Green Moong Dal Recipe

Green Moong Dal is a dish that is liked by all at home. The green moong dal recipe is a protein packed lentil recipe that I make atleast once a week. We generally have it with rice, a veggie side dish and a chicken curry or fish fry for lunch. For dinner it is generally rotis and this green moong dal goes well with chapatis or any other Indian bread. Add in a raita, veggie dish and you have a complete meal quick and easy. 

When I started cooking, I really had no idea how to make even the simplest of dishes (or rather what experienced cooks then called "simple", the "everyday dishes"). This recipe thus, is meant for the beginner, newly married, student, or bachelor living away from home(from mom's cooking) and beginning the adventure of experimenting with ingredients and flavours. Believe me, it is tough initially, but a beautiful world out there just waiting to be explored. 

Ingredients For The Sabut/Whole Green Moong Dal Recipe 

Green Moong Dal - 1 cup
Water - 3 cups
Onions - 1 small (chopped finely)
Green chilli - 1 (chopped finely)
Tomato - 1 small (chopped finely)
Ginger - 1 tbsp (chopped finely)
Garlic - 1 tbsp (chopped finely)
Coriander leaves(finely chopped) - 2 tbsp(for garnishing)
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Kashmiri chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Cummin powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala powder -1/2 tsp
Oil -2 tbsp
Whole cummin seeds - 1/2 tsp

 Method for making Green Moong Dal
1- Soak green moong for an hour in warm water. Wash, clean and drain.
2- Pressure cook the green moong in the pressure cooker on medium heat for 15-20 minutes with 3 cups of water, a little salt and turmeric powder. Cook and keep aside.
3- Take a pan, add the oil. Add the cummin seeds. When they turn light golden, add the chopped ginger, garlic and green chilli. Saute till the raw smell of garlic disappears and you have a nice aroma. 4- Add in the chopped onion and saute till it turns soft and translucent. Add in the tomatoes and saute for 2-3 minutes.
5- Now add the Kashmiri chilli powder, coriander powder, cummin powder mix in a 1/4 cup of water. Saute till the masala is cooked and the oil starts oozing out from the sides.
6- Add the cooked moong dal and the garam masala powder. Add a little water if too thick(and wish to have it a little watery). Boil for 5-7 minutes on low heat.
7- Open, garnish with the chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot.

Pulissery - a Kerala Recipe

Most of us have fond memories of food from our childhood. Whether it was our Mom's homemade lasagna or a memorable chocolate birthday cake, food has a way of transforming us back to the past . 
Homaro Cantu 

Pulissery is a Kerala curry which is a yogurt based dish made with an addition of coconut and some simple ingredients available easily in your kitchen. A quick fix dish when you are not in the mood for some heavy cooking but would love to have a tasty meal.

Was wondering the other day as to what to make for dinner and then a newly wed cousin of mine posted pullissery on the whatsapp cousins group. I couldn't resist the temptation of having puliserry and rice , an anytime comfort food.

Dinner menu was decided. I simply loved the pulissery which came very close to what Amma makes at home. So it was rice, pulissery, a simple potato fry with just salt and turmeric powder and a chicken fry.

Ingredients for Pulissery Recipe
Yogurt - 1 cup
Grated coconut - 4 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Green chilli -1
Jeera (cummin seeds) - 1/2 tsp
Water - 1/2 cup


For tempering :
Oil - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Ulluva (Methi seeds) - 4 to 5
Curry leaves - 7 to 8


Method for making Pulissery:
1- Beat the yogurt well and keep aside.
2- Take grated coconut in the blender jar, add 1/4 cup water, 1/2 cup beaten curd, green chilli, turmeric powder and cummin seeds. Blend to a coarse paste.
3- Add this coconut paste to the  beaten yogurt with the remaining 1/4 cup water and mix well.
4- Take a pan and add 1 tsp oil. Add the mustard seeds and let splutter. Now add the methi seeds and curry leaves. Switch off flame. Now add the beaten curd mixture to the tempering and mix. Transfer to a serving bowl immediately. Serve with steamed white rice or the kerala red rice which goes perfectly with this pullissery.

Palak Paneer - Paint your menu green

The palak paneer  is a traditional Indian dish where paneer(cottage cheese) is cooked in a spinach (palak) puree and mildly seasoned with Indian spices. A healthy and nutritious combination, the palak paneer goes very well with the Indian breads like Naan and rotis. It can also be served as an accompaniment along with pulao or other rice recipes.

The palak paneer is a good choice when it comes to combining taste and health. It was a clear winner at home and so here I am sharing my tried and tested version of the palak paneer or cottage cheese in a spinach based sauce.

Ingredients for Palak paneer
Palak - 2 cups (or 1 bunch - blanched and pureed)
Paneer - 250 gms
Green chillies - 2 (or as per your taste)
Onion - 1 (finely chopped)
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Yogurt - 3 to 4 tbsp (well beaten)
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 /2 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
Whole cummin seeds(jeera) - 1/2 tsp
Hing or asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Salt- to taste
Water - 1 cup

Method for making Palak Paneer
1- Rinse and clean the palak leaves.
2 - Boil water in a vessel. Switch off gas and add the palak(spinach) leaves(roughly chopped). Blanch for 2 to 3 minutes.
3- Take out fromt the hot water and show under running water to stop the cooking process. Run in the blender alongwith the green chillies and 1/2 a cup of water to get a smooth puree.
4- Take a pan. Add the oil. Now add the cummin seeds and hing. When it begins to splutter add the finely chopped onions and saute till the onions turn soft and translucent. Now add the ginger garlic paste and saute till te raw smell disappears.
5-Add the spinach puree and cook for 3-4 minutes(in an open pan on slow fire). Add the red chilli powder, coriander powder, salt and garam masala powder and stir. Add the paneer and water. Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes till the paneer is well-cooked.
4- Add the beaten yogurt, stir and switch off gas(you need to be careful and keep stirring while adding the yogurt so that you get a smooth texture and the yogurt blends in perfectly with the spinach sauce or gravy). Let it sit for 5 minutes.
5- Transfer into a serving dish and serve with rotis, naan or chapati.

Check out the other paneer recipes from my paneer event
Paneer Makhani Recipe