Chana Dal Ki Kichdi (Split Gram with rice)

 
 Ingredients

  1 cup Basmati rice or any other good quality rice washed and soaked for 20-30 minutes
  1/2 cup chana dal (split gram) soaked for atleast 1 hour
  1 small onion sliced fine (optional)
  1 1/2 piece ginger cut into fine julliens
  1 t sp cumin seeds
  1/2 t sp red chilli powder or chilli flakes
  salt to taste
  1 1/2 tb sps oil
  2 1/2 cups of water


  Method

• Heat oil in a sauce pan,add cumin seeds,add onions as soon as the cumin splutters and fry till golden brown.
• Drain and add the dal (gram), ginger julliens, salt and chilli flakes/powder, mix well with the onions
• Add 1/4 cup water, cover with a lid , lower heat and let the dal cook for 5 minutes.
• Add the remaining water,let it come to a boil on high flame.Now add the rice and cover with a lid when boiling.
• Lower heat and cook till the water has dried up and the rice is tender, about 8 minutes.
• Serve with cucumber and onion raita, papad, chutney and pickle.

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Note: This is a complete meal providing protien and carbs.

Bagare Baigun (aubergine)

  Ingredients
  200 gms baby aubergines washed and slit lengthwise or 200gms of round aubergine cut into medium size pieces.
  2 tb sps finely chopped onions
  1t sp finely chopped ginger
  2t sps finely chopped garlic
  1 chopped tomato or 1 tb sp tomato puree
  1 1/2 panch puran (mix mustard seeds, saumph/ fennel, methi seeds/ fenugreek seeds, jeera/ cumin, kalonji/ onion seeds in equal quantities)
  1/2 t sp haldi/ turmeric
  2 tsps dhania/ coriander powder
  chilli powder to taste
  a good pinch of asafoetida
  salt to taste
  3 t sps tamrind paste/ 1 heaped t sp of amchur/ mango powder
  2 tb sps cooking oil
  coriander, ginger julliens, green chillies for garnishing

       Method

• Heat oil in a kadai or frypan. 
• Add panch puran and when it begins to splutter add asaphoetida.
• Add chopped onions and fry till golden brown but still soft.
• Add ginger and garlic and fry well.
• Add dry masalas and cook till the raw smell goes.
• Now add the baigun, mix well with the masala, add salt and cover with a tight fitting lid, lower heat.
• Let it cook in its own steam for 5 minutes turning once or twice.Sprinkle little water if dry.
• Take off the cover and add tomato or tomato puree and mix well. Cook till tomatoes are soft and blended with the masala.
• Test if the baigun is cooked , if not cover for a few more minutes.
• Add the tamrind paste/ amchur, cover and cook for 3 minutes.
• Serve in a flat dish garnished with chopped coriander, ginger julliens and slit green chillies.
• Goes well with rotis, puris or rice and daal.

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Tangri kebab (tandoori drumsticks)

  Ingredients
 
  1kg chicken drumsticks
  1/2 tsp salt
  1 tsp red chilli powder
  11/2 t sp jeera powder
  1 tb sp ginger garlic paste
  1 t sp tandoori garam masala ( 1'' piece cinamon, 3 green cardamoms, 5 cloves, 1black cardamom,5        peppercorns ground together)
  1 t sp lemon juice
  1/2 cup sour curd (yoghurt)
  3 tb sps oil
  a pinch of tandoori colour (optional)

•        Method
• Wash the drumsticks and wipe dry with a kithen towel.
• Make small slits on both sides.
• Rub lemon juice and all the dry masalas on the chicken and keep aside for 1/2 an hour.
• Whip the curd ,add 3 tb sps oil, tandoori colour and marinate the chicken in it for at least 4-5 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 250 deg.C
• Put the chicken in an oven proof  tray or dish and cook for 15 minutes,
• Pull out the tray and turn the chicken pieces and cook for 7-10 minutes or till done.
• Excess marInade if any can be dried under a hot grill.
• Sprinkle chat masala and serve with onion rings and lemon wedges.

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