Moong Dal Halwa

 BY Vidya Avasa 

Dal used Moong dal

Ingredients

1/2 cup Moong Dal

1/2 cup Sugar

1/4 cup Ghee

1/4 tsp Cardamom powder

1/4 cup Dry Fruits

1 cup Whole Milk

Method 

1. Wash and soak moong dal in enough water for 4 hours.

2. After four hours drain water from dal using a strainer and keep in a strainer to drain excess water for 30 minutes.

3. Add drained dal into a blender and grind to make a smooth paste. Don't add water while making dal paste.

4. Heat up a pan on a low to medium heat, add ghee and dal paste and cook till dal gets nice golden color and ghee starts to leave from the dal.

5. Add hot milk, dry fruits, stir and cook for 3 minutes.

6. Add sugar, mix and cook for just about 2 minutes.

7. Finally add some cardamom powder and garnish with some dry fruits 

Dal Makhani

 by  Sunit Marwah

(serves: 4)

Preparation time 15 min

Cooking time 2-3 hrs.

Dal used: Urad dal, red kidney beans

Ingredients

1 cup Urad dal (whole) 

1/4 cup Red Kidney beans (Rajma) 

1 and 1/2 tsp Ginger paste

1 and 1/2 tsp Garlic paste

1 cup Tomato puree 

1 tsp Red chilli powder (as per taste)

1/4 tsp Black pepper powder

1/2 tsp Cinnamon powder 

1/2 cup White butter

1/2 cup Cream

Salt as per taste

Preparation

Clean and wash in running water the Urad Dal and Red Kidney beans and soak overnight or 6-8 hrs.

Cooking

1:  Put the drained dal in a pressure cooker, add salt and 6-7 cups of water, bring to boil, cover and simmer cook for 45 min to an hour. (can add half water and half milk) 

2:  Mash the dal lightly, add ginger paste, garlic paste, tomato puree red chilli powder, pepper powder, 1/2 cup butter, stir and cook for 45 min on low heat. Keep stirring in between. 

3:  Then add cream and cinnamon powder, stir and cook for 10 min. 

4:  Remove to a bowl, serve garnished with blob of butter/swirl of cream and chopped coriander leaves 

5: Serve hot with Lachha paratha or Tandoori roti. 

Kumbakonam Kadappa

 By Sujatha Bhaskaran 

This is a popular South Indian side dish for Idli or Dosa mainly in Tanjore District.

Dals used: Yellow Moong dal, roasted Chana dal

Ingredients:

2tbsp oil

One cup onion 

1 inch cinnamon stick

2/3 cloves

2 Bay leaves

1tsp Cumin seeds

3/4 pods of garlic

Ten curry leaves

5 boiled potatoes 

One and half cups of boiled yellow Moong dal

To grind

1 cup of grated coconut

12 cup of roasted chutney dal

3 green chillies

3 pods of garlic 

1and half teaspoon fennel seeds

One and half teaspoons poppy seeds

Coriander for garnishing

Method

1. In a pan add three table spoons of oil

2. Add spices- bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves, cumin seeds, crushed garlic, curry leaves

3. Once they splutter add chopped onions

4. Once the onions turn golden brown add mashed potatoes and boiled moong dal.

5. To this add the ground mixture

6. Add salt to taste and mix well

7. Add water if necessary. 

8. The consistency should be semi solid

9. Bring it to a boil and garnish with coriander leaves.

10. Serve hot with Idli or dosa

Beans Paruppu Usili

 By Sukanya Venkataraman 

Usili is a popular South Indian Recipe, served with rice and Mor kozhambu (Dahi Kadi).

Different vegetables can also be used like cluster beans, cabbage and banana flower

Dal used: Toor dal, Chana dal, Urad dal

Ingredients 

 125gms Toor dal- 125 gm

125gms Chana dal - 125 gm 

5-6 Red chillies- 5 to 6

Pinch Hing- pinch

Salt to taste

2tsp Oil

1tsp Mustard seeds

1tsp urad dal

few curry leaves

½ tsp Turmeric powder

250gms Beans 

Method

1. Soak Toor and Chana dal for two hours 

2. Drain the soaked pulses and grind with red chillies, salt and Hing in to a coarse paste adding very little water

3. Steam the paste in idli pan for ten minutes

4. Remove from mould once cooled and crumble it.

5. it can also be put in the mixer to crumble 

6. Keep this mixture ready.

7. In a kadai take 2 spoons of oil - add one spoon of mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add a spoon of urad dal, curry leaves, hing and half teaspoon turmeric powder.

