Dal from Sikkim

Sikkim is the 8th state from north east India, brother of the seven sisters. Mt Kanchenjunga, the third highest peak in the world is situated in Sikkim. It has beautiful rugged mountains, deep valleys and dense forests with many lakes and water falls. It is a paradise for tourists.  Its capital is Gangtok.  Sikkim has lots of Buddhist monasteries, so it is known as the ‘Land of Monasteries’.

Among the many festivals of Sikkim, Peng Lhabsol is one of their favorites and is celebrated in the month of June.  The festival is a homage to Mt. Kanchenjunga.  Sikkimese believe that Mt Kanchenjunga is the guardian and protector of Sikkim. During the festival, the people perform a warrior dance wearing fearful masks, of dragons and animals to scare away the evils and bring in peace and happiness to their home land.

Sikkim is bordered by the international boundaries of Nepal, Tibet and Bhutan in the west, north and east respectively.

The Indian state of West Bengal lies to the south.

Food:

Rice is the staple food of Sikkim. Sikkimese cuisine is flavorful and delicious. They use a lot of fermented food like the Nepalis and Tibetans. Their traditional food is ‘Dal Bhaat’-that is rice and lentil soup.  Kalo dal is a popular dal, cooked with black gram (not fermented). Another favorite dish from Sikkim is Masayra, in which they use the fermented black gram.

We will be cooking Kalo dal, which means Black dal.  Urad dal has a black covering which gives the black color to the dal. Interestingly, this dal is cooked in iron vessel to enhance the blackness of the dish.

Kalo dal … in Sikkimese style

We used the sabut urad dal (black gram lentils) and pressure cooked it. The addition of the mustard oil while cooking, gave a very creamy and a distinct flavor to the dal. The kalo dal is a popular dish in every household of Sikkim. You may try it out once.  We enjoyed the dal.

You need:

100 gm black urad dal

1 tbsp mustard oil

1 inch ginger finely chopped

¼ tsp turmeric powder salt to taste

Tempering:

1 tbsp refined oil/ghee (clarified butter)

1 medium size finely chopped onion

5-6 garlic cloves finely chopped

2 green chillies slit

1tbsp coriander leaves finely chopped for garnishing

Method:

  1. Wash and soak the dal overnight.

2. Wash coriander leaves and chop them finely. 

3. Peel, wash and finely chop the onion.

4. Wash, remove the stems from the chillies and make a small slit on the broader side.

5. Wash, peel and finely chop the ginger. 

6. Peel, wash and chop the garlic finely.

7. Rinse the soaked dal and cook it in a pressure cooker with 1 tbsp of mustard oil, 1 tbsp chopped ginger, ¼ tsp of turmeric, ½ tsp of salt and 1 cup warm water.

8. After the first whistle, lower the flame to its minimum and cook it for 3 minutes. 

9. Allow the cooker to cool down on its own before opening the cooker lid.

10. Add ½ cup of warm water if necessary and stir in gently.

11. Heat the oil over medium heat, add chopped onion and saute for few seconds. 

12. Add the slit green chillies and chopped garlic and stir well. 

13. Add a little cooked dal and mix well.

14. Pour the remaining dal and bring it to boil. 

15. Mash the cooked dal a little.  Cook for 2 to 3 minutes and switch off the heat. 

16. Garnish with the chopped coriander leaves. 

17. Kalo dal is ready to be served with steamed rice.

Happy Cooking!

Coming up next…………….  Dal from Tripura.

****

Dal from Nagaland

Nagaland is a beautiful hilly and mountainous state in north east India and one of the ‘Seven Sisters’ states. The state capital is Kohima.  Nagaland is known as a ‘Land of Festivals’. 

There are about 16 tribes and each tribe celebrates their seasonal festivals with great colour.  On top of it, the Government of Nagaland united all the 16 tribes under the banner of Hornbill Festival. During this festival each tribe displays their rich culture with traditional dances of great vibrancy.  ‘Hornbill Festival’ is also known as the ‘Festival of Festivals’.

