Deliciously quick & easy vegetarian/
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 The Hindi word Toor Dal is pigeon pea in English. We, Indians use a lot of lentils in our cooking as it takes care of our protein in our daily meals, especially for vegetarians. With the variety of lentils available and with the myriad of recipe ideas in our Indian cuisine, we are never lost for a dish to make for our friends and family.  This toor dal lentil curry is relatively easy to make and makes a good accompaniment for our rice dishes and our chapathis (wholewheat flat bread). As its pretty straighforward, I will not be posting step by step photos as I do with more difficult recipes. Ingredients : (serves 3-4 as a side dish) 3/4 (three quarter) cup toor dal (pigeon peas) 3 and 1/2 (half) cups water 1/2 (half) tsp salt 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 2 tbsp canola oil 1 tsp mustard seeds 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 dried chilli (optional if you want a less spicy curry) a pinch of asoefetida 1 small onion, sliced 1 tsp ginger garlic paste 1/2 green chilli (again optional) 1/4 tsp turmeric powder 1/2 tsp chilli powder 1/2 tsp coriander powder 1 medium tomato, chopped small 1 stalk coriander leaves, chopped small 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves Salt per preference Method 1) Wash the toor dal, check for stones and put the dal in a pressure cooker with the water, turmeric powder and salt. After the first whistle, reduce fire to low and switch off after 10 mins. Leave to cool. 2) In a small sauce pan, heat the canola oil and fry the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dried chilli and asoefetida. 3) Then add the chopped onion and fry for 2-3 mins. Next, add in the ginger garlic paste and green chilli. Fry further for 2-3 mins. 4) Add the turmeric, chilli and coriander powders. Stir and fry the spice powders. Add salt per your preference. 5) Add in the chopped tomatoes and 1/2 cup water and let it cook and turn soft and mushy. 6) Add the cooked toor dal and stir well. Check for salt. 7) Lastly, add the chopped coriander leaves and the dried fenugreek leaves. 8) Serve warm with rice or chapathis. 
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 I did a cook book review recently titled Silk Road Vegetarian and this recipe is adapted from that book. It was a nice change from the usual plain red lentil curry I make for my family often. Adding vegetables to the red lentils and then mixing in a tempered tomato gravy gave a delicious twist. And it was the first time I have used zucchini in an Indian curry. My family loved it and it goes particularly well with an Indian rice dish called Kitcheri www.americanmoments.net/quick--easy-vegetarian-recipes/healthy-kitcheri(See pictures). The original recipe didn't call for certain spices but I added them anyway - cumin, chilli and turmeric. And I have adjusted the recipe accordingly for a family of 4.  Ingredients (Serves 4) 1/2 cup red lentils (Masoor dal) 3 cups water (600ml) 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 1/2 tsp salt 1 small carrot, sliced into thin quarters 1/3 big zucchini, sliced into thin quarters 1/2 cup peas 1 cup cauliflower florets, cut small 2 tbsps Canola Oil 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 onion, chopped 1 tsp mix of ginger and garlic 1/2 tsp chilli powder 1 tsp turmeric powder 1/2 tsp cumin powder 1/2 tsp red chilli flakes 1 and 1/2 medium tomatoes, cubed small Salt Coriander Leaves for garnish Method 1) Wash and boil the red lentils in 3 cups of water. Add the turmeric powder and salt and simmer on low heat for 15 mins.   2) After 15 minutes, add in the vegetables, stir and cook covered for another 15 mins on low heat. I didn't have cauliflower florets at that point. That's why it is missing!  3) While the vegetables and the lentils are cooking, get another small pot and heat the canola oil. Fry the cumin seeds.  4) Then, add in the chopped onions and ginger garlic paste. Fry for 2-3 minutes on medium heat.  5) Add in the spices and salt and fry for a few minutes.   6) This will be followed by the chopped tomatoes. Let it cook till it becomes pulpy and then mash it a little.   7) After the 15 minutes, the cooked vegetables and lentils will look like this. Pour in the tempered tomato mix into the cooked vegs and lentils.   8) Mix well.   9) Garnish with extra red chilli flakes and coriander leaves. Serve hot with your favorite rice dish.   Chayote Lentil Curry served with Grilled Okra and Tofu and a simple Mango Pickle.  Chayote Plant  What are Choyotes?
