Strawberry Lassi

Makes 8 cups

Growing up, this used to be a summer delight. With easy access to mango puree in the stores, this is now a regular drink. It can be mixed with a spoon for a traditional texture, or machine-blended for a smooth texture. I recommend making this a couple of hours before serving and refrigerated in serving cups.

Ingredients 

• 2 cups plain yogurt
• 2 cups mango pulp
• 4 cups ice
• 4 tbspn sugar
• 1 tspn salt

For the garnishing

• 1 tspn cardamom, ground
  
• 1 tspn almonds, pistachios, finely chopped

Preparation (5 minutes)

1. Set aside pulp.
2. Finely chop almonds and pistachios. 

Instructions (5 minutes)

1. Blend the ingredients for 3 minutes.
2. Mango lassi is best made a couple of hours before serving. If refrigerated for more than 4 hours, it needs to be blended again before serving.

Garnishing (optional)

1. Pour into cups and sprinkle the garnishing on each cup.

Serving

1. Goes well with Indian, Asian and Western appetizers. 
2. If the Mango lassi is made to be served within a couple of hours, it can be poured into cups and garnished and refrigerated, ready to be served. 

Puran Poli (stuffed sweet roti)

Makki ki roti (pan-roasted corn flatbread)



Nothing brings a smile to my face like the mention of makki ki roti and sarson ka saag - the best meal on a winter evening with people warming their hands by the fire, as one roti after another is served hot from the tawa, to be eaten with makkhan and gur, and pyaaz and mirch on the side please.


Makes 8 makki rotis.

I mix whole-wheat flour with corn meal to make soft makai rotis.


Ingredients

• 1 cup makki aata (corn meal)
• 1 cup aata (whole-wheat flour)
• 1 tbspn vegetable oil for dough
• 1 cup water 
• a pinch of salt
• vegetable oil for pan-frying

Preparation

1. Make a dough with the flour and oil - this should need slightly more than 1/2 cup of water.
2. Cover the prepared dough with a damp cloth for 15 minutes. 

Instructions

1. Heat the pan. Using a non-stick pan minimizes the need for oil.
2. Make eight balls from the dough.
3. Take a dough ball and roll it into a circle. 
4. Take a few drops of oil in the pan, and place makai ki roti. 
5. Press down lightly with a flat spatula.
6. Turn the parantha after a minute, and cook completely. 
7. If the dough is made right, the makai roti will puff up.

 Serving

1. Serve hot with stir-fried vegetables or curry. 

Plain Thepla (pan-fried wheat flatbread)

Makes 20 theplas.

I use whole-wheat flour for daily cooking.  Theplas are popular as a snack with tea, or as food packed for travel, and as such are made very appetizing with grated ginger, green peppers and garlic. They are usually served with butter, yogurt, chhundo (sweet pickle), achar (spicy pickle) and cilantro chatni (spicy sauce).  Traditionally, theplas have ingredients like crushed mustard seeds, sesame seeds, finely chopped cilantro. And along with salt and peppers, add lemon juice and half a teaspoon of sugar to get the typical mingling of tastes in Gujarati cuisine.

Theplas are also sometimes referred to as chandki when grated or finely chopped vegetables are mixed in the dough - grated cabbage, grated squash, blended corn and finely chopped methi (fenugreek leaves). Methi theplas are very popular for health reasons - it is an excellent way to eat iron-rich bread. 

Theplas can be stored in the refrigerated for 2-3 days, and lightly pan-roasted or microwaved just before serving.

Ingredients

• 3 cups whole-wheat flour
• 1 tbspn vegetable oil for dough
• 1-1/2 cup water 
• 1 tspn grated garlic (optional) 
• 1 tspn grated ginger
• 1 tspn grated green peppers
• 1 tbspn finely chopped cilantro
• 1 tspn lemon juice
• 1 tspn sugar
• 1/2 tspn crushed red pepper to taste
• 1 tbspn oil as shortening
• salt to taste
• vegetable oil for pan-frying

Preparation

1. Make a dough with all the ingredients and oil - this should need slightly more than 1/2 cup of water.
2. Cover the prepared dough with a damp cloth for 15 minutes. 

