Dal Pitha

 Well...it happened again...I was watching some "shorts" on Youtube and I spent a whole 1-2 minutes watching someone cook something and boom...I keep getting more and more of those. Well...one of those videos was for a recipe from Jharkhand...a state in India and it looked interesting. I didn't even know what it was called.

I made it...relatively not too difficult to make and it was pretty delicious. So here is the recipe and also before I write it...I needed to know what it is called and it is called

Dal Pitha (Wheat dumplings stuffed with Bengal gram)

Dal Pitha

Dal pitha with Mint chutney

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup yellow chana dal (bengal gram) soaked over night or atleast 4 hrs
2. 1 inch ginger, 1-2 green chillies, 1/2 teaspoon salt
3. 1 cup wheat floor
4. 1 tablespoon oil + 2 teaspoons oil
5. 1/2 teaspoon salt
6. 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds, sesame seeds
7. 8-10 curry leaves
8. 2 dried chiilies (use these if you do not want to use green chillies in the dal...if you eat less spice)

Grind the soaked chana dal along with Ginger, green chillies if using...use no more than 1 tablespoon water. Add salt and mix well and set aside.

Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons oil in the wheat floor and mix well. Add water little by little and mix a dough and knead for a minute. Set aside for 10 minutes. Dive the dough into 4 parts and divide the dal mixture also into 4 parts.

Make a disk of about 5-6 inches diameter with the 1/4 part of dough . Spread 1/4 dal mixture on half of the "disk and flip the other half and press with fingers to close the dumpling.Repeat to make 4 of these dumplings.

Heat 2 inches water in a wide pan until it starts to boil. Add the stuffed dumplings and boil for 7-9 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Cur each into 5-6 pieces.

In a pan heat 1 tablespoon oil and add the mustard seeds and cover and fry until they start poppoing. Add therest of the ingredients and stir to combine. Add the dumpling pieces and fry for 3-5 minutes on medium high flame until they crisp up. Enjoy with ketchup or mint chutney

Chana Dal Maath ki bhaji

Maath ki Bhaji (Amaranth leaves) or as it is called in Telugu...Thota kura. This is one of my favorite leafy vegetables .

The other day I got "Pav" from the Indian store to make Pav Bhaji but life happened and I could not make the bhaji with potatoes for the Pav. I wanted to make another "bhaji" for the Pav and I made this awesome, super delicious Chana dal Maath Ki bhaji. This is awesome with the Pavs or rice or with any Indian bread.

Chana Dal Maath ki bhaji (Split peas with Amaranth leaves)

Chana Dal Maath ki bhaji

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup chana dal soaked in water for 30-60 minutes
2. 1 cup packed or 2 cups loosely packed chopped Amaranth leaves
3. 1 large tomato chopped
4. 1 large carrot chopped
5. 1/2 cup chopped onions
6. 1 tablespoon oil
7. 1/2 teaspoon each of nigella/onion seeds (optional), ginger garlic paste
8. 1 bay leaf
9. 1/2 teaspoon each of salt, red chilli powder, turmeric
10. 1 teaspoon each of amchur powder (or 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice) , pav bhaji masala

Cook the chana dal in a pressure cooker along with the amaranth leaves, tomatoes and carrots for 10-12 whistles. 

In a pan heat the oil add the bay leaf and the onion seeds and fry for a minute. Add the onions and fry for 5 minutes or until they start to turn brown. Add the ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute. Let the steam escape. Open the cooker and add the dal mixture to the pan along with all the spices. Mix well. Simmer for 5 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with roti/rice/pav with chopped cilantro and red onions and lemon wedges

Chana dal gosht

When I was growing up in India, whenever we had a big gathering at my house, this dish would be one of the main dishes served, along with Pulao and mix vegetable khatta. So, whenever I make this dish, I always become nostalgic...especially about my Daadi Ammi. I miss all those people and those carefree days.

Chana Dal Gosht (Lamb cooked with Split Bengal gram)

Chana dal Gosht

Ingredients:

1. 1 lb lamb cut into bite size pieces (lamb eg with bone will be ideal)
2. 1/2 cup chana dal soaked in water for 30 minutes.
3. 1 medium onion sliced
4. 1 tomato chopped
5. 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
6. 1/2 teaspoon salt, chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeri, garam masala
7. 2 tablespoon oil

In a pressure cooker heat the oil and fry the onions till they start becoming dark brown. Add the ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute. Add all the spices and mix well. Ad tomatoes and stir to combine. Add the lamb and 1/4 cup water and close the cooker and cook for 3 whistles. After the steam escapes, open the cooker and add the soaked dal and 1/4 cup more water and cook for 3 more whistles. After the steam escapes, pen the cooker and simmer the curry till it reaches the consistency of your preference. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy with roti or rice or Pulao

Sindhi Sai Bhaji

Sindhi cuisine has a very distinctive flavor. I am not sure what it is but Sindhi dishes taste different. None the less they are delicious. This is one such recipe. Full of flavor and good for you too.  This recipe is usually cooked with Spinach and Sorrel leaves but I used what I had on hand...canned mixed greens and it turned out pretty delicious

