Indian | Aapplemint

Puy Lentils – Masoor Dal

Feb 242012

Dal is one of those Indian meals, that is enjoyed the world over. I wish it was easy to categorize dals but there are so many types and variations that it is just not possible to. Within India itself the variations are so many, and each one just as delicious. Eaten by the rich and poor, these grains are a great source of protein and a must in a vegeterian diet. I remember, before I was married and living with my parents who are vegeterian, Dal was prepared practically everyday. Different pulses in different ways, some days a Gujurati style dal, some times Punjabi, and sometimes South Indian. And no matter which dal was there I’d always helped myself to an extra bowl. At the larger traditional family events, it was somehow a mainstay in the banquet, the comfortable, sturdy dish which we all relied on all the guests loving. I often used to dream of holding a food event myself, cooking for a large group for special day of their lives, helping to make it the most memorable for them possible. I would dream up the venue, the menu, the entertainment, and the seating arrangements with all- white furniture hire like in the movies.

So yesterday when a very dear friend who lives in UK asked me to put up something Vegan that she can make, preferably dal, I knew I had to make this one. My mum used to make us this dal and send it in our tiffin box when we were in school. Only she used to make us Chapatti’s or Rice with it, but now I love having it with crusty bread. Masoor Dal also known as Puy lentils are easily available all over and can be prepared really quickly. They are great when paired with meats, but exceedingly scrumptious even on its own. Like most Dals, this one is very easy to prepare as well. Calls for a basic Indian onion tomato gravy.

Ingredients

1 cup Masoor Dal / Puy Lentils

1 big onion finely chopped

1 large juicy tomato finely chopped

2 fat cloves of garlic smashed

1″ piece of ginger smashed or grated

1 green chilli chopped

1/4th tsp turmeric

1 tsp corriander powder

1/2 tsp Cumin powder

1/2 tsp Garam Masala

Salt to taste

Handful of fresh mint leaves

Soak the dal for about an hour. Boil it it softens but yet holds its shape. Set aside.

In a heavy bottom saucepan, take 2 tablespoons of oil. Fry the onion, ginger, garlic and chilli. When it begins to brown add the tomatoes and all the spices. Fry till the tomatoes have disintegrated and the oil begins to surface. Tip in the lentils along with any water that might be with it. Cook for another 10 mins till it all comes together.If you like a softer texture further ccook for 15 mins on low flame. Add the mint leaves and serve with some yogurt and rice/chapatti/bread.

From The Streets of Surat – Rassawalla Khaman Dhokla

All 5 Responses »

Jun 012011

Long ago, in 1969, at the old city of Surat (Gujarat), on Balaji road, stood a grandiose structure of stone. The ‘Balaji girls’ high school.’ Radhika and Bhavna aged 8 and 6 studied there. These young sisters, like every other kid loved to eat from the vendors selling delectable snacks outside their school. The narrow muddy lane not only boasted big spacious homes with intricately designed pillars and fancy verandas with swings, but also 3 vendors at the gate of the school. One selling boiled black channa, one-peppermint sweets and one a very unique and local dish. Usually the sisters always carried home-packed lunch, but always yearned to that one day of the week where they would get their food allowance so they could enjoy their most favoured snack. I’m talking about ‘Rassawalla Khaman Dhokla.’ Their penchant towards it was so much, that the minute the school bell would ring, announcing their lunch break, they would dash out towards the gates, as even a few seconds late would result in waiting in a queue to buy the much in demand ‘khaman’. They even procrastinated playing on that day, as nothing could replace the satisfaction of devouring that tangy and spicy treat. 2 anna’s is all it cost, which is lesser than 25 paisa today. Dhokla’s are quite the popular snack amongst Gujarati’s. And Khaman is a specialty of the Surthi’s. This was a version of it served back then, and with time disappearing quickly. What we see and eat as Khaman Dhokla in the present day is this ultra light, airy, syrup soaked, sometimes sandwiched with layers of chutney, ketchup and paneer version of what really is supposed to be a denser, non syrupy, dry and richer in channa dal flavour – tasting dhokla. You can still find these in a traditional authentic Guajarati kitchen or in the villages where the real style of preparation is still intact. So this was one very popular dish with the kids back then. Barley seen and even unheard to the current generation, this dish is indeed a treat to the taste buds. Served originally in little dried leaf cups the Khaman Dhokla was pan fried and topped with chopped tomatoes, onions and sev. Then a generous helping of a tangy dal like gravy was poured over and served immediately. For those of you who are not familiar with Gujarati cuisine, Dhoklas are a traditional snack, now popular and consumed by people of all nationalities. They are made from a fermented batter of rice and urad dal, whereas Khaman dhokla is made only from ground channa dal. There are many variations to these, but today we are talking about Khaman Dhokla.

