FlybyStardancer
Well-Known Member
I am soooooooo not comfortable walking into ethnic stores. I just can't do it. Not even mexican ones, and I'm part-mexican! (I have a lot of quicks and hangups. lol)
The Indian Food Thread
- Thread starter IrishLass
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I am soooooooo not comfortable walking into ethnic stores. I just can't do it. Not even mexican ones, and I'm part-mexican! (I have a lot of quicks and hangups. lol)
If there's ever a time that you'd need a shopping list in your hand, it's when entering an Indian grocers shop unless ofcourse you know your spices well. There just is too much variety. There are spices I never used before and I cook pretty good.
Nav, you have a thoughtful GF! I like that recipe b/c when I buy a roast chicken (I amost always do, it just not time/cost-efficient to do it for myself, and the Cosco ones are really good, huge and cheap), there is always so much left over. This takes about 30 secs to make if you have everything at hand, and other people like it b/c it looks/tastes a bit more exotic than the norm. Of course you can trick it up w/whatever other things you really like in chicken salads, that is just my go-to recipe when I need protein 5 ms ago 
Dancer, we are all so different. I love wandering around in ethnic grocery stores of almost any kind. It sometimes *is* a bit uncomfortable b/c I can tell people wonder what I am doing there if I look really different from the norm, but I don't really care, I am too busy reading ingredients.
CL, that recipe looks delicious. I might have to get my mom on to it
Dancer, we are all so different. I love wandering around in ethnic grocery stores of almost any kind. It sometimes *is* a bit uncomfortable b/c I can tell people wonder what I am doing there if I look really different from the norm, but I don't really care, I am too busy reading ingredients.
CL, that recipe looks delicious. I might have to get my mom on to it
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JuneP
Well-Known Member
One of my favorites - potato cauliflower curry
My favorite version of this recipe is the one you can find on the Internet by searching the "Bend It By Beckham curry recipe". That one is a bit different and a bit more time consuming with a few more ingredients like garam masala. It also uses canned tomatoes.
Cauliflower, Potato, Tomato Curry
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
3 T oil (I use olive oil)1 lb potatoes peeled, cut in 1" piece and par boiled or steamed till just tender (don't overcook)
1 head of cauliflower (about a 1 lb size) washed, cored and cut into small pieces.
3 cloves of garlic finely chopped or put through a garlic press
1/2 tsp each of turmeric, cumin and coriander powder
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 tsp salt
1- 11/2 cups water (start with a cup and add 1/4 cup more at a time if curry gets too dry during cooking).
1 large tomato cut in chunks or if you don't have a tomato, use juice of a small lemon or lime.(I used a small tomato and a bit of lemon juice).
Heat oil in a large, saute pan on medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and as soon as they begin popping, lower the heat a bit and add the garlic, stirring it till it turns a light golden color (don't burn it). Then add the cooked potatoes and raw cauliflower and toss and cook a minute or so. Then add tomato if using, all the spices and salt, stirring often for about 5 minutes. Then add the water and when it start to simmer, you can turn the heat down a bit, cover it and cook it for 15 minutes. Check after 15 minutes to see if the veggies are tender and add a bit more water if needed and cook another 5 minutes, stirring to make sure potatoes don't stick. If you didn't add a tomato, then sprinkle the lemon or lime juice over the veggies, toss and serve
My favorite version of this recipe is the one you can find on the Internet by searching the "Bend It By Beckham curry recipe". That one is a bit different and a bit more time consuming with a few more ingredients like garam masala. It also uses canned tomatoes.
Cauliflower, Potato, Tomato Curry
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
3 T oil (I use olive oil)1 lb potatoes peeled, cut in 1" piece and par boiled or steamed till just tender (don't overcook)
1 head of cauliflower (about a 1 lb size) washed, cored and cut into small pieces.
