Dal Makhani | Indian Curry Recipes

Dal Makhani aka Maa di Dhal is a dish from the state of Punjab in India. Traditionally it is cooked slowly by simmering in low heat from which it gets its rich creamy texture. It was something which I never thought of making at home. But being a food blogger is to break open the boundaries and getting out of the comfort zone to try and cook with ingredients which is new to me. I wouldn't say the black urad dhal is new to south indian cooking. It is a main ingredient in azhagar koil dosai, a dosa recipe famous in the Madurai region of Tamil Nadu. I also remember my mom soaking this whole black urad dhal with skin in water for making idli batter, before the advent of skinned urad dhal. She would patiently rub the soaked dhal and remove the skin by washing. 

Ingredients:
Serves - 4-6
Whole Urad dhal (with skin) - 1 cup (160 ml)
Kidney Beans / Rajma - 2 tbsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Onion, chopped - 1 cup
Tomato, ripe - 2
Green chilli - 1
Ginger, grated - 1 tsp
Garlic, grated - 1 tsp
Kashmiri Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste
Cream/ Half & Half / Evaporated milk - 120 ml (more or less per taste)
Water - 2-3 cups

Method:
Wash the beans together. In a pressure cooker place the dhal and beans with 4 cups of water, turmeric powder, 1/4 tsp of salt and pressure cook for 6 whistles. The dhals can be alternatively soaked for 6-8 hours. In that case cooking for 2 whistles should be good. When done, mash the dhals slightly and set aside. In a saucepan, heat oil and saute the onions until they are translucent. Add the ginger and garlic and fry for a minute or so. Add the finely chopped tomatoes with a pinch of salt and fry until it is well mashed. Add the chilli powder, garam masala powder and salt (to taste) and mix for a minute. Add the cooked dhal with 2 cups of water. If the dhal is too thick you may add another cup of water. Check for seasoning and bring it to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add the cream and mix. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Serve hot with some rotis/jeera rice.

Thavala Vadai / Mixed Dhals Vada | Snacks Recipes

When I was in India for Summer, I wasn't thinking about clicking anything for the blog :). I had scheduled some posts, so I wasn't even thinking about this space. I had planned to learn more cooking from grandma, aunts and mother-in-law but nothing much happened with my 2 yr old running around. One day my MIL made this thavala vada and asked me if I would want to click some pics for the blog.. How would I not?? So When my lil one was napping, I sneaked to the drawing room to take some pictures. I was really excited to click these pictures on a fresh banana leaf, which is like a dream come true for me, a South Indian living in the US.

Ingredients:
MIL used the traditional veesam padi (1 cup here )for this, it is approximately 60 ml
Chana dhal - 1 cup
Toor dhal - 1/2 cup
Whole urad dhal  1/2 cup
Moong dhal - 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp
Raw rice - 1 tbsp
Green chillies - 3
Red chillies - 2
Hing / Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - a few
Fresh Coconut - cut into tiny pieces - 2 tbsp (Can use fresh grated coconut too)
Salt - to taste
Oil - 1 tsp + more for deep frying
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Method:
Wash and soak chana dhal, toor dhal, urad dhal, rice and 1/2 cup moong dhal for 1 hour. Wash and soak the 1 tbsp of moong dhal separately. Drain the dhal mixture completely. Place in a blender with chillies, asafoetida and salt. Grind coarsely. Add the coconut, curry leaves, moong dhal and mix. Heat 1 tsp of oil and splutter the mustard seeds. Pour over the dhal mixture. Heat oil for deep frying. Take lime sized dhal mixture and form thick patties. Deep fry until golden brown. Serve hot with chutney.

Masal Vada / Cabbage Dhal Vada | Snacks Recipes

When it comes to deep-fried snacks, LO is just like his Dad.. Loves 'em. I made this crunchy crispy vadas for lunch the other day. It was a great combo for the Mysore Rasam (recipe coming soon) I made. I used a combination of chana dhal and split moong dhal and added cabbage in the place of regular onions. 