Chayotes are light green pear shaped fruit common in Mexican cuisine and are found in many warm climates. Chayotes are cultivated as vines and they belong to the gourd family together with cucumber and squash (See picture of Chayote Plant below). It has a mild flavor and crisp texture. It is either eaten raw in salads or cooked. Chayotes have high water and fibre content and are relatively low in natural sugars. They are also prized for being high in Vit C, potassium and amino acids. Because of is mild flavor, chayotes are quite versatile and can be cooked or baked in many ways. They can be added to dressings, casseroles, pickled, fried or even stuffed. They are very often used as a substitute to summer squash in many recipes. Here I have used chayotes in an Indian lentil curry. It makes a plain lentil curry healthier and gives a different look and texture to the curry. Ingredients (Serves 4) 1/2 cup split husked mung bean (Moong dal) 1/2 tsp cumin seeds 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped 3 stalks of coriander leaves chopped 1/2 chayote, cut into big cubes 1 tsp turmeric powder 1/4 tsp cumin powder 1/4 tsp chilli powder Salt per preference More coriander leaves for garnishing Method Boil the mung beans with the cubed choyote in pressure cooker. After the first whistle reduce fire to the lowest and wait for 3 -4 mins. Then increase fire all the way to max and when the cooker whistles, stop the fire. Alternatively, it shouldn't take more than 10 mins to boil the mung bean in a pot with the choyote. Take another pot, heat the oil and fry the cumin seeds. Then add the onions and fry till translucent. Add in the spice powders and salt and let it cook for 2 mins. Add in the coriander leaves and pour in the cooked mung bean and choyote. Let it cook for 2-3 mins and switch the fire off. Serve with rice, wholemeal flatbreads (Chapathis) and a side vegetable dish.  Scallion (Spring Onion) Lentil Curry is a super easy lentil curry to cook with so few ingredients. It is simple and easy on the stomach with no chilli involved at all - be it as a powder or as a vegetable. Ranya (my older daughter) loves this dal and has been her favorite since her toddler days. We had a good helper when we were living in Singapore - Auntie Gloria - who makes this lentil curry very well.
Ingredients (for 4) 1 tbsp. canola oil 1 cup orange lentils (masoor dal) 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste 1 small tomato , cubed small 3 stalks spring onions, sliced small 3/4 tsp turmeric powder Salt per your preference Method Boil the orange lentils in pressure cooker for 3 minutes after the first whistle or in a pot for around 10 mins. Heat the oil in a small pot and fry the ginger garlic paste for a few minutes. This will then be followed by the spring onions. Spring onions don't take a long time to cook, thus add in the turmeric powder and salt now. Give it a few minutes and then add in the cooked dal with the cubed tomato. Stir and let the flavors combine well. Switch off the fire in 3-5 mins and serve warm garnished with extra spring onions and tomato cubes.  Ridge Gourd Lentil Curry served with Spiced Potato Cubes  Whole Ridge Gourd and Cut Slices Ridge Gourd is also called Loofah or Luffa. It is really a dark green ridge vegetable on the exterior with white seeds embedded in the white spongy flesh. It is the fruit of a fast growing warm climate vine plant (See picture below). It tastes rather mild thus it absorbs any spices it is cooked in. This gourd must be eaten before it turns mature otherwise, the flesh will turn woodsy and fibrous to consume. The mature ones are the source of the Luffa scrubbing sponge used widely for polishing our skin (See picture below).
Ridge Gourd has a number of health benefits as in it helps to purify our blood, alleviate constipation, fortifies our immune system among others. Ridge Gourd Lentil Curry or Luffah Dal Curry is an easy curry using only a few ingredients. Ingredients (serves 4) 1/2 cup Toor Dal (Pigeon Peas) 1/2 tsp salt 2 tbsp. canola oil 1/2 tsp mustard seeds 1/2 medium onion, chopped 1 red chilli (seeds removed), sliced thin 3 stalks of coriander leaves, chopped 1 tsp turmeric powder Salt to taste 1 small ridge gourd (around 10 inch), peeled and sliced thin 1 cup water Method Boil the pigeon peas or toordal in pressure cooker for 10 mins till soft and slightly mushy. Don't overcook the lentils. Set aside. Take a medium sized pot and heat the oil. Fry the mustard seeds and when it starts to splutter, add in the onion and the red chilli. When the onion has browned add in the turmeric powder and salt. After a few minutes, add in the sliced ridge gourd and pour 1 cup water. Let the ridge gourd simmer and cook for a few minutes. After 5-10 minutes, add in the cooked toor dal and chopped coriander leaves and mix well. Switch off the fire after 3 minutes of simmering and your Ridge Gourd Lentil Curry is now ready for your savoring. Serve garnished with more coriander leaves with a side vegetable dish and pickle. |
Hi guys! I'm Nilofar Iyer and I have shared my dishes here for you to cook for your own family and friends with love and most importantly with their long term good health in mind.
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