MOONG DAL CHEELA (YELLOW LENTILS PANCAKE)

This is a famous starter in India also and falls under the category of Chaat. It is a simple pancake and a good source of protein. Especially good for vegans as you can choose any filling, here in this recipe we have used the most popular filling of cottage cheese (Paneer).

Serves 4

Preparation Time - 15 mins 

Cooking Time - 3 - 4 mins each pancake

INGREDIENTS:

Yellow Split Lentils 1 cup
Salt to Taste
Caraway Seeds (Optional)
Oil for pan frying
Water 1 cup

For The Filing

Grated Cottage Cheese 50 gms
Fresh Coriander finely chopped 2 tsp
Ginger 1 tsp
Red Chilly Powder ½ tsp
Green Chilly finely chopped 1

METHOD:

Wash the lentils several times and soak the lentils in water for an hour. Add the lentils in a liquidiser and grind it to a paste adding little water at a time to make this in a smooth paste.

Take out the mixture in a bowl add salt and caraway seeds.

Mix all the ingredients of the filling and keep aside.

Take a non stick pan and let it heat for 5 minutes on full flame or maximum heat mark. 

Reduce the flame to half, Now Add 2 tbsp of the mixture and using a spoon try to spread it evenly in a circular motion. (Just like a pancake) 

Add oil on the edges of the lentils pancake (moong dal cheela) and little bit on the centre of it, using a small teaspoon. 

Now add the filling and distribute it evenly on top of the cheela, carefully using a wooden spatula pick the cheela from edges and fold.  Serve Hot With Coriander Chutney & Tamarind Chutney

BULGUR WHEAT SALAD

Serves 2
Preparation Time: 10 mins

INGREDIENTS

SALAD 

Bulgur wheat (daliya) 1/2 cup

Split yellow lentil (Moong) 1/2 cup

Cucumber chopped 1/2 cup

Onion chopped 2 tbsp
Capsicum chopped 2 tbsp

Roasted peanuts 2 tbsp

FOR THE DRESSING

Olive oil 2 tbsp

Lemon juice 2 tbsp

Garlic chopped 2

Salt and Pepper as per taste

METHOD

Dry roast the bulgur wheat. Wash the yellow lentil thoroughly. In a cooker add water just to cover the bulgur wheat and yellow lentil, pressure cook  for about 3 to 4 mins. Just one whistle and close the flame. Release the steam and let the mixture cool.

In a bowl mix rest of the ingredients and add the bulgur wheat and lentils. Mix all the ingredients of the dressing in a bowl and mix well with the salad just before serving.

DAL MAKHNI

Preparation Time: 1 hour

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

Whole Black Gram (Sabut Urad)1 cup
Red kidney beans 2 tbsp
Tomato 2 medium
Tomato purée 5 tbsp
Ginger 1.5 inch
Garlic 2 cloves
Green chilly 1

DAL MAKHNI

Black Cardamom 1
Bay leaf 2
Cinnamon 1 stick of about 1.5 inch
Clove 1

Cumin seeds 1 tbsp
Asafoetida (hing) a pinch
Red chilly powder 1 tsp
Garam Masala 1tsp
Clarified butter (Ghee) 1 tsp
Milk 1 cup
Cream 1 tbsp (optional)
Butter 1tbsp
Whole red chilly 1
Chopped Coriander for garnish

METHOD

In a bowl mix the lentils and red kidney beans, wash thoroughly and then soak this mixture with enough water overnight. 

Wash the lentils once agin and drain the excess water. In a pressure cooker  add the lentils mixture and 4 cups of water. (It should roughly be double the level of lentils).

Add 1 tsp salt, bay leaf and black cardamom. Bring it to boil and pressure cook for 10 mins on full flame and  about 15 mins on slow flame.

In a pan put the clarified butter, cumin seeds let it crackle add the cinnamon, clove, garlic, chilly, ginger and asafoetida. Put this Mixture in a liquidiser along with the tomatoes and blend to a smooth paste.

Put this mixture back in a pan and add red chilly powder let it cook on a slow flame till the oil separates. Open the cooker and check if the lentil is properly cooked. Take out the bay leaf and black cardamom and throw it.