Ingredients:
Inspired from here
Dhal measurements in 160 ml cup; Makes 12 vadas
Chana dhal - 1/2 cup
Moong dhal - 1/2 cup
Dry Red chillies - 2
Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
Cabbage, chopped fine - 1-1/2 cups (can substitute onions)
Green onions, chopped - a handful (optional)
Coriander leaves, chopped - a handful
Salt - to taste (see notes below)
Oil - for frying

Method:
Wash and soak the dhals together for 45 mins to an hour. Drain completely and grind coarsely with red chilli, fennel seeds and asafoetida. Mix with salt, chopped cabbage (or onions), green onions and coriander leaves. Heat oil for deep frying. Make small patties and deep fry until golden brown on the outside and cooked through in the inside.
Notes:
Add salt just before frying. If not frying immediately after grinding, cover and refrigerate until use.
Linking this up to Vegan Thursdays.

Lasooni Dhal Fry / Dhal with Roasted Garlic | Indian Curry Recipes

A hearty dinner means Chapathi with dhal for me. Moong dhal with chapathi was a favorite combo for us growing up. As a South Indian our typical dinner will be dosa, idli or upma most days. But when we run out of dosa batter, which we do occasionally, chapathi to the rescue. I made this simple and earthy dhal the other day for dinner. Paired with chapathi and pickle, a perfect satisfying dinner!

Ingredients:

Serves - 3
Moong dhal - 3/4 cup (in a 160 ml cup)

Onion - 1 cup - chopped finely

Tomato - 1

Garlic - 5 cloves

Green chilli - 1 or 2

Garam masala - a pinch

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Oil - 2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Method:

Dry roast the moong dhal until a nice aroma comes from the dhal. Add 3-1/2 cups of water and turmeric powder and pressure cook for 3 whistles. When done, drain and reserve the water. Mash the dhal slightly. Heat a tsp of oil in a pan and splutter the mustard and cumin seeds. Add the slit green chilli, chopped onions and fry until it turns golden brown. Throw in the tomato with a pinch of salt and cook until it turns mushy. Add the garam masala and the mashed dhal with the reserved water. Add more water to thin the dhal and salt to taste. Allow it to boil and then simmer for 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl. Heat the remaining oil and fry the garlic, cut into slivers until golden. Pour over the dhal and mix well. Serve with roti or rice.

Murungakeerai Adai / Lentil Moringa Pancakes | Idli Dosa Recipes

Back home in India we had a drumstick tree in our backyard. Well, pretty much every tree in there, Mango, lime, coconut, jamun yielding a bounty of organic produce. We also had curry leaves, tulsi, hibiscus plants. The memory of eating drumstick leaves was almost forgotten, until I spotted this little pack of drumstick leaves in my Indian produce shopping last time. I picked up one thinking of making these adais which DH hearts and is a part of MIL's recipe book to him. I tweaked the recipe a little and arrived at this tasty dosa variety.

Ingredients:
Measurements in rice cooker cup - 160 ml; Makes 16 adais
Idli Rice - 3 cups
Toor dhal - 1 cup
Chana dhal - 1/4 cup
Murunga keerai / Drumstick leaves / Moringa - 1 cup - loosely packed
Dry Red chillies - 10 (see notes below)
Black Peppercorns - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1-1/2 tsp
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup - loosely packed
Salt - to taste

Method:
Wash and soak the rice and dhals together in plenty of water for 4 hours. Soak the dry red chillies in a separate bowl filled with water. Clean the murunga keerai, reserve only the leaves and discard the stems and twigs. Wash to remove any dirt. In the wet grinder, add one cup of the soaked rice-dhal mixture with chillies, peppercorns, cumin, asafoetida and coconut. Grind well, and add the rest of rice after 2 minutes. Grind coarsely into a rava like texture. Remove from the grinder and mix the salt and drumstick leaves. Heat a dosa tawa and pour about 1/2 cup of the batter and make dosas. Spray some oil and flip when the edges turn red. Cook for another minute and half and remove. Serve hot.
Linking this to Taste of the Tropics - Chilis.