The hornbill is a sacred bird for Nagaland. There are many folk lores and songs where the hornbill has been mentioned. The bird symbolises peace, happiness and prosperity for the people of Nagaland.

The Hornbill festival is held in the month of December 1-10 in a village called Kisama, about 10 km away from Kohima.

Nagaland shares the international boundary with Myanmar (Burma) in the east.

The state is bounded by Assam in the west and north.

Arunachal Pradesh in the northeast

And Manipur in the south.

Food:

Staple food of Nagaland is rice served with variety of meat, fish, vegetable spiced with bamboo shoots, Naga chili.  Although dal is not in their traditional cuisine, they do cook it in their own style.

Naga Dal- Dal in Naga style

This is an easy and nourishing dal dish. There is no spice and no oil. But a whole lot of fresh red chilies. Since we did not get the red chilli, we used both red dried chillies and green chillies. Mustard greens and bamboo shoots added more to the flavour. We enjoyed it.  Hope you will try it out too.

You need:

100 gm whole moong dal

2 tbsp of bamboo shoot

2 green fresh chillies

2 red dried chillies

1-2 flakes of garlic

2-3 medium size of mustard green leaves

4 garlic chieves

Salt to taste

Method:

  1. Wash and soak the dal overnight.
  2. Next morning wash lightly and strain it.

3. Wash peel and slice the garlic finely.

4. Wash and slit the chillies.  

5. Wash and chop the garlic chives.  6. Wash and tear the mustard green roughly with your hand as in the picture.

7. Place the dal in an open pan. 

8. Add garlic and salt. 

9. Add about 1 cup of hot water.

10. And cook over low heat until the dal is half cooked.

11. Add the bamboo shoots and the chillies and keep cooking for another 2 or 3 minutes until the green grams are cooked.

12. Add the garlic chives and then the mustard green and cook until the green gets cooked. 

13. Serve it hot with steamed rice.

Happy Cooking !

Coming up next ……………… Dal from Sikkim.

*****


Dal from Mizoram

Mizoram state is in north east India and is one of the Seven Sister States. Its capital is Aizawl.

Mizoram means –‘Land of the Mizos’- Mizo is the name of the native inhabitants of the state, and ‘ram’ means ‘land’.  Mizoram is also known as the ‘land of the blue mountains’.  The hills are overlapped by gushing rivers and water falls.

Mizoram is famous for its bamboo dance, known as Cheraw.  Boys and girls dress in their traditional attire to perform this mesmerizing dance.  The boys tap and clap the bamboos giving a beautiful rhythm, and the girls gracefully hop in and out the bamboos. The bamboo dance requires a good coordination between the bamboos clappers and the dancers.  Earlier Cheraw was performed as a ritual, on a particular occasion, but now it has become mandatory for all occasions and festivals.

Mizoram shares the international boarder with Myanmar (Burma) in the east and south and Bangladesh on the west.

To the north lies Assam and Manipur, while the state of Tripura lies on the west.

Food:

Rice is the staple food of Mizoram.  They love chicken, pork and beef. Smoked pork is very popular. They cook their food almost with no oil and spice.  They have plenty of green vegetables and herbs. Their food is very heathy and delicious.  To enjoy such food, one must acquire the taste.

Dailuaa (Lentil curry in Mizo style)


Just before working on Mizoram, I called up an old school friend of mine, Mami, a native of Mizoram, and asked her for a dal recipe.

“You know Indira,”’ she said, “our food is very simple without oil and spices.”  Yes, indeed, very simple but delicious and nourishing too.

The bay leaf gives a light herbal flavor. It is kind of a soup served with steamed rice.

