Poha

Date: 11/6/2010
By Gita Gupta

Ingredients

• 3 c. thick poha
  
• 1/4 c. oil
  
• 1 potato
  
• 1 onion
  
• 1 1/2 c. peas (slightly thawed)
  
• 1 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
  
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
  
• curry leaves (approx 6-8 fresh)
  
• green chili 2-3 (or to taste)
  
• cilantro (to taste)
  
• lemon juice (to taste)

Method:

• Wash poha in cold water. Add approx 1/2 c. milk and soak.
  
• Dice potato and onion.
  
• Heat oil and add mustard seeds, cook till splatter.
  
• Add curry leaves, potato and green chili.
  
• Cook till potatoes are slightly brown.
  
• Add onion. Brown. Add peas. Add poha. Cover and cook approx 2 minutes.
  
• Add cilantro and lemon juice to taste. Can add peanuts.
  
• Serve with green chutney or ketchup.

Maren and Nancy’s “Yellow Dal”

Date: 10/30/2010
By Jayshree Seth

Dal is the generic Hindi term for lentils and a part of everyday meal for most Indians. There are several lentil varieties with various shapes, sizes and colors! In preparing them there are myriad variations with seasonal/local ingredients, influences and techniques.

The basic idea is to mix cooked lentils with the seasoning/tempering. A very common version, elegant in its simplicity, is seasoned with ghee and cumin seeds only. The more festive/”restaurant or party style” is likely to have onions/tomatoes/masala etc. The tempering is referred to as ‘chaunk’, ‘tadka’ or ‘vagar’.

Arhar dal, also known as Toor dal, is a commonly prepared dish (and the main element of the ultimate Indian comfort foods: dal-chawal (rice) and dal-roti (Indian flatbread).

Oh..and it is one of the yellow dals – there are more: mung and chana are yellow too !

Ingredients: (Serves 4-6)

• 1 cup toor dal
  
• 4 cups water
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• ½ teaspoon turmeric (haldi)

Onion-Tomato Chaunk:

• 2 tablespoons oil (or ghee)
  
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
  
• Pinch of asafoetida (hing)
  
• 2 cloves (laung)
  
• 1 small cinnamon stick (0.5”)
  
• 1 medium onion chopped (approx 1 cup)
  
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  
• ½ teaspoon turmeric (haldi)
  
• ½ teaspoon red chilli powder (lal mirch)
  
• ½ teaspoon garam masala
  
• ½ teaspoon salt
  
• 1 small tomato, chopped (approx ¾ cup)
  
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste**

** I was disappointed in the flavors of ‘retail’ tomatoes when I first moved to the US. Soon I realized it was because they were ‘designed’ for travel not for taste. After discovering tomato paste (which is not an ingredient used or commonly available in India) I started adding that for depth of flavor and color and find that it does a good job in building back the concentrated tomato flavors. (Don’t need to add paste if using Heirloom tomatoes).

Directions:

Triple wash the dal and pressure cook with water, salt and turmeric. (Typically takes 8-10 minutes for first whistle, reduce heat after that and let cook for another 6-8 minutes). Turn off the heat and wait until steam has stopped before opening the pressure cooker (about 10 minutes).

Heat oil on medium-high heat in a saucepan. Once hot, add cumin seeds, asafoetida, cloves and cinnamon. As soon as cumin seeds brown add the chopped onions and garlic and reduce heat to medium. Saute until onions are translucent. (takes about 3-5 minutes). Add the spices and keep stirring for a minute or so. Add tomatoes and tomato paste and a little water if too dry. Cook the mixture for about 4-6 minutes (will look like a thick sauce). Add the onion-tomato mixture to the pressure cooked dal and bring to boil. Adjust consistency with water if needed.

(Optionally, garnish with chopped cilantro). Serve with rice or roti.

Now for the simpler, classic plain dal seasoning..

Ghee Chaunk:

• 2 tablespoons clarified butter (ghee)
  
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
  
• Pinch of asafoetida (hing)
  
• ¼ - ½ teaspoon red chilli powder (lal mirch)

Heat the ghee in a small saucepan. Add cumin seeds and hing. When cumin seeds brown add chilli powder and quickly pour the seasoning over the cooked dal. (Red chilli powder burns very easily in hot oil. A tablespoon of water can be added right after adding chilli powder to prevent burning).

