Dal Chawal Chokha - Mummy's recipe

There are recipes that you feel only one particular person can make it that good. For me, there are many such that I associate perfection of that recipe only if its made by that person. The Rajma recipe I shared few posts back is one such. 

When I think of my mom and wonder which recipe of hers I love the best, I actually feel lost. For a child, his/her mother is always the best cook because that's the food we grow up with, that's the food we associate love and care with, that's the food we find comfort in. When I was away at hostel for 4 years, I missed mom's simplest of dishes. I would crave for a bowl of dal with a roti and a piece of mango pickle, just like how I would enjoy at home.

My mum's dal has been famous with my Bitty Mama too who would insist on this lavish meal of dal chawal chokha whenever we would visit them in Punjab. I remember how coyly we would all be seated with our plates relishing the simplest of meals with loads of lemon juice on top. Such simple lovely days. 

I first attempted making Mom like dal after marriage and it was a complete disaster. It was awful and terrible, the dal was overcooked, the tadka wasn't cooked well and I tried cooking in very very less oil. Many attempts later I still do not make it as well as she does and love to relish that simple bowl of mum made dal with my roti and pickle and on some days with the chawal and chokha. I am blessed to be living in the same city as my parents do and often find myself getting pampered with food and love. 

This Mother's day, I want to say a simple I love you to my mom who has always been by my side and, who has loved me for everything that I have done, who has been my partner in a whole lot of maniac things I keep doing. Love you Mummy. 

Ingredients : For 2 servings

Dhuli Moong Masoor dal :

• 1/4 cup dhuli moong dal (Split Skinned Green Gram)
• 1/4 cup dhuli masoor dal (Split red lentils)
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, grated
• 5-6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 " ginger, chopped
• 1-2 green chillies, chopped
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 1/2 tsp jeera (cumin seeds) 
• salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• coriander leaves for garnishing

Aloo Chokha : 

• 4-5 medium sized potatoes, boiled and mashed
• 1 onion, chopped
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp amchur powder
• 2 tbsp refined oil
• lemon juice
• coriander leaves for garnishing

Procedure : 

Dal : 

Wash and drain the dals.

Take a pressure cooker and add water. Add the dals.

Add salt and close the lid. Allow to cook for 2 whistles. 

Take ghee in a pan and add jeera, garlic, onions,  green chillies and ginger one by one. Cook till the onions brown well.

Then add grated tomatoes and cook till the masala leaves oil.

Add haldi powder and cook for a minute.

Now add the boiled dal and stir. 

Adjust salt and garnish with chopped coriander leaves. 

Aloo Chokha :

Take oil in a pan and add onions. Cook till the onions brown well.

Add the boiled and mashed potatoes and stir well. 

Add salt to taste and amchur powder. 

Sprinkle lemon juice and adjust according to your taste. 

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Serve with boiled rice and lots of fresh lemon juice sprinkled on top. 

This recipe is part of Kolkata Food Bloggers ongoing event Comfort Food where Sayantani Mahapatra of A Homemaker's diary is the featured blogger.

Happy Mum's recipe relishing

Amrita

Palak Raita

Come Winter and my list of must have's spring out from my recipe diary. My little kitchen bustles with a variety of bakes with seasonal fruits and dishes with vegetables. I start the long list with one ingredient at a time and think of various ways to use it. The fruits end up in cakes, tarts etc and the vegetables get experimented in a variety of sabzi's, soups or eaten just like that, boiled and sauteed in a little butter.
My favourite way to eat spinach leaves, raw and fresh, is in this recipe of Palak Raita. The idea came from someone who shared a salad recipe on the same lines. Since then, it is a winter ritual to have this raita at least once. 
The sight of fresh bright green Spinach leaves in the vegetable patch of our house in Allahabad made me share this simple and humble recipe. Vanya, my daughter, and me have been enjoying ourselves feasting on fresh produce from the garden.
When making be careful to choose baby spinach leaves, tender and fresh. Wash them well and just roll them, a few at a time, and very finely slice them. Do not skip the roasted cumin powder as it gives a very distinct and important flavour to the humble raita. I like my raita with a little dash of sugar to balance the taste. Skip it if you do not like. 

Spinach leaves/Palak in the vegetable patch

Ingredients : No measurements here. All ingredients are as per your taste and requirement

• Curd 
• handful of baby spinach leaves
• roasted cumin seed/jeera powder
• red chilly powder
• rock salt
• sugar

Procedure : 

Wash spinach leaves well. Take care to choose the small baby leaves. Roll the leaves and slice them as fine as possible.

Beat curd with a fork and add sugar, salt and red chilly powder. If curd is thick add milk/water to thin it.

Add spinach leaves and mix.

Roast cumin seeds on a hot griddle and then grind them. Sprinkle it on curd and mix.

Garnish with some spinach leaves and with a sprinkle of red chilly and roasted cumin powder.

Happy Palak relishing

Amrita

Crepes with Spinach Paneer filling

This Durga Puja turned out the best one for Vishal Vaanya and me as we had the lovely company of my sis-in-law and her family from Lucknow. We spent seven crazy days full of fun, non stop eating out and visiting beautiful places. It was more of a 're-discovering Kolkata' for me and I have replenished my love for the city. 

Park street, as usual, enthralled us with its beauty and I discovered some lovely restaurants there serving amazing food. Along with my niece, I enjoyed the street food served opposite Vardaan market from the famous Puchka's, Bhelpuri, Jhaalmuri and the irresistible Kulfi. With my sis-in-law, I discovered some amazing shops that I have never visited before. The Santiniketan trip was like a cherry on the cake. I was unaware that there exists such a relaxing and beautiful getaway from the city life. 
Well, everything good comes to an end and their short trip ended soon and now we are struggling to come back to our routine life. 
This particular recipe was tried a month back when I saw it on a tv show. I am a sucker when it comes to breakfast options and the fusion crepes shared on the program excited me. The healthy ingredients made the otherwise 'lazy Savoury experiment' person in me try them soon. 