You need:

100 gm moong dal

1-2 mustard greens

2-3 bay leaves (tejpata)

1 green chilli

¼ tsp turmeric powder Salt to taste

Method:

  1. Wash the moong dal and place it on a cooking pan.
  2. Add bay leaf, chili and a little salt. 
  3. Add 1 cup of hot water and a little turmeric powder. 
  4. Place the pan on heat and bring it to boil. 
  5. Lower the heat and cook dal cook over low heat until cooked.  It will take about 10 to 15 minutes

6. In the meantime, wash and chop the mustard greens roughly

7. Add the greens on the cooked dal. 

8. Add little warm water if needed.  Cook for another 1 or 2 minutes more and remove the dal from the heat.

9. Serve hot with steamed rice or have it along with bread as soup.

Happy Cooking !

Coming up next ………………..  Dal from Nagaland.

  *******

Dal from Meghalaya

Meghalaya is one of the ‘Seven Sisters’ in north east India.  Its capital is Shillong.  Meghalaya means ‘Abode of clouds’.  During British raj, Shillong was known as ‘Scotland of the east.” There are many beautiful landscapes and falls beside the root bridges.  Cherry Blossom Festival is one of the many festivals they celebrate every year.

The picture shows Iewduh which   is the largest and oldest market in Shillong since the nineteenth century, if not earlier. It became known as Bara Bazar (Big Market) with the arrival of people from outside the state during colonial rule. Lewduh is under the management of the Chief of Mylliem, and the society being matrilineal, women play a vital role in trade and commerce.  It is a wholesale market with products ranging from groceries, vegetables, meat, fruits and household goods to clothes, shoes, agricultural implements, as well as electronic goods. It includes several food stalls serving local cuisine and snacks.

Meghalaya is bounded by Assam on the north and east.

Bangladesh to the south and west.

Food:

Rice is the staple food of Meghalaya.  It is served with curries, fish or meat. Meghalaya cuisine has three distinctive styles of cooking- Garo, Khasi and Jaintia.  We have chosen a traditional dal from Meghalaya called Dai Nei iong.  Dai means dal and Nei – black and iong – sesame seeds.  Black sesame seeds are used quite often in their cuisine. Medium of frying is mustard oil generally.

Dai Nei iong – Dal with black sesame seeds.

This is a delicious dal dish tempered with black sesames seeds.  The consistency of the dal should be slightly thick. We have used urad dal, but any dal can be used. The dish is normally eaten with red rice which is cultivated locally.  Why not try it out once.

You need:

100 gm urad dal

1 tsp of garlic paste

1 tsp of ginger paste

1-2 green/dried red chillies

1 medium size onion finely sliced

1 tbsp of black sesame seeds

1 tsbp of mustard oil

½ tsp turmeric powder

Salt to taste.

Method:

  1. Peel, wash and slice the onion. 

2. Peel, wash and grate the garlic finely.

3. Peel, wash and grate the ginger finely.

4. Wash and cook the dal in pressure cooker with grated garlic and ginger, ½ tsp of salt, ½ tsp of turmeric powder , ½ tsp of salt and 1 cup of water. 

5. After the first whistle lower the heat to minimum and cook for 2 minutes. 

6. Switch off the heat and allow the cooker to cool down on its own.

7. Heat a pan and roast the sesame seeds and leave it to cool down. 

8. Grind them in a grinder till the oil oozes out from the seeds.

9. Open the pressure cooker.  Check if it is cooked.  Otherwise cook it again for a minute or so.

10. Add ½ cup of warm water.  Keeping in mind that the consistency of the dal should be slightly thick

11. Heat 1 tbsp of mustard oil in a pan, when it smokes reduce the heat. 

12. Add the chilli, allow it to fry for few seconds and then add the sliced onion.

13. Stir and fry the onion till lightly browned. 

14. Add the sesame paste the fried onion.  Saute the mixture for few seconds.

15. Add little water from the cooked dal to the fried mixture and mix it well. 

16. Add the remaining the dal and stir well.  Bring the dal to boil.

17. Adjust the salt. 

18. Serve it with hot red/white rice.

Happy Cooking !

Coming up next …………… Dal from Mizoram.

Dal from Manipur

Manipur is one of the ‘Seven Sisters State’, besides Sikkim in North East India. Its capital is Imphal.  Manipur is known as the ‘Land of gems’ because it is surrounded by nine hills and an oval shaped valley at the centre.