Ingredients

For the Khaman

400 gm of Channa Dal

½ tsp Haldi (turmetic)

6-7 spicy Green Chillis chopped finely

1 tbsp Ginger paste

Pinch of Sugar Pinch of Hing (asafetida)

1 tbsp Peanut oil

1 tbsp of Eno (or 1 tsp of soda bi carb)

Salt to taste 2 tbsp Peanut oil

2 tsp Rai (mustard seeds)

1 tbsp shredded fresh Coconut

1 tbsp chopped Corriander

Soak the channa dal for 4 to 5 hours. Coarsely grind the soaked dal, and keep it covered for another 4 to 5 hours for it to ferment. When ready to make, take the ground dal in a mixing bowl, add the all the other ingredients and give it a very good whizz. The eno with make the mixture bubble up and get some air in it. Prepare the steamer, and grease the tin with some oil. Pour the dhokla batter into the dish and steam for about 20-25 minutes. Check if it done by inserting a knife in the middle and if it comes out clean then its done. If not return to steam for a few more minutes. Once ready, pull out and cut them diagonally in diamond shapes. In another small kadai take 2 tbsp of oil, and when smoking hot, add the mustard seeds. As they start to splutter, pour it over the khaman. Sprinkle with shredded coconut and coriander. This can be had as it is, but for the Rassawalla Khaman, follow the recipe below.

For the ‘Rassa’ (gravy)

100 gm Urad Dal

100 gm Chana Dal

100 gm Tuwar Dal

6-7 tomatoes chopped

2-3 pods Cardamom

2-3 Cloves

4-5 Black pepper

2-3 Green Chillis (ground)

3-4 pieces of dried Tamarind soaked in water

Salt to taste

2 chopped Tomatoes

1 chopped Onion

1 cup fine yellow Sev

2 tbsp chopped Corriander

2 tbsp shredded fresh Coconut

Soak the dals for 2 hours and boil. In another pot boil some water and cook the tomatoes in it. Meanwhile, dry grind the cardamoms, cloves and black pepper seeds to a fine powder. Now mash the dals and add to tomato/water. Add green chilli paste, spices and salt. Let it boil for some time and then add tamarind pulp in the end. The consistency of the dal should be on the thicker side. To serve, pan fry the khaman dhokla in some oil. Put them in a deep-dish plate. Pour the dal over the khaman, and top it up with chopped tomatoes, onions coriander, shredded coconut and sev. The original vendor is not around anymore, but luckily there is this one place that still serves this in Surat. Not quite the same recipe, but on similar lines and not bad for Rs. 10 !

Tandoori Prawns for Rasa Malaysia

All, Non-Vegetarian 31 Responses »

Feb 202010

Everybody loves a good tandoori, but very few really know the history behind it. The recipe originated in the early 1900′s in Peshawar – then India. It started with chicken marinated in yogurt and spices, and then cooked in a ‘tandoor’. The tandoor is actually native to India dating back to 3000 BC. Small mud plastered ovens resembling Tandoor with a side door have been found in Harappa and Mohenjodero settlements of ancient Indus valley. But it was the Moguls who in the 1900′s made it portable, carried it everywhere they went and thus found its way in India from Persia. The far famed tandoori chicken is from the recent times comparatively. Created by a chef in the Moti Mahal restaurant in 1948, it was a hit almost instantly. Cooked at a extremely high temperature in the tandoor the chicken remains succulent and juicy inside and a crispy outside with an aroma, that can bring the dead back to life, just to have a bite of that delectable chicken.