Sindhi Sai Bhaji (Split peas cooked with mixed greens)

Sindhi Sai bhaji

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 can mixed greens 
2. 1/2 bunch fresh Dill
3. 1 cup Tamarind juice 
4. 2 medium Tomatoes chopped and diced
5. 1 medium Onion diced
6. ½ cup Chana Dal
7. ½ tsp each of grated Ginger, turmeric powder
8. 2-3 garlic cloves
9. 1 fresh Green Chili finely chopped
10. 1 tsp each of cumin, coriander powder, Salt 
11. 1 cup Water
12. 1 tablespoon Oil

In a pressure cooker add the dal and mixed green and 2 garlic cloves and turmeric and 1/2 of cumin and cook for 6-7 whistles with 2 cups of water. After the steam has escaped open the cooker.
In a pan heat the oil and fry the remaining cumin until they start spluttering. Add the remaining chopped garlic and ginger and fry for a minute. Add the onions and fry till they start getting a little brown. Add the tomatoes and cover and cook for 5-7 minutes. Add all the spices and salt and mix well. Add the dal and the tamarind water and simmer for 10 minutes. Add a little water if the dal looks too thick. Cut the heat and garnish with cilantro and serve with roti or rice

Dal Tadka and Patta Gobi Phugina

Cabbage is one of those vegetables which becomes delicious when paired with any other vegetable or meat. Today it was scrambled eggs with Cabbage. And with it I also made my new favorite lentil recipe-the Tadka Dal and yummy hot dinner was ready

Dal Tadka (Split peas and lentil soup)

Tadka Dal

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup Chana dal or yellow split peas
2. 1/2 cup Masoor dal
3. 1/2 cup roughly chopped onions
4. 1/2 cup chopped tomato
5. 1/2 cup plain yogurt beaten
6. 1 tablespoon finely chopped onions
7. 1 tablespoon oil
8. 2 garlic pods chopped fine
9. 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin, urad dal, mustard seeds, asafoetida
10. 3 dried red chillies broken
11. few curry leaves
12. 1/2 teaspoon each of coriander powder, garam masala, salt or to taste

In a pressure cooker cook the chana dal and masoor dal along with tomatoes and onions for 4-5 whistles with 2 cups water. Mash then after the steam from the cooker escapes.

In a pan heat the oil and fry the cumin, mustard seeds and urad dal, red chillies and curry leaves till they splutter. Add finely chopped onions and fry till they become brown. Add garlic and fry till they become a little brown. Add this to the dal along with all the spices and yogurt and 2 cups of water Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. garnish with cilantro and enjoy

Cabbage Fry 

Cabbage Fry

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 medium sized cabbage chopped fine about 4 cups
2. 2 medium tomatoes chopped fine, about 1/2 cup
3. 1/2 cup chopped onions
4. 1 serrano chilli chopped
5. 1/2 teaspoon each of ginger garlic paste, salt, chilli powder, turmeric, coriander powder
6. 2 tablespoons oil

In a pan heat the oil and fry the onions till they become translucent. Add green chillies and ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute. Add tomatoes and cook covered for 5 minutes. Add all the powdered ingredients mix well and add the cabbage. Stir well and cover and cook for 15 minutes. Garnish with Cilantro and enjoy

Patta Gobi Phugina (Scrambled eggs with Cabbage)

Scrambled eggs with Cabbage

Ingredients:

1. 3-4 cups cabbage fry 
2. 2 large eggs well beaten

In the pan you cooked cabbage fry for 15 minutes, add the beaten eggs and stir well to combine in the process scrambling the eggs. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. garnish with cilantro and enjoy

Chana Dal Murgh

Chana Dal or Bengal Gram goes very well with meat but I never used to like it when I was a kid. But I have grown over it and now I really really like it. I wanted to see if it goes well with Chicken as well and let me tell you, this is one of the most delicious currys' I served with roti. Try it to believe it.

The creamier you want your dal to be the more you cook it. And my dal got totally mashed up and super creamy-the way I like it. And I used Chicken thighs but you can use any part of chicken you like. Enjoy

Chana Dal Murgh (Chicken with Split Bengal Gram)

Chicken with Chana Dal Gravy

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup chana dal soaked in water for 30 minutes
2. 1-1/2 chicken 
3. 1 cup chopped onions
4. 2 medium tomatoes chopped
5. 1 teaspoon salt
6. 1/2 teaspoon each of turmeric, chilly powder, ginger-garlic paste, garam masala
7. 1 tablespoon oil
8. 1 inch cinnamon stick broken
9. 2 cloves

Marinate the chicken with salt, turmeric, chilly powder and garam masala for30-60 minutes. In a pressure cooker heat the oil and fry the onions till golden brown. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry for a minute along with the cinnamon and cloves. Add tomatoes and fry for a couple of minutes. Add dal with a cup of water and cook for 2 whistles. Let all the steam escape, open the cooker and add the chicken and cook further for 2 more minutes. Simmer till the gravy thickens to your liking. garnish with a handful of cilantro and serve with your favorite Roti

Other chana dal recipes 

Purple Cabbage with Chana Dal

Chana Dal Mango