Keerai Kootu / Spinach Moong Dhal Stew | South Indian Curry Recipes

Keerai kootu is a simple, earthy and healthy side for a spicy kulambu. Packed with protein and plenty of nutrients this spinach moong dhal stew is a perfect combo for chapathis also. I buy this big bag of Spinach from Costco and I love to include spinach in our meals in many forms. Spinach Chickpea pulao, Spinach chutney, Spinach Pesto and Paneer Spinach Pinwheels to name a few.

Ingredients:
Serves - 4
Spinach - 5 cups - tightly packed - chopped
Yellow Moong Dhal - 2 tbsps - heaped
Onion - 1/4 cup - chopped fine
Dry red chillies - 3
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad dhal - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - a few
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Salt - to taste

Method:
Wash the moong dhal and boil in 1 cup of water with a pinch of salt. Cook until the dhal still holds the shape but completely mashed when pressed between the finger tips. Set aside with the cooked water. In a kadai, heat oil and temper the mustard seeds, urad dhal, curry leaves and dry red chillies. When the mustard splutters, add the chopped onion and saute until transparent. Add the spinach and mix until it wilts. Continue cooking until the spinach is completely cooked. Add salt to taste, turmeric powder and the cooked dhal with water. Mix well and allow it to come to a boil. Remove from heat and serve as a side for rice or roti.

Kathirikai Murungakai Sambar / Brinjal Drumstick Pressure Cooker Sambar | South Indian Recipes

Sambar is an important part of a South-Indian meal. No South-Indian Thali will be complete without this lentil soup. It is simply divine and what would be part of a comforting home cooked food for me. This is the method I follow when pressed for time and it gets ready in under 30 minutes. 

Ingredients:
Serves - 4-6; soaking time - 30 mins; cooking time - 30 mins.
Toor dhal/Pigeon Peas - 1 cup
Brinjal - 5 small or 1/2 of a big one - cut into wedges
Drumstick - 1 - cut into 2 inch pieces
Onion - chopped - 1 cup
Tomato - 1 small - chopped
Tamarind - size of a gooseberry/marble - soak in warm water and extract juice
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Sambar Powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Kashmiri Chilli powder - 1/4 tsp (optional)
Salt - to taste
Tempering:
Oil - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad dhal - 1 tsp
Curry Leaves - from a twig
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp

Method:
Wash and soak the dhal in water for 30 mins. Pressure cook with 3 cups of water, turmeric powder and salt for 3 whistles. When the pressure is released, drain and reserve the water. Using the back of a rounded spoon mash the cooked dhal. Add the reserved water and another cup or two more of water. Drop the brinjal, drumstick, chopped onion, tomato, sambar powder, chilli powder and more salt if needed. Cover and cook for another whistle. When the pressure is released, add the tamarind juice and allow it to boil for 5 minutes. Do a taste check and season with the tempered ingredients. Serve hot with rice and if desired with a dollop of ghee.
Notes:
Any vegetable or a combo of more than one vegetables can be used in a sambar.

Paruppu Rasam / Pigeon Pea Soup | Soup Recipes

Back home in India, Rasam is a must have in our daily lunch menu. After coming to US I do not make it quite often as it has to be featured in a South Indian Kitchen. The goodness of rasam / chaaru cannot be forgotten. It is a comforting soup which aids in digestion and regulates metabolism. Kavin loves rasam and so I make it very often. This paruppu rasam is a simple recipe and his favorite with ghee. As in many (okay, most) of my recipes I have used my favorite kitchen gadget, the pressure cooker.