Instructions

1. Heat the pan. Using a non-stick pan minimizes the need for oil.
2. Make twenty balls of dough.
3. Roll the dough ball into a circular thepla, about 6 inches in diameter. 
4. Take a few drops of oil in the pan, and place thepla. 
5. Add a few drops of oil at the edges of the thepla. 
6. Turn the thepla after a minute, and pan-fry to cook completely. 

  Serving

1. Serve with butter, yogurt, chhundo (sweet pickle), achar (spicy pickle) and cilantro chatni (spicy sauce)
2. When served as a meal, it goes well with potato curry. 

Aloo Poha (Bataka Pawa) - flattened rice and potatos

Thanks to the unhealthy love for potato and rice in our household, Saturday morning breakfast is invariably aloo poha (aloo - potato, poha - pressed rice). It is undeniably appetizing, to be enjoyed with a cup of hot adrak-fudina chai.

I personally do not like the flavor of cinnamon with bataka pawa as it is popular known in Gujarat, but it is a popular garnishing. Also, I avoid onions in my cooking. Onions enhance taste but I can vouch for the fact that the onion-less recipe is equally yummy.


Make aloo poha breakfast for 4.

Ingredients 

For the poha

• 6 cups poha (pressed rice)
• 1 tspn coriander powder 
• 1 tspn cumin powder
• 1 tspn turmeric powder 
• 2 medium potato, finely chopped 
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped - optional
• 2 tspn lemon juice 
• 1 tspn sugar 
• salt, to taste

For the tempering

• 2 tbspn vegetable oil 
• 3 medium Thai peppers, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup peanuts 
• 1 tspn mustard seeds
• 6-8 curry leaves, chopped
• 1-2 mid-sized sticks of cinnamon - optional

For the garnishing

• 1 tbspn cilantro, finely chopped 
• 1 cup red onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup sev,  finely chopped - optional
• lemon slices, finely sliced
• 1 cup coconut, grated

Preparation (10 minutes)

1. Chop the peppers, cilantro.
2. Slice the lemon.
3. Chop the white onions and red onion fine.
4. Chop potato fine (cross-sections of french fry sized).
5. Wash the poha in cold water, strain immediately and set aside.  
6. Chop the cilantro.

Instructions  (10 minutes)

1. Heat the oil in a pan on High, and add curry leaves.
2. After a minute, add mustard seeds and allow them to pop.
3. Add peanuts, and stir for a minute.
4. Add the sliced peppers, and white onion, and stir for 2 minutes on Medium heat
5. Add the potato, coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, salt.
6. Stir for 5 minutes, till the potato is done.
7. Add poha, take off the heat and stir lightly for 2 minutes.
8. Put the pan back on the heat, and stir for 1 minute.
9. Add lemon juice and sugar and stir.
10. Take off the heat.  

Garnishing

1. To each serving, add a fine slice of lemon, cilantro, red onions on top. 
2. Sprinkle sev. 

Serving

1. Serve hot.  

Puri

Makes 20 puris.


Ingredients

• 2 cups whole-wheat flour
• 1 tbspn vegetable oil for dough 
• 1/2 tspn ajwain
• 1 cup water 
• a pinch of salt
• vegetable oil for deep-frying

Preparation

1. Make a dough with the flour, oil and salt - this should need slightly less than 1 cup of water.
2. Cover the prepared dough with a damp cloth for 15 minutes. 

Instructions

1. Heat the frying pan with oil on High heat.
2. Make four logs from the dough.
3. Divide the log into dough balls - this allows all puris to be the same size.
4. Take a dough ball and roll it into a circle. 
5. Brush lightly with oil, and flip and roll it slightly.
6. Lower the heat to Medium and put puris in.
7. If the puri does not immediately rise to the top, the oil is not hot enough. If the puri turns brown in splotches immediately, the oil is too hot. 
8. As the puri immediately rises to the top, hold it down under the oil for one second. This fluffs it up.
9. Put the puri on a paper napkin to absorb the excess oil. I line the puri serving container with 2-3 layers of paper napkins so that any excess oil is absorbed well before serving.

  Serving

1. Puris are best served within minutes of frying.
2. They go well with all vegetables and curries, especially with potatos and tomato curry.
3. In Gujarat, where puris originate from, they are served with all vegetables, and are a mandatory accompaniment to undhiyu, keri nu ras (mango pulp) and shikhand (sweetened thick yogurt). 

