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Panchmel Dal: Five Legume Medley

3 Jan

Panchmel Dal - Five Dals with Fenugreek

Mixed legumes cooked with whole spices and fresh fenugreek, topped with a rich ghee-garlic tadka. Panchmel dal is one of those rare dishes that are complex and, at the same time, comforting.

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Vegetable Masoor Dal: Red Lentil Soup

6 Aug

Vegetable Masoor Dal

A Turkish-inspired masoor dal recipe that weaves the goodness of root vegetables in a wholesome, comforting soup.

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Lachha Gobhi Paratha: Flaky Cauliflower Flatbread

3 May

Flaky Cauliflower Paratha

Not all experiments pass muster the first time. A few go through rounds of trials before they reach publicly sharable shape. A few are embarrassments best shelved forever (I’m thinking of you, curdled strawberry yogurt). Lachha gobhi paratha, I’m delighted to report, was a stupendous success from the word go.

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Dahi Chhole: Chickpeas in Yogurt Curry

19 Apr

Dahi Chhole - Garbanzo Bean and Yogurt Curry

I was looking for a chickpea recipe that did not call for onion, tomato, ginger or garlic, and I stumbled upon a Himachali dish called madra which is served during the dham food festival. Madra is a legume and yogurt combination with an array of aromatic spices – just the kind of recipe I wanted. My version is lighter than the traditional one and calls for fewer spices, based primarily on what was available with me – I simply call it “dahi chhole” instead of madra as I have probably strayed too far from the template…

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Dal Paratha: Flatbread with Chana Dal Stuffing

14 Mar

Chana Dal Paratha, Dahi, Red Capsicum Curry, Aloo Chutney

Chana dal paratha with dahi and achar – nothing else comes close for a filling, comforting Sunday brunch. Try it this weekend!

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Millet Peanut Vegetable Stir Fry

3 Feb

Millet Peanut Vegetable Stir Fry

Stir-fried boiled millets with assorted vegetables, peanuts and seasoning – a healthy one-pot meal that sits just right in the lunchbox. Millet peanut vegetable stir-fry is vegetarian-friendly, gluten-free, and uses no onion or garlic.

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How To Make Littis in a Paddu Maker

20 Nov

Littis in Paddu Maker

When a friend returned from Austin to Chennai, she brought back for her mother an ornate crockpot. Her mother unsurprisingly did not find much use for the contraption in her home cooking. For a while the crockpot was relegated to the far corner of her storage shelves. Till inspiration struck – and she converted the crockpot into a tulsi planter.

My story is not as drastic as that, but seeing my mother use her paddu maker for cooking littis raised a smile much like my friend’s story did. Paddus are not a staple food for us, so her paddu maker would mostly lie forlorn. One day my mother decided to give the equipment a "litti maker" makeover. The rounded fissures of the paddu griddle work perfectly as receptacles for litti balls. Slow cooking on the fire, with a turn or two in between, gives us littis close to the traditional fire-roasted ones.

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