Dhaba Style Dal

In India highways are dotted with local restaurants popularly known as dhabas (singular: dhaba). They sometime serve local cuisine, but mostly Punjabi style cuisine - since most Indian truck drivers are of Punjabi descent. The word dhaba has come to represent any restaurant that serves Punjabi food, especially the heavily-spiced and fried Punjabi fare preferred by many truck drivers. These cuisine are usually simple, very rustic and freshly prepared.

This dish combines three types of dals and brings out the authentic dhaba taste.



Ingredients:

1/2 Cup whole Urad Dal with skin
1/4 Cup Red Kidney Beans
1/4 Cup Chana Dal/Split Bengal Gram
1 big Onion chopped
1 big Tomato chopped
8 cloves Garlic chopped
3 Green Chillies sliced
1 Tbsp Coriander Powder
1 Tsp Jeera Powder
1/2 Tsp Chilli Powder
1/4 Tsp Turmeric Powder
1/2 Tsp Garam Masala Powder
1/4 Cup chopped Coriander Leaves
1 1/2 Tbsp Kasuri Methi/dried Fenugreek leaves
1 1/2 tbsp Butter
1 Tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

Preparation:

• Soak urad dal, kidney beans & chana dal over night.
• Pressure cook dal with enough water and salt.
• Heat oil in a pan, add chopped garlic and fry briefly.
• Add chopped onion, little salt and green chillies.
• Saute till onion turns golden brown.
• Add chopped tomatoes and cook till soft and mash well.
• Add turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and jeera powder.
• Add 1/2 cup water and mix well.
• Cover and cook in low flame till oil floats on top.
• Add cooked dal, butter, chopped coriander leaves and salt.
• Cook till oil floats on surface of the dal.
• Crush kasuri methi in your palm and add it to the dish.
• Serve hot with chapathi.

No. of Servings: 6

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Simple Tomato chutney

A great accompaniment for dosas and idlis.


Ingredients:

1 big tomato
1 medium onion
2 green chillies
1 Tsp coriander powder
1 tbsp coriander leaves
1 tsp urad dal
little turmeric powder
salt to taste

Preparation:

• Heat 2 tsp of oil in a pan, add urad dal and fry till pink.
• Add chopped onion and green chillies.Saute till onions are transparent.
• Add chopped tomatoes ,little salt and coriander leaves.
• Saute till tomatoes are soft.
• Add coriander powder and turmeric powder.
• Fry for 2 minutes.
• Cool and grind by adding very little water.

No. of Servings: 3 to 4.

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Chicken Kolumbu

This is a simple south Indian dish that goes very well with idli & chapathi.

Ingredients:

1 Lb Chicken pieces
1 medium Red Onion chopped
1 medium Tomato chopped
1 sprig Curry Leaves
2 Tsp Ginger-Garlic paste
1/4 Tsp Turmeric Powder
1/2 Tsp Garam Masala Powder
1/2 Tsp Chilli Powder
1Tbsp Coriander Powder
1 Cup Coconut Milk
1 Tbsp Oil
Salt to taste


Preparation:

• Clean the chicken pieces & mix it with 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste & leave it aside.
• Heat oil in a pan & add chopped onion along with remaining 1tsp ginger-garlic paste & curry leaves.
• Fry till light brown.
• To this add chopped tomatoes & little salt & cook till the tomatoes are soft.
• Add chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder & garam masala powder.
• Cook till oil floats on top.
• Now add chicken pieces & salt.Cook for few minutes.
• Add coconut milk & 1/2 cup water & cook till oil floats on top.
• Garnish with coriander leaves.

No. of Servings: 4

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Adai

A simple breakfast that is easier to prepare than dosa.

Ingredients:

1/4 Cup Raw Rice
1/4 Cup Parboiled Rice
1/4 Cup Thuvar Dhal
1/4 Cup yellow Moong Dhal
1/4 Cup Channa Dhal
2 Red Chillies
1 Tbsp chopped Coconut pieces
1/2 Onion chopped
Few Curry leaves
1 Tbsp chopped Coriander leaves
Salt to taste

Preparation:

• Soak rice, dhal & red chillies for 3 hours.
• Grind to a coarse paste.
• To this add onion, coconut, curry leaves, coriander leaves and salt.
• Heat tava in medium flame and spread a ladle full of batter in circular motion.
• Add 1 tsp of oil around the adai.
• Turn over and cook till done.
• Serve hot with coconut chutney.

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Channa Dal Pakora

Crunchy pakoras that goes well with rice or can be eaten as appetizer.