Other common ingredients/variations:

For tangy flavor: Can add fresh lime/lemon juice, Amchur (dried mango powder), kokum (a local dried plum like fruit found in Western India) or tamarind (imli)

For mild sweetness: Add sugar or jaggery (gud) unrefined Indian sugar (Gujarati dal)

For extra heat: Add chopped fresh green chilies or red whole chilies

Other aromatics: Bay leaf, curry leaves

Fresh chopped ginger along with onions and garlic

Mustard seeds (rai) in addition to/or instead of cumin seeds

Leafy vegetables such as spinach (palak) are also added for palak-dal

Sindhi Kadhi

Date: 10/16/2010
By Shalini Thadani

Ingredients:

• Jeera 1 tsp
  
• Curry Leaves 1 sprig
  
• Methi ½ tsp
  
• Hing 1/8 tsp
  
• Turmeric ¼ tsp
  
• Tamarind – lime size
  
• Gr chillies 2
  
• Sugar 1 tsp or jaggery
  
• Beans 5-8
  
• Tomato 1
  
• Potato 1-2
  
• Besan 2 tbsp
  
• Salt
  
• Red chilli pdr ½ tsp
  
• Oil 1-2 tbsp

Method:

• Heat oil. Fry jeera then add methi & hing.
  
• Fry 1 tbsp besan in this and dissolve second one in water. When besan changes color, slightly add the one in water.
  
• Now add beans, turmeric, salt, green chillies, potato(diced), and curry leaves.
• Soak tamarind. Squeeze out water and add to this. Cook on a high flame for about 10 mins.
  
• Add chopped tomato, red chilli pdr, and sugar. Put in a pressure cooker. Shut it, keep on high till 1 whistle. Simmer for 5-10 minutes and remove.

Jhal Muri (Bengali Bhel)

Date: 10/9/2010
By Sona

Indredients:

• 2 cup crisp puffed rice/Muri
  
• 1 medium red onion chopped
  
• 1/2 a boiled potato chopped
  
• 1/2 cup chopped cucumber
  
• A little chanachur, can use sev or bhujiya also
  
• 1 tsp mustard oil..very important substitute with pickle oil if you don't have this
  
• 2 green chilies chopped
  
• finely chopped fresh coconut piece
  
• 1 tbsp fresh chopped coriander leaves
  
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Combine all the ingredients and serve immediately so the muri does not get soggy

Aloo Pakora (Potato Fritters) with Cilantro Chutney

Date: 10/2/2010
By Sunita Mannamkunnath

Ingredients for Aloo Pakora:

• Chickpea flour (besan) -- 1 cup
  
• Cumin, ground -- 1 teaspoon
  
• Salt -- 1 1/2 teaspoons
  
• Warm water -- 1/2 cup
  
• Vegetables – 1 large Eggplant – sliced into rounds, 2 potatoes – sliced into rounds, 1 onion – sliced into rings
  
• 1 tsp Carom seed (Ajwain)
  
• Oil for deep frying

Method:

• In a large bowl, add the chickpea flour, cumin, salt, water. Whisk the ingredients to make a smooth batter.
  
• Heat oil in a heavy skillet on medium-high. Dip the cut vegetables one at a time into the batter to coat. Then drop into the hot oil and deep fry until lightly browned on all sides. Remove onto a plate lined with paper towels.
  
• Serve hot with cilantro chutney, mint chutney or Tomato ketchup.

Ingredients for Cilantro Chutney

• Cilantro, stems and all, chopped finely --1 bunch
  
• ½ Onion, chopped
  
• Hot chili peppers, minced -- 1-2
  
• Salt -- 2 teaspoons
  
• Lemon juice – juice of ½ a lemon

Method

• Mix all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse until almost pureed.

Parippu (Dal) Vada

Date: 9/25/2010
By Renu Krishnan

Ingredients:
I

• Toor dal-2 cups

II

• Curry leaves - 10 to 12 leaves
  
• Green chilies – 3
  
• Ginger-1 medium size

Chop all these together.
III

• Onion chopped – 2 (medium size)

IV

• Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp
  
• Salt to taste
  
• Gram flour(Besan)-1/4 cup

V

• Oil

Method:

• Soak dal for about 1 hour. Cook for about 5 min in microwave oven with 1 cup of water. Drain and grind to make thick paste. Do not add water while grinding.
  
• Add ingredients II, III and IV to the paste of dal and mix well.
  
• Heat oil in a cooking pan.
  
• Make oval shaped patties out of this paste and deep fry until golden brown.
  
• Parippu Vada is ready to serve.

Guidelines

GUIDELINES FOR THE COOKING CLASS

• The duration of the cooking class is 45 minutes. In that time you should be able to prepare the ingredients, cook the dish, taste it, and clean up. It is a good idea to cook a dish that takes about 20-25 minutes so that leaves you a few minutes to prepare the ingredients and clean up after.
  
• Bring all the ingredients/raw materials you need to prepare the dish. The kitchen is fully equipped with range, oven, microwave, utensils, knife, silverware, plates, etc. If you need special equipment or utensils to cook your dish for eg: mixers, idli moulds, etc., please bring them.
  
• Please bring at least 5 copies of the recipe for the students. It will be easier for them to help prepare and cook if they have a copy of the recipe to work with.
  
• It is important to leave the kitchen in the same way when you started, so please remember to clean up and put away anything you may have used.