3 cloves of garlic finely chopped or put through a garlic press
1/2 tsp each of turmeric, cumin and coriander powder
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 tsp salt
1- 11/2 cups water (start with a cup and add 1/4 cup more at a time if curry gets too dry during cooking).
1 large tomato cut in chunks or if you don't have a tomato, use juice of a small lemon or lime.(I used a small tomato and a bit of lemon juice).
Heat oil in a large, saute pan on medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and as soon as they begin popping, lower the heat a bit and add the garlic, stirring it till it turns a light golden color (don't burn it). Then add the cooked potatoes and raw cauliflower and toss and cook a minute or so. Then add tomato if using, all the spices and salt, stirring often for about 5 minutes. Then add the water and when it start to simmer, you can turn the heat down a bit, cover it and cook it for 15 minutes. Check after 15 minutes to see if the veggies are tender and add a bit more water if needed and cook another 5 minutes, stirring to make sure potatoes don't stick. If you didn't add a tomato, then sprinkle the lemon or lime juice over the veggies, toss and serve
That is the main thing I miss here in Hawaii! However, there is now one restaurant on Maui
Oh my goodness- all of these recipes are giving me such a powerful yearning for some Indian food right now!!!!
To add to the awesome, growing treasure chest of recipes, here is my recipe for Mango Lassie. It's a close facsimile to the one we enjoy at our favorite Indian restaurant, but not exactly 100% 'spot-on' (the restaurant's tastes better, of course). Nevertheless, it does taste yummy, but I'm open to any suggestions to make it even better:
-1 can (30 oz.) Alphonse Mango Puree (I buy mine at my Asian grocery store down the India aisle)
-1 cup lowfat yoghurt
-1-/2 cup lowfat buttermilk
-1/4 cup milk (or to preferred thin/thick consistency)
-1 teaspoon rosewater (also down the India aisle at my Asian grocer's)
-sugar to taste (although you may not need it since the canned puree is already sweetened)
Toss all ingredients into a blender to blend, then serve. This makes enough for 4 or more servings or so.
You can use other kinds of mangoes if you want, but I use the canned Alponse Mango Puree because it makes it taste most like the one we enjoy at the restaurant....so does the buttermilk addition.
IrishLass
To add to the awesome, growing treasure chest of recipes, here is my recipe for Mango Lassie. It's a close facsimile to the one we enjoy at our favorite Indian restaurant, but not exactly 100% 'spot-on' (the restaurant's tastes better, of course). Nevertheless, it does taste yummy, but I'm open to any suggestions to make it even better:
-1 can (30 oz.) Alphonse Mango Puree (I buy mine at my Asian grocery store down the India aisle)
-1 cup lowfat yoghurt
-1-/2 cup lowfat buttermilk
-1/4 cup milk (or to preferred thin/thick consistency)
-1 teaspoon rosewater (also down the India aisle at my Asian grocer's)
-sugar to taste (although you may not need it since the canned puree is already sweetened)
Toss all ingredients into a blender to blend, then serve. This makes enough for 4 or more servings or so.
You can use other kinds of mangoes if you want, but I use the canned Alponse Mango Puree because it makes it taste most like the one we enjoy at the restaurant....so does the buttermilk addition.
IrishLass
Ha, Aline there are problems, even in Paradise I can't believe you don't have a little collection of spices for when the missing/pangs get too intense!
IL, I am psyched about the lassi recipe! I love mango lassi, but it has never occurred to me to make it, how crazy is that? This looks good, too.
June, I don't know what it is about mustard seeds. I don't understand how it works, but roasting them that like really does add a nuttiness that is hard to get from anything else.
I kind of hate you all, I want to try these recipes, but I am so tired and lazy I am just going to make a turkey sandwich and be irrationally bitter
I can't believe you don't have a little collection of spices for when the missing/pangs get too intense!IL, I am psyched about the lassi recipe! I love mango lassi, but it has never occurred to me to make it, how crazy is that? This looks good, too.