It is famous for the beautiful unique floating islands on the Loktak Lake. The lake spans for approximately 240 sq kilometer.  The floating islands are just matted vegetables and soil. The local people call them phumdis. The huts are made with very light materials. People use small country boats as their means for transportation to the main land.

Manipur shares the international boundary with Myanmar in the east.  The state is bounded by Nagaland in the north, Mizoram in the south and Assam in the west.

Food:

The staple food of Manipur is rice served with meat, fish and vegetable cooked with variety of herbs such as garlic chives and other spices.

Our first attempt:

We chose Sagolhawai uti dal from Manipur.  We cooked and sent the picture to one of our friends from Manipur. 

“It looks fine, but what are the coriander leaves doing there?” was her polite remark.

“Without garlic chives you will never get the actual flavor of Sagolhawai uti,” said she.

We used coriander leaves, because garlic chives were not available in the market at that time.

So, we grew our own garlic chives at home and used it for the recipe.

Sagolhawai uti (Black gram dal dish)

Sagolhawai uti is an authentic and traditional dish from Manipur. The dal dish is slightly alkaline because we are using soda bicarbonate.  One can use any dal (lentil) and any vegetable. We are using taro. According to the Manipuri people this a very good combination with garlic chives which is a must.  Uti is, almost mandatory in all festivals and social gatherings.  We loved it.  Hope you would love it too.

You need:

150 gm black gram dal

125 gm taro (In India it is called Arbi, Arvi, Kochu or Kosu,)

1” piece of ginger

20 gm garlic chives

2-3 green chillies (optional)

 ¼ tsp baking soda

1 tbsp of mustard oil

Salt to taste

Method:

  1. Wash and peel the taros. 
  2. Wash and peel the ginger. Grate it finely.
  3. Wash the garlic chives and cut them into 2” long pieces.  And keep them aside.

4. Wash the urad dal and place it in a pressure cooker.

5. Add the taro, garlic chives, ginger and salt to it.

6. Add 1 ½ cup of water and cook. 

7. After the first whistle lower the heat to simmer and cook for 2 minutes.  And allow the cooker to cool down by itself.

8. In the meantime, peel, wash and slice the onion. 

9. Wash the chillies, cut off the stem and make a small slit on the broader side.

10. Open the lid of the cooker and check the dal.

11. If it is cooked add 1 cup of warm water. 

12. Add ¼ tsp of cooking soda and stir gently. Place the cooker back onto stove and let it simmer.

Tempering the dal

13. Heat a pan and add the mustard oil. 

14. Allow it to smoke.  (It is important for the oil to smoke.  When it smokes the raw smell of mustard oil disappears.)

15. When it smokes, switch off the heat. 

16. Add the chillies and chopped onions and saute until golden.

17. Pour the tempering mixture into the cooked dal and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. 

18. Adjust the salt and pour into a serving dish and serve with cooked rice.

Happy Cooking !

Coming up next ………………. Dal from Meghalaya.

*****

Dal from Assam

Assam is the gateway to the north east of India and is one of the “Seven sisters” states besides Sikkim. It is popularly known as the land of red river and blue hills. Assam is home to the Kamakhya Temple which is one of the oldest and most revered tantric temples of India, situated in Nilachal that is the blue hills of Guwahati. The red river is referred to the mighty Brahmaputra which flows through the entire state.  The capital of Assam is Dispur.  

Rongali Bihu is one of the most important festivals of the State.   The festival is generally celebrated on 13-14 April as the new year of the State. On these 2 days, young Assamese boys and girls dress up in their traditional attire; girls in muga mekhela and sador, and boys in muga dhoti and kurta.  The Bihu dance was performed by the rice fields in early times when the boys take the opportunity to woo the girls.

Assam is well known for its tea, one horned rhino and muga silk – the “golden thread”.

