Channa Dal & Kadhi

Channa Dal & Kadhi

Channa Dal

INGREDIENTS

(measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml)

For pressure cooking the chana dal:

• ¾ cup chana dal/bengal gram
• 2.5 to 3 cups water
• ¼ tsp turmeric/haldi

For tempering:

• 2 medium sized tomatoes, chopped
• ½ cup finely chopped onions
• 1 inch ginger/adrak, finely chopped
• 4-5 garlic, finely chopped
• 1 green chili/hari mirch, chopped
•  tsp cumin seeds/jeera
• ½ tsp red chili powder/lal mirch powder
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder/haldi
• 1 tsp coriander powder/dhania powder
• ½ tsp dry mango powder/amchur powder or add as required
• 1 tsp kasoori methi/dry methi leaves
• a pinch of asafoetida/hing
• 2 tbsp oil or ghee
• salt to taste
• a few coriander/cilantro leaves for mixing towards the end or garnishing

INSTRUCTIONS

·         Pick and rinse the chana dal well in running water. Soak the dal in enough water for an hour.

·         Drain the lentils and add them to the pressure cooker along with turmeric powder. Add 2.5 to 3 cups water and stir well.

·         On a high flame pressure cook the lentils for 7 to 8 whistles or more, till the dal is softened and well cooked. Keep the cooked chana dal aside.
·         In another pan, heat oil or ghee.
·         Add the cumin first and fry for a few seconds till they splutter. Then add the garlic and fry till they become light brown.
·         Now add the onions and fry till they get golden. Now add the tomatoes, ginger and green chili.
·         Stir and add all the dry spice powders - turmeric powder, red chili powder, garam masala powder, asafoetida, dry mango powder and coriander powder.
·         Sauté till the tomatoes get cooked and the oil starts to leave the side of the mixture.
·         Add the kasoori methi and stir.
·         Pour the cooked chana dal along with its stock to the sautéed masala mixture or vice versa. Season with salt.
·         Stir and simmer the dal for 6-8 minutes till you get medium consistency of the dal. The dal is neither thick nor thin.
·         Garnish chana dal with chopped coriander leaves.
·         Serve the chana dal hot with some basmati rice or roti or bread.

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Kadi Pakori

INGREDIENTS (measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml)

For Kadhi Mixture:

• 1.5 cup full fat sour curd/dahi/yogurt or 375 gram curd
• 3 cups water or add as required
• ½ tsp red chilli powder/lal mirch powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder/haldi
• ½ tsp garam masala powder
• Generous pinch of asafoetida/hing
• 1 to 1.5 tsp salt or add as required
• 8 tbsp besan or about 40 grams
• Mustard oil or sunflower oil or any oil for shallow frying or deep frying pakoras

 For Onion Pakoras:

• 1 cup tightly packed thinly sliced onions or 2 medium to large onions or 150 grams
• 1 cup besan or gram flour
• ½ tsp red chilli powder/lal mirch powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder/haldi
• ½ tsp garam masala powder
• ½ tsp ajwain/carom seeds
• ⅔ to ¾ tsp salt or add as required
• ¼ cup water

For the punjabi kadhi:

• 1 small to medium onion or ⅓ cup chopped onion
• 1 tbsp chopped ginger/adrak
• ¾ to 1 tbsp chopped garlic/lahsun
• 8-10 fenugreek seeds/methi seeds
• 2 green chillies chopped
• 2 red chillies broken
• 1 tsp cumin seeds/jeera
• a generous pinch of asafoetida/hing
• 8 to 10 curry leaves or 1 sprig
• 2 tbsp mustard oil

INSTRUCTIONS

Preparing the curd mixture:

·         In a bowl take 1.5 cups sour curd or about 375 grams of curd. whisk it well till smooth
·         Add 8 tbsp gram flour, ½ tsp red chilli powder, ½ tsp turmeric powder, ½ tsp garam masala
·         Powder and 1 tsp salt to the whisked curd.
·         Stir and mix everything again.
·         Add 3 cups water and stir again.
·         Stir very well to make a smooth mixture without lumps. If there are lumps, then break them with a wired whisk or a spatula or with your fingers. Keep the curd mixture aside. You can use a blender to make this mixture, but make sure you don’t overdo it. you will get butter instead of a smooth blended curd

Preparing the onion pakoras:

·         Take the 1 cup gram flour/besan in a bowl and add ½ tsp ajwain/carom seeds, ½ tsp red chili powder, ½ tsp garam masala powder and ⅔ tsp salt or as required. Add 1 cup thinly sliced onions.·         Mix everything well and keep aside covered for 30 minutes.·         This will allow the onions to release their water in the mixture. Depending on the water content in the onions, the mixture will become very moist or just about moist. Here’s a picture of the onions after 30 minutes.
·         Then accordingly add water as required to make a thick batter. I added ¼ cup water.
·         Heat oil for deep frying in a pan or kadai. With a spoon or with your hands drop the pakora batter in the oil.
·         When the pakoras are partly cooked, then turn over and fry the other side.
·         Fry till the pakoras are crisp and golden.
·         Remove the fried pakoras and place them on a kitchen paper towel so that extra oil is absorbed. Fry the pakoras in batches this way. When done keep all of them aside.

Preparing the kadhi:

·     In another pan or kadai, heat 2 tbsp mustard oil. Make sure to use a large bottomed pot so that while boiling, the kadhi does not spill.
       Add the 1 tsp cumin seeds, 8 to 10 methi seeds and a generous pinch of asafoetida. Allow the cumin seeds to crackle and the methi seeds to change their color. Fry on a low flame, so that these spices do not get burnt.·         Add ⅓ cup chopped onion. Stir and sauté for 3 minutes on a low flame.
·         Then add 1 tbsp chopped ginger/adrak, ¾ to 1 tbsp chopped garlic and 2 green chillies, chopped. Stir and sauté for a minute.
·         Now add 8 to 10 curry leaves, 2 dry red chilies (halved or broken).  Stir and sauté for a minute on a low flame.
·         Then add the curd mixture.
·         Stir very well.
·         Increase the flame to medium and bring the kadhi to a boil. Keep on stirring often so that the bottom does not get browned.
·         Lower the flame and then simmer the kadhi for 6 to 7 minutes. The kadhi will thicken. If the kadhi becomes too thick, then add some hot water.
·         Now add the onion pakoras in the kadhi. Stir gently.
·         Cover the kadhi with a lid and let the onion pakoras be soaked in the kadhi for 8 to 10 minutes.
·         Lastly sprinkle some garam masala powder on the punjabi kadhi.
Serve the punjabi kadhi pakora with steamed rice or jeera rice, topped with few teaspoonfuls of ghee. You could also have kadhi with rotis or parathas.

Source: Veg Recipes of India

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