‘Dal Makhani’ is an authentic Punjabi (North-Indian) lentil soup made out of whole ‘Black gram or ‘Urad Dal’. ‘Punjabi Cuisine’ has varied flavors and is traditionally made with generous amount of ghee and cream. Today as people have become more conscious about their health and prefer low calorie diet, many traditional Indian recipes are given a miss, even though they are loved. Dal Makhani is one such recipe. That is why I have introduced this recipe which is made with no oil/ghee and no cream, so that you can have your favorite dal makhani anytime without any guilt.

Ingredients:

1 cup whole Black gram or urad dal,

1/2 cup rajma (red kidney beans),

1 onion; diced,

4-5 cloves of garlic,

3 large tomatoes; diced,

2 tbsp tomato ketchup,

2-3 green chillies,

1/2 tsp red chilli powder,

1 tsp tandoori masala or garam masala,

A pinch of amchoor (dry mango powder),

1 cup skimmed milk,

1/4 cup low fat yogurt; beaten until smooth,

Few coriander leaves; washed and finely chopped,

Salt to taste,

Water as required.

Method:

Soak urad dal and rajma over night (or for at least 7-8 hours). Cook dal and rajma along with onion, garlic, tomatoes and 4-5 cups of water in a pressure cooker on high flame up to 5 whistles and then simmer on low flame for 30 minutes. Remove from flame and open the lid when pressure drops. Add milk to the cooked dal mixture (in the pressure cooker or you can transfer it to another pot/kadhai) and mash the dal so that all the ingredients form a nice mixture. Place it on the stove, add red chilli powder, tandoori masala, amchoor and stir. Now add water only as much required and bring the dal to boil. Then add amchoor, tomato ketchup and green chillies. Cook for a minute or two before you remove from the flame. Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with beaten yogurt and chopped coriander leaves. Serve with steamed rice or parathas.

Sambhar is a part of every meal in south Indian families, whether it is a breakfast or lunch/ dinner. It is served with urad dal vada, idli, dosa, upma, rice etc.

The recipe I have given here is one of the varieties of sambhar, using coconut, small onions and other fresh spices. Easy to make and delicious in taste. Hope all of you will enjoy this sambhar.

Ingredients:

2 small lemon sized balls tamarind,

1/2 cup arhar dal,

10-12 leaves curry leaves,washed and pat dried,

1 cup Small onions (also called as Sambhar onions or Madras onions); peeled and washed,

5-6 large cups of water,

1/2 tsp asafoetida (heeng),

1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi),

Freshly chopped coriander leaves to garnish.

For sambhar masala -

1/2 cup freshly grated coconut,

2 tbsp whole coriander seeds,

1 tbsp chana dal,

2 tbsp black pepper or 3-4 red chillies (or as per taste),

2 tsp methi seeds,

1 tbsp olive oil or any refined oil.

For tempering -

1 tsp mustard seeds (rai),

1 tsp urad dal,

1 tbsp olive oil or any refined oil,

1/4 tsp asafoetida (heeng).

Method:

Soak the tamarind in around 4 cups of warm water, for around 10-15 minutes. To get the pulp (of around 3-4 cups) out of it mash the tamarind in the water it is soaking in and strain in a kadhai or deep pan. Add small onions, turmeric powder, salt, curry leaves, asafoetida and bring it to boil. This mixture must be boiled until the onions become tender and the tamarind doesn’t smell raw. At the end of this process the quantity of the tamarind mixture should be reduced to half of the original quantity.

To prepare the sambhar masala, in a small pan add a tbsp of oil. To that add coriander seeds, methi seeds, chana dal, black pepper and roast it on low flame until fragrant (around 2-3 minutes). Remove from flame and grind it along with grated coconut into a fine paste.

Add this sambhar masala to the boiled tamarind mixture, add more water if required. To it add the boiled and mashed arhar dal. Stir well.

Heat a small pan/saucepan on another burner and add some oil to it. When oil is hot, add mustard seeds, urad dal and heeng. When the seeds splutter, pour this tadka over the sambhar. Quickly cover it with a lid, so that the aroma and flavour of the tadka submerge into the sambhar. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve with piping hot rice.

TIPS:

1. Use tamarind that is more brown in color as it gives a nice color to the sambhar.

2. It is important to add the ground masala only once the tamarind pulp looses its raw smell (cooked thoroughly).

3. In the above recipe, you may also use red pumpkin, potatoes, okra, drumsticks, brinjals to prepare sambhars of different flavour.

4. Methi seeds gives a good aroma and flavour to the sambhar and are good for health. But excess use may make it bitter in taste, so omit them if you don’t like.

Ingredients:

1 cup tuvar/arhar dal (split Pigeon pea),

1/2 tsp turmeric powder,

1 tsp red chilli powder,

Salt to taste.

