Lettuce Dal Recipe - Indian Lettuce Recipes

Last week I bought a big bunch of iceberg lettuce leaves for my burger. After making burger, I had some lettuce leaves leftover in hand. When I was thinking about what can I make with lots of lettuce, I browsed for some Indian vegetarian lettuce recipes. I came across this lettuce dal recipe and lettuce stir fry /thoran in Kerala style. Though I was a bit hesitant about its raw smell, I din’t want to waste the leaves. So I made up my mind and tried this lettuce dal recipe for the first time. To my surprise, it came out very well. It was tasting more like cabbage dal, Infact better than that. I couldn’t find any raw smell at all. I was so happy with the result. Even Raksha and Sendhil liked it a lot. Friends, don’t worry if you have more lettuce leaves in hand. You can make this yummy and delicious, healthy Indian style Iceberg lettuce dal recipe. I am sure you will love it.

Lettuce Dal Recipe

Indian style dal recipe using Iceberg lettuce leaves.

Cuisine: North Indian

Category: Side dish

Serves: 4

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 30 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup = 240ml Toor dal - 1/4 cup Moong dal - 1/4 cup Iceberg lettuce leaves - 1 bunch (2 cups tightly packed) Big onion - 1 (finely chopped) Tomato - 2 (finely chopped) Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tsp Cooking oil – Few drops Salt - as needed Water - 2 cups To Temper Ghee - 1 tbsp Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp Coriander seeds powder - 1/2 tsp Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp Coriander leaves - to garnish

HOW TO MAKE LETTUCE DAL RECIPE

1. Wash the lettuce leaves and chop it roughly.
2. In a pressure cooker base, take toor dal, lettuce leaves, onion, tomato, ginger garlic paste.
3. Add required water, drops of oil, salt, turmeric powder and hing.
4. Pressure cook in low flame for 2 whistles. Mash it well.
5. Temper cumin seeds in ghee. Lower the flame and add red chilli powder, dhania powder, garam masala powder and add to the dal.
6. Mix well and boil for few minutes till thick. Garnish with coriander leaves.
7. Enjoy with plain rice, papad and some curry !

METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

Wash the lettuce leaves. Chop it roughly. Wash and chop onion, tomato. Set aside.  In a pressure cooker base, take the toor dal, moong dal, chopped lettuce leaves, onion, tomato, ginger garlic paste along with 2 cups of water, few drops of oil, turmeric powder and hing. Pressure cook in low flame for 2 whistles. Open the cooker after the steam is released. Mash it well. Heat ghee in a kadai. Lower the flame completely.  Splutter the cumin seeds. Add red chilli powder, dhania powder and garam masala powder. Add to dal. Mix well and roll boil for few minutes. Add little more water if needed and boil till it reaches desired consistency. Switch off the flame. Garnish with coriander leaves.  Mix with plain rice and enjoy !!

Note

Adjust the quantity of chilli powder, dhania powder and garam masala powder based on your taste. You can skip garam masala powder for variations. You can also add a tsp of crushed kasoori methi for more flavor.

Friends, do try this Indian style lettuce dal recipe and share your feedback with me !

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Karnataka Gojjavalakki Mix – Instant Huli Avalakki Mix Recipe / Poha Puliogare Mix

Recently I started making homemade, instant mix recipes inspired by my fellow blogger friends. I have tried rava upma mix, poha upma mix, ven pongal mix, bajji bonda mix recipes successfully. Following that, I tried this easy and yummy Karnataka style gojjvalakki mix recipe. Gojjavalakki is nothing but tamarind flavored poha upma which we call as puli aval in Tamil, Huli avalakki / kuttu avalakki recipe in Kannada. People also call this as poha puliyogare. This is one of the popular breakfast recipes in Karnataka.

  When I tried the authentic gojjavalakki recipe to share in my blog, Raksha and Sendhil loved it very much. Raksha told me to make it often and that’s when I came across this instant gojjavalakki mix. As Raksha’s online school starts early in the morning, I am trying to make easy and instant breakfast recipes. This gojjavalakki mix is so handy. All we have to do is to add hot water to this pre made mix and soak it. Your breakfast would be ready in minutes. Just garnish with grated coconut , drizzle with gingely oil and serve. Tastes so good and flavorful. For this recipe, I referred many blogs and YouTube videos. Though its my first attempt, it came out so well.