June, I don't know what it is about mustard seeds. I don't understand how it works, but roasting them that like really does add a nuttiness that is hard to get from anything else.
I kind of hate you all, I want to try these recipes, but I am so tired and lazy I am just going to make a turkey sandwich and be irrationally bitter
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snappyllama
Supporting Member
Y'all have encouraged me to try to find a decent ethnic supermarket in Denver so I can make some of these recipes this weekend! I loved poking around around in ones in Houston - buying whatever looked interesting and trying to find something to do with it. Since moving up north, I've been relying on Amazon to order things my supermarket doesn't carry.
Not Indian food, but a shout out to Sylvia's "Queen of Soul Food" canned veggies. If you're going to stock up on canned goods for snow days, they might as well taste good. DH likes the collard greens, and I like the yams.
Not Indian food, but a shout out to Sylvia's "Queen of Soul Food" canned veggies. If you're going to stock up on canned goods for snow days, they might as well taste good. DH likes the collard greens, and I like the yams.
JuneP
Well-Known Member
Book recommendation
I have several Indian cook books but my go to one is ften the first one I ever bought in 1985. There's a new version that came out in 2013 but I don't have that one. I checked Amazon.com and there's an older used paperback for under $3.00 plus shipping, of my version, although the cover is different; but I assume it's the same book It's the same author and title.
The author and book are A Taste of India: Delicious Vegetarian Recipes for Body, Mind, and Spirit Paperback – September, 1985
by Bibiji Inderjit Kaur (Author). This book has the best dahl recipe I have ever had (Black beans with Cream (Makhnee Urad Dahl). I also make the simple, mild Paneer recipe, for those who can't take heavy heat in their food.But there's a spicy one for people like me who love all that heat. It also links to a page with the recipe for making your own paneer, which is easy to do; but these days some cheese shops sell paneer but it's now as delicate as what you can make on your own. When I was off dairy I used the recipe with firm tofu instead of paneer and it worked just fine.
That book also has a delicious Saucy chickpea and potato curry, and a wonderful carrot and pea curry that I added steamed potatoes too. There is also the classic Aaloo Matar which is a potato and pea curry which is equally delicious. One of my other favorites if the Spicy chickpeas with potatoes (Khataa Chanaa).
There are too many delicious recipe to list individually - breads, desserts, yogurts, relishes and pickles, chutneys, etc. etc.
This book is not for those who want to just dump curry powder into the pot. You will need to buy some basic Indian ingredients and the book has a list of stores where you can send away for those ingredients; but these days a lot of them are readily available in health food, regular grocery, and Asian grocery stores.
I just ordered the new version since it seems to have about 200 more recipes in it. That will keep me busy for a while!
June
I have several Indian cook books but my go to one is ften the first one I ever bought in 1985. There's a new version that came out in 2013 but I don't have that one. I checked Amazon.com and there's an older used paperback for under $3.00 plus shipping, of my version, although the cover is different; but I assume it's the same book It's the same author and title.
The author and book are A Taste of India: Delicious Vegetarian Recipes for Body, Mind, and Spirit Paperback – September, 1985
by Bibiji Inderjit Kaur (Author). This book has the best dahl recipe I have ever had (Black beans with Cream (Makhnee Urad Dahl). I also make the simple, mild Paneer recipe, for those who can't take heavy heat in their food.But there's a spicy one for people like me who love all that heat. It also links to a page with the recipe for making your own paneer, which is easy to do; but these days some cheese shops sell paneer but it's now as delicate as what you can make on your own. When I was off dairy I used the recipe with firm tofu instead of paneer and it worked just fine.
That book also has a delicious Saucy chickpea and potato curry, and a wonderful carrot and pea curry that I added steamed potatoes too. There is also the classic Aaloo Matar which is a potato and pea curry which is equally delicious. One of my other favorites if the Spicy chickpeas with potatoes (Khataa Chanaa).