Add the tomato mix to the lentils and then add the tomato purée. Let it cook for 10 minutes on slow flame then add milk cook for another 10 mins. Put the cream and add the garam masala and stir.

Just before serving heat the butter add the whole red chilly, heat for about 30 secs and put it on the dal. Garnish with green coriander and serve hot.

BAGEL DELIGHT

Preparation Time : 5 minutes
Serves 2

BAGEL DELIGHT

INGREDIENTS

Bagel 2
Pizza Sauce 2 tbsp
Butter 1tsp
Grated Cheese 2 tbsp
Jalapeno Chopped 1 tbsp
Red Peppers Chopped 1 tbsp
Salt & Pepper to taste
Oregano (Optional)

METHOD

Cut the bagel from between, so that you have two semi circles.

Put 1 tbsp of pizza sauce at the bottom half and 1/2 tsp of butter on the top half.

On the bottom half now put the cheese, jalapeno, red pepper and season with salt pepper and oregano.

Place the top half and grill it for about 2 to 3 mins. Serve Hot with Chips. 

SOOJI HALWA

This is an Indian sweet dish made in clarified butter(GHEE). Very popular during the navratri or and other religious festivals.

Preparation Time 20 mins

Serves 4

SOOJI HALWA SERVED WITH POORI & CHANA

INGREDIENTS

Ghee (Clarified Butter) 1/2 cup 

Sooji (Semolina) 1 cup

Sugar 1 Cup

Water 4 Cups

Cardamom powder 1/2 tsp(Optional) 

GARNISHING

Few chopped almonds 

METHOD

Take a pan. Add ghee & sooji and saute on low flame until it turns golden brown in colour.

Take another pan, Add sugar & water & cardamom.Keep it on full flame until the sugar gets completely dissolved.

Now add this sugar syrup to roasted suji & keep it on gas for 3 min until the water is absorbed by the suji.

Now Halwa is ready to eat.Garnish it with almonds.Serve Hot as a sweet dish or with Poori and Chana.

BOILED RICE

INGREDIENTS

Preparation Time 20 minutes.

RICE

Serves 2

Basmati Rice 1 cup

Water 2 cups

Oil 1 teaspoon

METHOD

Wash the rice and soak it in water for 10 minutes.

Drain the water from the rice.

In a pan add 2 cups of water, Oil and Rice bring to a boil and cover the lid for 10 minutes. 

Serve hot.

MALAI KOFTA

INGREDIENTS

MALAI KOFTA

Preparation Time 30 mins

Serves 2 to 3

FOR THE KOFTA

Cottage Cheese (Paneer) 1 cup grated

Boiled Potatoes 2

Green Chilly 1 chopped

Cornflour 1 teaspoon

Green Cardamom Powder a pinch

Almonds 4 

Salt to taste

FOR THE CURRY

Onion 1 Medium sized

Tomatoes 3 medium sized

Green Chilly 1slit

Ginger 2 inch Piece

Garlic Clove 2

Water half cup

Green Cardamom 2

Butter 1 teaspoon

Salt to taste

Sugar a pinch

Red Chilly Powder 1/2 teaspoon

Coriander Powder 1/2 teaspoon

Fennel (Saunf) Powder 1 teaspoon

Garam Masala 1/4 teaspoon.

Cream or Milk 3 tablespoons

Kastoori Methi (Optional)

Chopped fresh coriander for garnish.

METHOD

In a bowl Mash the potatoes and mix it with cottage cheese, green chilly, almonds, salt and cornflour. Make it into small oval shape as seen in the picture.

Heat the oil in a pan, once the oil is hot deep fry these koftas on medium heat till golden brown and take them out on an absorbent paper.

Roughly chop the onions and tomatoes. In a cooker add the chopped onion, tomatoes, green Chilly, ginger, garlic and cardamom and half cup of water.

Pressure cook for 10 minutes, then open the cooker and blend all the ingredients to a puree. Then strain this gravy through a sieve.

In another pan add butter and this gravy bring to a boil, simmer and add red chilly powder, coriander powder, saunf powder, garam masala, sugar and salt. After 5 minutes add 2 tablespoons of Cream or Milk and simmer and cook for another 5 minutes. Your curry is ready now.

Add the koftas just before serving and heat for 2 -3 minutes. Serve hot with Roti, Naan or Lachha Paratha.