 Usually people use thick poha for making gojjavalakki but I used thin avalakki which is called as paper aval / thin poha. This gojjavalakki mix takes very less time to prepare. Once you prepare in bulk and store in a box, you can make breakfast, dinner or for evening snacks instantly. It stays good for a month without refrigeration. Bachelors, working women and people who plan for a trip or travel abroad officially or for studies can make this instant mix and keep it. It would be really helpful to whip up a quick food. Ok friends, lets see how to make Karnataka style gojjavalakki mix recipe with step by step pictures.

Homemade, Instant Gojjavalakki Mix Recipe

Easy, instant gojjavalakki mix recipe

Cuisine: Karnataka

Category: Main course

Serves: 1 kg

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 30 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup = 240ml Thin or thick poha /avalakki /Aval – 4 cups Karnataka style Rasam powder – 1.5 tbsp Turmeric powder – 1 tsp Tamarind – lemon size, oil – 2 tsp (roast n powder) Salt – 1.5 tsp Jaggery – 1 to 2 tbsp ( I used nattu sakkarai powder) Cooking oil – 2 tbsp Mustard seeds – 2 tsp Urad dal – 1.5 tbsp Chana dal – 2 tbsp Roasted Peanuts – 1/4 cup Curry leaves – few Hing – 1/4 tsp Water – to soak ( 1 cm above poha), around 2 cups Poha mix – 1.5 cups ( for 3 people) Grated coconut – to garnish

HOW TO MAKE INSTANT GOJJAVALAKKI MIX

1. Grind the poha in batches to a coarse rava texture. Set aside
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil and roast the tamarind pieces. Switch off the flame, let it cool.
3. Grind to a fine powder. Heat oil in a kadai. Temper mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal, roasted peanuts, curry leaves, hing, red chilli.
4. Roast till dals turn golden in color. Switch off the flame. Cool down.
5. Add powdered poha, tamarind powder, rasam powder, jaggery and salt.
6. Mix everything nicely. Store in a box. No need to refrigerate.
7. Stays good for 2 to 3 weeks.
8. To make gojjavalakki for 3 persons using this mix : Take 1.5 cups gojjavalakki mix in a bowl.
9. Add hot water till its 1 cm above the mix. Using a ladle mix it thoroughly.
10. Cover and rest it for 10 minutes. Garnish with grated coconut and serve !

METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

Grind the poha in a mixie in batches. Grind it like rava / semolina. Do not make it too coarse or powdery. I used 1 cup per batch. Collect in a plate.  Heat 1 tbsp oil in a kadai. Pinch lemon sized tamarind into small pieces. Roast in oil patiently till it turns crispy. Switch off the flame and transfer to a plate. Let it cool down completely. Grind to a fine powder.  Heat oil in a kadai. Temper mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal, peanuts, red chilli, hing and curry leaves. Switch off the flame and cool down. Add the powdered poha, Karnataka style rasam powder, salt, powdered tamarind, jaggery and mix well. Check for taste and add salt, rasam powder if required. Store in a box after it cools down. Use a clean spoon whenever you use. Instant gojjavalakki mix is ready. You can keep it for 2 weeks to 3 weeks without refrigeration.  To make gojjavalakki for 3 people : Take 1.5 cups of instant gojjavalakki mix in a bowl. Boil 2 to 2.5 cups of water till it bubbles. Add this hot water to the mix. Water level should be 1cm above the poha mix. Mix well to coat the poha with water. If it looks dry, you can add little more hot water. Cover the poha mix with a lid and rest for 10 minutes. Open the lid and fluff it gently. Add grated coconut . I drizzle a tsp of gingely oil and serve with curd, sev or chutney ! Enjoy !

