Flavours Of India

Protein rich pulses are a must in the Indian meal because they offer much of the nutritional material required for the upkeep of our body system at a lower cost-they are substantially cheaper than meats. you will find all variety of pulses, here in India, from whole to spilt pulses like sabat urad (whole black gram), chana dal (spilt Bengal gram) with or without skin, lentils like arhar dal (red gram) and dried beans like rajma (kidney beans).listed below are some delicious recipes made from such pulses which forms a very part of Indian culture.

Tuvar dal (red gram) in Gujarati style

Ingredients:
7 cups water;1 ½ cups oily red gram washed;1 tsp turmeric powder;5 ½ tsp salt;1 tsp red chili powder;1 ½ tbsp coriander powder;65 gms jaggery crushed;1 medium chopped tomato;5 green chilies slit;7 pieces cocum washed;2 tbsp coriander leaves chopped

For tempering:
2 tbsp vegetable oil;1 tsp mustard seeds; ½ tsp cumin seeds;2 whole dry red chilies; 1 sprig curry leaves ;1 large pinch of asafetida

Method:

1. Pour 4 cups water into cooker. Add red gram, turmeric powder and salt. Stir once.

2. Close cooker. Bring to full pressure on high heat. Reduce heat and cook for 3 minutes.

3. Remove cooker from heat. Allow to cool naturally.

4. Open cooker. Mash dal well with back of a ladle to blend with liquid.

5. Place cooker with dal on high heat. Add remaining water (3 cups) and all other ingredients except those for tempering.

6. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

7. For tempering, heat oil in a pan for about 1 minute. Add mustard and cumin seeds. When crackling, add red chilies, curry leaves and asafetida. Stir for a few seconds and pour over dal. Stir and serve hot.

Sambhar

Ingredients:
11/2 tbsp vegetable oil;6 whole dry red chilies;3 whole dry red chilies(Kashmiri);1 tbsp Bengal rgam;1 cm. piece asafetida;1/2 cup grated coconut grated;2 sprigs curry leaves;1/4 cup coriander seeds;1/2 tsp cumin seeds;1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds;5 ½ cups water;1 cup red gram washed;1/2 tsp turmeric powder;4 tsp salt;25 gms tamarind soaked in 1 cup hot water for 15 minute and pulp extracted; 1 medium onion chopped into 5 pieces;2 drumsticks peeled and cut into 5cm.long pieces

For tempering:
2 tbsp vegetable oil; 1/2 tsp mustard seeds

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan for about 1 minute and roast together whole chilies, Bengal gram,asafetida,coconut,1 sprig curry leaves, coriander, cumin and fenugreek seeds till coconut turns golden brown.

2. Grind roasted ingredients into a paste, adding a little water (1/2 cup) from time to time. Now pour 3 cups water into cooker. Add red gram, turmeric powder and salt. Stir once. Close cooker .bring to complete pressure on high heat. Reduce heat and cook for 4 minutes. Then remove cooker from heat .allow to cool naturally.

3. Open cooker. Mash dal completely with black of a ladle to blend with liquid. Add round paste, tamarind pulp, onion, drumsticks, remaining curry leaves (1 sprig) and water (2 cups).stir once.

4. Close cooker. Bring to full pressure on high heat. Remove cooker immediately from heat. Reduce pressure by placing cooker in a basin of cold water for about 2 minutes. Open cooker.

5. For tempering, heat oil in a pan with mustard seeds, when they starts to crackle, pour into sambhar. Stir and serve hot