Ingredients:
Toor dhal / split pigeon peas - 1/3 cup
Garlic - 2 cloves
Tomato - 1 - medium sized - cut into half
Olive oil / Castor oil - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Tamarind - size of half a lime - Soak in 1 cup of water and extract juice
Rasam powder - 1 tsp - 1 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste
Tempering:
Olive oil / Ghee - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - a pinch
Cumin seeds - a pinch
Curry leaves - a few

Method:
Wash and soak toor dhal for 30 minutes. Cook the dhal and garlic, tomato, oil, salt, turmeric powder with 3 times water until it is fully cooked and turns mushy when pressed with a ladle. I used my pressure cooker to cook for 3 whistles. When done, drain the water and reserve. Mash the dhal, garlic and tomato with the back of a wooden spoon or ladle until fully mashed. Return the reserved liquid back to the pan and add the tamarind extract and rasam powder. The rasam should be watery at this stage. Add half to one cup of water until desired consistency is reached. Do a taste check for salt and spice (from rasam powder) and allow it to boil in medium heat. When it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to simmer and continue to heat for a couple of minutes. Remove from heat. In another small pan heat ghee and add the ingredients for tempering viz. mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves. When the curry leaves splutters pour the tempering over the rasam. Serve steaming hot with steamed rice or as a soup before meal.

Palak and Three Dhal Curry / Paruppu Keerai Kootu | Indian Curry Recipes

This is one of DH's favorite ways to make palak and dhal curry. By "favorite" I mean he makes it this way and we all love it. It is truly a bachelor way of cooking and very tasty too. Simple ingredients and easy method of preparation makes this dish a breeze to make. Paired with hot rice and some spicy side dish like Seppankilangu / Colacasia Fry it makes a happy tummy and happy heart!

Ingredients:
Serves - 4; measurements in rice cooker cup
Pigeon peas / Toor dhal - 3/4 cup
Yellow moong dhal - 1/2 cup
Whole moong bean (green) - 1/2 cup
Spinach - 5 cups tightly packed - roughly chopped
Red chilli - 4 - broken
Garlic - 5 cloves
Onion - 1/2 of a big one - chopped
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida / Hing / Perungayam - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 1 tbsp

Method:
Wash and soak the dhals together for 30 mins to 1 hour. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and splutter the mustard, cumin seeds and asafoetida. Add the broken red chillies and onion followed by whole garlic cloves. When the onion becomes soft, add the spinach and saute until wilted. Add the drained dhals and 5 cups of water with salt. Cover and pressure cook for 5 whistles. When done, mash with back of a spoon and serve over hot steamed rice. Great with chapathis and dosas too.
Linking this to Pari's Only Cooking with Legumes.

Idli Milagai Podi | Side Dish for Idli Dosa

This is another version of podi I make for Idli/Dosa. As I had said in my previous post, here I am with my sister's version of idli podi. Wow, It is going to be 2 years already since my previous post on idli podi. This podi is a staple in my pantry and always will be present when I make Idli and is my most favorite combination for Idli. What is your favorite combo for Idli?

Ingredients:
Per standard measurement cup
Toor Dhal - 1 cup
Chana Dhal - 1 cup
Moong dhal - 1/2 cup
Dry Red Chillies - 25-28 
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - a few
Salt - 1-1/2 tsp

Method:
Dry roast all the dhals one by one until light brown in color. Roast the red chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida slightly. Take care not to burn the red chillies. Allow to cool and grind to a slightly coarse powder in a mixie or coffee grinder with salt. Mix with gingelly (sesame) oil and serve with hot idlis.

Linking this to Srivalli's Kid's Delight.

Adai & Avial | Idli Dosa Recipes | Indian Curry Recipes

There would be an infinite number of combinations to make Adai, the healthy lentil-rice crepes of South-India. This recipe is just one of the many possibilities you can make adai healthy. I have reduced the quantity of rice in this adai and also replaced the white rice with brown rice. Did you know that Adai and Avial is a combination which tastes awesome? I have heard about this combination but only quite recently tried it. It really is a super healthy combination. 
Avial is tamil for "steamed". Quite true to its name the vegetables in this dish are steamed with just a little water and gets ready in a little time. The protein from the dhal, carbs from the rice in the adai and the fiber and nutrients in the vegetables of the avial makes a wholesome meal in itself.
Also check out my other Adai recipe here.