Note

Adjust the quantity of tamarind based on the rasam powder's spice level. Sauting tamarind in oil helps to roast it evenly and makes it crispy once it cools down. Alternately you can dry roast the tamarind too. Do not store the mix before it cools down completely. You can also cook the poha mix in low flame in a kadai adding plain water. Actual recipe called for using dried coconut powder/ kobbari powder.  But I din't add coconut in the gojjavalakki mix to increase its shelf life. Use store bought or homemade Karnataka style rasam powder for best taste.  Try this easy, yummy, Instant gojjavalakki mix and enjoy a quick breakfast / dinner !

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Besan Ka Halwa Recipe / Kadalai maavu Halwa

Besan ka halwa in Hindi( Kadalai maavu halwa in Tamil) is a rich and delicious Indian dessert recipe. It is prepared with besan flour, sugar, ghee, milk, water flavored with cardamom powder and garnished with nuts. Though its a very simple recipe, it needs some patience and continuous attention to make it perfect. Roasting besan flour patiently is the key to make a flavorful halwa else halwa tastes and smells raw.

This halwa can be prepared adding water or milk. Color of halwa varies as per the use. I used water here. For variations, you can use jaggery instead of sugar. Do not reduce the quantity of ghee and sugar mentioned. It will affect the taste and texture of this besan halwa. For making this halwa, I used pure cow's ghee from Ghee store. It came so well !!

Recently I got a pack of pure desi cow ghee and wood pressed sesame oil and ground nut oil from Ghee store for my review. Ghee store is an online shop where they sell organic pure desi cow ghee, buffalo ghee, brown ghee, cold pressed and wood pressed oils and organic honey. All their products are traditionally prepared without machines. They use wood fire for preparation and is done 100% manually. So they give assurance to the flavor, taste and purity.

As they promised, I found the ghee, sesame oil and groundnut oils are so good, fresh and flavorful. We all just loved it. Price is also reasonable when compared to some other brands who sells A2 ghee at a very high price. I am sure I will buy their products regularly in future. I would recommend this brand for my friends and family too.

Friends, do check out their website gheestore.in  and place your orders. You can try their sample pack at a minimal price and then go for bulk orders if you are satisfied. Here is their Instagram , Facebook and twitter page links. Check it out friends. You can also click on the below image to view their website. You can also find some useful informations regarding the health benefits of pure cow ghee, buffalo ghee and cold pressed oils in their blog page.

Ok, lets see how to make besan ka halwa using pure cow ghee with step by step pictures.

Besan Ka Halwa / Besan Halwa Recipe

Besan Ka Halwa / Besan Halwa Recipe - Rich and delicious halwa recipe

Cuisine: Indian

Category: Sweet

Serves: Serves 4

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 30 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup = 240ml Besan flour / Kadalai maavu - 1 cup Sugar - 3/4 cup ( Add 1 cup for more sweetness) Melted ghee - 1/2 cup ( 1/3 cup + 2 tbsp) Water - 1.5 cups Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp Cashew nuts - few (to garnish)

HOW TO MAKE BESAN KA HALWA

1. Heat 1/3 cup of ghee in a heavy bottomed kadai.
2. Add besan flour and roast in low to medium flame till golden in color with a nice smell.
3. Add water and mix till besan turns thick. Add sugar and mix in low flame.
4. Halwa becomes thick, non sticky and leaves the pan.
5. When it becomes a whole mass, add the remaining ghee, chopped cashews and cardamom powder.
6. Mix well and switch off the flame. Remove in a plate. Serve warm and enjoy !

METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

Add 1/3 cup of melted ghee in a heavy bottomed kadai. I used my thick non-stick kadai. Heat ghee and add the besan flour. Keep the flame low to medium and roast the besan flour for 8 to 10 minutes till besan flour turns golden in color with a nice smell. Lower the flame completely and add water at room temperature. You can also add boiled milk at room temperature instead of water.  I used water. Mix quickly to break the lumps. Keep mixing till all the water / milk is absorbed by the besan flour. When it becomes thick, add sugar.    Mix well till all the sugar is dissolved in halwa. Keep the flame medium and mix for few minutes. Halwa thickens and starts to leave the sides of pan. Keep mixing till halwa leaves the pan completely and becomes a whole mass. Add cardamom powder, remaining ghee and chopped cashew nuts. Mix well. Switch off the flame. Transfer to a plate and serve warm or hot ! Enjoy.!

