Yellow Moong Dal Tadka

This is a basic dal recipe. It is so simple yet so comforting. It can be made in a matter of minutes and is so versatile. You can pair it with rotis and subji or ladle of rice drizzled with ghee! Tastes best anyways. I paired this simple dal with ladies finger poriyal and raw plaintain fry and this was our weekend lunch.

Ingredients
Yellow split moong dal - 1 cup
Water 3 cups
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Green chilli - 2
Tomato - 1
Salt to taste

For the tadka/tempering
Oil/ghee - 1 spoon
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Urad dal - 1/2 teaspoon
Curry leaves - 1 spring
Red chilli - 1
Onion - 2 tablespoons finely chopped (optional)
Hing/Asafoetida - 1 pinch

Instructions
In a pressure cooker, cook the moong dal along with the turmeric powder, green chilli, tomato and 3 cups of water for about 4 whistles. Alternately, you could cook the moong dal in a stockpot or a heavy bootomed pan, covered for about 20 to 30 minutes, until the dal turns soft. The dal could also be cooked in the microwave.
Once the dal gets cooked, add the salt and mash the dal well.
In a saucepan, do the tempering with ghee, mustard seeds, urad, dal, hing, curry leaves, onions and red chillies.
Pour the seasoning over the cooked dal and serve with rice and your favorite vegetable curry.

This is my entry for day 2 in the 7 day blogging marathon! Check out the Blogging marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#12.

This is my entry to My Legume Love Affair #43 started by Susan and hosted this time at Chez Cayenne and Love for Lentils hosted by Sudha

Tomorrow is the last day to submit your entries for the giveaway being hosted at Dil Se.. Do check it out :)

Sambar

While I was compiling a recent post to mark 4 years of blogging, I was astonished to see that I had never blogged about sambar! Sambar is a staple at my house. I make it almost every week or every other week to accompany our dosas and idlies for breakfast and dinner and also with rice and poriyals for lunch. It is a versatile dish to be served for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I try to make different versions by rotating the vegetables I use. This is my mom's recipe for sambar. It sounds like a difficult procedure, but it is so easy to make.

Ingredients
Toor dal - 1 cup
Vegetables - 1 cup chopped (potatoes, drumstick, cauliflower, brinjal, radish, beans, peas, carrots etc. can be used) I use 3 to 4 of the above veggies mentioned
Tamarind extract - from the size of 1 lemon or 1 teaspoon tamarind paste
Sambar powder - 2 teaspoons
All-purpose curry powder/Kuzhambu milagai thool (or chilli powder) - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Onion - 1/4 cup chopped
Tomato - 2 chopped roughly
Green chillies - 2
Cilantro/coriander leaves - for garnish
Salt to taste

For the tempering
Oil - 2 spoons
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Urad dhal - 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Hing/Asafoetida - 1 pinch

Instructions

1. In a pressure cooker, cook the toor dal with about 3 cups of water and turmeric powder until you get 4 whistles. Alternatively, you can cook it in a stockpot for about 30 minutes, until the dal turns soft.
2. With the help of a wooden spoon or a potato masher, mash the dal to make it into a smooth paste.
3. In a saucepan/kadai, heat the oil and do the tempering with mustard seeds, urad dhal, curry leaves and hing.
4. Once everything splutters, add the chopped onions and saute until it turns translucent. Then add the chopped tomatoes and allow it to cook for a minute.
5. Now add the chopped vegetables and saute until the raw smell goes away.
6. To this add the sambar powder, curry/chilli powder, salt and the tamarind extract and bring it to a boil.
7. Simmer for about 5 to 6 minutes until the veggies cook well.
8. Now add the dal to this and mix thoroughly.
9. Add some chopped coriander/cilantro, cover and cook for about 10 minutes until you get the required consistency.

Alternate quicker method
After step 6, pour all the contents in the kadai into the pressure cooker with the dal. Add about 1 cup of water and pressure cook for 3 whistles. Delicious sambar is ready.