Ingredients for Adai:
Measurements in rice cooker cup; Makes 10-12 adais
Toor dhal - 1 cup
Moong dhal - 1/2 cup
Chana dhal - 1/2 cup
Raw Rice - 1/2 cup (I used Brown Basmati)
Red chillies - 5
Pearl onions - 5 - halved
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Method:
Wash and soak the dhals and rice together for 4 to 6 hours. Grind to a slightly coarse batter with the rest of the ingredients. Heat a griddle and pour about quarter cup of batter in the center. Use the back of the ladle to swirl the batter in a circle manner. Spray some oil and cook for about 2 minutes. Flip over and cook until done. Serve hot with Idli podi / Tomato thokku or Avial.

Avial
Recipe Source - MIL
Vegetables - 4 cups (I used a mix of drumsticks, carrot, green beans, brinjal, zucchini)
Thick Greek Yogurt / Curd - 2 tbsp (whipped)
Coconut oil - 1 tsp (kind of an inevitable part of avial)
Water - 1/2 cup
Salt - taste
Make a paste:
Grated Coconut - 3 tbsp
Cumin seeds - a pinch
Green chilli - 1 or 2

Method:
Boil water in a saucepan with salt. Add the vegetables, cover and cook until done. I added drumstick, carrots and beans first and allowed it to steam for 10 mins. Added the eggplant and zucchini (which cooks relatively fast) after 10 minutes and cooked covered for another 5-7 mins. When the vegetables are cooked and tender, drain excess water. Add the ground paste, coconut oil and cook in medium heat for another 4-5 mins. Remove from heat and mix in the whipped curd. Serve with Sambar rice or Adai.
Note: Zucchini is not traditionally added in avial. Other traditional vegetables are potato, yam, colocasia, taro root, plantain. You could use whatever you have at hand.
Sending this delicious combo to From out of Mom's Kitchen event.

Simple Dal Tadka

When I have lot of chores to do on a weekend, I opt for this quickly done Dal Tadka. Paired with some spicy oven roasted vegetables (cauliflower/bitter gourd/tindora/potatoes) it is a complete meal which does not demand long time in the kitchen. Now, there are different ways to do a simple dal tadka and this is one of them. You can play around with the dhals used or the spices used and I bet it would turn delicious no matter what. What is your favorite combination?

Ingredients:
Moong Dhal - 1 cup
Onion - 1/2 cup chopped
Tomato - 1/2 chopped
Green chilli - 1 or 2
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste
Water - 3 1/2 cups
Ginger - 2 tsp - minced
Garlic - 1 tbsp - minced
Oil  - 1 tbsp + 1 tsp
For Tadka:
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp (optional)
Dry red chillies - 2
Curry leaves - a few (optional)

Method:
Pressure cook moong dhal with a dash of salt, turmeric powder and water (about 3-4 whistles). When done mash with the back of a spoon. Heat oil in a kadai and saute the onion. After a couple of minutes add the minced ginger, garlic and slit green chilli. Saute for 2-3 minutes and add the tomato. Saute with a pinch of salt until the tomato turns mushy. Pour the onion-tomato mixture over the dhal and simmer in low heat until the flavors meld, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Heat 1 tsp of oil in the same kadai and add the ingredients for tadka. When the mustard splutters, pour over the dhal. Serve hot with rice/roti and ghee (if desired). Pair with a spicy side dish for a complete meal.
Note: 
1. The ginger and garlic have to be fresh and minced. The paste would not work here.
2. A combination of different dhals can be used viz toor dhal, chana dhal, masoor dhal.

Vendhaya Keerai Kulambu / Methi leaves & Dhal Sour Curry

I love to add greens to any dish possible. It gives a new dimension of taste and increases the health quotient of the dish. Methi leaves are hard to come by here in US except during Spring/Summer. I never fail to pick a bunch of fresh greens when I find them. This time I was happy to find this fresh methi leaves during my grocery shopping. Was planning something different this time, but I realized that I hadn't posted Denny's Vendhaya Keerai Kulambu which I make often and is a favorite at home.