There are too many delicious recipe to list individually - breads, desserts, yogurts, relishes and pickles, chutneys, etc. etc.
This book is not for those who want to just dump curry powder into the pot. You will need to buy some basic Indian ingredients and the book has a list of stores where you can send away for those ingredients; but these days a lot of them are readily available in health food, regular grocery, and Asian grocery stores.
I just ordered the new version since it seems to have about 200 more recipes in it. That will keep me busy for a while!
June
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Thanks for the reccd, June. I am going to order it. I am pretty much a committed carnivore, I like the taste too well to stop. But Indian veggie recipes - sometimes other Asian ones, although not as often - are the only ones that provide the same kind of heartiness and satisfying-ness for me (sorry for language mangling) as meat does. I feel sorry for vegetarians that do *not* like Indian food, it does seem to be a particularly good meeting of the minds (or stomachs
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OMG!! I've heard people praising Chinese,Thai etc,but never knew Indian food is loved everywhere. Yeah!! I am also from India, my sister is a nice cook. I would love to share many recipes here. How about starting with the famous snack 'samosa' ? Malai kofta? Dosa? Shahee paneer?
Saponista
Well-Known Member
I have never seen palak paneer before but it sounds spinachy so I think it is referred to as saag paneer over here. Is there a difference? I really want to make my own paneer, I love it. Especially inside samosas.
This is one of my favourite curry recipes. I use chicken though as I am not fond of lamb.
http://www.my-indian-food.com/Dhansak.asp
Not_ally we have a vegetarian only Indian restaurant in the city I live in now. Due to lack of meat it is half the price of the other Indian restaurants and the food is probably the best Indian you can get around here. (I live in the south west of England and the people aren't very multi cultural). It is one of the only places I will eat curry down here. I have to go back to the midlands to get proper Indian food. It tends to be made for the English palate here and the sauces are sugary and oily which I find really unpleasant.
I love daal but I am really bad at cooking it so don't bother. I can never get the texture right and it burns on the bottom of the pan making it impossible to clean.
Shaan I would love some of your recipes
This is one of my favourite curry recipes. I use chicken though as I am not fond of lamb.
http://www.my-indian-food.com/Dhansak.asp
Not_ally we have a vegetarian only Indian restaurant in the city I live in now. Due to lack of meat it is half the price of the other Indian restaurants and the food is probably the best Indian you can get around here. (I live in the south west of England and the people aren't very multi cultural). It is one of the only places I will eat curry down here. I have to go back to the midlands to get proper Indian food. It tends to be made for the English palate here and the sauces are sugary and oily which I find really unpleasant.
I love daal but I am really bad at cooking it so don't bother. I can never get the texture right and it burns on the bottom of the pan making it impossible to clean.
Shaan I would love some of your recipes
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There is Saponista, traditionally saag is prepared with mustard greens, it's a dish popular in the state of Punjab and neighboring states where they grow mustard extensively. I don't know if one can achieve that taste with palak paneer by adding a bit of ground mustard as I have never tried that. I actually never got a chance to taste Saag in its birth place.
Also, for cooking dal it would be really nice to have a pressure cooker. It comes in handy for cooking beans as well as tough meats I guess. It's quick cooking and so very energy efficient.
Curry spice mix
So, as promised, I'm going to share my curry spice mix and tomato dal that uses the same curry spice.
To get the best results with spices, it's important to have patience and roast them slow and dry.
1 lb cayenne powder ( look for the most spicy or atleast medium spicy)
4 oz coriander seeds
1.5 oz whole mustard seeds
1.5 oz cumin seeds
0.75 oz fenugreek seeds
4 oz garlic cloves
Dry roast (at medium low heat) all the seeds, adding one after the other to the pan, in the order given. Fenugreek seeds roast very quickly, add them when the mustard seeds start crackling and turn off the heat once they turn brown. Let cool completely.No need to roast cayenne or garlic.