Assam shares boundary with seven states ~ West Bengal on the west, while Arunachal Pradesh in the north, Nagaland and Manipur in east, Mizoram, Tripura and Meghalaya in the south.

It also shares international boundaries with Bangladesh in the south and Bhutan in the north.

Food:

Rice is the staple food for Assam served with dal, meat and fish. The traditional alkaline dish known as “khar”, is a distinctive part of the local cuisine.

Bilahir Mati dail ( Urad dal with Tomato)

Bilahir mati dal is a very soothing Assamese cuisine. The tangy combination of tomato and lemon gives a very refreshing taste and flavour , particularly during summer. You may try it out.

You need:

100 grm urad dal

2 medium size tomato

½ tsp mustard seeds

1 tbsp mustard oil

2 green chilli

1 tbsp lemon juice

½ tsp turmer powder

1 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves

Salt to taste

Method:

  1. Wash and drain the dal and place it in the pressure cooker.
  2. Add turmeric powder, salt and 1 cup water and cook the dal.  After the first whistle lower the heat and cook for 1 minutes.  Allow the cooker to cool down on its own.

3. In the mean-time. wash the chilies. Cut off the stems and slit them halfway. 

4. Wash the tomatoes and cut them wedge-wise. 

5. Wash and chop the coriander leaves finely.

6. Open the cooker and check if the dal is cooked.  The grains of the dal should be soft yet it must retain its shape. 

7. Add 1 cup of warm water and bring it to boil. 

8. Lower the heat and keep it at simmering.

9. In a pan, heat the mustard oil.  Allow it to smoke.

10. When it smokes add the mustard seed and cover it with a lid otherwise the mustard oil will splutter all over. 

11. When the mustard seeds turn black add the green chilies and then the sliced tomatoes   and stir and fry. Add little salt so that the tomatoes become soft quickly.

12. Once the tomato mixture is fried well till there is no more juice and the oil oozes out, add the cooked dal.

13. Add some more warm water to the dal and cook it for another 2-3 minutes.

14. Add the chopped coriander leaves.

15. Squeeze half of a lemon (1 tbsp). Adjust the salt and serve with hot steamed and fried potatoes or potato mashed with salt, green chilli, finely chopped onion and mustard oil.

Happy Cooking !

Coming up next……………. Dal from Manipur

Dal from Arunachal Pradesh

Arunachal Pradesh is the northern most and the largest of the eight northeastern States of India.  Itanagar is its capital.  

As it is at the foot hills of the Himalayan range, it is very cold and thickly covered by evergreen forest.  Five important rivers flow through it.  The meandering mountain rivers and streams are extremely good for rafting.

There are many interesting festivals in Arunachal. One of them is the Musical festival.  In this festival all the folk songs of the state are performed.  The festival is held in the town of Ziro, every year from 28th September to 1st October. Music lovers, from around the globe, far and near, gather on this occasion.

Arunachal Pradesh shares international borders with China on north and east, Myanmar on the east and south and Bhutan on the west.

The Indian states, of Nagaland and Assam lie in the south.

Food:

Rice is the staple food of Arunachal served with a variety of meat, fresh or smoked and vegetables.  They use bamboo shoots extensively in cooking along with local greens and herbs.   

There are several ethic communities in Arunachal and Galo is one of them.  In Galo, Eeku means fermented wet bamboo shoot.

Here is an old favourite, – Eeku Dal which is mildly favoured with bamboo shoot.

Eeku Dal – Dal with Bamboo shoots

Eeku dal is very easy and simple. We are using the preserved and grated bamboo shoots instead of the fresh bamboo shoot.  The dal is mildly favoured with sourness from the bamboo shoot and green onion leaves to tickle your taste buds.  Do try it once.

You need:

100 gm masoor dal  

1inch piece of ginger  

½ tsp of turmeric powder

Salt to taste  

For tempering:  

1 medium size onion  

30 gm bamboo shoot  

A few scallions /green onion leaves  

1 tbsp mustard oil/refined oil

Method:

  1. Wash and peel the ginger and onion.  Chop them finely. 
  2. Wash the onion leaves and chop them finely and keep them aside.