Ingredients:
Toor dhal - 1/2 cup
Fresh Methi leaves / Fenugreek leaves - 1 small bunch - picked & cleaned
Onion - chopped - 1 cup
Garlic - 7-8 cloves - sliced
Tomato - 1 - chopped fine
Tamarind extract - 1/2 cup - Juice from tamarind about a size of a lime
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds / Methi / Vendhayam - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - a few
Jaggery - size of a blueberry - optional
Gingelly oil - 2 tbsp
Make a paste:
Channa dhal - 1 tbsp
Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
Red chillies - 4
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Method:
Wash and soak the toor dhal for 30 mins. Dry roast the ingredients under for the spice mix one by one in medium heat. Make a paste in a blender adding water as required. Pressure cook the toor dhal with 2 cups of water, little salt and a pinch of turmeric powder for 1 whistle. Alternatively you could cook in a open vessel with water until cooked, but still holds its shape. Set aside.
Heat oil in a wide pan and add mustard seeds, methi seeds and curry leaves. When the mustard seeds splutter, add the chopped onion and garlic and saute until it turns soft. Add the tomato and a pinch of salt and saute until they turn mushy. Now add the freshly ground spice paste and mix in medium heat until the oil separates from the sides. Time to add the feneugreek leaves. Add the leaves and fry for a minute or so until it wilts. Pour the tamarind juice and allow it to boil. Transfer the cooked toor dhal to this mixture. Mix and check for salt and add if required. When it comes to a boil, add the jaggery and simmer the mixture for about 10-15 mins. This enables better melding of the flavors. Serve hot with steamed rice and papads!

Sending this kulambu to Show me your HITS - Lentils & Legumes event by Sangeetha; Kalyani's Kitchen Chronicles - Only Vegan.

Bisi Bele Bhath with Quinoa / Quinoa Lentil Vegetables Stew | Indian Quinoa Recipes

Here I am again talking about Quinoa - the super grain. Quinoa has become an important part of my kitchen and I love cooking with the guilt free ingredient. I have made it a habit to use this in my cooking atleast twice a week. If it is not in a dish which substitutes rice like Bisi Bele Bath or Pumpkin Pulao, it finds its place in my Veg Clear soup, Adai or Pancakes. I was quite skeptical when I substituted this for rice in DH's favorite Bisi Bele Bath. Bisi Bele Bath (kannada) translates as Hot Lentil dish. There are certain recipes which he wouldn't allow me to tweak and this was on of them. When I first made this dish with quinoa, it took some time for him to notice the change. When he finished he was a happy man and he didn't miss the rice in this one.

Ingredients:
Quinoa - 3/4 cup
Toor Dhal - 3/4 cup
Tomato - 1 - chopped finely
Mixed vegetables - 3 cups - I used a mix of carrots, beans, cauliflower, peas and whole shallots
Bisi Bele Bath Masala Powder - 2 tbsp or to taste
Tamarind extract - 1/4 cup - juice from big gooseberry sized tamarind
Salt - to taste
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Tempering/Tadka:
Ghee - 2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - a few
Cashew nuts - 5 (optional)

Method:
Wash and soak the quinoa and toor dhal together for 15 mins. Drain and pressure cook with tomato, turmeric powder and salt for 3 whistles. When pressure is released mash with the back of a ladle and add the vegetables. Cook for another whistle and allow the pressure to release. Add the bisi bele bath masala powder, tamarind extract and cook in low flame for 10 minutes until the flavours meld. In a small kadai, heat ghee and splutter the mustard seeds. Add curry leaves and cashew nuts and saute until light brown. Pour the tempering over the quinoa-dhal mixture. Serve hot as the name says with any side dish of your preference. I served with Cucumber Raita.

