Apr 26, 2007

One of my Comfort Foods: Cucumber Raita & Spinach Dal













**CUCUMBER RAITA**
Ingredients:
1. Cucumber - 1
2. Yogurt - 2cups
3. Salt - as per taste

Make a paste of:
1. Coriander leaves - a handful
2. Green chillis - 3

METHOD:
Make small cubes out of cucumber. In a bowl mix the cubed cucumber, yogurt, ground paste and salt. Mix well. [ You can substitute the coriander leaves with "mint" leaves...goes well with pulao/ biriyani]


**SPINACH DAL**
Ingredients:
1. Spinach (chopped) - 1 bunch
2. Tuvar dal (tur dal or split red gram) - 1 cup
3. Onion (sliced lengthwise)- 1
4. Tomatoes (chopped into quarters) - 2
5. Green chillis (slit)- 2 or 3 (depending on the spice level preferred)
6. Turmeric pd. - 1/2 tsp
7. Salt - as per taste

For Seasoning:
1. Oil or Ghee- 1 tbsp
2. Mustard - 1 tsp
3. Garlic (smashed) - 2
4. Dry red chillis - 1 (break into 2 pieces)
5. Hing - a pinch
6. Curry leaves - a few

Method:
1. Wash tuvar dal. In a pressure cooker take the washed dal, spinach, green chillis, onion, tomatoes, turmeric powder and salt. Add water till all the ingredients are immersed in it. Cover the cooker and cook till you hear 4 whistles.

2. When the pressure subsides, open the cooker and mix well/ mash with a serving spoon. If it's too thick add some more water. Check for salt.

3. In a kadai, heat oil or ghee. Add mustard seeds. When it splutters add smashed garlic, broken red chillis, hing and lastly curry leaves. Wait till the garlic turns gloden brown. Pour the mixture into the spinach dal. Give a quick stir.

4. Serve with roti or rice.

Variations for this recipe:

Instead of spinach you can add kale OR Methi leaves. To make it healthier substitute tuvar dal with moong dal.






4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great presentation!! Looking at the photos I really have to try these recipies over the weekend.

Keep posting.

Abha said...

Great presentation, all the dishes look yummy.

rushali said...

Spinach Daal is so yummy...even my two year old was licking her fingers....nutritious and healthy....fantastic....keep posting all the wonderful reciepes....We Want MORE!!!
Rushu

Anonymous said...

i like your food blog. THIS IS SIMPLE & HUMBLE