It's been raining and raining and raining here the past week and a half. I've been trying to keep my head above the clouds by staying social. I've been spending some more time with Pallavi, who I was introduced to last year when I wanted to have some kurtas made. She does a wonderful job with color and patterns and I have a hard time not buying new kurtas when I'm around her. Jenn, my upstairs neighbor and the person who introduced me to Pallavi, and I loved the idea of learning how to cook some tasty Indian dishes when Pallavi suggested it. So, yesterday, we gathered in Jenn's kitchen and started chopping and mixing. Originally, we were all going to the market to buy ingredients, but due to the soggy nature of outside, Pallavi suggested we pool our refrigerator and cupboard resources and make dishes from what we have. Our end products were delicious. In a little over an hour, we had created four dishes with Pallavi only buying some cabbage and corriander leaves. Greg and two other friends, Reid and Rachel, joined us for our feast.
MIXED DAL
Ingredients:
- Moong dal (small yellow)
- Ural dal (white)
- Toor dal (larger yellow)
- Masoor da (orange)
- Ghee
- 1 bay leaf
- Few peppercorns
- Few cloves
- Three small pieces of cinnamon stick
- Tsp cumin seeds
- ¾ c- 1c finley chopped onions
- 1 inch ginger ground into a paste or grate
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1tsp Dhansak Masala
- Pinch of aseophida
- Two tomatoes chopped small
- Three cups of water plus 1 TBS
- Two pinches of salt
1) Combine all the dals with equal mixture of all except Ural dal, use 1-2 TBS, soak for a few minutes.
2) Heat a TBS of Ghee in a pressure cooker.
3) Combine the bay leaf, pepper corn, cloves, cinnamon, and cumin seeds together and add to ghee. Heat until the cumin seeds sputter and don’t let them turn black.
4) Add onions and cook until soft.
5) Add Ginger, let cook briefly and then add turmeric, Dhansak Masala, and aseophida, stir together.
6) Add tomatoes and 1 TBS of water. Cook for several minutes until there is a shine on the tomatoes from the oil. Mash.
7) Add two pinches of salt, stir.
8) Add the dal mix and twice as much water as dal. Ex: 1 and a half cups of dal and three cups of water. Cover and cook.
9) After five whistles, turn the heat down slightly and let cook for another 10 minutes. Turn up heat until there is another whistle. Turn off heat and let cool. Serve with coriander leaves as garnish and limes.
PULAO RICE
Ingredients: (Serves 10)
- 3 cups of rice and six cups of water
- 3 cups of mixed vegetables
- 2 TBS Ghee
- 3 bay leaves
- Several pieces of cinnamon stick
- Few cloves
- Few peppercorns
- 1 Tbs cumin seeds
- 1 cup onion, finely chopped
- Ginger and garlic paste, 1 TBS
- Salt to taste
1) Soak rice for several minutes and drain.
2) Heat Ghee in a large pot.
3) Add bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves, peppercorn, cumin seeds and onion. Stir and let cook until cumin sputters.
4) Add Vegetables, ginger and garlic, salt and cook for several minutes.
5) Add rice, stir and cook for 1-2 minutes.
6) Add water, stir and cover.
7) stir occasionally as vegetables rise to top.
8) When rice is half way cooked, add coriander.
9) When water is gone, rice is cooked. Serve.
CABBAGE
Ingredients:
- 1-2 cabbages chopped
- 2 green chilis slit length wise
- Oil
- Curry leaves
- 1 TBS mustard seed
- 1 TBS cumin seed
- Pinch of aseophida
1) Heat oil in a pan. Oil needs to be very hot.
2) Add mustard seed and cook until mustard seed sputters.
3) Add cumin seed, stir
4) Add aseophida powder, chilis, curry leaves, and cabbage. Stir it all together.
5) Add a pinch of turmeric and TBS of salt, Stir.
6) Cook , stirring often, until cabbage reduces 1/3 to a half. 10-15 minutes.
7) Serve with coriander as a garnish.
BRIJAL COCONUT CURRY
Ingredients:
- 8 small brinjals or round eggplants, cut in quarters, but still attached to stem.
- Oil
- 1 cup onions
- 2-3 potatoes chopped
- 2 tomatoes
- Coriander leaves
- Salt
- Coconut powder mixed with water (about 2 cups)
- 1 tsp Chili powder, 1 TBS coriander powder, pinch of turmeric powder
1) Heat oil in a pan
2) Add onions and sauté
3)Add brinjal and potatoes, stirp and cover to cook. 10 min
4) Add tomatoes, coriander leaves and salt to taste, stir and continue to cook until veggies are soft.
5) Add coconut water and stir.
6) Add chili powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder. Stir.
7 Serve.
