Mushroom masala - 2

 This dish was made on the fly and it came out real good with phulkas.

Ingredients
Mushrooms 2 cups cubed to bite size pieces.
Onion 1 big chopped fine
Chilli powder 1 tsp
Garam masala powder to taste
Pepper powder 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
Coconut milk powder 1/2 tsp ( this helps to balance the sharp taste of the masalas)
Cilantro to garnish
Oil 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method

1. Boil 2 cups of water with some salt. Once boiling, drop the mushrooms in them. Switch off heat and keep covered for 10-15 mins. By this, the mushrooms get cooked and release the water content. After some 20 mins of mushrooms soaking, drain them and keep. You can use the left over water for soup/broth or whatever.
2. In a pan heat oil. Add the onions and saute them till soft. Once the onions are done, add the mushrooms and give a good mix.
3. Add all the masalas(Chilli powder, garam masala, pepper powder, turmeric powder). Add salt to taste. Sprinkle some water and stir well till the mushrooms are caramerlised.
4. Add a bit of coconut milk powder if you find the dish too sharp to taste. Mix well.
5. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Serve hot with chapiti and some simple dal.

Chana dal with Lauki

This recipe is inspired from http://kajaldreams.blogspot.com/

I was sceptical about the red chilli-garlic paste, but since I had seen through her other recipes and had liked them, I decided to give it a try. It did taste good!!

Ingredients

Lauki cubed 1 cup
Chana Dal (Bengal gram) 1 cup
1\2 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste

Lemon juice to taste
Oil, cumin seeds, dry red chillies for seasoning
1 tbsp garlic red chilli paste (I ground about 4 cloves of garlic and 4-5 red chillies to a coarse paste)

Method

1. Cook the chana dal in 3 cups of water till almost mushy.
2. Heat oil in kadai. Add the seasonings, and stir till done.
3. Add lauki, turmeric powder, salt, garlic-red chilli paste and cook till laukis get soft and the raw smell of garlic goes.
4. Add the chana dal. Mix well and cook for 5-6 mins.
5. Add a dash of lemon juice to your taste.

Serve hot with chapiti.

Bulls eye (Half fry / Sunny side up)

This is a wonderful breakfast item which goes well with toast, porridge, and a glass of juice.

Ingredients
Eggs
Oil about 1/2 tsp for an egg
Salt, pepper or any seasoning to your taste.
A good non-stick tawa
A good flat ladle to take the half fry off the tawa

Method

1. Heat the tawa well. Pour a few drops of the oil and spread it to a circle 5-6 cms in diameter.
2. Break the egg and drop the white and yolk onto the tawa. Try not to break the yolk.
3. Add oil around the edges if needed. Quickly sprinkle the salt and seasonings. Wait till the edges leave the tawa.
4. You can take the egg off at this stage. But we find the yolk too raw at this stage. I pour about 1 spoon of water around the edges and quickly cover the egg. Wait for 10 seconds.
5. Now the egg is nicely cooked and can still come off the tawa.
6. Take if off, without breaking the yolk. Breaking the yolk is the privilege of the person eating the egg, you see!!

Serve hot with other breakfast items of your choice.

Green moong dal

This simple dal is a favourite of my mom's side.... And it gets finished up in no time at my place too...

Ingredients
Whole green moong dal 1 cup (washed well and soaked for 6-8 hours)
Chilli powder 1 - 2 tsp (to taste)
Coriander powder 1 tsp
Cumin powder 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida (a pinch)
Salt to taste
Onion 1 medium chopped
Tomato 1 medium chopped
Oil 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds, Jeera for seasoning
Cilantro to garnish
Jaggery to taste.(1/4 tsp) (optional)

Method

1. Cook the moong dal in pressure cooker for about 15-20 mins with 3 cups of water, salt, asafoetida, turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder.
2. Heat oil in a kadai, add the seasonings and once done, saute the onions till translucent.
3. Add the tomatoes and saute for another 4-5 mins. 
4. Once the tomatoes start breaking, add the cooked dal. Mix well. Adjust salt and water.
5. Simmer for few minutes. I add a wee bit of jaggery at this stage. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Serve hot with chapiti or rice.

