My first taste of kosambari was at a friend’s wedding in Karnataka. One spoonful and I was sold. That soaked moong dal could be eaten uncooked – and that it could be delicious – was a revelation. Since then I’ve been experimenting with salad made of split pulses and an assortment of vegetables.
Onions
Capsicum Tomato Saute
Most Indian curries involve a little extra cooking of the vegetables. We like to keep the crunch for salads – curries are soft to the bite. With capsicum tomato sauté I make a departure from that general rule: here the tomato slices retain their shape, the capsicum remains a bright green.
This is a frequent weekday dinner dish for me, and not just for its ease of chopping and cooking. Nothing perks one up at the end of a stress-filled workday as a vibrantly colored dinner!
Masoor Dal Tadka: Red Lentils with Ghee Tempering
Masoor dal – the salmon-pink, hulled lentil – is a quick-cooking dal that needs no prior soaking or laborious cooking. My masoor dal tadka recipe rides on the pliability of masoor and has the dish ready to serve in a matter of minutes.
In case you’re wondering, tadka is the process of tempering spices in hot oil and pouring them along with the oil into a dish. I use ghee for tadka in this recipe; the aroma of ghee brings out the earthy flavor of masoor dal.
Homemade Mushroom Soup
Creamy mushroom soup made at home – this is so much tastier, so much healthier than canned stuff. Simple ingredients, no fuss, very easy to make.
Besan Ka Cheela: Savory Gram Flour Pancakes
Today’s post is about a much-loved breakfast dish in India – besan ka cheela. For the uninitiated, besan is flour made from Bengal gram (chana dal), used in Indian cuisine in a variety of dishes such as kadhi, jhunka and pakoras.
In cheela, batter is made out of besan and other ingredients, shallow-fried like pancakes on an skillet/tava and served hot.
Eggplant Ginger Chutney
The big purple eggplant is generally used for baingan bharta in my kitchen. Not so tonight. A yummy eggplant-ginger chutney awaits the rice that’s still cooking.