Lentils/Dal
Cucumber kootu or ‘southekai kootu’ is a simple dal made with freshly ground spices and cucumber. Traditionally this curry is made with a special variety of cucumber (called Mangalore southekayi) used for cooking. That particular variety is not available here in Melbourne, so I use the Lebanese cucumber. Kootu […]
Cholar dal is a popular Bengali dal usually prepared on special occasions. This delicious dish is made with Bengal gram, whole spices and coconut, and is on the sweeter side. The aroma from whole spices and the texture from coconut makes it very unique. Cholar dal is a great […]
Cholar Dal (Bengali style chana dal)
If I think of Punjabi food, this is one of the first things that comes to mind. Silky velvety dal makhani… Makhan mean butter – this dish is essentially lentils cooked in butter and spices. Made with whole black lentil, red kidney beans, and butter; and finished with a touch […]
Dal Makhani
As a proud Mysorian, I absolutely love Mysore palace, Mysore pak, Mysore masala dosa and of course, Mysore rasam! Piping hot Mysore rasam and steamed rice with a dollop of ghee can make my world a better place any day. We absolutely love it. And without a doubt, this is […]
Mysore Rasam
Dal fry – pigeon pea lentil or toor dal cooked with onion, tomatoes and aromatic spices. This humble dal fry has come a long way from road side punjabi dhabas to restaurants all over the world. Creamy, rich and smooth dal fry is a perfect accompaniment to rice and roti/flatbread. […]
Dal Fry
If you are looking for something tasty, nutritious and easy to make, then look no further! Green mung bean is high in protein, packed with vitamins and minerals, and an excellent non-meat source of iron! You can use either sprouted mung or unsprouted one – tastes great either way. Add it as sides […]
Green Mung Usli (Stir fry)
This humble Bengali dal is so full of flavours and easy to make. Made with split green gram or moong dal, this dish is an absolute comfort food. Bottle gourd is known for its cooling effect and this dish is cooked in every household in Bengal during summer. Serve it […]
Bottle gourd Dal (Lau Dal)
As a child, heerekayi tovve or ridge gourd dal was an inviting change from the regular sambar and rasam made daily. Made with yellow moong lentil and coconut, this simple and healthy lentil broth is absolutely soul satisfying. ‘Tovve’ is essentially lentils/dal cooked without sambar or rasam powder. This tovve […]
Ridge Gourd Dal
Drumsticks – I love them and cook a lot with them. In fact if you ask me what my favourite huli or sambar is, it’s without a doubt drumstick huli. I rarely cook with the leaves and flowers though. I had used the flowers a few times in Calcutta to […]
Drumstick leaf dal (sambar)
Majjige means buttermilk in Kannada and this tangy mildly spicy curry is made with buttermilk or yogurt, coconut and water based vegetables. You may use bottle gourd, ash gourd, cucumber, etc. to make this. This dish tastes best with sour yogurt – a great way to use up yogurt that […]