Black urad dal khichidi

Black Urad dal with rice (khichidi)

Ingredients

One small bowl (5-6ounce) black urad dal (Soak it overnight)

Half bowl of rice (2-3 ounce) washed and soaked for at least 20mins

Two cloves

Four rounded black pepper

One red chilly cut into small pieces

Pint sized asafetida

One tsp cumin seeds

Two table spoon butter (desi ghee)

One tsp turmeric

One tsp garam masala

Red chilly powder to taste

Salt to taste

Cook the easiest way:

1. Heat the pressure cooker and put ghee into it.

     2. Put cloves, pepper, and red chilly pieces and let them fry for 5-6 seconds

    
     3. Fry cumin seeds and let them turn golden brown

     4  Now put the urad dal, rice and salt.

4. Add turmeric and red chilly powder

5. Put water (same amount as the quantity of the urad dal and rice). In this case one and a half bowl of water.

6. After one whistle, put the gas on low heat and let it cook for 5mins more. Open the cooker after 10-15mins, and add garam masala. Serve hot with yogurt and green chutney.

Sweet and Salty Pumpkin (Khatta Meetha Kaddu)

Sweet and Salty Pumpkin (khatta meetha kaddu)

Ingredients 

500gms pumpkin 

Two cloves 

Four round black pepper  

Pint sized asafoetida

One red chilly cut into four pieces 

Two table spoon vegetable oil  

One small teaspoon tsp Fenugreek seeds (Methi)

One small tsp coriander powder

One small tsp turmeric powder

One small tsp red chilly powder

One small tsp mango powder

One small tsp garam masala powder

Two table spoon sugar

Finely chopped coriander leaves

Salt to taste

Cooking the delicious way:

1. Peel off the pumpkin and cut it into small pieces. Wash it and put the chopped pumpkin into a strainer to get rid off the excess water.

2. Put oil in the pressure cooker or a non-stick pan with deep base.

3. Let it turn hot and put asafetida, cloves and the pepper into it.

4. Fry the fenugreek seeds and the chilly into the mixture. Let the seeds turn golden brown.

5. Now put the pumpkin, salt, coriander, turmeric, mango powder and sugar into the pan or the cooker.

6. In using the cooker, cover the lid and let the initial two whistles blow on high heat and then cook it on low heat for another 5-6 minutes. If using the pan cook the mixture for 10-15 minutes on low heat till the pieces become soft. Now mash the pieces.

7. Add garam masala.

8. Garnish it with green coriander and serve hot.

Masala Kathal (Jackfruit)

Ingredients:

500gms pieces of jack fruit (kathal)

Two medium sized tomatoes cut into pieces.

Two cloves

Four round pepper

I red chilly cut into pieces

Asafoetida (hing)

Two-tablespoon vegetable oil

One teaspoon cumin seeds

One teaspoon coriander powder

One teaspoon turmeric powder

Half-teaspoon garam masala

Red Chilly powder to taste

Salt to taste.

Cooking the delicious way:

1. Cut jack fruit into pieces and wash it. (Before cutting the jack fruit rub some vegetable oil into your hands to get rid of the stickiness of the vegetable). Put the chopped vegetable in a strainer to drain the excess water.

2. Heat the oil in the pan and fry asafoetida, cloves, pepper and the red chilly. Stir the mixture for some 5-10 seconds.

3. Now put the cumin seeds and let them turn golden brown.

4. Add the chopped jack fruit to the pan and saute it on low heat. Saute it till it turns golden brown too.

4. Put some salt to taste

5. Now add turmeric and coriander power. Saute for 5-7mins minutes and keep the mixture aside in a bowl.

6. In the same pan, add some vegetable oil, fry the chopped tomatoes for  4-5 minutes on low heat. Now add the jack fruit to the tomatoes.

7. Add garam masala. Fry for 5-6 minutes on low heat.

8. Garnish it with coriander and serve hot.