Over the time, the same marination has been used for different meats, including, lamb, fish, turkey, lobsters, prawns … almost any meat you fancy actually ! And it tastes wonderful no matter which meat you choose. Tandoori prawns are definitely one of my favourites. And they cook pretty fast too. And overnight marination is always recommended for tandoori, but for seafood a few hours works just fine. A good green chutney (corriander +mint), onion rings and yogurt is always a must with tandoori. And ofcourse if you can a tandoori naan would just be the prefect accompaniment. Tandoori food is always bright orange-red coloured. Obviously achieved by food colouring, but its the colour that distinguishes it as tandoori.

These Tandoori prawns have been made for a special reason. I have been given the honour by the extremely talented Bee of Rasa Malaysia to do a guest post. Technically I should be featuring her as she is a fantastic cook and a great photographer. There has never been a time I’ve seen some lovely recipe up at her blog and not wished I could have that off the screen. But she’s humble enough to ask me to be a guest on her blog, so yes it is an honour. If you haven’t already visited her marvelous blog , you must know that she has one of the most comprehensive blogs with tantalizing recipes from all over Asia and beyond. On her first trip to India, Bee tried some of the tandoori prawns and she loved them far more than the tandoori chicken. Not to mention she is a hard core fan of prawns … and so this was the first things that came to her mind, knowing my Indian roots

Tandoori Prawns

20 large prawns – shelled with tail on and de-veined
2 tablespoons yogurt
1 tablespoon of ginger/garlic paste
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tsp cumin powder
1-2 tsps kashmiri red chiili powder
1/2 tsp orange-red food colouring
1 tablespoon tandoori masala (optional)
salt to taste

It doesn’t get easier than this. Just mix all the ingredients, leave to marinate overnight or 2hrs minimum. Fire up a grill or can even use a griddle pan. Brush with oil and grill them for a few mins till done. Serve hot with some sliced onion, yogurt and chutney.

Dal Roti

All, Vegetarian 26 Responses »

May 162007

Dal and Roti are among India’s oldest food items. They are the most basic vegetarian diet available. The closest equivalent in the West can only be Bread and Butter. They even occupy the same mental space as B & B. Earning one’s livelihood is often said as“Earning one’s Dal Roti”. There are like a 100 varieties of lentils and pulses, each of which can be cooked in many different ways. Each region, each household have their own tweaks n versions. In all, this humble lentil soup can probably be cooked in a thousand different ways and these variations are equally healthy, as lots of traditional spices like turmeric, cumin … are used along with the already protein rich lentils. A true Indian meal would not be complete without Dal !

This is a North Indian version Dal as far as i remember and my mums recipe ! She used to serve this with tandoori roti but i think i’ll just pass with the regular roti !

To start you’ll have to get these two lentils shown below. Don’t have the English names for them but are very easily available at all Indian stores or supermarkets which store Indian stuff … duh … the same thing ) .The one on the left is called Yellow Moong Dal and is smaller in size.The one to the right is called Tuwar Dal and is slightly larger in size…though both are just called yellow dal !

1/4 cup moong dal
1/4 cup tuwar dal
1 tbsp grated ginger /garlic
2 dried red chillis
1 onion chopped
2 tomatoes chopped
corriander to serve
lemon to serve
1 tbsp ghee ( clarified butter )
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp corriander powder
1tsp cumin powder
1 tsp smoked paprika powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
salt to taste
2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick

Start with soaking the lentils separately in warm water for two hrs.Then pressure cook the tuwar dal for about 2 whistles and then open the cooker and add the moong dal and let it cook further for 2 more whistles. Set aside.The reason we do this, is moong is softer that tuwar and if we cook them both together then we wont have the thick texture in the dal and it would be very smooth and runny .Thought there is nothing wrong with that, i just like the chunkier version.
Now in another pot start frying the ginger, garlic and onion in the olive oil till it is soft. Add in the tomatoes and cook it till it disintegrates and add in all the spices except the garam masala.Let this cook well for about 5 mins and then add the boiled lentils to this.Mix throughly and let it simmer on a slow gas for about 10-15 mins. Meanwhile prepare to temper the dal…or like we call it … the “Tadka”.Take a really small pot…the smallest u have in the kitchen and heat the ghee in it. Once its all hot add the dried red chillis and stir around till fragrant.Be carefull it might splutter, add the garam masala and instantly put it all into the dal.This really fills up the kitchen with a wonderful aroma.Usually my mum would use curry leaves as well but they are very difficult to find around here so i manage without it.But if u ca get your hands on some Indian ones…please go ahead and use it. Check for salt. Squeeze the lime, garnish with corriander, slice some raw onions and serve it with hot rotis…! this food touches the soul !