Note

You can add milk instead of water. Color of halwa differs if you add milk. Add 1 cup of sugar for more sweetness. Do not reduce the quantity of ghee. You can use wheat flour instead of besan and make this halwa. For variations, add 2 tbsp of suji / rava / semolina to 1 cup of besan flour while roasting. It gives a coarse texture to the halwa.

Do try this easy, yummy besan ka halwa and share your feedback !

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Egg Drop Biscuits Without Oven / Kerala Mutta Biscuit / Bean Biscuits / Coin Biscuit Recipe

 

Today’s recipe is a bakery style, my childhood favorite egg biscuit which is called by different names such as egg drop biscuits, mutta biscuits, bean biscuits, coin biscuit, baby biscuit , button biscuit etc. I never knew this biscuit is popular in Kerala bakery. When I was young, my dad used to take me to a small bakery near my house in Salem, Tamil nadu. My mom and sister used to buy shrewsburry biscuits i.e Nankhatai and coconut bun whereas my choice is this humble and cute egg drop biscuit. I used to call this as button biscuit or yellow biscuit. I buy a big pack and eat it all alone without sharing with anyone at home😉.

Its so addictive !! I love its mild sweetness, cute looks with an awesome vanilla flavor. Even now whenever I visit Lakshmi bakery in Salem, I never forget to pick a pack of this egg drop biscuits. Nowadays we get this egg drop biscuits in different flavors like chocolate, orange, pineapple, mango etc. But I like this original vanilla flavored ones.

During this lockdown period, I came across this mutta biscuit recipe in my Facebook and Instagram feeds. Being a vegetarian, I was hesitant to use egg in my kitchen to bake this biscuit. I also asked few people to suggest eggless options for this biscuit but majority of the answers were NO. Finally I made up my mind and tried this recipe for the first time yesterday.

 I referred so many Youtube videos and Shravskitchen for this recipe. I took Raksha’s help for shaping the biscuits and baked it successfully. Even though its my first attempt, it came out so well. It can be prepared easily even if you are a beginner in baking.You can make it without oven too. So In this post, I have discussed how to make this egg drop biscuits with and without oven. I tried both at the same time. Results were equally good.

 In fact biscuits made in stove were more crispy than oven ones. Ok friends, lets see how to make this cute and yummy egg biscuit with step by step pictures.

Egg Biscuits / Kerala Mutta biscuit

Egg Biscuits / Kerala Mutta biscuit also known as bean biscuits, coin biscuits, button biscuit and baby biscuits recipe with and without oven.

Cuisine: Indian

Category: Cookies

Serves: 100

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 30 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup = 240ml All purpose flour / Maida - 3/4 cup Baking powder - 1/2 tsp Eggs / Mutta - 2 Powdered sugar - 5 tbsp ( little less than 1/2 cup) Vanilla essence - 1 tsp Melted butter - 2 tbsp Turmeric powder – 1/8 tsp Zip lock cover / Piping bag / Milk cover – 1

HOW TO MAKE EGG BISCUITS / MUTTA BISCUITS

1. In a mixing bowl, break 2 eggs. Beat for a minute. 
2. Add melted butter, vanilla essence and powdered sugar.
3. Mix well. Sieve maida,turmeric powder and baking powder.
4. Add to the egg mixture and mix gently to make a dough.
5. Take a zip lock cover or piping bag and spread in a tumbler or mug.
6. Pour the batter and fill it. Make a cone and cut the end of zip lock cover to make a small hole.
7. Take a baking tray lined with butter paper. Drop the dough into small rounds.
8. To make the egg biscuits without oven, heat a kadai in high flame for 5 minutes.
9. Lower the flame completely. Place the baking plate over the kadai and cover it with a lid.
10. Cook for 10 minutes in very low flame till the bottom of biscuit turns golden in color.
11. Switch off the flame. Remove the plate and rest for 2 minutes. Remove the biscuits using a knife.
12. Transfer to a plate and cool down to become crispy. Enjoy.
13. To make the egg biscuit in oven, preheat oven in 180c. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes in 180c.
14. Remove the tray once the edges of biscuit turns golden. Remove the biscuits and spread in a plate to cool down.
15. It becomes crispy once its cooled down completely.

METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

Break 2 eggs in a wide mixing bowl. Beat for a minute. Add melted butter, vanilla essence and powdered sugar. Mix well without lumps.   Sieve maida, baking powder and turmeric powder. Add to egg mixture and mix gently to make a dough. Dough should not be too thick or thin. It should fall like a thick ribbon. Take a zip lock cover or piping bag or milk cover. Fill with dough and twist to make a cone. Cut the bottom end and make a small hole in the zip lock cover.   Take a baking tray and line with butter paper. Pipe in small balls shapes as shown in the figure below. Do not make it big because this biscuit expands and flatten while baking. To make this biscuit without oven, pre heat a  empty kadai in high flame for 5 minutes. Once it starts to become smoky, lower the flame completely and place the baking tray with biscuit. Cover the kadai with lid and cook in very low flame for 10 to 12 minutes till the edges of biscuits turn golden in color. Switch off the flame and remove the tray from kadai. Rest it for few minutes and try to remove the biscuit with a knife. Cool down completely to become crispy because it tastes soft while hot or warm. It has to cool down to become crispy and hard. If you feel its still soft to eat or touch, you should bake for few more minutes.  Store in a box and enjoy for a week. For baking in oven, preheat the convection oven in 180c. Place the baking tray with biscuit dough and bake for 10 to 15 minutes in 180c . Switch off when the edges of biscuit turn golden brown. Mine took 12 minutes. Remove the tray and cool down to become crispy. Enjoy. NOTE : If you feel the biscuit is soft to touch, you have to bake / cook for another few minutes. Cooking time depends on the oven or the vessel you use in stove. Enjoy !

Note

You can cook the biscuit in an empty preheated kadai. I din’t use powdered salt here. If you wish you can spread one inch thick powdered salt and pre heat it. Always use a old kadai for baking. Adjust the quantity of sugar as per your taste. This biscuit has a mild sweet taste. So this quantity was perfect for me. Do not skip butter. I haven’t tried this biscuit with wheat flour. Adjust the quantity of vanilla essence as per the need. Original recipe called for 1/2 tsp but I used to 1 tsp to suppress the smell of eggs. For variations, you can add a tsp of chocolate powder to a portion of the dough and make chocolate egg drop biscuits.  For making pineapple, orange or mango flavored biscuits, replace vanilla essence with the respective essence. Add few drops and check the flavor.

Do try this yummy, kids friendly, egg biscuit recipe and share your feedback with me.

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Gojju Avalakki Recipe – Karnataka Gojjavalakki / Huli Avalakki

I love to try varieties of poha recipes for our breakfast and dinner. Last week I tried this Karnataka style gojjavalakki recipe (Tamarind poha) for our breakfast. Its an instant and quick fix recipe for breakfast. This is a no onion no garlic recipe too. If you have tamarind paste or soaked tamarind in hand, gojju avalakki can be prepared under 10 minutes. It doesn’t need any side dish too.

 This recipe would be ideal for bachelors and working women to make a quick breakfast and dinner. I referred few Karnataka blogs and YouTube videos and tried this recipe. Gojju avalakki works the best with thick poha. It is coarsely ground and made. But I used thin poha which is also know as paper avalakki in Karnataka. So I have shared the instructions for both the types of poha.

 Soon I will try to share Tamil nadu style puli aval / tamarind poha recipe which is slightly different from this one. Ok, lets see how to make Karnataka special gojjavalakki recipe with step by step pictures.

Gojju avalakki recipe

Karnataka style gojju avalakki recipe

Cuisine: Karnataka

Category: Breakfast

Serves: Serves 4

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 30 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

To mix in poha Poha / Avalakki / Aval/ rice flakes - 3 cups ( I used thin poha) Tamarind - Big gooseberry size Karnataka style Rasam powder or sambar powder - 1 tbsp Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp Jaggery – 2 tsp (powdered) Salt - as needed Water - as needed Grated coconut - 1/4 cup ( to garnish) To temper Cooking oil - 1.5 tbsp Mustard seeds - 1 tsp Urad dal - 2 tsp Chana dal - 1 tbsp Peanut - 2 tbsp Curry leaves - Few Asafetida / Hing - 1/4 tsp Red chilli – 1 or 2 ( pinched into 2)

