Kali Dal (Black gram whole)

Kali Dal (Black gram whole)

Whole Black gram dal (urad dal) is very famous in Punjabi Cuisine and a main ingredient of dal Makhani. As we all know dal makhani is a combination of urad dal and rajma but this one is my mom's recipe she use to make only kali dal. This one is prepared in a traditional way which involves low flame cooking for an hour or two. The more it is cooked, more creamy it becomes and more tasty ... my mom serves this with Mint (pudina) parantha, butter and of course topped with lots of love and affection.... 

Preparation Time : 30 Min

Cooking Time : 50 Min

Dal Soaking Time : over night or 8 hours

Ingredients :

• 1 Cup black dal (whole urad dal)
• 2 Tablespoon chopped ginger
• 2 Tablespoon Chopped garlic
• 2 Green chilly chopped
• 1 Small onion (optional)
• 3 Medium size tomato
• 1 Teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 Bay leaves
• 1 Teaspoon Turmeric powder
• Pinch of hing (Asafoetida)
• 2 Tablespoon Pure ghee
• 1 Teaspoon coriander powder
• Salt according to taste
• Red chilly powder according to taste
• 2 Tablespoon butter
• 2 Tablespoon chopped Coriander leaves

Procedure :

• Take black dal wash and soak in 4 to 5 cups of water for 8 hours or overnight 
• Now take a pressure cooker add soaked dal along with 1 tablespoon of chopped ginger, garlic, salt and turmeric powder and cook this for 40 -45 minutes on medium flame or till it is completely cooked
• Now take a pan, add pure ghee, once heated add cumin seed, hing, chopped ginger, garlic, green chillies, bay leaves and saute it for 2 minutes

• Now add tomato onion puree to this (In a mixer add tomato and onion and blend them nicely till it forms a puree)

• Cook it nicely on low flame till the pan leaves the oil. Now add Coriander powder and chilly powder to this and cook for a minute or two

• Now add cooked dal to this and cook it on a low flame for an hour. Stir it otherwise your dal will stick to pan. and add water if required

• Add 1 tablespoon of butter and cook for 5 -7 minutes

• Now your dal is ready, serve hot with butter and fresh coriander leaves along with rice or bread of your choice 

• I enjoy this with pudding Parantha

For Pudina Parantha recipe click

Tip : Soak dal for overnight. try to cook this on low flame 

Corn Salad

Corn Salad

Few months back I realised that I should change the kind of food I am serving to my family. As every one in family needs more healthy and nutritious food for better health. But when ever I try to serve salads or fruits no one showed keenness to eat it and the biggest challenge is to make every day salad more intresting and different

Corn salad is one of the hit salad in my family due to its vibrant colours, crunchiness of veggies, juicy corns, with sweetness of honey and tangy lime .....

Preparation Time : 10 Min

Cooking Time : 0

Ingredients :

• 1 Cup Sweet corn (steamed)
• 1 Medium onion finely chopped
• 1 Tomato finely chopped (first remove the seeds)
• 1/2 Green capsicum finely chopped
• 1/2 Red bell pepper finely chopped
• 1/2 Cucumber Finely chopped
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh coriander 
• 1 Tablespoon lime juice
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• 1 Teaspoon dried oregano herb
• 1 Teaspoon chopped jalapeno 
• Salt according to taste

Procedure :

• Finish all cutting and chopping 
• Take frozen sweet corns and steam them

• Now take a bowl add steamed corns, onion, tomato, bell pepper, capsicum, coriander, lime juice, olive oil, honey, salt, jalapeño and oregano

• Now toss all the ingredients nicely 

• Corn salad is ready .... 

Corn Panki

Corn Panki

 This is a traditional Gujarati dish, a small corn pancake cooked in between banana leaves very healthy as it uses very little oil. The best part of this dish, it is very healthy and cooked with the aroma of fresh banana leaves which make this dish a divine. It is one of my favourite during monsoon season of the year.