I am participating in a blogging marathon hosted by Srivalli for 7 days and I will be posting under the theme - "Seven Days of Delicious Dals"

Check out the Blogging marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#12

This is my entry to My Legume Love Affair #43 started by Susan and hosted this time at Chez Cayenne and Love for Lentils hosted by Sudha

Manathakkali Vathal Kuzhambu

This is a tangy and delicious curry made with manathakkali vathal known as black nightshade in english. It is of high medicinal value and tastes great in this curry. It is so easy to make and is a staple in south indian households. I remember having vathal kuzhambu once a week for lunch in our hostel mess in college. I never used to like it at that time, but this kuzhambu has become a recent favorite. I served this with rice along with seppankizhagu roast and some papads.

The manathakkali vathal can be replaced with sundakkai vathal or any vegetable.

Ingredients
Manathakkali Vathal - 2 tablespoons
Tamarind extract - from a lemon sized ball
Tomato puree - 1/2 cup
Sambar powder/Vathal kuzhambu powder - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Asafoetida/Hing - 1 pinch
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Urad dhal - 1 teaspoon
Methi/Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Oil - 2 teaspoons
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Salt to taste

Instructions

1. In a saucepan, fry the vathal in 1 spoon of oil for a minute and remove from the pan.
2. In the same saucepan, heat the remaining oil and do the tempering with the mustard seeds, methi seeds, urad dhal, hing and curry leaves.
3. Once everything starts spluttering, add the sambar powder or vathal kuzhambu powder and turmeric powder and roast on a low flame for about a minute.
4. Slowly add the tomato puree and the tamarind extract and salt. Add half a cup of water and bring it to a boil. Add more water if needed to get the required gravy consistency.
5. Finally add the fried manathakkali vathal and simmer for about 3 minutes until the kuzhambu turns thick.

Serve with a poriyal and papad over rice.

Also, do check out the giveaway to celebrate 4th year blogiversary!

Celebrating 4th year blogiversary with a GIVEAWAY!

Dil Se.. turns 4!

(image source: vetragames)

I started writing this blog one day without much thought! I just wanted to record all my culinary experiments being a newbie to cooking. Blogging has introduced me to several new friends, people from all parts of the world and also to various cuisines. Blogging also introduced me to food photography and I believe I have come a long way since I started to blog! Blogging gave me the courage to venture into baking! I also had the opportunity to master traditional and authentic recipes. I was able to contribute to several events and contests. I was able to host a few events of my own as well.

Thanks to my dear husband who is always a good critic and gives feedback and also waits patiently at the dining table until I finish my food photography :) I also thank all the lovely bloggers out there who have encouraged me all the way with their valuable comments and feedback!

My very first recipe in this blog - Sweet Pongal

The first thing I ever baked - Sweet Coconut Puffs

The bread I first baked!

My first cake..

First Icecream! - Watermelon Yogurt Icecream

First Jamming - Plum Jam

My non-food blog - Divya Times!

M heartfelt gratitude to each and every reader of this blog! I would like to celebrate this milestone by hosting a little giveaway! Yes, I a giving away one lucky reader a Pure Komachi 2 series Chef Knife

For a chance to win this knife, do any one or all of the following. 

Each earns a separate entry. Leave a separate comment for each entry. I will ship worldwide.

1. Leave a comment telling what is your favorite recipe in my blog and what sort of posts would you like to see more in the future.
2. Follow Dil Se.. on Google+
3. Like Dil Se.. on Facebook!
4. Subscribe to my posts by email or reader..
5. Tweet the following - Blogiversary giveaway at Dil Se.. @athisayadivyas http://tiny.cc/bs6zc

Giveaway ends on January 25th, 2012!

Thanks again for all your support and helping me reach this milestone!

Brussels Sprouts Poriyal

I love indianizing recipes. Some recipes include this broccoli poriyal, broccoli dal and indian style pasta. Similarly, I wanted to make something indian with the miniature version of cabbage - brussels sprouts. I settled with this brussel sprouts recipe and we thoroughly enjoyed it. We had it with sambar and rice.