I served the crepes with some balsamic vinegar and honey glazed beetroot. 

(To make them, take olive oil in a pan and add the chopped beetroot. Add balsamic vinegar, honey and soy sauce and let it cook. Adjust seasoning and serve.)

Ingredients : 

Crepes : 

• 4 tbsp all purpose flour (maida)
• 4 tbsp besan (gram flour)
• a pinch of turmeric powder and red chilli powder
• salt to taste

Filling : 

• two handfuls of spinach leaves, washed and finely chopped
• 50 gms paneer, crumbled
• 1/4 cup sweet corn kernels
• a small onion, chopped
• 1/2 tsp jeera (cumin seeds)
• 1 tbsp oil
• salt to taste

Procedure : 

Filling : 

Heat oil in a pan.

Add jeera and as it splutters, add chopped onion.

Cook for a minute and add the chopped spinach leaves.

Cook for another minute or two and then add the crumbled paneer , sweet corn kernels and salt. 

Mix and cook for another minute. 

Allow to cool.

Crepes : 

Take all purpose flour and besan in a bowl. 

Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt and mix well.

Add water, as much as required, to attain a crepe like consistency. 

Heat a non stick pan and pour a little oil.

Add a ladle full of the crepe batter and let it cook.

Turn side and allow to cook.

Remove and let it cool to touch.

Take a crepe and make a slit from the centre.

Arrange the filling on the side next to the slit in a triangular manner.

Start rolling the crepe in a triangular shape with the filling till you finish the entire circle.

You may saute the rolled crepe on the oiled pan again to give it a glaze on top. 

Happy healthy indulgence

Amrita

Yakhni Pulao-Amma's recipe

Amma's recipes have always been a hit in our amateur kitchen. 

When I got married to Vishal, I had absolutely no knowledge or interest in cooking. My only experiments were in the oven where I would occasionally bake my Mum's cake recipe. The one that I love to call Comfort cake because that is one recipe I love to fall to which always yields the best and the most yummiest cake. 

Coming back to my non-cooking days, (you see I always get carried away when it comes to Baking) I was presented a handwritten register by my very sweet Amma (mother-in-law) who wrote down some selected recipes. That register has some simple and easy recipes which comes out exceedingly well. Amma had written a note of encouragement for me where she asked me to enjoy cooking and not be afraid of it as cooking is no rocket science. These lines have lived with me through all these years and encourage me to experiment and enjoy cooking/baking. 

Amma has such a treasure of simple, tried and tested recipes that often me and Vishal call her up for suggestions. Her simple instructions and easy to follow steps yield a winner recipe each time. So when we received a call from Zee Khana Khazana, Ab har koi chef, we simply called up Amma and asked her for a recipe with rice. Yakhni Pulao was thus experimented in our kitchen which, if I may say so, was lip smacking good in our maiden attempt.

We did enjoy 3-4 attempts of the recipe before we had to appear for the show and each time relished this simple and such flavourful dish.

Yakhni is basically a word for the flavourful stock that is prepared from meat which is then used to cook the rice. The usage of fennel seeds which is predominant in Kashmiri cuisine brings out an aromatic and delicious dish. The tender meat pieces along with the stock enriched rice makes a beautiful and delicious pair. 

Ingredients - Equal amount of rice and mutton is to be used.

• 500gms of Mutton (preferably chest portions having little fat or from front raan or combination of both)
• 500 gms of rice (Basmati rice)
• 1 inch ginger
• 7 garlic cloves
• 4 tbsp coriander seeds
• 3 tbsp of fennel seeds
• Onion 4 Medium 1 Finely diced and three sliced (to fry and garnish)
• Mint Leaves (to garnish)
• Ghee 4 tbsp
• Dalchini 1” (Cinnamon stick)
• Bay leaf (Tez patta) 2 medium size
• 5 green cardamoms
• Zeera 1 tsp
• 2 whole dry red chilies
• Salt to taste

Procedure

Wash mutton pieces well.

Soak rice in water for about half an hour.

In a pan fry the sliced onions and keep it aside on a paper napkin (to be used to garnish at the end)

In a pressure cooker take water little over 1 liter and put mutton pieces in. Put salt to taste (about 2-3tbsp)

Roughly crush and break garlic and ginger using a knife

Run Coriander seeds and fennel seeds in a mixer for three to four seconds to roughly break the seeds and release the flavor.

Mix the crushed Ginger & Garlic with the roughly blended coriander and fennel seeds and tie them in a muslin cloth.

Place the muslin cloth in the pressure cooker with mutton.

After one whistle over high flame simmer and let it cook for another 10-12 min.

Strain and retain the water.

Remove the muslin cloth.

In another pressure cooker put 4 tbsp of ghee and heat.

Put the combined Zeera, Bay Leaf, Daalchini, green cardamoms, dry red chilies for few seconds till they release their flavor.

Put finely diced onions and stir till the onions just about caramelizes.

Put in the mutton cooked in the pressure cooker earlier and mix gently for a couple of minutes.

Put in the rice which was soaked in water.

Gently fold the rice and the mutton pieces together.

Pour in the retained liquid from the pressure cooker cooked with mutton earlier. Ensure that the stock liquid is twice as much as the rice quantity.

Close the lid and after the first whistle simmer and cook for 5 minutes.

Let the pressure cooker rest till the remaining steam escapes in due time.

Serve in a dish of your choice and garnish with fried onions and mint leaves.

Happy indulging

Amrita