Preparation Time : 10 Min

Cooking Time : 10 -15 Min

Ingredients :

• 2 Medium sized fresh tender Corncobs (blended in mixer)
• 2 Tablespoon sooji (semolina)
• 1 Tablespoon Rice flour
• 1 Teaspoon grated ginger
• 2 Green chilly chopped
• 2 Tablespoon curd
• 2 Tablespoon chopped coriander leaves
• Salt according to taste
• 1 Teaspoon fruit salt
• Banana leaves cut in rectangular shape (for 10 Panki 20 pieces are required)

Procedure :

• Take Corncobs remove the skin, wash nicely, take out corn kernel and coarsely grind them in a mixer with ginger

• Now take a bow, add corn mixture, rice flour, sooji, curd, salt, green chilly, chopped coriander and a tea spoon of oil

• Mix all ingredients nicely and keep aside for 5 minutes

• Now add fruit salt to this and mix well

• Now take banana leaf apply little oil on one side of banana leaf as shown in picture

• Take a a spoon of batter and spread evenly on greased side of banana leaf

• Cover it with another banana leaf as shown in picture

• Take a non-sticky pan apply little bit of oil and cook panki on this pan from both sides till you get a light brown spots on the leaf or till panki is cooked

• Repeat the same steps with rest of the batter

• Serve hot with a cup of tea or coffee ...

Tip :

• If rice flour is not available you can use besan
• Make sure the batter is in proper consistency 

Walnut Coffee Frappe

Walnut Coffee Frappe

Coffee drinks are my first choice whenever I am out, I can't resist myself ordering Cafe Frappe of CCD during outings. I love the chilled and creamy texture of frappe with the nice aroma of coffee in it. But I want to add some nutrition value to this. So decided to add walnuts to this. As we all know Walnuts are high in Protein, Vitamins, Omega 3 fatty acids and many minerals which makes our drink more tasty and healthy ....

Preparation Time : 10 Min

Cooking Time : 0 Min

Serves : 2

Ingredients :

• 4 Walnuts
• 1 Cup chilled Milk
• 2 Scoop vanilla ice-cream
• 1 tablespoon Instant coffee powder
• 1 Tablespoon sugar or according to your taste
• 10 -12 Milk ice-cubes (just set milk in a ice tray)
• Few Ice cubes

For Garnishing :

• 2 Tablespoon whipped cream or Vanilla ice-cream 
• 1 Tablespoon Walnut Powder
• 1 Teaspoon chocolate vermicelli 

Procedure :

• Take walnuts in Mixer and coarsely grind it 

• In a Mixer jar add sugar, coffee powder, walnut powder and milk and mix it well

• Now add milk ice-cubes, ice and vanilla ice-cream and blend it till you get a nice creamy texture

• Take a serving glass fill it with walnut coffee frappe and garnish it with whipped cream, topped with walnut powder and chocolate vermicelli 

• Enjoy your restaurant style coffee frappe with a richness of walnuts

Pudina Parantha (Mint Bread)

 Pudina Parantha (Mint Bread)

 Today we feel guilty if we have paranthas in dinner. Not long ago when we were kids and were served this ghee-soaked stuff, we used to feel deeply satisfied. However it is not a bad idea to pamper yourself and your family occasionally with such delicacies.

Preparation Time : 20 Min

Resting Time : 2 Hours

Cooking Time : 15 Min

Ingredients :

• 2 Cup Maida (all purpose flour)
• 2 Tablespoon Sooji (semolina)
• 1 Teaspoon sugar
• Salt according to taste
• 1 Teaspoon yeast
• Few fresh Mint leaves or dry whichever is available
• 2 Tablespoon Pure ghee
• Water as required

Procedure :

• In a bowl take flour, salt, sugar and semolina mix all well
• Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup of water add this to flour mixture
• Add water as required and knead mixture into a stiff dough. Keep this dough aside for 2 hours

• Now roll the dough to a medium chapati and apply ghee to it and sprinkle some flour on it and hold the chapati as shown in picture

• Now apply again ghee on it as shown in picture and roll the dough again in a ball sprinkle some dry mint leaves on it. Now roll it into paratha

• Now cook paratha on a hot tawa on medium flame and apply ghee on both side. Cook paratha till it is golden brown from both side

• Serve it with dal or curry of your choice

Tips :

• If you are using fresh mint leaves then roast it on hot tawa, cool and crush it into a powder
• Without Mint also, it tastes good 
• To pamper your family before serving pour 1 teaspoon of ghee on hot paratha sprinkle some dry pudding on it and crush it between your palms. My grandmother used to serve paratha this way with lots of love ...