Now finely grind the seeds and add garlic and give a few quick pulses. You shouldn't be seeing any big garlic pieces.
Once done grinding, let cool completely and mix in the cayenne powder.
It makes a big batch, I store mine in the fridge keeping only a cup of it out for daily cooking. Most of you obviously don't need that much, so you can scale it down.
Notes:
This, if prepared like this, has the most amazing aroma, I could keep sniffing if not for the cayenne giving me sneezes.
This along with the 'tadka' can turn any vegetable sautée into Indian.
I use Turmeric separate from my spice mix, but you could probably add it in the mix. I would add 4 oz to the full recipe.
For a lb of vegetables, I would add half to one teaspoon of this mix ( depends on the spiciness of your cayenne.)
So, as promised, I'm going to share my curry spice mix and tomato dal that uses the same curry spice.
To get the best results with spices, it's important to have patience and roast them slow and dry.
1 lb cayenne powder ( look for the most spicy or atleast medium spicy)
4 oz coriander seeds
1.5 oz whole mustard seeds
1.5 oz cumin seeds
0.75 oz fenugreek seeds
4 oz garlic cloves
Dry roast (at medium low heat) all the seeds, adding one after the other to the pan, in the order given. Fenugreek seeds roast very quickly, add them when the mustard seeds start crackling and turn off the heat once they turn brown. Let cool completely.No need to roast cayenne or garlic.
Now finely grind the seeds and add garlic and give a few quick pulses. You shouldn't be seeing any big garlic pieces.
Once done grinding, let cool completely and mix in the cayenne powder.
It makes a big batch, I store mine in the fridge keeping only a cup of it out for daily cooking. Most of you obviously don't need that much, so you can scale it down.
Notes:
This, if prepared like this, has the most amazing aroma, I could keep sniffing if not for the cayenne giving me sneezes.
This along with the 'tadka' can turn any vegetable sautée into Indian.
I use Turmeric separate from my spice mix, but you could probably add it in the mix. I would add 4 oz to the full recipe.
For a lb of vegetables, I would add half to one teaspoon of this mix ( depends on the spiciness of your cayenne.)
Tomato dal
Now for the tomato dal recipe:
Tuar dal ( the small yellow, split kind) 1 cup
Medium sized onion, roughly chopped 1
Large tomatoes, rough chopped 2
Thai green chili, cut in half 2
Turmeric 1/4 tsp
Curry spice mix from recipe above 1 tsp
Olive oil 1 tbsp
Tamarind Two pods worth ( can sub with dried
Mango powder or lime juice)
Method:
wash tuar dal 2-3 times and place in a pressure cooker along with 2 cups of water. Add rest of the ingredients except lime juice if using, give a quick mix and close the lid. Cook on medium high heat. If your cooker is one with distinct whistles, wait for 6 or 7.
If it's the kind where the weight kinda dances around, cook for about 6-7 min since the start of the dance.
Let the cooker cool enough and the pressure is all gone. Open the lid, add salt ( about 2 -3 tsp) and mix thoroughly. Also, this is the time to add lime juice ( 1/2 ounce fresh) if you are using that in place of tamarind.
You can add greens like spinach at the beginning to make spinach dal instead.
Now, it's time for Tadka:
Tadka ingredients:
Oil/ ghee
Dry chili broken into pieces 2
Mustard seeds whole 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp
Split urad dal 1 tsp
Curry leaves about 10
Minced garlic 1 tbsp
Asafetida Pinch.
In a small sauce pan, add 2 tbsp oil/ ghee and let get very hot without burning.
Add next 4 ingredients, and let fry until the white urad dal starts turning brown, now add garlic and curry leaves, fry for few seconds and lastly add asafetida and fry few more seconds. Add this whole thing to the prepared dal.
For the best Tadka, you need all the ingredients, easily found in a good Indian grocery shop.
I can post a non pressure cooker version if someone is interested.
