Spinach/palak Dal

This can also be made using arhar/toor dal or masoor dal or chana dal, as per the availability. Palak has to be fresh and with out holes. Only the leaves have to be chosen and the hard twigs can be discarded. It is generally safe to avoid greens during the rainy season unless one grows it in the kitchen garden, where hygiene is taken care of. I put more greens and less dal to gain more on vitamins and minerals.

Ingredients:

100g arhar/toor dal, 300g palak, 3 tomatoes, 1 onion.

For tempering:

1 tsp ghee, ½ tsp jeera, ½ tsp mustard seeds, ¼ tsp haldi/turmeric, ½ tsp red chilli powder and salt to taste.

Preparation:

1. Wash and finely chop the palak and set aside. 
2. Chop onion and tomatoes also finely. 
3. Wash the dal and keep it ready for use. 
4. Heat ghee in a pressure pan or small pressure cooker, put all the tempering ingredients except salt and fry a little. 
5. To this add onions, tomatoes and palak, stir a little and then add the dal and salt. 
6. Finally put 500ml of water and give minimum of 3 whistles, simmer it for another 5 to 7 minutes and put off the flame.

Serve hot  with rice or roti.

Tomato Dal

For a vegetarian, dal is very important because it is the main source of protein. But we cannot just consume plain dal always. So we need to add some taste to it to make it interesting and also sumptuous. We have a variety of dals/pulses/legumes which can be made in various forms to beat the monotony. For example, adding of green leafy vegetables and various seasonal vegetables will only enhance the taste and also the nutritive value.

India is the largest producer and consumer of pulses in the world. Tomato dal can be made with arhar/toor dal or masoor dal. Both taste equally good. Tomato is one vegetable we can get round the year and is used in many dishes. There is one desi variety which comes during summer months. This one is ideal for dal and chutney we generally make, the reason being they are little sour than the usual tomatoes we get round the year, we can put any tomatoes as per the availability.

Ingredients:

100g arhar dal and 5/6 medium size tomatoes

For tempering:

1 tsp ghee, ½ tsp mustard seeds, ½ tsp jeera, ¼ tsp turmeric/haldi powder, 4 green chillis, pinch of asafoetida/hing,1 twig curry leaves and salt to taste.

Preparation:

1. Wash and cut each of the tomatoes into four pieces and wash the dal and set aside. 
2. In a pressure pan or small  pressure cooker heat ghee, put all the ingredients except salt. 
3. Fry a little and to this add tomatoes, dal and salt, stir well and add 500ml water and close the lid. 
4. Give minimum of three whistles and simmer it for another 5 to 7 minutes. 
5. So inall dal should be done in 20 to 25 minutes maximum.

Serve hot with rice or roti.

Bottle gourd in tomato gravy

This is another variation of lauki made interesting for having with roti. Lauki is easily digestible and hence most suited for small children, elderly people and also convalescing people.

Ingredients:

500g lauki, 250g tomato or 100g tomato puree, 3 onions, ½ cup chopped hara dhania, ½ tsp garlic paste, ½ tsp ginger paste, ½ tsp dhania powder, ½ tsp jeera powder, ¼ tsp haldi powder, ½ tsp red chilli powder, 2tbsp oil and salt to taste.

Preparation:

1. Wash peel and cut finely the lauki. 
2. Wash and chop finely tomatoes. 
3. And lastly peel and chop onions finely and keep side. 
4. Heat oil in a pan, put chopped onions, ginger paste, garlic paste and fry till golden brown. 
5. To this add jeera powder dhaniya powder, haldi powder, chilli powder and fry a little. 
6. Now add tomatoes and mix well and simmer it till the oil leaves sides. 
7. Finally add lauki and little water and cook till soft and done.

Garnish with hara dhania and serve hot with rice or roti. 

Lauki kofta curry

This is another variation of lauki preparation. Unlike the other preparations which are less spicy, this one can take a little extra spice.

Ingredients:

500g lauki, 100g tomato puree', 2 onions, 1 tsp ginger paste, 1 tsp garlic paste, 1 tsp jeera powder, 1 tsp dhania powder, 1 tbsp kasuri methi (dried herbs of fenugreek), ½ tsp haldi (turmeric), 1 tsp red chilli powder, 2 tbsp corn flour, 3 tbsp oil, separate oil for deep frying koftas, salt to taste and hara dhania for garnishing.

Preparation:

1. Wash, Peel and grate lauki and squeeze off and discard the water. 
2. To this add a little salt, haldi, red chilli powder and corn flour. 
3. Heat oil in deep frying pan, make small balls of grated lauki mixture and fry till golden brown and set aside.
4. Peel and chop the onions finely. 
5. For the gravy, heat oil in a pan, put the chopped onions, ginger paste, garlic paste and fry till golden brown, to this add jeera powder, dhaniya powder, haldi, mirchi, salt and kasoori methi and fry a little. 
6. Now add tomato puree and fry till the gravy leaves sides. 
7. Put the kofta balls into this and also a little water and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Garnish with fresh coriander and serve hot with roti or rice. 

Spicy rice

This recipe is very simple and goes well with continental menu. In Chinese  menu we have fried rice likewise spicy rice can be made for continental menu. It is encouraging for the rice eaters.

Ingredients:

2 cups rice,4 cups tomato puree, 2 onions, 2 capsicums, 1 tsp garlic paste, ½  cup chopped parsley, 2 tbsp olive oil,2 pinches of grated jaiphal (nutmeg) 1 tsp of red chilli powder 100 g cheddar cheese and salt to taste.

Preparation:

1. Boil rice till soft and keep aside. 
2. Finely chop onions and capsicum keep ready for use. 
3. Heat oil in a pan, put chopped onions and fry till golden brown. 
4. To this add garlic paste and fry a little, now add  capsicum and tomato puree and keep stirring. 
5. After cooking for a while, add jaiphal, chilli powder, salt and parsley. 
6. Once the gravy starts leaving sides fold in the soft boiled rice to the gravy. 
7. Transfer the rice into a microwave dish, cover it up with grated cheese and heat it for 8 minutes or till the cheese melts.

Serve hot!!