Urad Sweet Bonda / Deep Fried Sweet Vadas with Urad Dhal / Indian Zeppoles

Do you have some family recipes which you have almost forgotten about. Well, I had forgotten about these beautiful Sweet Urad vadas until my sister reminded about them recently. She had made these for Pongal festival for offering to god. These sweet vadas (or vadeyvu/vadaevu as we call it in our home) is a must in our family for all festivals and marriages. They are similar to Medhu vadas, but slightly sweetened and have a mild spicy undertone due to the addition of pearl onions and cumin seeds.

Ingredients:

Makes about 20-25 small vadas
Whole Urad Dhal - 1 cup (I used a 120 ml cup)
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Shallots / Pearl onions / Sambar onions - 2 - peeled and halved
Cumin seeds / Jeera - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - a few (Optional - Gives a lovely aroma)
Salt - a pinch
Oil - To deep fry

Method:
Wash urad dhal about 5 times with exchanges of water. Soak with about 3-4 cups of water. After 1 hour store the soaking urad dhal in the refrigerator for another hour. After 2 hrs, drain the urad dhal reserving the soaked water. Place it in a blender and grind until smooth. A couple of teaspoons of water may be added while grinding. Make sure the batter is smooth but thick. Now add sugar and pulse once. Add the shallots, cumin seeds, salt and curry leaves and pulse a couple of times. Transfer the contents to a wide bowl and whisk for about 3-5 mins. This makes the thick batter fluffy to enable the vadas/bondas to be soft in the inside yet crispy on the outside.
Heat oil for deep frying in medium heat. Take a tablespoon-full of batter and drop into the hot oil and fry until golden brown. When done remove using a slotted spoon and drain excess oil in a tissue paper. Serve hot.

To serve: Break the vadas into two and sprinkle some sugar, drizzle little ghee over it. Enjoy!
Note: Make sure the batter is thick before adding sugar, because adding sugar loosens the batter.
Sending these beauties to Walk Through Memory Lane event hosted by Rasi for this month and also to Kitchen Chronicles - Heirloom Recipes event by Kalyani hosted by Saras.

Beans Paruppu Usili

Paruppu usili is a traditional south-indian side dish for rice. It is a dry curry made with the combination of dhal and vegetables. Usili can generally be made with many vegetables, string beans, cluster beans, banana blossom to name a few. This recipe here is a short-cut method to make usili. Authentically the dhal mixture is ground into a paste and stir-fried in oil until it is dry and cooked through. But I found it is time consuming and would need much more oil and so tried it this way. This method is quicker and consumes less oil but still has the same great taste.

Ingredients:

String Beans - 1/4 kg ~ 1/2 lb - chopped fine - pre-cook in microwave for a minute

Oil - 3 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Urad dhal - 1 tsp

Onion - chopped fine - 1/2 cup

Chana dhal / Kadalai Paruppu / Split Garbanzo beans - 1/2 cup

Dry red chillies - 2

Fennel seeds/Sombu - 3/4 tsp

Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp

Salt - to  taste

Method:

Wash and soak the chana dhal in water for 1 hr. Coarsely grind the chana dhal with red chillies, fennel seeds, asafoetida adding little salt in a blender without adding any water. Mix the ground mixture with chopped onions and make small lime sized balls. Steam in a pressure cooker or a idli steamer until done. Allow it to cool and pulse in the blender to resemble a crumbled mixture. Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds and urad dhal. When the mustard splutters add the beans and saute until three-fourths cooked. Sprinkle little salt to taste and give a quick mix. Add the crumbled dhal mixture and fry until the beans and dhal get together well (they wouldn't blend since it is dry) about 4-5 mins. Serve hot as a dry curry side dish or as a snack. 
I love this usili with curd rice or just in a bowl as a snack!

Sending this to our Serve It - Stir-Fried event for this month hosted by me and Denny.

I am also linking this curry to the following events:
Comfort food event by Resh; CC-Vegan Diet by Sravs; Bon Vivant - Savory by Sumee; Colorful Palette by Sizzling Tastebuds;Only-South Indian by Pari