Ingredients:

3/4 Cup Chana Dal
1/4 Tsp Sombu/Fennel Seeds
2 Green Chillies chopped
1/2 Cup chopped Mint Leaves
1/4 Cup chopped Coriander Leaves
1/4 Cup chopped Curry Leaves
1 Onion sliced
Salt to taste
Oil to deep fry

Preparation:

• Soak chana dal for 6 hours and drain water completely.
• Grind chana dal along with fennel seeds coarsely.
• Transfer this into a bowl and add sliced onion, chopped green chillies, coriander leaves, mint leaves, curry leaves and salt.
• Mix everything.
• Heat oil in a pan.
• Deep fry the mix in small clusters till golden brown.

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Murukku

Quick and easy to make snack. Once you start you'll never stop eating this. I make this quite often.



Ingredients: 4 Cups Rice Flour
1 Cup Urad Flour
1 Tsp Jeera
1/4 Tsp Hing
4 Tbsp Butter
Salt to taste
Oil to deep fry

Preparation:

• Mix rice flour, urad flour, jeera, hing, butter & salt.
• Add water little by little and knead till you get a soft dough.
• Meanwhile heat oil in a medium flame.
• Fill the murukku press with the dough and press it directly into hot oil.
• Fry both sides till crisp.

Tip:
Dough should not stick to your hand.

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Strawberry Phirni

Creamy rice pudding with freshly chopped strawberries.


Ingredients:

3 Cups Half & Half
2 Tbsp rice
1 Cup chopped Strawberries
5 Tbsp Sugar
Pinch of Cardamom Powder

Preparation:

• Soak rice in water for an hour and grind it to a smooth paste.
• Heat half & half and add the rice paste and sugar.
• Keep stirring in low flame till it gets slightly thickened.
• Add cardamom powder and mix.
• Remove from heat, cool and add chopped strawberries.
• Leave it in the fridge.
• Serve chilled.

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Aloo Methi

The popular dish has a very unique taste of Methi infused into potato.


Ingredients:
2 large Potatoes cubed
1 bunch Methi / Fenugreek Leaves
2 Tbsp Coriander Powder
1 Tsp Chilli Powder
1/2 Tsp Turmeric Powder
1/2 Tsp Garam Masala Powder
2 Tsp oil
Salt to taste

Preparation:

• Pluck the Methi leaves off the stem and wash them thoroughly.
• Chop the leaves.
• Heat oil and add the potatoes.
• Cover and cook for 10 minutes in low flame.
• Add all powders, salt and Methi leaves.
• Cook uncovered till dry.

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Spinach Dhal

Highly nutritious dish that goes very well with rice.

Ingredients:
1 Bunch Spinach chopped
1/2 Cup Thuvar Dhal
1 Onion chopped
1 Tomato chopped
3 Green Chillies sliced
3 Garlic chopped
1/2 Tsp Turmeric Powder
1/2 Tsp Tamarind paste
1/4 Cup Coriander / Cilantro Leaves chopped
2 Tsp Oil

Seasoning:
1/4 Tsp Mustard Seeds
1/4 Tsp Jeera
1/2 Tsp Urad Dhal
1 Tsp Channa Dhal
Few Curry Leaves

Preparation:

• Pressure cook thuvar dhal with a drop of oil.
• Heat oil in a pan and add the seasonings.
• Once the mustard crackles, add chopped garlic & sliced green chillies.
• Fry for 15 seconds.
• Add onion, little salt and cook till onions are transparent.
• To this add chopped tomato, turmeric powder and cook till tomatoes are soft.
• Add chopped spinach & cook uncovered for few minutes.
• Add cooked dhal, tamarind paste, coriander leaves, salt & water .
• Cook in low flame for 15 minutes.

Ease of Preparation: Easy

No. of Servings: 4

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Pumpkin Eriserry

This is a traditional Kerala dish cooked with yellow pumpkin & oriental red beans.

Ingredients:
2 Cups Yellow Pumpkin cut into medium pieces
1/4 Cup Red Chori soaked
Salt to taste


Grind:
1/2 Cup Coconut gratings
1/4 Tsp Jeera
1 Shallot
1 Garlic
1 Red Chilli

Grind the above with little water.

Seasoning:
1 Tsp Oil
1/4 Tsp Mustard Seeds
Few Curry Leaves
1 Red Chilli Broken

Preparation:
Pressure cook beans with salt and keep aside.
Cook pumpkin in a sauce pan with 1/2 cup water and salt.
Add the ground coconut paste and the cooked beans.
Cook for 2 minutes.
Meanwhile heat oil in a pan and add the seasoning.
Once mustard crackles,add it to the pumpkin.

Tips:
Pumpkin gets cooked fast so cook it with little water.
Don't pressure cook pumpkin.
Fried coconut gratings can be added at the end.

Ease of Preparation: Easy

No. of Servings: 4

For more such recipes, visit my site at www.chillimix.com