Dal Dhokli

There is nothing comparable to having steaming hot dal dhokli for dinner on a cool rainy evening. This is a one pot meal with packed nutrition. Though this is a proper Gujarati recipe we learnt it from our neighbor who is from west bengal; kudos to national diversity cum integration. Thank you Urmila aunt for introducing this wonderful recipe to us, amma had made it a custom to make dal dhokli on rainy days. It can be described as a parallel dish to south Indian sambar-idli in which, bite sized idlis float in sambar; in dal dhokli bite sized rotis float in dal. Believe me, it is so ecstatic for rainy day dinners.

  

Serves: 2-3

Preparation Time: 15 min

Cooking Time: 30 min

Ingredients:

1.                  Tuvar dal – 1 cup

2.                Channa dal – 2 tbsp

3.                Groundnuts – 2 tbsp

4.                Moong dal with skin – 4 tbsp

5.                 Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

6.                Cumin – ½ tsp

7.                 Tomatoes - 3

8.                Chili powder – 1 tsp

9.                Coriander chopped – 2 tbsp

10.            Garam masala – 1 tsp

11.              Asafoetida – 1 pinch

12.            Wheat flour – ½ cup

13.            Gram flour – ½ cup

14.            Oil – 1 tbsp

15.             Ajwain – ¼ tsp

16.            Ghee – 3 tbsp

                   17.     Salt as per taste

Method:

Step 1: Wash all the pulses together and pressure cook them with turmeric until mushy.

Step 2: Take wheat flour, gram flour, salt, some chili powder, a pinch of asafoetida, some garam masala, 1 tbsp ghee in a bowl and knead to get a soft dough.

Step 3: Heat 1 tbsp oil in a heavy bottomed pan, sprinkle asafoetida and splutter cumin seeds and sprinkle asafoetida in that. Now, add tomatoes and sauté for 2 minutes and then add the cooked pulses.

Step 4: Add about 4 cups of water and let it boil in simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in salt, red chili powder and garam masala. Stir occasionally to avoid burning at the bottom.

Step 5: Roll the dough into large circles slightly thicker than rotis. Cut them into small 2“ squares or diamond shapes.

Step 6: Drop the dhoklis one by one in the dal while it is boiling making sure they don’t stick to each other.  If it is too thick, add some water, adjust salt and spices and let it cook in low heat for another 15 minutes or until the dhoklis are cooked.

Step 7: When done, turn off heat and mix coriander.

Step 8: Serve the dal dhokli in a soup bowl, squeeze few drops of lemon juice and drizzle generous drops of ghee and relish it when hot.

 TIPS:

* Amma added moong dal with husk to the recipe and I added groundnuts as it seems to be a common ingredient added in Gujarati recipe of dal dhokli.

Kuzhi Paniyaram

This is a very simple-to-do and appealing dish by looks and taste. Conventionally kuzhipaniyaram (called paddu in karnataka) is made of left over idly/ dosa batter; leftover, because it turns sour in time and this dish requires more sourness. My amma and I prepare it with added finely chopped vegetables (carrots, peas, corn kernels, and the like) to make it healthy and colourfull; however, its basic version is so yum which I have shared below.

Ingredients:

1. Idly/ Dosa batter - 3 cups
2. Onion - 1 large, finely chopped
3. Green chilies - 2
4. Curry leaves - 1 sprig
5. Ginger - 1" size, finely grated
6. Oil - 2 tbsp
7. Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
8. Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
9. Asafoetida - 1 pinch
10. Bengal gram - 1 tbsp
11. Urad dal - 1 tbsp
12. Salt to taste
13. Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp chopped
14. Vegetables - 1 cup finely diced (Optional)

Method:

Step 1: Take the idly/ dosa batter and let it ferment a bit to get sour in case it isn't.

Step 2: Heat oil in a pan,  splutter mustard seeds & cumin seeds, add bengal gram & urad dal, add chopped curry leaves & green chilies, sprinkle asafoetida, add the chopped onion and saute until it is translucent. Add required salt.

Step 3: This step is, if you plan to add vegetables. Add vegetables and saute until half done as it may be cooked again with batter. I personally feel adding vegetables is just to add the nutritional value and look of the dish; taste-wise it is softened instead of crispy and sweetened slightly which is not how the dish tastes. Sprinkle necessary salt.

Step 4: Now add this with the batter and mix well. 

Step 5: Heat kuzhiyappakal, add few drops of oil in each kuzhi  and pour batter in each of them; simmer the heat for say 3 minutes.

Step 6: Check for browned surface and flip each of them and sprinkle little oil. Brown both the surfaces and take them in a plate using fork or pin provided with kuzhiyappakal.

Step 7: Serve hot with coconut chutney or sambar. My granny prefers to have it with rasam; and my husband has it with idly podi and curds.

Fenugreek Rice

Fenugreek is cherished as one of the power houses in Ayurvedha and is very cooling to the body. I always  struggle to find recipes to add some fenugreek and I would say fenugreek-rice is came as a wonderful recipe. So this is nice for people who do not like fenugreek and of course, for others it is a treat. My aunt is so fond of this that she already publicized the recipe in her entire circle all by word of mouth.

Serves: 2

Preparation Time: 10 Minutes

Cooking Time: 30 Minutes

Ingredients:

1.       Steamed rice – 2 cups

2.       Fenugreek – 2 tbsp

3.       Coconut – 2” piece

4.       Green chilies – 2

5.       Salt to taste

6.       Oil – 2 tbsp

7.       Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

8.       Turmeric powder – 1 pinch

9.       Urad dal – 1 tbsp

10.   Curry leaves – 1 sprig

11.   Asafoetida -1 pinch

                  12.   Dry chili – 1

Method:

Step 1: There are 3 ways you can prepare the fenugreek; 1. Soak them overnight, 2. Sprout them after soaking, 3. Directly use cooked fenugreek. The prepared fenugreek would be about ¼ cup.

Step 2: Char the coconut piece and green chilies and grinder them together in a mixer jar.

Step 3:  Heat oil in a non-stick pan, splutter mustard seeds, sprinkle asafoetida & turmeric, add urad dal, thrown in curry leaves and chili and add the fenugreek. Add some salt and sauté until it is done.

Step 4: Add the ground coconut mix and saute for a minute.

Step 5: Add the steamed rice along with required salt and mix gently to smear the entire rice with with masala.

Step 6: Adjust salt and serve with curds or papad.