one inch pieces. Then heat the oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds. When  the mustard seeds splutter add asafoetida. Put the onions, saute till golden brown. Add the guvar pieces and a little water. Cover and cook till the subji  is tender. Add the chopped tomatoes and all the dry masalas. Continue cooking for 10 minutes in low flame. When the subji gets ready remove from the gas. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with roti and rice.

Dal Banjari

Ingredients :

• Urad dal [ split black lentils with skin ] - 1 cup
• Chana dal [ split bengal gram ] - 1 / 2 cup
• Turmeric powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Sliced onions - 1 / 2 cup
• Cloves [ laung ] - 2
• Cinnamon [ dalchini ] - 1 stick 
• Dry whole red chillies - 2 [ broken into pieces ]
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Finely chopped green chillies - 2
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Salt - as required
• Ghee - 2 tbsp

For the garnish :

• Chopped coriander leaves - little
• Ginger [ cut into thin strips [ juliennes ] - 1 / 2 tsp

Method :

Clean and wash the dals together. Pressure cook with the turmeric powder, salt and 3 cups of water for 4 to 5 whistles or till the dal is cooked. Then heat the ghee in a pan, add the onions, cloves, cinnamon and red chillies and saute till onions turn into golden brown. Then add the ginger garlic paste, green chillies and red chilli powder. Saute for 2 minutes. Add this to the cooked dal and boil for 4 to 5 minutes. Serve hot garnished with the chopped coriander and ginger strips.

Masala Dal

Ingredients :

• Yellow moong dal -  1 / 4 cup
• Masoor dal - 1 / 4 cup
• urad dal - 1 / 4 cup
• Toovar dal - 1 / 4 cup
• Grated onions - 3 / 4 cup
• Chopped tomatoes - 3 / 4 cup
• Salt - as required 
• Oil - 3 tbsp

To be ground in to a paste :

• Garlic flakes - 4 to 5
• Coriander seeds - 2 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1 / 4 tsp
• Chopped coriander leaves - 1 tbsp
• Kashmiri dry red chillies - 6
• Ginger - 1 inch piece
• Cinnamon - 2 to 3 pieces
• Balack pepper - 3 to 4
• Cloves - 2

For garnishing -: chopped coriander leaves

Method :

Wash all the dals together and soak in water for 30 minutes. Drain and keep aside. Add 3 cups of water and cook in pressure cooker till it becomes soft. heat the oil and fry the onions till they turn translucent. Then add the ground paste and fry for 4 to 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and fry again for 5 minutes. Then add the cooked dals, salt and 1 glass of water. Bring to boil for 5 to 10 minutes in lower flame. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

Palak Toovar Dal

Ingredients :

• Toovar dal - 1 / 2 cup
• Spinach [ palak ] - 2 cups [ chopped ]
• Ginger - 1 tsp [ finely chopped ]
• Green chillies - 1 tsp [ finely chopped ]
• Turmeric powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Lemon juice - 1 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Salt - as required
• Chopped coriander - 2 tbsp

For seasoning :

• Bay leaves - 2
• Cloves - 2
• Whole dry red chillies -3 [ broken in to pieces ]
• Cumin seeds - 1 / 2 tsp
• Asafoetida - a pinch
• Oil - 1 tsp

Method :

Clean,  wash and soak the toovar dal in water for 2 hours. Drain and keep aside. Then mix soaked toovar dal, ginger, green chillies, turmeric powder, salt, and 3 cups of water and pressure cook for 2 whistle. Then transfer to a large pan, add the palak and lemon juice and bring to boil. For seasoning, heat oil in a pan. Add the bay leaves, cloves, red chillies, cumin seeds and asafoetida. When the seeds crackle, pour the seasoning over the cooked dal. Add the chilli powder and chopped coriander, mix well and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve hot with roti, and steamed rice.

Badami Mixed Vegetable (No Onion No Garlic)

Ingredients :

• Medium Carrots - 2 (1 inch piece cut)
• Cauliflower - 1/4 (medium florets)
• French beans - 12 (1 inch piece cut)
• Green peas - 1/2 cup (blanched)
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Cashew nuts - 15- 20
• Peanuts - 2 tbsp
• Turmeric powder - ½ tsp
• Green chillies - 2 (chopped)
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Fresh tomato puree - 3 cups
• Coriander powder - 1 tsp
• Garam masala powder - 1 ½ tsp
• Yogurt - 1/4 cup
• Salt - To taste
• Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp (chopped)

Method :

 

Soak cashew nuts and peanuts in water for fifteen minutes and then grind into a smooth paste. Heat oil in a deep pan, add cumin seeds once they change color and crackle add carrots and one cup of water to let it cook. Add turmeric powder, green chilies and red chili powder in addition to the paste of cashew and peanut has been done into a paste and mix them well. Further add tomato puree, add garam masala , coriander powder and stir. Cover and cook till all the vegetable are properly done. Add French beans and green peas and simmer for five minutes.

Add yogurt and salt mix well, simmer for 2-3 minutes and take it off the heat, garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Nawabi Paneer Curry

Ingredients :

• Paneer - 200 gms
• Boiled green peas - 1 cup
• Garlic - 2 flakes
• Ginger - 1 / 2 inch
• Onion - 1 big chopped
• Coconut milk - 1 / 2 cup
• Ghee - 4 tbl. sps.
• Green chillies - 2 to 3
• Beaten curd - 3 tbl. sps.
• Coriander leaves - little
• Beaten cream - 1 / 4 cup
• Salt - as required

Grind together :

• Boiled onion - 3 [ cut into cubes and boiled in water . ]
• Cumin seeds - 1 / 2 tsp
• Cloves - 3
• Cardamoms - 2
• Grated coconut - 1 / 4 cup
• Cashew nuts - 2 tbl. sps.

 [ grind all together to smooth paste and keep aside. ]

Method :

Cut paneer in to cubes. Soak cashew nuts in boiling water for an hour. Heat ghee and fry chopped onions till brown, add ginger, garlic, ground masala, and fry well. Add green chillies, coconut extract, curds, paneer, peas, salt and coriander leaves.  Simmer for 10 minutes. Add beaten cream and bring to boil.  When the subji is ready remove from the gas. Serve hot with chappathis.

Variation :

Instead of paneer, use cubes of potatoes and green peas, or mixed vegetables.