Malaai Lassi

Makes 8 cups

This is a variation of the traditional lassi. This rich, thick and creamy, drink was a special treat. It can be mixed with a spoon for a traditional texture, or machine-blended for a smooth texture. I recommend making this a couple of hours before serving and refrigerated in serving cups.

Ingredients 

• 4 cups plain yogurt
• 2 cups fresh cream, or sweet cream
• 2 cups ice
• 4 tbspn sugar
• 1 tspn salt

For the garnishing

• 1 tspn cardamom, ground
  
• 1 tspn almonds, pistachios, finely chopped
• 1 tspn cashew, finely chopped
• 1 tspn rose petals, finely chopped - optional

Preparation (5 minutes)

1. Finely chop rose petals, cashews, almonds and pistachios. 

Instructions (2 minutes)

1. Blend the ingredients for 2 minutes.
2. Malaai lassi is best made a couple of hours before serving. If refrigerated for more than 4 hours, it needs to be blended again before serving.

Garnishing (optional)

1. Pour into cups and sprinkle the garnishing on each cup.

Serving

1. Goes well with Indian appetizers and meals. 
2. If the Malaai Lassi is made to be served within a couple of hours, it can be poured into cups and garnished and refrigerated, ready to be served. 

Chhaas

Makes 8 cups

This is traditionally served with khichadi in Gujarat, but goes well with any spicy Indian meal. It is very refreshing, especially in the Indian summer. Chhaas is a good appetizer and digestive aid. It is served best within a couple of hours of being made.

I prefer the traditional chhaas with the rough texture that comes from blending by hand, using a spoon.

Ingredients

• 4 cups plain yogurt
• 4 cups chilled water
• 2 tspn sugar
• 1 tspn salt
• 1/2 tspn jeera (cumin seeds), roasted
  
• 1/2 tspn adrak (ginger), grated 
• 1/2 tspn mirch (green peppers), finely chopped 
• a pinch of heeng (asfoetida)

For the garnishing

• 1 tspn cilantro, finely chopped - optional
  
• 1/2 tspn sanchar (black salt) - optional

Preparation (5 minutes)

1. Grate the ginger.
2. Chop the peppers, and cilantro.  
3. Roast the cumin seeds. 

Instructions (2 minutes)

1. Blend the ingredients for 1 minute.
2. Chhaas is best made a couple of hours before serving. If refrigerated for more than 4 hours, it needs to be blended again before adding the tempering.

Garnishing (optional)

1. Sprinkle black salt and cilantro on the chhaas.

Serving

1. Goes well with spicy foods. 
2. If the chhaas is made to be served within a couple of hours, it can be poured into cups and garnished and refrigerated, ready to be served. 

Masala Chhaas

Makes 8 cups

This is traditionally served with khichadi in Gujarat, but goes well with any spicy Indian meal. It is very refreshing, especially in the Indian summer. Chhaas is a good appetizer and digestive aid. It is served best within a couple of hours of being made.

I prefer the traditional chhaas with the rough texture that comes from blending by hand, using a spoon.

Ingredients

• 4 cups plain yogurt
• 4 cups chilled water
• 2 tspn sugar
• 1 tspn salt

For the tempering

• 1 tspn vegetable oil
• 1/2 tspn rai (mustard seeds)
  
• 1/2 tspn adrak (ginger), grated 
• 1/2 tspn mirch (green peppers), finely chopped  
• 3-4 curry leaves, chopped
• a pinch of heeng (asfoetida)

For the garnishing

• 1 tspn, cumin seeds, roasted and crushed - optional 
• 1 tspn cilantro, finely chopped - optional
  
• 1/2 tspn mint leaves, finely chopped - optional
• 1/2 tspn sanchar (black salt) - optional
• 1/2 tspn chaat masala - optional

Preparation (5 minutes)

1. Grate the ginger.
2. Chop the peppers, curry leaves, cilantro and mint.  
3. Roast the cumin seeds and crush them.

Instructions (5 minutes)

1. Blend the ingredients for 1 minute.
2. Chhaas is best made a couple of hours before serving. If refrigerated for more than 4 hours, it needs to be blended again before adding the tempering.