Chan-toor dal

Got this recipe from showmethecurry.com. Very simple and hearty, I made it for the yumm biriyani.


Ingredients:
Toor Daal – 1 cup
Channa Daal – 1/2 cup
Green Chili – 2 or to taste, slit
Tomato – 1 large, chopped
Ginger – 1 tsp, minced
Salt – to taste
Water – 3.5 cups

Seasoning:
Oil – 1 tbsp
Panch Puran – 2 tsp
Asafoetida (hing) – 1/8th tsp
Turmeric Powder (haldi) – ½ tsp
Red Chili Powder – to taste
Jaggery – 2 tsp
Garam Masala – 2 tsp
Lemon or Lime Juice – to taste
A few curry leaves
Cilantro – for garnish


Method:
1. Wash, rinse and soak both Daals in water for one hour.
2. Drain out the water and add to Pressure Cooker.
3. Add Green Chili, Minced Ginger, Tomatoes, Salt and Turmeric.
4. Mix well and close and allow it to whistle 1 time and ten turn off the flame. (Non-whistle type of Pressure Cooker, cook for 10 minutes)
5. Allow the pressure to release naturally.
6. In a separate saucepan, heat Oil.
7. Once hot, add Panch Poron mix and allow it to sizzle and pop.
8. Add a pinch of Asafoetida, immediately after that the curry leaves.
9. Fry for just a few seconds, then pour hot mix into the dal.
10. Into the Daal, add the Jaggery and Garam Masala. Cook on medium heat.
11. Allow the Daal to cook for another 5 minutes. Adjust spices and flavors.
12. Add a dash of Lemon or Lime Juice and mix well.
13. At time of serving, garnish with Cilantro.

Lemon rice

This is an easy item well liked by my hubby, especially for dabba lunch in office or in train! So here goes.

Ingredients
Rice 1 cup
Oil for seasoning
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Urad dal 1 tsp
Chana dal 1 tsp
Green chillies 2 slit
Curry leaves a few
Asafoetida a pinch
Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Mor molagai (Green chillies salted and cured in yogurt, dried, preserved, and fried-on-demand. This is optional but gives a wonderful dash to the lemon rice.)
Lemon juice 1 tbsp (to taste)

Mor molagai

Method

1. Cook rice, cool it and spread it out so that the grains are separate.
2. Heat oil in a kadai. Burst mustard. Add urad dal, chana dal, mor molagai, green chillies, curry leaves, asafoetida, turmeric powder, salt and fry till done. Take care to not burn anything.
3. Add the rice and give it a good mix. Adjust salt. Add lemon juice and mix it again.

Let it sit atleast an hour for the flavours to seep in. Serve with any curry, raita of your choice.

Kadala curry

This spicy and hearty gravy can be an accompaniment to many dishes like puttu, dosa, idiappam, nool puttu, upma and even chapiti.

Ingredients
Black chana 1 cup (washed well and soaked for 8-10 hours)
Onion 1 medium chopped
Tomato 1 medium chopped
Red chilli powder 2-3 tsp (to taste)
Saunf 1 tsp
Coriander powder 1 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
Ginger - garlic paste 1/2 tsp (optional)
Grated coconut 2 tbsp
Oil 1 tbsp ( I use coconut oil for this dish)
Salt to taste
Mustard seeds, whole red chillies, curry leaves, oil for seasoning.

Method

1. Cook the soaked black chana in 2-3 cups of water. I pressure cook it for 30-40 minutes.it should be soft and well cooked. Do not discard the water.
2. Heat oil in a kadai. Add the saunf, onions and saute till transparent. Add tomatoes and all the masalas and coconut and fry for 5-6 mins. 
3. Cool the above and grind to a fine paste using very little water.
4. In the same kadai, heat oil and add seasonings. 
5. Once done, add the cooked chana with the water, salt and the ground masala. Adjust salt and water. If the gravy appears too thin, crush some of the cooked dal well and mix in. (I personally do not like the dal to be crushed in, it makes the dish bland. Instead I would increase the ground paste.)
6. Bring to a boil and simmer for a few mins after that.

Serve hot with the main dish of your choice.