Maa ki daal (simpler version)

Since I always look for shortcuts to good tasting food, I like this dish which takes under 45 minutes to make, and tastes divine with rotis. Here we go:

Ingredients:

1. Urad dal (split) with husk- 1/2 a cup
2. chana dal - 1/2 a cup
3. tumeric powder- - 1/2tsp
4. chilli powder - 1tsp
5. Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
6. Salt - 1 tsp
   

For Tadka or seasoning:

1. Tomatoes medium (finely chopped) - 2
   
2. Green chillies (finely chopped) - 2
3. Onion large(finely chopped)- 1
   
4. Ghee (clarified butter)- 2 tablespoons

For Garnish:

1. Butter - 1 dollop
2. Coriander(finely chopped) - a few leaves

Preparation:

Soak the dals together for an hour if possible(I found that it tastes okay, even if you can't soak it prior also. Since this website is all about making dinner quick-fixes, do it only if you have the time, half an hour also should do). Then pressure cook them with enough water with the green chillies, salt and turmeric.

Method:

Heat the ghee in a separate pan, add the chopped onions and fry them until they are slightly browned. Add the chopped tomatoes and let them cook for a while until the ghee starts separating. Add the garam masala powder. Now mix the seasoning with the cooked dals and let them all simmer for about 10 minutes.Check the seasoning and add some more salt if required.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with a dollop of butter or cream with nans/rotis/chapatis/bread(Yes, It tastes yum with bread, making rotis is a pain after office hours). Mmmm... its going to be finger-licking good.

P.S: The taste of the food varies from cook to cook. The honest wish to really please someone has its roots in the amount of patience and care you invest in the preparation of any dish. That's why there is a saying that " Mom cooks with love, so it tastes so good" evolved. Cooking, like poetry or any other art is an expression of love. So all the men and women out there, if you can express love without hurting your partner's feelings, then, it goes without saying that you can also cook very well.

Please watch the video of dal makhni (which looked unpalatable to me.) Those huge tomato pieces for seasoning were so annoying. Now a days everyone is out with a cooking video, whether their recipe is good or otherwise.

Dosas(pan-cakes) with Wheat flour

This is a very great dinner quick-fix in my house which also has a variation(which is discussed further down). The ingredients can be proportionately increased to cater to second and third servings also.


Ingredients: makes about 8-10 dosas

1. Wheat Flour- 1 cups
2. Cumin seeds- 2 tsps
3. Finely chopped onion - 1 small
4. Finely chopped green chillies - 2
5. Finely sliced capsicum - 1(optional)
   
6. Salt - 1/2 tsp
7. Grated carrot - 1(optional)
8. Vegetable oil- about a tsp/dosa
   

Preparation:

Combine the wheat flour, cumin seeds, chopped onions, green chillies, salt and carrot grate in a bowl with about 2 cups or more of water as you stir. Let it become a thin batter without any lumps. Check for saltiness, and add more if you wish. (Since wheat flour is sweetish in taste, it does require a little more salt, usually.)

Method:

On a non-stick pan, spread out about a ladle full of batter and leave any little gaps or unfilled holes in the spread out dosa. It helps in getting crispier ones, if you add a few drops of oil in there. Let the dosa get roasted on high flame, and add a few drops of oil around the dosa. This type of dosa doesn't actually need a lot of oil and I manage to make one with about half a tsp. or less per dosa. Turn it and let it roast on the other side as well. If you remove it quickly it will be soft to eat, but to me the crispier one is the favorite.
You can serve it up with any chutney or pickle and is really is fast to cook and good to eat. I make about 2 every 4 or 5 minutes(they take a wee it longer than the rice varieties) , with two pans on the stove.
This mix can stay in the fridge, but the fresh one always absorbs less oil, so mix only as much as you need.



The Sweet Variation

Ingredients: makes about 8-10 dosas

1. Wheat Flour- 1 cup
2. Salt - 1/2 tsp
3. Sugar - 1/3 a cup
4. Grated carrot - 1(optional)
5. Ghee or clarified butter/vegetable oil- 1 tsp per dosa

Preparation:

This one is also very simple, just add everything together in a bowl and stir, breaking any lumps. Make the dosas with ghee if your kids love its aroma. They will love them(we are guilty creatures with so many diet restrictions, right?), so much that every time you can't think of anything better for them, you can make this offer.