Muli Dal Paneer

One day when I opened my fridge found some leftover cottage cheese and a horse raddish, and was really confused how to utilize them. Then it suddenly struck in my mind to combine them with daland made this Muli Dal Paneer for dinner. The key ingredient of this recipe is Motor dal or Yellow split peas that is known to be a rich source of fibre and protien as well as minerals like phosphrus and potassium. This is tasty as well as health friendly.

Ingredients (4 servings):

• Yellow split peas( matar dal), 1 cup or 200 gm
• Cottage cheese or paneer, 150 gm
• Horse raddish, 1
• Coriander leaves, 1 handfull, chopped
• Onion, 1, sliced
• Garlic cloves, 4
• Ginger, 1"
• Coriander powder, 2 tsp
• Garam masala powder, 1 and 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder, 1 tsp
• Mango powder(Amchoor powder), 1 tsp
• Green chillies, 4-5
• Bay leaf, 1
• Whole dry red chilli, 1
• Green cardamom, 2
• Cinnamon, 1"
• Mustard oil, 4 tbsp ( you may use Soybean oil)
• Salt to taste 
• Sugar, 2 tsp

Methods:

In a cooker add 1 and 1/2 cup water and dal and pressure cook peas with 3 whistles.  Wait for the pressure inside to release.Then open the lid and mash dal a little using a manual hand blender or a spatula.

Slice raddish and shallow fry in oil till they turn soft. Seasone with a pinch of salt. Keep them aside.

Blend together garlic, ginger, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder, mango popwder and keep them aside. In a pan hat oil and temper the oil with bay leaf, red chilli, cinnamon and cardamoms. Let them release flavour and then add sliced onion. Saute them for a minute and seasone them with a pinch of salt.  Now as they start turning light brown add blended spices and then again saute for 2-3 minutes. Add sugar and salt according to your taste. 

Add 4 tbsp water and let the spices release oil. Slice paneer and add. Toss them in spices. Now add precooked dal and green chillies and combine with spoces. cook untill it turns thick . Now discard bay leaf and remove from flame and combine chopped coriander leaves.

Serve hot with Roti or steamed rice.

Badhakopir Dalna aka Cabbage Curry

Ingredients (6 servings):

• Cabbage,1, large, shredded
• Potao, 2, cut into small cubes
• Green peas, 2 handfull
• Green chillies, 4, slit from middle
• Ginger, 1"
• Coriander powder, 2 tsp
• Cumin powder, 1 and 1/2 tsp
• Garam masala powder, 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder, 1 and 1/2 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Sugar, 1 and 1/2 tsp
• Whole dry red chilli,1
• Bay leaf, 1
• Cinnamon, 1"
• Mustard oil

Methods:

Pressure cook shredded cabbage and if the whole cabbage doesn't fit in one cooker, cook them in batch. Never fill a cooker more than 2/3rd of it's capacity.You do not need to lock the lid. Just cover the cooker wth the lid.

Cube potatoes and shallow fry them. Keep them aside.
In a pan heat oil and temper with bay leaf, whole dry red chilli cinnamon stick, cardamoms and allow them to release flavour.
Blend ginger and all the powdered spices together, add into oil and saute for a minute. Add green chillies, salt to taste, sugar and green peas.
After a minute add steamed cabbage and cook untill the excess water is absorbed and the cabbage changes colour. This may take upto 5 minutes. Spread 1 tsp ghee to add in aroma, though it's optional. Remove form flame.

Serve with steamed rice, luchi, roti, paratha.

You may also try:

Fulkopir dalna

Ghugni

Pink Lentil Fritters aka Musoor Dal er Bora

In my childhood days when it used to come to a niramish din(the day when people are supposed to eat vegetarian food only) at our home, my ma used to cook dal and rice on some 'no non-veg' days and I hated eating dal and rice that time. Then it was only musoor dal er bora that she made to make me convince to finish my meal. 

Though now I prefer regular dal rice in most of the days as I do not crave for spicy or junk foods untill I am really bored and also my love for these moong dal fritters still remains the same.