Now for the tomato dal recipe:
Tuar dal ( the small yellow, split kind) 1 cup
Medium sized onion, roughly chopped 1
Large tomatoes, rough chopped 2
Thai green chili, cut in half 2
Turmeric 1/4 tsp
Curry spice mix from recipe above 1 tsp
Olive oil 1 tbsp
Tamarind Two pods worth ( can sub with dried
Mango powder or lime juice)
Method:
wash tuar dal 2-3 times and place in a pressure cooker along with 2 cups of water. Add rest of the ingredients except lime juice if using, give a quick mix and close the lid. Cook on medium high heat. If your cooker is one with distinct whistles, wait for 6 or 7.
If it's the kind where the weight kinda dances around, cook for about 6-7 min since the start of the dance.
Let the cooker cool enough and the pressure is all gone. Open the lid, add salt ( about 2 -3 tsp) and mix thoroughly. Also, this is the time to add lime juice ( 1/2 ounce fresh) if you are using that in place of tamarind.
You can add greens like spinach at the beginning to make spinach dal instead.
Now, it's time for Tadka:
Tadka ingredients:
Oil/ ghee
Dry chili broken into pieces 2
Mustard seeds whole 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp
Split urad dal 1 tsp
Curry leaves about 10
Minced garlic 1 tbsp
Asafetida Pinch.
In a small sauce pan, add 2 tbsp oil/ ghee and let get very hot without burning.
Add next 4 ingredients, and let fry until the white urad dal starts turning brown, now add garlic and curry leaves, fry for few seconds and lastly add asafetida and fry few more seconds. Add this whole thing to the prepared dal.
For the best Tadka, you need all the ingredients, easily found in a good Indian grocery shop.
I can post a non pressure cooker version if someone is interested.
I have never seen palak paneer before but it sounds spinachy so I think it is referred to as saag paneer over here. Is there a difference? I really want to make my own paneer, I love it. Especially inside samosas.
This is one of my favourite curry recipes. I use chicken though as I am not fond of lamb.
http://www.my-indian-food.com/Dhansak.asp
I love daal but I am really bad at cooking it so don't bother. I can never get the texture right and it burns on the bottom of the pan making it impossible to clean.
Saponista, I'm really not sure what the difference is. It is a northern indian recipe, so did not grow up w/it, but they both have spinach and paneer in them. I'm curious if someone knows, too. The Dhanksak recipe looks really delicious.
I have a go-to dhal recipe which is really easy and quick (it uses masoor dhal, the little orange lentils that do not have to be pre-soaked), you can make it in about 30 ms w/some basic ingredients. I have typed out the ingredients and process, but am winging it a little bit on amounts, I have done it so many times that when I make it I just kind of throw stuff in w/o measuring. I don't have the stuff to make it here (not in my own place at the moment), but this should be close enough to make a good dhal.
Quick and Easy Masoor Dhal
I am not sure how easy to find where masoor dhal where all of you are, but Whole Foods (high end food chain in the States) has it in their bulk section, and it is relatively cheap, even there. These are sometimes called "red lentils" but are actually orange, see https://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=AwrTcXsES99VTPIAEckunIlQ;_ylu=X3oDMTIzM2EzcGxpBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1nBG9pZAM5ODA2ZjlmYTRmNDBiMThhNWRjNmM1ZTBhNTg4YWM4ZARncG9zAzEyBGl0A2Jpbmc-?.origin=&back=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fyhs%2Fsearch%3Fp%3Dmasoor%2Bdahl%26fr%3Dyhs-mozilla-002%26fr2%3Dpiv-web%26hsimp%3Dyhs-002%26hspart%3Dmozilla%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D12&w=768&h=576&imgurl=upload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2F3%2F38%2FMasoor_dal.JPG&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fbarbariansatthekitchengate.blogspot.com%2Fp%2Fabout-dal-or-dahl.html&size=80.8KB&name=%3Cb%3EMasoor+dahl%3C%2Fb%3E+-+red+lentils&p=masoor+dahl&oid=9806f9fa4f40b18a5dc6c5e0a588ac8d&fr2=piv-web&fr=yhs-mozilla-002&tt=%3Cb%3EMasoor+dahl%3C%2Fb%3E+-+red+lentils&b=0&ni=21&no=12&ts=&tab=organic&sigr=1270v3mjv&sigb=146v89ele&sigi=11qcc70vr&sigt=110tmo6cb&sign=110tmo6cb&.crumb=P01rb0i5u88&fr=yhs-mozilla-002&fr2=piv-web&hsimp=yhs-002&hspart=mozilla
I like to use them b/c unlike most lentils, you don’t have to soak them/pressure-cook (I admit, I am afraid of pressure-cookers!), and they cook fast, you can make this recipe in less than 30 ms.