3. Wash the dal and put it in a pressure cooker. 

4. Add salt, turmeric powder, ginger and 1 cup of water.  Cover it with the lid and cook.  After the first whistle lower the heat to minimum and cook the dal for 3 more minutes. 

5. Switch off the heat and allow the cooker to cool down by itself.

6. Open the cooker and check if the dal has been cooked. 

7. If it is cooked add 2 cups of warm water and stir gently.  If not, add 1 cup of warm water and cook it for another minute.

8. Heat a pan and add 1 tblsp of oil.  9. Add the chopped onion and fry for few seconds. 

10. Add the bamboo shoot and saute for a minute or so till you get the aroma of the bamboo shoot. 

11. Add the chopped green onion leaves.  Saute for a few seconds more.

12. Pour the dal over the fried spice. 

13. Add some more water if it is too thick.  Boil the dal for about 1minute or so, and switch off the heat. 

14. The dal is ready to be served.  You can serve it with cooked rice or with bread/roti as a soup.

Happy Cooking !

Coming up next ….…………………… Dal from Assam

*******

North East Zone of India

The North East Zone of India is the easternmost region of the country.  It consists of eight states – Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, which are known as ‘The Seven Sisters’ and the eight state is Sikkim, which is referred to as the ‘Brother’. This is just like my family- we are seven sisters and one brother.

The North East Zone shares the international boundaries in all the four sides with Nepal, China (Tibet), Bhutan, Myanmar, Bangladesh that is North,East, South and West.

 And linked by a narrow corridor, also known as ‘chicken neck’ to the Indian state of West Bengal in the West.

Farming in the North East India

The North East is in the Eastern terrain of Himalayas.  It is full of mountains, hills and rivers. The valleys are deep and narrow, except Brahmaputra valley which is slightly broader.

Therefore, geographically, North East is not feasible for large scale agricultural industry. 

However, the small famers do grow pulses and paddy for their own consumption, but not commercially.

Tea, green vegetable and fruits are grown in abundant in the terraces.                               

 Food:

The food of North east, are less spicy and less oily but none the less, tasty.  Their food has a big influence of China, Myanmar (Burma) and West Bengal cuisines.

Dal has become a household dish in all the eight states now, with the flow of people to and from the very remote areas since colonial intervention.

“Dal was never a part of our cuisine. It’s an acquired taste from hotels, restaurants and mainland people who have come to reside in Arunachal,’ says Karmae, from Arunachal Pradesh.  ‘Now dal has become a habit.’

In most of the states, dal is still served as stew or soup. Some of the states still prefer to cook dal by slow cooking method instead of pressure cook and without tempering. Tempering of dal is a recent experience for some of the states of North East.

Let’s enjoy cooking dal from all the states of North East in alphabetical order – Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.

Coming up next …………Dal from Arunachal Pradesh.

Dals of India!

Welcome to DalontheTable, hailing from the vibrant country of India! With 28 states and 8 union territories, each boasting its own distinct history, geography, and cuisine, India is a treasure trove of flavors.

In this series, we’ll explore one dal recipe paired with rice from every state and union territory, sharing interesting facts about each region’s location, cultural influences, and unique culinary traditions. Join us on this culinary journey across India, where neighboring countries and states shape local flavors, like the distinctive dal dishes of the northeastern states.

Northern part of India is surrounded by 8 countries namely, Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and Bangladesh.

And the southern part is by 3 water bodies namely, Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea.

Since India is a huge country, it is roughly divided into 6 zones, namely North East , Eastern, Central, Northern, Western and Southern zones.

North East Zone: Arunachal, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.

Eastern Zone: West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Central Zone: Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand.

Northern Zone: Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Chandigarh,

Himachal Pradesh, Jamu & Kashmir, and Ladakh.

Western Zone: Maharashtra, Gujarat, Diu, Daman and Goa.

Southern Zone: Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Pudducherry, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Lakshadweep.