Specially in hot Summer days the combination of Plain steamed rice, musoor dal sedho(Pink lentil cooked with salt, sugar, turmeric powder, green chillies and added few drops of mustard oil after it is cooked) and Musoor dal er bora brings heaven for me.

Ingredients(8 fritters):

1. Musoor dal(Pink lentil), 1/2 cup
2. Onion, 1 : chopped
3. Green chillies,2
4. Kalo jeera(Nigella seeds), 2 tsp
5. Salt to taste
6. Sugar, 2 tsp
7. Turmeric powder, 2 tsp
8. Mustard oil, 8 tbsp

Methods:

Soak dal for 30 minutes and then blend dal and green chillies into a smooth paste. Use 3 tbsp water for that.

I can't take to bite green chillies. So, I blended them . You can add chopped green chillies if you want.

Mix all other ingredients and 1 tbsp mustard oil with the paste and set aside fo 10 minutes.

In a pan heat oil and as the smoke comes out take some mixture in your hand and slide into oil. Fry the sides till they are golden brown. Keep the flame at mid-point.

Remove from oil and serve hot with rice and dal or just like that.

Cheese Envelopes

Movie/ Party with friends = Snacking. Experimented with some left over cottage cheese and sorted Indian spices to make a crunchy party snack. It was an weekend evening and my ma demanded for some snack to boost up the windy, rainy atmosphere of monsoon that complemented a scheduled movie we watched that evening.

Ingredients(8 servings):

1. Cottage cheese, 100 gm
2. Boiled Potato, 1, large 
3. Green peas, 1 handfull
4. All purpose flour, 1 cup
5. Chopped coriander leaves, 2 tbsp
6. Green chillies, neatly chopped, 1 tbsp
7. Garlic cloves, neatly chopped, 1/2 tbsp
8. Red chilli powder, 2 tsp
9. Coriander powder, 2 tsp
10. Salt to taste
11. Sugar, 3 tsp
12. Refined oil ( vegetable oil is appropiate for deep frying, like I used Soybean oil)

Methods:

Combine flour, 1 tsp salt, 2 tsp sugar, 4 tbsp oil and knead into dough.

For stuffing in a pan heat 4 tbsp oil . Add chopped garlic first and then boiled potato, green peas, all the powdered spices, chopped green chillies, salt to taste and 1 tsp sugar. After sauteing for a minute add small cubed paneer and coriander leaves. Combine well and remove from flame.

Make small balls out of dough and roll each of them into 3' diameter. Place 1 tbsp stuffing in the centre, First fold one edge to other side to form semi-circle and then fold both the sides to the centre to shape like an envelope.

In a pan heat enough oil for deep frying. Slide the envelopes into oil and fry till they are golden brown.

Serve with tomato ketchup or your favourite dips.

Fulkopir Dalna

It's winter and fulkopir dalna is a must recipe Bengali people make. Fulkopi-s(Cauliflowers) are cheap and fresh during this season and people tend to make this dalna or fulkopi aloo posto. 

Its aromatic and the nice curry goes with vat(steamed rice) as well as with ruti, luchi or paratha.

Ingredients(4 servings):

1. Cauliflower, 1 large
2. Potato, 2
3. Onion, 2
4. Garlic cloves, 5
5. Ginger, 1"
6. Cumin powder, 1/2 tbsp
7. Coriander powder, 1 tbsp
8. Mango powder, 2 tsp
9. Kashmiri red chilli powder, 2 tsp
10. Garam masala powder, 3 tsp
11. Whole dry red chilli, 1
12. Bay leaf, 1
13. Cumin seeds, 1 tsp
14. Salt to taste
15. Sugar, 1 tsp
16. Mustard oil
17. Curd, 1 tbsp
18. Ghee, 1 tsp

**Curd has been added to minimize the oil quantity and to develop the curry thickness.

Methods:

Seperate florests and boil them in water for 2 minutes, cut potatoes as shown above in the picture. Fry them till turn soft.

