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.

Dinner Quick-fix Recipe#2- Cauliflower Bake

I always love to prepare my little one's fave food.
And this is cauliflower with a twist in using the usual bechamel sauce and is really yummy, for those who love the taste of cheese.

Ingredients: Serves 2 (when accompanied with brown bread)

1. Cauliflower- (separated into small segments), blanched, about 2 cups
2. Onion -1/2 (very finely chopped)
   
3. Parmesan Cheese -1/2 cup or Milkman/Amul cheese slices - 4
4. Butter - 2 tablespoons
   
5. Milk -2 cups
   
6. Cornflour - 2 tablespoons
7. Salt- according to taste
   
8. Pepper -Freshly ground

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium-low heat until it melts. Then add the chopped onions and fry them till they are translucent.
2. 
   
3. Add the blanched cauliflower.
4. 
   
5. Meanwhile, heat the milk in a separate pan until just about to boil. Add the hot milk to the butter mixture 1 cup at a time, and bring to a boil.
6. 
   
7. In a cup, mix the cornflour with 2 tablespoons of milk and add it to the above mixture.
8. 
   
9. Cook for about 6-10 minutes, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens. Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with the grated cheese/slices.
10. 
    
11. Remove from heat and put a lid on the mixture, allowing the cheese to melt.
12. 
    
13. Serve with brown/white sandwich bread or layer it between buns. You can have it without the bread as well.
    

Do you have the right knife?

Have you seen Chinese dishes with fine juliennes of vegetables? The salads and curries have the most innovative cuts in expensive restaurants. I believe that the taste of the vegetable varies according to the cut of the vegetable. I personally like to cut vegetables very finely which resulted in tastier food. A dish according to me is as good as its cut.

I have always made it a point that I used good quality kitchen knives and chopping boards. I have of course injured my fingers, chopped off well manicured nails and still managed to come up with my tasty main course. I think every person who cooks should understand the importance of good quality instruments. Firstly it is best to invest in knives which suit our lifestyle, rather than buy a whole set of unwanted knives. A few must haves for a beginner are as follows: (specialized knives according to your budget can be added on later)

• A good quality all-purpose chef's knife, which has a good quality blade.
• A pairing knife: which is a small knife with 3 to 5 inches straight, thin, narrow blade which tapers at the tip. It is easy for peeling and coring foods or mincing and cutting small ingredients, such as shallots, garlic or fresh herbs.
• A utility knife: A small lightweight knife for miscellaneous light cutting and has a straight-edge blade or a serrated blade that is 4 to 7 inches long, used for cutting cucumbers, larger apples, smaller squash, and other mid-sized items. I double this knife with serrated edge as a bread knife.
• Tomato Knife: A serrated edged knife used to slice food that has a tough exterior and a softer middle, such as tomatoes.
  
• My favorites are a heavy cleaver (to chop) and a boning knife as I cook meats. A boning knife will typically have a long narrow blade for ease of manipulation around bones and makes life easy.
  
• A scissors, a good quality grater and a mixer are other essentials.

How to choose a good knife?

• Be sure to pick up the knife and see how the handle feels in your hand. It should have a good grip and balanced. Ideally, a heavy knife will require less effort when slicing and chopping.

• Consider the type of blade and blade edge the knife has and the care and maintenance involved. Some blades will require frequent sharpening and some professional sharpening, it is better to invest in a knife which guarantees a sharp edge even if it expensive.
  

Checkout the following links to get tips about buying good knives.
http://www.recipetips.com/kitchen-tips/t--1075/types-of-kitchen-knives.asp#construction

http://www.recipetips.com/glossary-term/t--38255/knife-sharpener.asp

Happy Cooking!!!:-)

Create your own salad Bar

Back home after a tired day...The ready made food is either too fattening or boring. Most of the salads and preparations on the net are either non-veg or are un-appealing to our Indian tongue. For those of you who are in the same situation as me, then I have a few quick fixes which are just fine. These can double as a meal by themselves.

Equip your Salad Bar with the following:

Create your own salad bar at home by stocking a few cucumbers (or kheeras as they are known in Hindi). A cabbage, red one is preferable. (These are widely available in Namdharis, Food World and Reliance Fresh kind of supermarkets.) Broccoli, Cherry tomatoes, Pickled Olives(green or black or stuffed), harkot beans, some Iceberg Lettuce, baby carrots, potatoes, pineapple slices and frozen peas.

You also need

A bottle of Eggless Sandwich spread mayonnaise (Funfoods, India)
Some ground pepper
Olive oil

Recipe #1

Ingredients Needed Serves: 1 (for dinner)
2(for entrée )

• Iceberg Lettuce(torn into shreds)
  
• Broccoli florets (a cup)
• Peas (a handful)
• Carrots(about 1/2 cup)
  
• Red cabbage(1/2 cup finely shredded)
• 10 Black or green olives(cut into halves)
• 2 pineapple slices cut into cubes
• 2 tablespoons of Egg-less Mayonnaise
  
• salt
  

Preparation:

1. Boil about a liter of water until it starts bubbling and add 1/2 a tsp of salt.
   
2. Add the thawed peas, carrots and broccoli florets
   
3. Wait a minute and remove the vegetables.
4. Drain the water let it cool.

Recipe:

Combine all the vegetables in a bowl and toss them together with olive oil and mayonnaise.
And the portion is very filling and full of anti-oxidants that you'll have a glow on your cheek if you can eat them every night...