8. Add finely chopped beans and let it cook with salt. 

9. Once the beans are cooked add the crumbled dal mixture and stir well for five minutes and put off the stove.

Varan (Sarvick and Nutricious)

 By Shirish Poojary 

Dal used: Moong dal, Toor dal                                               

Ingredients

1cup Moong Dal    

1/2cup Tur Dal           

3cups Water    

½ tspTurmeric 

½ tsp Cumin Seed 

¼ tsp Aesofoetida (Hing) 

½ tsp Ghee    

½ cup Fresh coconut   

Salt to taste

Method

1. Wash both the dals. 

2. Add three cups of water. 

3. Add cumin seeds, turmeric and ¼ tbs ghee and asafoetida. 

4. Pressure cooks until cooked. When cooled blend the mixture to make even consistency.

5. If too thick can add little water. 

6. Cook again and after one boil add the ground coconut, remaining ghee and salt to taste. 

7. Put off the gas. 

8. The Satvick dal is ready to serve on rice. 

9. Add a spoon of ghee on the served hot rice and dal. 

Moong Dal Chakli

 By Shobha Phadtare  

Dal used: Moong dal 

Ingredients

½ cup yellow Moong dal, 

1 ½ cup water,

 2 ½ cup rice powder, 

2  tsp sesame seeds, 

1 tsp salt, 

1tsp Cumin seeds,

 I tsp red chili powder, 

1 tsp oil, baking sheet, 

chakli press

Procedure

1. Take ½ cup yellow <oong dal 

2. Rinse well and transfer to cooker

3. Add water 1 ½  cups and cook for 4 whistles

4. let cool down. transfer to the mixer

5. Add ¼ cup water and grind finely as a dosa batter consistency

6. Add  Rice powder, Sesame seeds, Salt, Cumin seeds, red chili powder 

7. Mix together 

8. Knead like dough adding little water

9. Take chakli press and put 1 tbsp oil in it 

10. Take a small portion of dough

11. Fill in the press

12. Press like spiral shape on the baking sheet

13. Drop chakli one by one  in the hot oil

14. Let cook on low medium flame

15. Flip in between when Sizzling sound stops and Color changes slightly 

16. Take out on tissue paper 

17. Moong dal chakli ready to serve 

Thalipeeth Bhajani

 By Chhaya Sawant    

Dal used: Chana dal, Urad dal, Moong 

Ingredients

For Bhajani

1/4 cup Chana dal

1/4 cup Urad Daal

1/4 cup Moong Daal

1 cup Rice 

1 cup Wheat 

1/2 cup Jawar

1 tbs cumin seeds 

1 tbs coriander seeds

1/4 tbs carom seeds / Ajwain

1/4 tbs Fenugreek seeds 

Note: Grind all the above ingredients and make a powder (atta) 

For Thalipeeth 

1 and 1/2 cup Bhajani aata 

1/4 tbs Turmeric Powder

1/4 tbs Ajwain

1 tbs Red Chilli Powder

1 tbs Coriander Powder

1/4 tbs Cumin Seeds

1/2 cup Finely chopped onion 

Garlic - Green chilli paste 

Finely chopped coriander 

Oil

Salt to taste

Method

1. In a dish take Bhajani flour

2. Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder, garlic and green chilli paste, chopped onion, coriander and mix everything well together.

3. Add little water at a time and knead dough at a medium consistency 

4. Sprinkle little water on it 

5. Dip your hands in water and spread Thalipeeth batter in to round shape 

6. Heat up a pan 

7. Spread some oil on it 

8. Put Thalipeeth on pan spears some oil around it 

9. Cover and cook Thalipeeth around 2-3 minutes. Lift the lid and let Thalipeeth cook more for 3-4 minutes 

10. Flip the Thalipeeth over and cook on another side for about 3-4 minutes on medium heat.

11. When Thalipeeth roasted well from both the sides take it off in the plate. 

12. Thalipeeth is ready to eat 

13. Serve hot thalipeeth with chutney, Dahi or ketchup as per choice.