We will start our delightful dal recipes zonal wise, because it will be much easier for the readers to follow and know little bit about state and its location on the map.

Food:

As we all know, dal and rice have always been an integral part of India’s daily meal in all the states.  In fact, there are various accounts of the use of dal in India’s vibrant history, since the time of the epic stories of Ramayana and Mahabharata.

Your contributions or suggestions are most welcome because they will make the journey of the humble dal, more enjoyable and successful!

Coming up next ………………………………     North East Zone

                                      ********

Kadhi

This appetizing and nourishing dish has sour and creamy gravy and tasty pakoras (fritters) soaked in it.  It has two ingredients – besan (channa dal flour) and curd (yoghurt) and the spices add a special flavour to it. 

You need:

Pakoras (fritters)

50 gm besan flour (channa dal flour)

¼ tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp finely chopped onion

1 finely chopped green chilli

1 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves

2 tbsp curd

Salt to taste

Refined oil for deep frying

For the gravy:

2 tsp besan

1 cup curd

¼ tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp garam masala

 ½ tsp coriander powder

For tempering:

¼ tsp black mustard ( Rai)

4-5 Fenugreek seeds (Methi)

12-15 curry leaves

½ tsp cumin seeds

2 dried red chilli

1 tsp grated ginger

1 tbsp refined oil

Tempering before serving:

1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)

2 dried red chilli

½ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

1 medium size onion sliced and fried** (optional). Recipe at the end.

Method:

Pakora: 

  1. In a bowl place the besan flour.  Add onion, coriander , chilli , turmeric powder and salt. Mix well.
  2. Add the curd and make a batter. 
  3. Add little water if necessary to make the consistency dropping. 
  4. Set it aside for 15- 20 minutes.

5. In the meantime, mix the curd, coriander powder, garam masala*, turmeric and besan. 

6. Transfer the mixture to a blender give 2-3 short pulses. 

7. Add 1 cup of water mix well and keep it aside.

8. In a pan heat 1 tbsp of oil.

9. Add the black mustard seeds. When the seeds crackle switch off the heat. 

10. Add the dried red chilli and fry them for few seconds. 

11. Remove the chillies and add fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves. Switch on the heat to medium. 

12. Fry the spices for a minute and then add the grated ginger.

13. Add the fried chillies to the spices and pour the curd mixture into it. 

14. Add salt to taste.

15. Cook over medium heat for sometimes till the rawness of besan and turmeric disappear. It should take about 15 to 20 minutes.

16. Heat oil over medium heat for deep frying. 

17. Beat the pakora batter till fluffy. 

18. Take a teaspoon of the mixture and drop into the oil.  Make 4-5 pakoras at a time. 

19. Cook them till golden brown. 

20. Remove the pakoras from the oil and place them over a kitchen tissue.  Repeat the process until the mixture is done.

21. Add the pakors to the curd gravy and simmer for few minutes.

22. In a small pan take 1 tbsp of ghee and heat it.  When hot, switch of the heat. 

23. Add the dried red chillies and sauté for few seconds. 

24. Add ½ tsp of Kashmiri chilli powder into the pan and stir it well. 

25. Pour this over the curry.  Mix well.

26. Stir in the fried onion into the prepared curry. 

27. Serve  with cooked rice or chapatti.

How to fry the onion:

  1. Wash and peel the onion and cut it vertically into slices as shown in the picture. 
  2. Transfer it to a bowl and add ½ tsp of salt and marinate with salt. 
  3. Leave it for about 15 -20 minutes. 
  4. Squeeze out the water from the onion and dry them in a kitchen towel.

5. Heat about 2 tbsp of refined oil and fry them taking a small amount of onion at a time. 

6. When the onion gets golden brown, remove from the oil and place them on a tissue paper to absorb the excess oil.

*Garam masala is a powdered spice consisting of cinnamon, cardamom and clove.

Course: Dish – part of a meal.

Country: India.

Type: Indian food

Nutritional Information:  Channa dal is rich in protein and fibre.

                 Happy Cooking !