There are a billion lentil/dahl recipes in India, this is a North Indian one that a friend’s mother used to make.
Ingredients:
1 cup lentils
3 cups water
4 TB Oil
1 med. Size onion
4 cloves garlic
2 tsps cumin
2 tsps coriander
1 tspn cayenne
1 tspn salt (or to taste)
Lemon juice to taste (I use a lot, ½ of a lemon squeezed, maybe more, but you can adjust this easily w/a taste test when adding.)
Garnish w/cilantro
Process:
Put the lentils in the water, bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium until they are soft, and the mixture is kind of a mush, the water will be mostly absorbed. 15 -20 ms. Like the texture in the pic in this recipe (different one, I just wanted to show how it should look): http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/red_lentil_dal/
I like the dhal at this texture, but if you want it thinner you can add water.
While the dhal is cooking, chop the onion and garlic. Use a good sized saucepan, this is going to be the one everything ends up in. Saute the onion in the oil on high until brown (not caramelized, but soft and brown). Reduce heat to medium, add the garlic and cook until just tender, maybe a minute or so.
Add the cumin/coriander/cayenne/salt to the onion/garlic mix and sauté at medium for about 1 – 2 minutes, until everything is well mixed and you have a nice toasted/roasted scent going. The spice mix should not be too oily, but if it seems as if it is burning, add a bit of oil.
Pour the lentils into the spice mix. Adjust salt and add lemon to taste. Both are critical, they really change the dahl from being bland and meh (“why do people think this is good?”) to really good, def. some kind of serious synergy there. Cook on low for about 5 ms, until flavors have blended, and then garnish w/cilantro.
Serve w/rice and raita/yogurt sauce. This is a recipe for another day, and another w/a million variations, but I make mine with plain yogurt, finely chopped onion, finely chopped chili, diced cucumber, cilantro, salt, and a bit of lemon and oil. Also sometimes a little vinegar (that is just me, though, I don’t think I have ever seen this elsewhere, I just like the brightening effect that vinegar has.) Will come back and actually type it up later, but wanted folks to get an idea of what went well w/what.
I am not sure how easy to find where masoor dhal where all of you are, but Whole Foods (high end food chain in the States) has it in their bulk section, and it is relatively cheap, even there. These are sometimes called "red lentils" but are actually orange, see https://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=AwrTcXsES99VTPIAEckunIlQ;_ylu=X3oDMTIzM2EzcGxpBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1nBG9pZAM5ODA2ZjlmYTRmNDBiMThhNWRjNmM1ZTBhNTg4YWM4ZARncG9zAzEyBGl0A2Jpbmc-?.origin=&back=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fyhs%2Fsearch%3Fp%3Dmasoor%2Bdahl%26fr%3Dyhs-mozilla-002%26fr2%3Dpiv-web%26hsimp%3Dyhs-002%26hspart%3Dmozilla%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D12&w=768&h=576&imgurl=upload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2F3%2F38%2FMasoor_dal.JPG&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fbarbariansatthekitchengate.blogspot.com%2Fp%2Fabout-dal-or-dahl.html&size=80.8KB&name=%3Cb%3EMasoor+dahl%3C%2Fb%3E+-+red+lentils&p=masoor+dahl&oid=9806f9fa4f40b18a5dc6c5e0a588ac8d&fr2=piv-web&fr=yhs-mozilla-002&tt=%3Cb%3EMasoor+dahl%3C%2Fb%3E+-+red+lentils&b=0&ni=21&no=12&ts=&tab=organic&sigr=1270v3mjv&sigb=146v89ele&sigi=11qcc70vr&sigt=110tmo6cb&sign=110tmo6cb&.crumb=P01rb0i5u88&fr=yhs-mozilla-002&fr2=piv-web&hsimp=yhs-002&hspart=mozilla
I like to use them b/c unlike most lentils, you don’t have to soak them/pressure-cook (I admit, I am afraid of pressure-cookers!), and they cook fast, you can make this recipe in less than 30 ms.