Tempering

1. Heat the oil.
2. Add mustard seeds.
3. When the mustard seeds pop, take off the heat.
4. Add ginger, peppers and asfoetida.
5. Add the tempering to the chhaas.

Garnishing (optional)

1. Add black salt and chaat masala to the chhaas.
2. Pour chhaas into cups and sprinkle the cilantro and mint, and crushed cumin on each cup.

Serving

1. Goes well with spicy foods. 
2. If the chhaas is made to be served within a couple of hours, it can be poured into cups and garnished and refrigerated, ready to be served. 

Mango Lassi

Makes 8 cups

Growing up, this used to be a summer delight. With easy access to mango puree in the stores, this is now a regular drink. It can be mixed with a spoon for a traditional texture, or machine-blended for a smooth texture. I recommend making this a couple of hours before serving and refrigerated in serving cups.

Ingredients 

• 2 cups plain yogurt
• 2 cups mango pulp
• 4 cups ice
• 4 tbspn sugar
• 1 tspn salt

For the garnishing

• 1 tspn cardamom, ground
  
• 1 tspn almonds, pistachios, finely chopped

Preparation (5 minutes)

1. Set aside pulp.
2. Finely chop almonds and pistachios. 

Instructions (5 minutes)

1. Blend the ingredients for 3 minutes.
2. Mango lassi is best made a couple of hours before serving. If refrigerated for more than 4 hours, it needs to be blended again before serving.

Garnishing (optional)

1. Pour into cups and sprinkle the garnishing on each cup.

Serving

1. Goes well with Indian, Asian and Western appetizers. 
2. If the Mango lassi is made to be served within a couple of hours, it can be poured into cups and garnished and refrigerated, ready to be served. 

Edemami Rice

Healthy rice recipe - goes with any soup or curry. Edemami can be substituted with lima beans as per taste.

Ingredients 

• 2 cups Basmati rice
• 1 cup frozen edemami beans
• 1 tspn ghee, or butter
• water for washing, soaking and cooking 
• salt, to taste

For the tempering

• 1 tspn vegetable oil 
• 1 tspn cumin seeds
• 2-3 cloves
• 2-3 peppercorn

Preparation (10 minutes)

1. Soak rice for 10 minutes in lukewarm water and wash clean.
2. Add 1 cup of water to the edemami beans in a bowl, and microwave on High for 3 minutes.

Instructions (15 minutes)

1. For tempering, heat the oil in a pan, and add cumin seeds, cloves and peppercorn.
2. When the cumin seeds pop, add the edemami beans and stir for a minute.
3. Add the rice, ghee and salt, and stir for 2 minutes. 
4. Add 6 cups of water and cook in the open pan for 10 minutes.
5. Take off the heat, and cover.

Garnishing (optional)

1. Sprinkle fried finely sliced onions on top. 

Serving

1. Serve hot. 

Sukhadi

A favorite with the Vaishnavs, sukhadi is easy to make.


Ingredients

• 2 cups of coarsely ground whole wheat flour
• 1 cup ghee (or unsalted butter)
• 1/2 cup cardamoms, crushed
• 1 cup gud (jaggery), soft or grated
• 1/2 cup almonds and pistachios, sliced and chopped - optional
• 1 tbspn ghee for greasing the steel plate (or unsalted butter) 

Preparation

1. Slice and chop the almond pistachios.
2. Crush the cardamom.
3. Keep a steel plate greased with ghee aside.

Instructions

1. Heat the ghee in a non-stick pan for a minute.
2. Turn the heat to medium-high and stir in the whole wheat flour.
3. Keep stirring for 10 minutes till the mixture becomes homogenous, darkens in color, and is fragrant.
4. Take the pan off the heat.
5. Stir in the jaggery and the cardamom till the jaggery is dissoved in the mixture.
6. Pour into the greased plate.  
7. Sprinkle finely chopped pistachio and almonds on the plate.
8. Cut diamonds.
9. Serve when cool.

Dal Dhokli

One of my favorite spicy, sour, sweet, salty, spicy - did I say spicy twice? - thing to eat is Dal Dhokli. It is one of those things that you don't really serve guests for dinner because it is not glamorous enough. Unless it is a family dinner and you are all raised in Gujarat on the yumminess of Dal Dhokli. Easy to make, great to eat, it is basically diamonds of paratha dough swimming in spicy dal.

