Yellow split pea curry
Pre wash dal, pick out stones, soak overnight. Rinse well again before cooking.
fry large onion for a few minutes, til soft, add masala -
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
And garlic to taste, I use 4-5 cloves.
Then stir in cup of dal, tomatoes, 2 whole green chillis (pierced), and about 6 cups of water. Boil til tender and smooth.
TARKA:
heat some oil, fry torn curry leaves, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and cumin seeds (optional, depends how much jeera you like in the curry). Pour over the cooked curry, cover, and cook for few mins.
Black Lentils
This is a real favourite with the kids. I can eat this til it is coming out of my ears, as it is so creamy.
250g urad dal
2 med onion
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp grated giner
1tsp mustard seeds
75ml greek yoghurt
1 tsp red chilli powder
salt
2 tsp dania-jeera (cumin and coriander)
1/4 tsp asafetida
heat oil, fry the onion, then add ginger, then add garlic. Add dal, chilli and dania-jeera, salt then simmer with lots of water until dal softens well. Water should be reduced by time finished.
Heat asafetida in oil, stir this into the dal. Check for salt.
I then like to leave it to cool down a little, and stir in the yoghurt before serving. This stops the yoghurt from seperating and gives it a lovely creamy texture.
Rajmah
1 cup kidney beans
1 red onion
1 large tomato
tbsp ginger
4 garlic
1 green chilli (omit this if you prefer milder curry)
1tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp coriander
1tsp garamasala
fresh coriander for garnish
If not using tinned rajmah, precook this.
Fry onions and finely chopped chilli, then add ginger, then add garlic. Add tomato add whole spices, fry 2-3 mins, add water to make thick gracy, add beans, cook for 5-7 mins, serve with coriander.
Just found a nice benglai chickpea recipe too (I have folder full of cuttings and scribbled down recipes) Ilvoe the aromatic flavours of bengali food, and serve this as a side dish with bengali fish stew.
2 pints water
9oz channa
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp coriander powder
tsp garamasala
2-3 tsp sugar (if you have jaggery, this is best)
2tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
5 cardomon pods
twp of cumin seeds
5 cloves garlic
1 med onion
1-2 red chillis
2 bay leaves
3 heaped tbsp grated coconut (ideally fresh not dessicated, I keep fresh in the freezer and defrost small amounts when needed)
Same method as above for the rajmah. I use tinned channa, so the channa and coconut goes in at the same time.
Mung dal
Has a fairly strong flavour and we cook it very simply with dania-jeera, ginger, salt, chopped tomatoes and chilli. Then tarka cumin seeds in oil, and pour this in, serve with fresh coriander.
I have a craving for pani puri now.