Ingredients
Brussels sprouts - 1/2 kg or 1 lb
Moong dal - 3 tablespoons
Onion - 1/4 chopped
Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
Tamarind extract - 1/2 teaspoon or juice from 1/2 the size of a lemon
All purpose curry powder/Kuzhambi milagai thool - 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste

For the tempering
Oil - 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Urad dal - 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Instructions

1. Soak the moong dal in water for about half an hour.
2. Meanwhile cube the onions and chop the brussels sprouts into bite sized pieces.
3. In a saucepan/kadai, heat the oil and do the tempering with the mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves. Once it starts spluttering, add the chopped onions and saute till it turns translucent.
4. Add the chopped brussels sprouts, soaked moong dal, salt, all-purpose curry powder and the tamarind extract. 
5. Stir everything together, add about half a cup of water, cover and cook for about five minutes until the brussels sprouts turns soft and all the water evaporates.
6. Add the grated coconut and stir well and switch off the heat.

Serve warm with rice, rotis and any gravy/curry.

Keerai Poriyal / Spinach stirfry

We love spinach and I love to cook different versions of spinach. I usually make salads, smoothies, spinach rice, spinach dal, pesto, kootu, masiyal etc. with spinach. This poriyal is another easy and delicious side dish I make with spinach and it pairs very well with rice and dal or any curry.

Ingredients

Fresh spinach - 1 bunch (you can also substitute with the frozen variety)

Moong dal - 3 tablespoons

Chopped onions - 1/4 cup

Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Grated coconut - 1/4 cup

Salt to taste

For the tempering

Oil - 1 spoon

Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon

Urad dal - 1 teaspoon

Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Red chillies - 2

Instructions

Wash the spinach well with water and chop the leaves roughly. If using frozen spinach just skip this step.

Cook the moong dal with little water for about 4 to 5 minutes. Alternatively, you could microwave the dal with little water for about 3 minutes.

In a kadai or saucepan, heat the oil and do the tadka with mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds, curry leaves and red chillies. 

Once everything starts spluttering, add the choppied onions and saute till they turn translucent.

Then add the chopped spinach, turmeric powder and salt and saute everything for about two minutes until the spinach starts wilting.

Add the cooked moong dal and the grated coconut, cover and cook for two minutes.

Serve warm with rice and dal/curry.

Trader Joe's Finds: Fig Butter & Pumpkin Butter

I had recently proclaimed my love for Trader Joes here! Living just a block away from TJ's,  I visit the store very often and I love trying out different products. You never know what you might find there! They keep changing the stuff they carry every season and I always end up buying something new each time I go. The prices are great too! And hence, here is my new series called "TJ Finds"

I picked up these two fruit butters - Fig Butter and Pumpkin Butter during my last trip. Here is my review..

Fig Butter
Don't get confused by the name. The fig butter has no butter in it. This is what the bottle says: "To be a butter, a spread must contain more fruit than sugar.." This results in a wonderful very concentrated fig flavor. They taste delicious almost with anything. We had it on toasts, with crackers, with cheese and crackers, mixed into yogurt. I liked it with buttered toast the best!

Pumpkin Butter
I think pumpkin butter is a seasonal item in TJ's. I have found them on the shelves only during Fall. I try to stock them when I find them, because I absolutely adore these. They are not too sweet like jams and perfect on toasts, the way I like them. These can be used as a pastry filling, ice-cream topping!, mixed with yogurt, or mixed into cream cheese to make a very unique spread. The bottle also suggests, adding pumpkin butter to soups. I haven't tried this though.

You can find these fruit butters in the jam and preserves aisle. They cost $3.99 a bottle.

Have you tried pumpkin butter and fig butter? What is your favorite?

On another note, here is the review of the book, I just finished - "In the Convent of Little Flowers" by Indu Sundaresan. You should read it if you like short stories.