I did not think I could get it right, but living in Dallas, there was no choice but to make it myself. And I have slurped it gratefully to be able to say I do get it right.

This is a traditionally arhar (tuver) dal curry.

Makes 6 bowls of dal dhokli

Ingredients 

For the curry

• 3 cups arhar dal (yellow lentil)
• 1 tbspn coriander powder 
• 1 tbspn cumin powder
• 1 tbspn turmeric powder 
• 1 tbspn ginger, grated
• a pinch of asfoetida
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped into chunks
• 1 lemon, sliced
• 1 cup gud (jaggery or cane sugar) 
• salt, to taste

For the dough

• 3 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tbspn oil
• 1 tbspn ajwain 
• 1 tspn salt
• 2 medium Thai peppers, finely chopped
• water, as needed

For the tempering

• 2 tbspn vegetable oil 
• 4 medium Thai peppers, finely chopped
• 2 inches of ginger, finely chopped
• 1 cup peanuts 
• 1 tspn mustard seeds
• 6-8 curry leaves

For the garnishing

• 1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 cup red onions, finely chopped
• 2 tbspn lemon juice

Preparation (10 minutes)

1. Set aside the peppers, ginger, cilantro, red onions - finely chopped.
2. Chop tomatoes into chunks.
3. Steam the dal for 20 minutes in the pressure cooker with turmeric and salt.  
4. Make the dough, as for parathas.

Instructions  (20 minutes)

For the dough

1. Mix flour, oil, salt, ajwain, finely chopped ginger and peppers well.
2. Add water, as needed to make a firm dough, as for parathas.
3. Cover with a wet napkin and set aside for 10 minutes.

For the curry

1. Heat the oil in a pan, and add curry leaves and mustard seeds and allow them to pop.
2. After a minute, add chopped peppers, ginger and finally peanuts.
3. Add tamarind paste and stir it in till it is cooked.
4. Add the coriander powder and the cumin powder.
5. Add chopped tomatoes and stir for a minute.
6. Add the steamed dal and stir till it is a homogenous paste.
7. Add water, three times the volume.
8. Allow the dal to boil.
9. Add salt to taste.
10. Add jaggery and stir till the pieces of jaggery melt.
11. Add asfoetida and stir for two minutes.
12. Roll the dough into a thickness slightly less than 1/4 inch (like a paratha) and cut diamond shapes.
13. As the dal starts boiling, drop the diamond shapes into the dal.  
14. Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes, and take off the heat. 

Garnishing

1. Sprinkle finely chopped cilantro on top. 
2. Sprinkle fine sev - optional. 
3. Sprinkle finely chopped

Serving

1. Serve hot as an entrée, in soup bowls.  

Ghattas to be added to curried vegetables

Makes 16 ghattas.
These add to the diversity of flavor in a vegetable curry like undhiyu.

Ingredients

• 2 cups besan (chick pea flour)
• 2 tspn ajwain 
• 1 tspn finely chopped garlic
• 1 tspn finely chopped ginger
• 1 cup finely chopped green vegetables (fenugreek or spinach)
• salt to taste

Preparation

1. Mix the ingredients with water to make a batter.

Instructions

1. Heat the oil. 
2. Deep-fry 1 tbspn of batter at a time. 

Serving

1. Serve as a snack, or add to a vegetable curry to add flavor.

Undhiyu-inspired shaak

24 cups of undhiyu-inspired shaak

It is not always possible to make the traditional undhiyu at short notice, but vegetables in the refrigerator can be used to make a recipe similar to undhiyu.

Ingredients

• 6 small potatos
• 2 large carrots
• 2 cups pigeon peas
• 12 brinjals cooked as
• 2 medium white onions
• 1 large red onion 
• 8 ghattas  
• 4 cups cilantro chatni
• 2 tbspn vegetable oil
• 1 tbspn ajwain
• 2 tspn coriander powder 
• 2 tspn cumin powder
• 1 tspn turmeric powder 

Preparation

1. Prepare the spicy brinjals.
2. Steam potatos in a pressure cooker, and cut into 1 inch cubes.
3. Add 2 cups of water to the pigeon peas and cook in a microwave.
4. Slice carrots in 1-inch thick cross-sections, and cook in microwave with 2 cups of water for 6 minutes.
5. Prepare 4 cups of cilantro chatni. 
6. Deep-fry 8 ghattas in vegetable oil, and keep aside. 