TIP : You can make the same gravy and just add cottage cheese for a quick recipe of Shahi Paneer.

MATAR ALOO CURRY

INGREDIENTS

Preparation Time 25 mins 

Serves 2

MATAR ALOO CURRY

Potatoes 2(medium size)
Peas 100 gms
Tomato 1 (Grind it to a paste)
Onion 1 (Grind it to a paste)
Green Chilly 1 Chopped
Cumin Seeds 1 tsp
Ginger Grated 1 tsp
Garlic Chopped 1 tsp
Coriander Powder 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder 1/2 tsp
Red Chilly Powder 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala 1/2 tsp
Oil / Ghee 1 tsp
Water 1 Cup
Salt to taste
Fresh Corriander For Garnish

METHOD

Peel the skin of the potatoes and dice them. In a pan add the oil, when it is heated add Cumin, let it crackle. Then add the paste of 1 onion, ginger, garlic and green chilly, saute it for 3 mins.

Now add the tomato paste and saute for another 3 to 4 mins.Turn the heat to the minimum and add red chilly turmeric and coriander powder saute it and add the potatoes and peas.

After a minute add the water, salt and garam masala, increase the heat to full flame and  close the pressure cooker.

Allow 1 whistle and then simmer for 5 minutes. Close the heat and allow the steam to release.  Garnish and Serve it hot with Chapati, Poori or  Boiled Rice.

MATAR KULCHA

The following recipe is very popular in India and a good substitute for choley. The white chickpeas called Matar can be sourced from any Indian / Asian store.

Preparation Time 35 to 40 mins

Serves 2 

INGREDIENTS

MATAR 

Matar (white chickpeas) 1 cup 

Water 4 cups

Bay leaf 1

Salt 1 tsp

Black Salt 1/2 tsp

Roasted Cumin (Jeera)  Powder 1/2 tsp

Red Chilly Powder 1/2 tsp

Coriander Powder 1/2 tsp

Chaat Masala (I used Shan) 1 tsp

Lemon Juice 1 tbsp

Imli Powder 1 tsp (Optional ) 

FOR THE GARNISH:

Chopped Onion 1 (medium size)

Chopped Tomato 1 (medium size)

Green Chilly 1 (Finely Chopped)

Chopped Coriander 1 tbsp

Grated or Julienne Ginger 1tbsp

Roasted Cumin Seeds a pinch

Green Chutney 2 tbsp (Optional ) 

METHOD

1. Soak the white chickpeas overnight or at least for 6 hours. Wash thoroughly and drain the water. In a pressure cooker, Add the chickpeas, Salt and Bay leaf. Close the lid and Leave it on full flame for 5 minutes, then simmer for another 15 - 20 minutes.
2. Let it stand for 15 minutes for the steam to escape, check if the matar is soft , remove the bay leaf and slow cook till the water is evaporated. Now close the gas and add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. 
3. Add all the ingredients for garnishing and eat hot with Kulche or Naan.

BHATURA

INGREDIENTS:

Plain Flour (Maida) 2 cups

Semolina (Sooji) 1 tbsp

Curd 3 tbsp

Oil 1 tbsp

Salt ½ tsp

Sugar ¼ tsp

Drinking Soda to knead into a dough

Oil for deep frying

METHOD: 

1.   In a large bowl mix maida, salt, oil, sugar and semolina.

2.      Then add curd with the help of drinking soda make a tight dough.

3.      Cover with the damp cloth  and leave it to rest for 2 – 3hours.

4.      Make small balls round in shape of  the dough and leave for another 15 mins.

5.      Take a small ball one at a time and with the help of rolling pin roll them into a thick oval shaped roti.

6.      In a heavy bottomed pan put some oil let it heat on full flame. Make sure the oil is hot by putting a very small amount of dough if it puffs immediately means the oil is ready.

7.       Once the oil is hot reduce flame to medium flame. Then put the rolled out bhatoora one at a time in the oil. 

8.      Press from the back of the ladle to help it puff. Flip to the other side till its nice golden brown in color from both the sides.

9.      Take out on an absorbent paper to remove the excess oil.


10.  Serve hot with White Chickpeas Curry (Choley).