Piaja Saga Kanji (Spring Onion and Rice Soup)

Ingredients:
3 Bunches of Spring Onion
1-1/2 Cup Cooked Rice
3 Dried Mango
4 Cups Water
3 Red Chili
3 Cloves of Garlic crushed
1 Tsp Turmeric Powder
1 Tsp Mustard seed
Salt to taste
Oil for tempering

Procedure:
In a saucepan add water, rice, turmeric and dried mango and bring it to boil. Boil the mixture until water quantity become half.
Then cut the spring onions, not the thick part only the leaves and add into the water and rice mixture. Add some salt but careful the dried mango itself has enough salt. So check the salt then add enough to it. Bring the mixture to boil until the nice aroma of the spring onion comes may be 5-10 more minutes.
Now we will add tempering to the mixture. In a pan heat up some oil, then add red chili, add mustard seed, after the mustard seed crackles add crushed garlic to it. Saute for few seconds then add this tempering to the water and spring onion mixture.
Boil the mixture for one more minute and voila this is that simple.
Serve hot with rice and some curry. You can just have it just like that as soup.

PS: If you have fermented rice water then reduce the number of dried mango in the recipe.

Quick Chicken Haleem

Ingredients:
1 lb Chicken drumsticks
1 cup Whole wheat
1/2 cup Masoor dal, Moong dal, Chana dal
1/2 cup Ghee or clarified butter
4 Tbs Shan haleem masala
Chaat masala as per taste
Julien ginger for garnish
Fried onion for garnish
Lemon juice

Preparation:
In a pressure cooker heat up ghee, then add whole chicken drumsticks(no need to cut into pieces).
Then add the shan hallem masala and fry for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile wash the lentils and wheat then add it to the pressure cooker.
Add 4 cups of water and close the lid of the cooker. That's it.
When the cooker whistle once lower the heat to medium low and let it slow cook for 1 hr.
After 1 hr let the pressure go completely then with a potato masher mash the whole haleem and separate the bone from the meat.
If you like to have really paste like consistency then blend it with a hand blender. But I like to mash with a potato masher to have little grainy consistency.
Garnish with fried onion, chat masala, ginger julian and lemon juice.
This is heaven. Sit back and enjoy your haleem.

Mixed Masala Dal(Lentil Soup)

Ingredients:
2 Tbs Toor Daal
2 Tbs Mung Daal
1 Tbs Chana Daal
2 Tbs Urad Daal
2 Tbs Masoor Daal
1 Tbsp Oil
1/2 Tbsp Ghee
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
1/4 tsp Asafoetida
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1/2 medium Onion , finely chopped
1-2 cloves Garlic, slightly crushed
Green Chilies to taste, finely chopped
1 large Tomato  finely chopped
1 tsp Coriander Powder
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Cumin Powder
Red Chili Powder to taste
Water as needed
Lime/Lemon Juice  to taste
Salt to taste
Handful of Cilantro chopped for garnishing

Direction:
In a pressure cook add water, all dal, salt and turmeric, then pressure cook for 3 whistles.
In a pan, heat oil on medium heat.
Once the oil is hot add the cumin seeds and allow to splutter.Add asafoetida and wait for 10 seconds, add onion and green chilies and fry until gets translucent then add garlic saute for few seconds.
Add tomato and all the masalas fry until all gets cooked well.
Lower the flame and add cooked dal from the pressure cooker to the pan. Add clarified butter, lemon juice, coriander leaves and cover the dal. Switch off the flame after 5-7 minutes
Serve hot with rice or chapati.

Sambar Masala Palak Dal

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Toor dal or Masoor dal or Moong dal or mix dal
1 Tsp Turmeric Powder
1 Tomato cut into cubes
1/4 onion diced
1 Tsp Panch Phutan
2 Whole Red chilly
1 Tsp Sambar Masala Powder
1 Garlic cloves crushed
1/2 Tsp grated Ginger
1/2 Tsp Clarified butter or Ghee
Handful of Spinach
Oil for tempering 
Salt to taste
Water as needed


Preparation:

In a pressure cook add water, dal, spinach, ginger, salt and turmeric, then pressure cook for 3 whistles.