 Season the vegetables with a pinch of salt while frying. Keep the flame lower.

Blend onion, ginger, garlic and powdered spice together.

Heat 4 tbsp oil. Temper the oil with bay leaf, whole dry red chilli and cumin seeds. As the smoke comes out add blended spices. Add salt to taste and sugar. After sauteing for a minute add curd and let the oil seperate.

Add fried potato cubes and cauliflower. Cook them in spices for 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of water and wait till the curry thickens.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Dalia Khichdi

A Broken Wheat preparation perfect for breakfast and low fat diet.

Ingredients(4 servings):

1. Dalia(Broken wheat) , 100 gm
2. Moong dal, 50 gm
3. Ginger paste, 1 tbsp
4. Garam masala powder, 2 tsp
5. Green chillies, 2-3
6. Salt to taste
7. Turmeric powder, 1 tsp
8. Sugar, 1 tsp ( to balance the acidity of food)
9. Mustard oil, 2 tbsp 

Usually mustard oil is used to make khichdi , but you can use olive oil/ soybean oil.

Garam masala powder is actually roasted and powdered cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaf, cloves, Black cumin seeds. All these ingredints are known to increase metabolism that in turn burns body fat.

Methods:

Clean dalia and dal, marinate with salt, sugar, turmeric powder, garam masala powder for 10 minutes.

In a pan heat oil. Temper with red chilli and cumin seeds. As the smoke comes out add marinated broken wheat and stir for a minute. Add green chillies and 2 cups water. Lower the flame and allow the dalia to turn soft.

You can cook in pressure cooker. The process will remain some. Turn off the flame after 2 whistles. This takes less time to cook than in kadhai or pan.

Serve hot.

Chanar Dalna

In Bengal people also say it 'Paneerer torkari'. Chanar Dalna is made of 'chana', largely known as Paneer or Cottage Cheese. When it comes to vegeterian menu in a Bengali household , Chanar dalna becomes an obvious choice. Cottage Cheese cooked in bengali style 'torkari' (Curry) added with some aromatic Bengali spices.

Ingredients(4 servings):

1. Paneer(Cottage cheese), 200 gm
2. Potato, 4 medium
3. Cumin Powder, 1 tbsp
4. Coriander Powder, 1 tbsp
5. Garam masala powder,2 tsp
6. Kashmiri red chilli powder, 1 tsp (Optional)
7. Mango Powder(amchur)/Lime juice, 2 tsp
8. Turmeric powder, 2 tsp
9. Salt to taste
10. Sugar, 1 tsp
11. Whole dry red chilli, 1
12. Bay leaf, 1
13. Cumin seeds, 1 tsp
14. Ginger, 1 and 1/2"
15. Green chillies, 4-5
16. Ghee(Indian clarified butter),  2 tsp
17. Curd, 1 tbsp
18. Mustard oil, 5-6 tbsp

Methods:

Cut Potatoes into medium cubes and Paneer also. Fry them seperately. Make surethat the potatoes are soft and paneer cubes are evenly golden brown . Marinate paneer cubes with 1 tsp turmeric powder and a pinch of salt before frying. Leave 2-3 cheese cubes to use later.

Heat oil and temper with whole dry red chilli, bay leaf and cumin seeds. Blend ginger, cumin and coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, mango powder together and add into oil. After a minute of sauteing add curd, green chillies and crush the remaining cottage cheese cubes. Add salt to taste and sugar. Cook for a minute. Let the oil seperate from spices.

When the oil seperates, add potato cubes and cook in spices for 2 mins. Add 2 cups of water. Bring it to boil and add paneer cubes. As soon as the gravy thickens (it will not too much thick gravy) sprinkle ghee and a pinch of garam masala powder.

*If you are using lime juice instead of mango powder, add after removing from flame.

NOTE-If you are using homemade paneer marinate them with 2 tsp of cornflour powder and fry them oil and also add into curry before removing from flame as they tend to be softer compared to shopmade paneer. This prevents them from breaking.

Serving suggestions- Steamed rice, Luchi, Ruti.