When I am neither fasting nor feasting, I prefer simple meals. A piping hot pot meal with some raita or rice/roti with dal, stir fried vegetables and roasted papad/pickle is enough to make my day. As i usually chop and store the vegetables on the weekends and use pressure cooker for cooking both the rice and dal, the meals take minimum time and effort. ( Tip for bachelors - In order to save time, use a separator to make the rice and dal at the same time. I used to do the same during my bachelor days.)
Read on for the recipe:
Preparation Time - 12-15 mins
Ingredients - 1 cup toor/arhar/harada dal, 1 small onion, 1/3 tsp ginger garlic paste, 1 medium sized tomato, 1 tbs chopped coriander roots, 1/4 tsp mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 2 whole red chillis, 1/5 tsp asafoetida, 2 tsp oil, 1/4 tsp turmeric, salt to taste. (Optional-1 tbs coriander leaves for garnishing)
Preparation - Wash and clean the toor dal under running water. Keep is soaked for 2 hours.
Chop onion into thin long pieces. Finely chop the tomato.
Cooking - Transfer the toor dal to a pressure cooker. Add 3 cups water, salt and turmeric.
Close the lid and cook for 2 whistles on medium flame. Remove from flame and allow steam to escape before opening lid. Take a heavy spoon and swish it around to smoothen the dal.
Heat the oil in a tempering/tadka pan. Add broken red chilli, mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Once seeds start spluttering add the onions followed by the ginger garlic paste. Fry for 1-2 minutes.
Add chopped tomatoes and coriander shoots. Fry till the tomatoes soften a bit.
Add the asafoetida and fry for 5 seconds. Pour it over the contents of the pressure cooker.
Put the pressure cooker over a low flame and allow the contents to come to a boil.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rice/rotis.
Read on for the recipe:
Preparation Time - 12-15 mins
Ingredients - 1 cup toor/arhar/harada dal, 1 small onion, 1/3 tsp ginger garlic paste, 1 medium sized tomato, 1 tbs chopped coriander roots, 1/4 tsp mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 2 whole red chillis, 1/5 tsp asafoetida, 2 tsp oil, 1/4 tsp turmeric, salt to taste. (Optional-1 tbs coriander leaves for garnishing)
Preparation - Wash and clean the toor dal under running water. Keep is soaked for 2 hours.
Chop onion into thin long pieces. Finely chop the tomato.
Cooking - Transfer the toor dal to a pressure cooker. Add 3 cups water, salt and turmeric.
Close the lid and cook for 2 whistles on medium flame. Remove from flame and allow steam to escape before opening lid. Take a heavy spoon and swish it around to smoothen the dal.
Heat the oil in a tempering/tadka pan. Add broken red chilli, mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Once seeds start spluttering add the onions followed by the ginger garlic paste. Fry for 1-2 minutes.
Add chopped tomatoes and coriander shoots. Fry till the tomatoes soften a bit.
Add the asafoetida and fry for 5 seconds. Pour it over the contents of the pressure cooker.
Put the pressure cooker over a low flame and allow the contents to come to a boil.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rice/rotis.