In a pan, heat oil on medium heat.

Once the oil is hot add the panch phutan and allow them to splutter.Add red chilly and fry for 30 seconds, add onion and fry until gets translucent then add garlic saute for few seconds.
Add tomato and sambar masala fry until all gets cooked well.
Lower the flame and add cooked dal from the pressure cooker to the pan. Add clarified butter and cover the dal.
Serve hot with rice, chapati.


Thanks Jhumi for sharing this recipe with me.

Masala Dal (Lentil soup)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Toor dal and Masoor dal
1 Tsp Turmeric Powder
1 Tomato cut into cubes
1/4 onion diced
1 Tsp Panch Phutan
2 Whole Red chilly
1/2 Tsp Cumin Powder
1/2 Tsp coriander powder
Pinch of Garam Masala powder
1 Garlic cloves crushed
1/2 Tsp grated Ginger
1/2 Tsp Clarified butter or Ghee
Oil for tempering 
Salt to taste
Water as needed
Fresh Coriander leaves

Preparation:

In a pressure cook add water, dal, salt and turmeric, then pressure cook for 3 whistles.

In a pan, heat oil on medium heat.

Once the oil is hot add the panch phutan and allow them to splutter.Add red chilly and fry for 30 seconds, add onion and fry until gets translucent then add ginger and garlic saute for few seconds.
Add tomato and all the masalas fry until all gets cooked well.
Lower the flame and add cooked dal from the pressure cooker to the pan. Add clarified butter, coriander leaves and cover the dal.
Serve hot with rice, chapati.


Thanks Jhumi for sharing this recipe with me.

Toor Dal With Raw Papaya (Bhanda Harada Dali)

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Toor Dal
1 Tomato cut into cubes
1 Cup Papaya Cubes
1/2 Tsp Turmeric Powder
1 Tsp Panch Phutan
2 Whole Red chilly
1/2 Tsp Cumin Powder
Oil for tempering 
Salt to taste
Water as needed

Preparation:

In a pressure cook add water, dal, papaya, tomato, salt and turmeric, then pressure cook for 3 whistles.

In a pan, heat oil on medium heat.

Once the oil is hot add the Panch phutan and allow them to splutter.Add red chilly and fry for 30 seconds, here you can add onion also and cook till the onions gets translucent. Lower the flame and add cooked dal from the pressure cooker to the pan, add cumin powder. Increase the flame once again and allow the dal to come to a boil.
Serve hot with rice, chapati.

Broccoli Soup

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Tbs Butter
1 1/2 Tbs All purpose flour
1 Cup Broccoli
1 Cup Water
1 Cup Milk
1 Cup Cheddar Cheese
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Preparation:

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat, and mix in the flour. Reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Mix in the chicken stock and milk, and season with salt and white pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer about 10 minutes.(Simmering is important neither the cheese get curdled.)
Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Place the broccoli in the boiling water, and cook 2 minutes, or until just tender. Remove from heat, drain, and set aside.
Gradually mix the Cheddar cheese into the large pot until melted. Mix in the broccoli. Continue cooking about 5 minutes.

Dahi Kadhi

Ingredients
1/2 cup yogurt
1 cup water
2 tbsp gram flour (besan)
1 tsp ginger grated
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp Turmeric powder
Salt to taste

For Tempering
1 tsp oil
Handful of Curry leaves
1-2 Green chili
1 tsp Cumin seeds 
1 tsp Mustard seeds
Pinch of Asafoetida

Preparation:
Combine yogurt, water and gram flour and whisk well.
Add grated ginger, red chili powder, turmeric powder, salt  and mix well and bring to boil.
Stir continuously and cook for 15-20 mins until the consistency gets little thick. 

In another pan, heat oil, add cumin seeds and mustard seed and let that splutter completely.
Add green chili, asafoetida cumin seeds and saute for 10 seconds.
Add the asafeotida and curry leaves then pour the tempering on the kadhi and mix well.
Serve hot with rice or chapati.