Instructions

1. Heat the oil, and add ajwain. 
2. Place pigeon peas. 
3. Place potatos, carrots and slitted brinjals on top. 
4. Sprinkle the spice powders on top.
5. Cover and cook on low heat for 20 minutes. 
6. Add ghattas to the pan. 
7. Add cilantro chatni and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes.
8. Take off the heat.

Garnishing

1. Serve with cilantro chatni as a side. 
2. Sprinkle sev on top before serving.

Serving

1. Serve hot with puri or paratha.

Slitted spicy baingan (brinjals) in a microwave

Slitted spicy baingan can be made in the microwave. This recipe is for 18 brinjals.

Ingredients

• 1 tspn finely chopped ginger
• 1 tspn finely chopped garlic
• 2 tspn coriander powder
• 2 tspn 
• 1 tspn turmeric powder
• 2 tspn salt
• ½ tspn citric acid
• 1 tspn sugar 
• 18 brinjals

For tempering

• 1 tspn mustard seeds
• 1 tspn sesame seeds
• 2 tbspn oil

For garnishing

• ½ cup finely chopped cilantro
• ½ cup finely grated coconut

Preparation

1. Mix the ingredients in a bowl. 
2. Slit the brinjals vertically from one end without cutting them in two halfs. And make another vertical cut from the other end, at right angles to the first cut.
3. Stuff the brinjals with spice mix.
4. In a glass bowl, add the ingredients for tempering.
5. Place brinjals.
6. Sprinkle the remaining spice mix in the bowl.
7. Cover the bowl.
8. Cook in a microwave for 3 minutes. 
9. Take the bowl out, and turn the brinjals.
10. Repeat steps 8 and 9 three times. 
11. Keep aside.

Instructions

1. Heat the oil, and stir the onions on medium-high heat till they are pink.
2. Add the peppers and powdered spices and stir till the oil separates from the onions. 
3. Add grated ginger and grated garlic and saute for another minute.
4. Add cashew paste and stir well. - optional
5. Add salt to taste. 
6. Add chopped tomatoes, and stir for two minutes. - optional
7. Add the chopped spinach and stir on low-medium heat for another two minutes. 

Garnishing

1. Sprinkle grated coconut and finely chopped cilantro. 

Serving

1. Serve hot with any flat bread - nan, roti or paratha hot from the pan.

Besan ke Laddoo / Magas laadoo

Makes 24 besan laddoos

Ingredients

• 3 cups besan
• 1-1/2 cup ghee
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup pistachios, chopped
• 1/2 cup cardamom, crushed
• 1 tbspn ghee
• 1 tbspn milk

Preparation (15 minutes)

1. Chop pistachios and crush cardamom.
2. Mix the 1/4 cup ghee and 1/4 cup milk and heat at medium-high heat for 2 minutes.  
3. Add the ghee-milk mixture to the besan and mix well.
4. Set aside a metal or glass plate.

Cooking (30 minutes)

1. In a non-stick pan, heat the ghee. 
2. Add besan and stir on medium heat for 15 minutes till the flour is cooked and fragrant.
3. Take off the heat and add cardamom and sugar and continue to stir till the sugar melts. 
4. Grease palms with ghee and form 1-1/2 inch laddoos.

Serving

1. Use as naivadyam, or serve as dessert.

5-bean dal

Makes 16 cups of dal


Ingredients

• 6 tbspn vegetable oil
• 2 medium onion, chopped
• 4 medium Thai peppers, finely chopped
• 2 tspn coriander powder 
• 2 tspn cumin powder
• 2 tspn turmeric powder 
• 6 cloves garlic, grated
• 2 tbspn ginger, grated
• 6 cloves
• 6 peppercorns
• 4 medium tomato, chopped
• 1 cup rajma (kidney beans)
• 1 cup udad (black grams) 
• 1 cup chhole (chick peas) 
• 1 cup chane (bengal grams) 
• 1 cup black beans 
• 1 cup cilantro, finely chopped   

Preparation (4 hours)

1. Grate garlic, ginger.
2. Cut peppers, and chop onions and tomatoes into 1-1/2 inch cubes. 
3. Soak the 5 dal in lukewarm water for 4 hours. 