There are a billion lentil/dahl recipes in India, this is a North Indian one that a friend’s mother used to make.
Ingredients:
1 cup lentils
3 cups water
4 TB Oil
1 med. Size onion
4 cloves garlic
2 tsps cumin
2 tsps coriander
1 tspn cayenne
1 tspn salt (or to taste)
Lemon juice to taste (I use a lot, ½ of a lemon squeezed, maybe more, but you can adjust this easily w/a taste test when adding.)
Garnish w/cilantro
Process:
Put the lentils in the water, bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium until they are soft, and the mixture is kind of a mush, the water will be mostly absorbed. 15 -20 ms. Like the texture in the pic in this recipe (different one, I just wanted to show how it should look): http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/red_lentil_dal/
I like the dhal at this texture, but if you want it thinner you can add water.
While the dhal is cooking, chop the onion and garlic. Use a good sized saucepan, this is going to be the one everything ends up in. Saute the onion in the oil on high until brown (not caramelized, but soft and brown). Reduce heat to medium, add the garlic and cook until just tender, maybe a minute or so.
Add the cumin/coriander/cayenne/salt to the onion/garlic mix and sauté at medium for about 1 – 2 minutes, until everything is well mixed and you have a nice toasted/roasted scent going. The spice mix should not be too oily, but if it seems as if it is burning, add a bit of oil.
Pour the lentils into the spice mix. Adjust salt and add lemon to taste. Both are critical, they really change the dahl from being bland and meh (“why do people think this is good?”) to really good, def. some kind of serious synergy there. Cook on low for about 5 ms, until flavors have blended, and then garnish w/cilantro.
Serve w/rice and raita/yogurt sauce. This is a recipe for another day, and another w/a million variations, but I make mine with plain yogurt, finely chopped onion, finely chopped chili, diced cucumber, cilantro, salt, and a bit of lemon and oil. Also sometimes a little vinegar (that is just me, though, I don’t think I have ever seen this elsewhere, I just like the brightening effect that vinegar has.) Will come back and actually type it up later, but wanted folks to get an idea of what went well w/what.
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B, that's how I make my no pressure cook version of tomato dal, with a little tadka of course. you should really try adding tadka to your dals, I think it takes them to a whole different level of flavor without adding too much cook time. Five min tops, if you have everything ready, which you should actually. In your version, tadka goes first in that big pan, followed by onion and the rest of things.
K, I am a bit of an imposter, since I mostly learned to cook at Maddhur Jaffrey's knee (via her book) rather than my mom's, but I am not sure exactly what tadka is exactly, is it just making the masala (guys, that is just the generic term for whatever spice mix you are making/using) and adding it kind of on top of the dhal without mixing it in and cooking it?
Saponista, you are correct. Palak is spinach. 'Saag' refers to green leafy vegetables, generally cooked dry,without gravy. ' sarson ka saag' is famous in Punjab,north India, which is cooked sarson(mustard) leaves and soft stems.