New Delhi Hotels

Qeema Paratha

All, Non-Vegetarian 28 Responses »

Apr 262007

Qeema in Hindi means mince. Paratha i guess all of you are familiar with. A paratha can be stuffed with just about anything thats dry. What i have made here is lamb mince parathas. Very traditionally Indian this one is a household favourite. Can be eaten for breakfast , lunch or dinner …. depends all on the stuffing.There are versions with mashed potatoes, carrot and cabbage, horseradish , lentils , paneer (cottage cheese) … just about anything. Just make sure the mixture has to be dry or else the dough will get soggy.

Started off with making the lamb mince first.In pot heat some oil and fry 2 tsps grated ginger /garlic and some chopped green chilli. Add to this chopped onion and sautée for a min and the n add the mince(about 250gms).Fry this on a medium flame till half cooked and the start adding the spices – 1 tbsp of jeera pd, 1/2 tsp turmeric pd, 1 tsp corriander pd (dhanya pd) , 1 tsp garam masala , salt to taste. Adjust the spices to your taste.Continue frying till the mince is totally cooked.Make sure this mix is dry or else u will not be able to stuff the paratha.I love the strong fragrance of jeera in this. Add lots of chopped corriander and mint.Turn off the gas and let it cool.

For the dough u’ll need about 300 gms whole wheat flour , 2 tbsps oil , salt .Mix all this together and add a little water and start kneading with your hand.Keep adding water as you go to bring it all together.The dough should be soft and not sticky.Knead for further 5 mins and set aside.

Both these can be prepared well in advance and kept aside until needed.When ready, take some dough and roll out in a big circle(dust it with flour to prevent from sticking) like shown in the picture above and place some of the qeema in the center. Bring in the corners till they meet and make a parcel.Now gently pat it down and start rolling again.Dust flour all over to prevent it from sticking and breaking.Be very gentle at this point as it might just all fall apart.

Gently transfer it to the pan , on medium heat.Dry fry on both sides till u see a light brown design on it.Then the on the 3rd flip add some oil and let it fry for 3-4 mins, repeating the same for the other side.Your paratha is ready.Nice hot n crisp.

Best served with some yogurt and traditional Indian mango pickle.

Parathas are usually thicker than rotis and are made with oil.The Roti is usually very thin very similar to tortilla , just made of wheat flour.

And the perfect way to eat this would be a bite of paratha with some yogurt and my mums homemade mango pickle….heaven !

Scallops 5 Ways

All, Non-Vegetarian 14 Responses »

Apr 222007

So as you all know monopoly didn’t really work out, we ended up staying at home not really in the mood for any outdoor activity. Figured i’d have to make lunch and got out a tray of 10 fresh Australian scallops that i had bought on Sat.”Honey how do u want to eat these scallops..???” and then he said lets make them in 5 different ways.We have all day to us, nothing better to do … not really hungry … so might as well enjoy it … i was game !

STEAMED SCALLOPS

Here the scallops were salted first.Then placed in tiny bamboo steamer lined with lettuce.Topped with grated ginger, finely sliced green chillis & spring onions.Steamed them for about 4-5 mins.Garnish with corriander and a squeeze of lime.While eating it take the whole thing out, wrap the lettuce around it and eat it.

PAN FRIED BREADED SCALLOPS WITH MAYO DRESSING

For this i first chopped some red chillis and garlic…marinated the scallops in together with salt.Then prepared the egg for dipping and breadcrumbs.Lightly salt the egg.dip and coat twice and chill in the refrigerator.Meanwhile make the mayo dressing.Finely chopped onion, garlic, chopped carrots and a pinch of red paprika.Now u can very simply deep fry it…which would also give u an even colour all over but i pan fried it with a tsp of oil … health conscious !