Cooking (60 minutes)

1. Steam the soaked dal with 8 cups of water and salt for 20 minutes in a pressure cooker. 
2. Heat the oil in a pan, and stir the onions on medium-high heat till they are pink.
3. Add the peppers and powdered spices and stir till the oil separates from the onions. 
4. Add grated ginger and grated garlic and saute for another minute.
5. Add the steamed dal.
6. Add salt to taste.  
7. Stir for 15 minutes.
8. Add chopped tomatoes, and stir for ten minutes on medium-high heat.
9. Add ten cups of water and bring to a boil.
10. Take the pan off the heat.   

Garnishing

1. Sprinkle cilantro on top.

Serving

1. Serve hot with steamed Basmati rice.  

Paneer Makhani (Paneer in rich gravy)

Makes 8 cups of paneer makhani

I do not enjoy the smooth texture of a blended gravy, so I use finely chopped ingredients. But I have family that likes the restaurant look-and-feel of a blended gravy.

Ingredients

• 4 tbspn vegetable oil
• 2 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 medium Thai peppers, finely chopped
• 1 tspn coriander powder 
• 1 tspn cumin powder
• 1 tspn turmeric powder 
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 tbspn ginger, grated
• 2 medium tomato, finely chopped - optional
• 1 cup cashew paste (soak cashews for 10 minutes and blend) - optional
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tspn sugar
• 1 tbspn cilantro, finely chopped   
• 16 rectangular 1 x 1/2 x 1/2 inch cubes of paneer

Preparation

1. Grate garlic, ginger.
2. Cut peppers, and finely chop onions and tomatoes.
3. Beat the sour cream with a spoon.  
4. Pan-fry pieces rectangular cubes of paneer in vegetable oil, and keep aside. 

Instructions

1. Heat the oil, and stir the onions on medium-high heat till they are pink.
2. Add the peppers and powdered spices and stir till the oil separates from the onions. 
3. Add grated ginger and grated garlic and saute for another minute.
4. Add chopped tomatoes, and stir for two minutes.
5. If you prefer blended gravy with a restaurant look-and-feel, take the gravy off the heat and allow it to cool till it is lukewarm. Blend till it is smooth, and then heat on medium-high.- optional
6. Add cashew paste and stir well. - optional
7. Add salt to taste. 
8. Add sour cream and sugar and stir well. - optional
9. Stir on low-medium heat for another minute, and take off the heat.  

Garnishing

1. Put paneer cubes in a serving bowl. 
2. Stir in the curry. 
3. Sprinkle cilantro on top.

Serving

1. Serve hot with any flat bread - nan, roti or paratha hot from the pan.
2. It can also be served with hot steamed Basmati rice.  

Parantha (pan-fried flat bread)

Makes 8 paranthas.
I use whole-wheat flour for daily cooking. Parathas are traditionally made with a mix of equal measures of maida (refined flour) and aata (whole-wheat flour) - making them whiter in color.

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole-wheat flour
• 1 tbspn vegetable oil for dough
• 1 cup water 
• a pinch of salt
• vegetable oil for pan-frying

Preparation

1. Make a dough with the flour and oil - this should need slightly more than 1/2 cup of water.
2. Cover the prepared dough with a damp cloth for 15 minutes. 

Instructions

1. Heat the pan. Using a non-stick pan minimizes the need for oil.
2. Make eight balls from the dough.
3. Take a dough ball and roll it into a circle. 
4. Brush lightly with oil, and fold into a semi-circle.
5. Brush lightly with oil, and fold into a quarter-circle.
6. Roll it to get a triangular parantha. 
7. Take a few drops of oil in the pan, and place parantha. 
8. Add a few drops of oil at the edges of the parantha. 
9. Press down lightly with a flat spatula on different points of the parantha.
10. Turn the parantha after a minute, and pan-fry to cook completely. 

 

  Serving

1. Serve hot with stir-fried vegetables or curry.