For the tadka -

1/2 cup clarified Butter/Ghee,

1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera),

1/4 tsp asafoetida (heeng),

1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds (methi dana),

12-15 curry leaves; washed and pat dried,

5-6 garlic cloves; peeled and finely chopped,

2 green chillies; finely chopped,

3-4 dry red chillies.

Other -

1 large onion; finely sliced,

Chopped coriander leaves to garnish,

1 tsp lemon juice.

Method:

Wash the dal and soak it for over 30 minutes. Pressure cook the dal with turmeric, red chilli powder and salt along with 3-4 cups of water for upto 5-6 whistles or till dals are cooked. When pressure drops, remove and mash until smooth.

In a kadhai, heat 1/4 cup ghee, and saute onion until golden brown in color. Add green chillies and coriander leaves (reserve some for garnishing), pour the mashed dal and cook over low flame for around 5 minutes.

For the tadka, heat remaining ghee in a kadhai on low flame and add cumin, whole dry red chillies, garlic, fenugreek seeds, asafoetida and curry leaves. When chillies are fragrant, pour this tadka over the mashed dal and immediately cover with the lid. Let it rest for few minutes, so that the aroma of tadka mixes with the dal. Later uncover, mix, add coriander leaves and lemon juice and stir and serve with parathas, butter rotis or steamed rice.

‘Amti’ is Maharashtrian name for ‘dal with tadka’ or even curries. Every community in Maharashtra has its own style of preparing amti, and hence they are numerous amti recipes. This amti recipe is prepared at every Maharashtrian Brahmin household.

The recipe is simple and can be made very quickly since it does not involve any cutting of frying. Even though it is just tempered, this amti has a spicy, sweet and sour taste because of tamarind and jaggery. Also ‘goda’ masala or Maharashtrian masala gives it a flavor.

Ingredients:

1 cup tuvar dal; pressure cooked with little turmeric and asafoetida and mashed,

1 tsp rai (mustard seeds),

1 tsp jeera (cumin seeds),

1/4 tsp heeng (asafoetida),

Few curry patta (leaves),

2 green chillies; slit lengthwise,

1/2 cup chincha kol (tamarind pulp),

2 1/2 tsp gul (jaggery),

2 1/2 tsp goda masala (kala/Maharashtrian masala),

Salt to taste,

Ghee/Oil for tempering,

Water,

Chopped coriander leaves,

1/4 cup fresh grated coconut.

Method:

Melt ghee/heat oil in a kadhai for tempering. When hot, add rai, jeera, heeng, curry patta, little turmeric and green chillies. Stir once and add the mashed dal. Add water to get a desired consistency. Then add tamarind pulp, jaggery, goda masala, salt and bring to boil. Garnish with coriander leaves and coconut. Serve hot over steamed rice.

All Indians love the dal that is served in Dhabas. Dhabas are roadside eateries, mostly originated in Northern regions of India. Though now they are found all around the nation, dhabas from North India still serve the best authentic Punjabi and North Indian food. This dal is also called as ‘Teen Ratan’ since it is made out of three different types of lentils. I happened to ask the recipe to one of the owners and he was kind enough to let out his secret. This is a typical dal recipe that is served at such dhabas, though each dhaba has its own recipe, this one tastes much like the one served at most places.

Ingredients: (Serves 2)

1/4 cup urad dal (split black lentils),

2 tbsp chana dal (split Bengal gram),

2 tbsp rajma (kidney beans),

2 onions; finely chopped,

1 green chilli; slit into 2, (increase the quantity if you like it spicy)

2 tomatoes; finely chopped,

1 1/2 tsp finely chopped garlic,

1/4 tsp turmeric powder,

1/2 tsp or to taste red chilli powder,

1 tsp jeera (cumin seeds),

A pinch of amchoor (dry mango powder),

2-3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves,

1 tsp kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves),

Ghee for roasting,

Salt to taste,

Little water.

Method:

Soak all the dals (lentils) in enough water for 7-8 hours. Later drain them and add them to the pressure cooker along with 3 cups of water. Pressure cook upto 5 whistles and then reduce the flame. Let it simmer for 10-15 minutes. Rajma may take a longer time to cook, so make sure all the dals are soft. Mash them.

Heat some ghee in a kadhai or deep pan and add jeera (cumin seeds). Let them splutter. To it add garlic, onions, chilli and saute till onion is slightly golden. Then add tomatoes and cook till they become soft. Add turmeric powder, chilli powder, amchoor and mix well. Cook for 2 minutes. Then add the mashed dals and stir well. Add coriander leaves, mix and simmer for 5-7 minutes. In the end, add kasuri methi, mix and serve hot with chawal (rice) or parathas.