Simple Spinach Dhal

It’s been a long time, I made anything with spinach. I remember in Bangalore whenever my mom used to take spinach from the vendor. I used to avoid going into the kitchen. Guess why!!! Mom would ask my help to clean and chop it. My god I hated that part, as it would be muddy and mixed up with some other greens.

Well one thing I love being here is vegetables are so fresh and especially spinach is very clean and I wash it once, it will be ready to use!! This is one simple and quick dish that I make which goes well with rice or chapatti. I make chapatti almost every alternative day and I have to make a different curry to go with it.

Ingredients:

1 bunch of spinach finely chopped

1/2 cup Dhal (Moong or Toor Dal)

2 green chilies

2 red chilies

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

6 curry leaves

4 clove of garlic

1 teaspoon oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Pinch of turmeric powder

Pinch of asafetida

-       Cook dal along with green chilies and keep it aside.

-       Heat oil in a deep pan, add mustard, cumin and curry leaves. Once they splutter add red chilies, garlic, turmeric and asafetida.

-       Add spinach and mix well.

-       Spinach cooks pretty fast, then add cooked dal and mix well.

-       Add salt and lemon juice at the end.

-       Cook for 2- 3 minutes.

Serve it hot with rice or chapatti.

Sea Scape

Vegetable Pulav

Pulav is one such dish, which always reminds me of my childhood days “Sunday’s brunch”. Getting up late in the morning, watching cartoon… jungle book on TV. Playing with dad and brother for a while. Taking nice head bath for half an hour. And then comes the favorite part of Sunday… mom made yummy hot pulav with raita… My mouth is watering even today.

As kid I loved pulav so much. My mom is expert in making pulav. I know I try to put the same ingredients as she puts. But don’t get the same flavor. I tried and tried making pulav for a while now. Everyone one who tastes it says “yummy”. So I making an effort to share the recipe and hope you all try it and it turns out to be yummy!!!

Ingredients:

1 cup carrot cut in cubes

1 cup thinly sliced beans

1 cup tomato cut in cubes

1 cup potatoes cut in cubes

1 cup thinly sliced cabbage

1 cup thinly sliced onions

1 cup bell pepper cut in cubes (Optional)

1 cup Gobi cut in big pieces

1 cup peas

1 cup coconut

1 cup cilantro

3 cloves

2 cardamoms

1 stick cinnamon

2 bay leaves

6 green chilies

2 teaspoons of thin sliced garlic

2 teaspoons of grated ginger

2 teaspoons salt

1 ladle of vegetable oil

2 cups of raw rice

4 cups of water

-       Heat the oil in a cooker or a deep pan.

-       Add mustard, cloves, cardamom, bay leaves and cinnamon.

-       Once they splutter, add onion and sauté until they turn brown.

-       Add tomatoes, carrot, beans, potatoes, gobi, cabbage, bell pepper, peas and sauté them well.

-       While the vegetables are cooking, make a fine paste of coconut, cilantro, chilies, garlic, ginger and salt in a blender.

-       Add the paste into the cooked vegetables and mix well.

-       After 2-3 minutes add washed rice into the cooker and add the water and close the lid.

-       After one whistle, turn of the cooker.

-       Once the pressure cools down, open the lid and mix the rice well with vegetable.

-       If required can add ghee for taste.

Serve it hot with Cucumber Raita