SCALLOP WONTONS WITH CHILLI SOY DRESSING

When i bite into a wonton, i like to sink my teeth into the whole scallop thats why i did not cut them up, like it is normally done with most meats.Firstly the wonton skins i had were too small to take the entire scallop so i joined together two of them with the left over egg from above.And then i place the scallops on it and pinched the corners together.For the marinate i put salt, ginger, chopped spring onion,dash of sesame oil steamed it for 5 mins.For the dip, take light soya sauce, finely sliced red chilli , corriander , rice wine vinegar ,stir it all together and serve.

TANDOORI SCALLOPS WITH GREEN CHUTNEY

The most effortless of them all was tandoori scallops.An easy alternative would be to use the ready made tandoori spice.I did that too ..but livened it up with further adding some fresh jeera pd, red chilli pd, and garam masala.Grilled them on the griddle pan ans served with green chutney (which luckily was still left over from the last time i made it)

HOT AND SOUR SCALLOPS WITH STEAMED RICE AND INDONESIAN PRAWN CRACKERS

The last but definitely one of the best.In a small frying pan fry some garlic n then the scallops, add soy sauce, vinegar, chilli oil and chicken stock….as u see the scallop is almost cooked add some corn flour water, close the gas, plate up and garnish with spring onions.Served with steamed rice and these most amazing prawn crackers.

It was a really nice experience trying to make these, as u see it was just just two scallops a dish and normally we would never try out anything like this.D was the mastermind behind this one, with his beautiful ideas.But standing in the kitchen together and making a mess of the place was even more fun. They all tasted nice each one better than the next.

Bowled In !

All, Non-Vegetarian 6 Responses »

Mar 152007

The ICC Cricket World Cup has begun and its really got us all hooked onto our screens.Group matches have commenced and so has our betting.Sadly i lost 50 bucks yesterday on Pakistan vs West Indies but i hope to recover today on Zimbabwe vs Ireland.Really looking forward to 6 weeks of pure cricket pleasure.I’m glad that I’m in Africa now as the timings are perfect.Once i get back to HK we’ll have to stay up all night to see the matches.But it doesn’t really matter.Once in 4 yrs is a good enough excuse for that.We are supporting South Africa for the world cup champions as they are in excellent form.So keeping my fingers crossed….will definitely keep u all updated with the World Cup.Yesterday we had really simple lunch …the Lahme, and so i thought i’d indulge a bit today.Actually i thought of it last night and marinated the chicken beforehand.And that’s half the work done.At noon i simply grilled the chicken and made some lovely aromatic lemon rice.This for me ladies and gents is comfort food.Enjoy.

Ingredients for chicken marination (overnight)

700 gms chicken
3-4 tbsps sour yogurt
1 tbsp crushed ginger
1 tbsp crushed garlic
3-4 green chillis chopped
hand full of mint
1 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp freshly toasted and ground cumin powder
salt

Rub all these into the chicken and cover and refrigerate overnight.

Ingredients for Lemon Rice

1 cup basmati rice
1 onion chopped
1 green chilli chopped
1 tsp mustard seeds
few Indian curry leaves
1 tsp turmeric powder
2-3 tbsps chopped corriander
1 lime
salt to taste
1 tbsp oil

In a pot heat the oil.When smoking hot add the mustard seeds and as they splutter add the curry leaves, onion and green chilli.When they soften a bit add in the washed rice and fry it on high flame for 1 min.Add the turmeric powder and salt and stir.Now add 1 and 1/2 cups water and cover and let it simmer on slow heat.When the rice is done add the corriander and squeeze the lime juice into it.The rice is ready.

Remove the chicken from the fridge 1 hr prior to cooking it to bring it to room temperature.Now from the prepared rice take about 2-3 tbsps and fill it in the cavity of the chicken and then tie up the chicken and drizzle some olive oil on top and grill in the oven for about 45 minutes.Remove and wrap in foil and allow it to rest for about 15 mins.To serve, cut open the thread and serve the chicken on the bed of the remaining rice.Onion rings go really well with this dish.