HOW TO MAKE GOJJU AVALAKKI

1. Wash the poha once or twice in water. Drain completely.
2. Take in a wide bowl. Add tamarind extract, sambar powder, turmeric powder, jaggery, salt and hing. Sprinkle some water if needed and mix gently.
3. Mix well and set aside for 5 minutes.
4. In the mean time, heat oil in a kadai. Roast peanuts.
5. Splutter mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal and roast well.
6. Add curry leaves, pinched red chilli and hing. Saute quickly.
7. Now add the soaked gojju avalakki mixture and mix gently.
8. Cover cook in low flame for 5 to 10 minutes by tossing once in the middle.
9. Switch off the flame and garnish with grated coconut. Serve hot !

METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

Take the poha in a bowl. If you are using thick poha, grind it coarsely using pulse option in your mixer grinder. If using thin poha, no need to grind it. Proceed to next step. Wash the poha once or twice in water to remove the debris. Drain the water completely and set aside in a bowl. Soak tamarind in 1 cup of water and take the extract.   Add the tamarind extract, turmeric powder, sambar powder/ rasam powder, jaggery, hing and salt. Mix well and rest it for 5 minutes.   In the mean time, heat oil in a kadai. Roast the raw peanuts for few minutes. Now add mustard seeds in the same oil. Let it splutter. Add urad dal, chana dal, pinched red chilli, hing and curry leaves. Saute for a minute.  Add the soaked poha + tamarind mixture to the kadai. Mix gently, check for taste and add more spices, salt if required. Cover cook for 5 to 10 minutes in low flame. Toss it once or twice in the middle. Cook till poha becomes hot. Switch off the flame and garnish with grated coconut. Serve hot and enjoy ! You can eat it as such or serve with coconut chutney.

Note

Do not add more water while soaking thin poha. If you are using thick poha , grind it coarsely and then soak in tamarind water. It helps to soak the poha quickly in less water. Adding more water makes the dish mushy.  You can use Karnataka style rasam powder or sambar powder in this recipe. For variations, you can also add a tsp of roasted sesame seeds powder and mix at the end.

Try this easy, instant Karnataka special gojju avalakki and enjoy !

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Bengali Tetor Dal Recipe – Korolar Dal / Bitter Gourd Dal Recipe

Recently when I went to Salem, my MIL gave me few bitter gourds that was grown in our backyard. Usually I make bitter gourd pitlai, poriyal or crispy bitter gourd chips. This time for a change, I tried Bengali style Tetor dal recipe with moong dal and bitter gourd (Korola in Bengali). We can call it as bitter gourd dal in English. When I saw this recipe in YouTube, I felt bitter gourd and dal combo tastes weird as we are adding a bitter vegetable. But to my surprise, it came out really well.

Being a bitter gourd fan, I just loved it. The trick lies in slicing bitter gourd thinly and saute in oil till its cooked. By doing this way, bitter gourd tastes mildly bitter in this recipe. Cooking procedure is simple too. Tastes good when mixed with plain rice adding few drops of ghee. Begun bhaja and aloo posto are the best side dish for this tetor dal. Luckily I have posted both the recipes in my blog already. So please check the links below. My recent love for Bengali vegetarian food is reflected in this dish. Ok friends, do try this Bengali style Tetor dal / bitter gourd dal and share your feedback with me.

Check out my Bengali lunch menu - Vegetarian if you like !

Bengali Tetor Dal Recipe

Bengali Tetor Dal Recipe / Bitter gourd moong dal recipe.

Cuisine: Bengali

Category: Side dish

Serves: Serves 3

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 30 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup = 240ml Moong dal - 1/3 cup Bitter gourd - 1 (slice thinly) Cooking oil or mustard oil - 2 tbsp ( I used refined oil) Salt & water - as needed To temper Ghee / clarified butter - 1 tbsp Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp Bay leaf - 2 Red chilli - 2 (whole) Grated coconut - 1/4 cup Ginger paste – 1 tsp

HOW TO MAKE TETOR DAL

1. Wash the moong dal and pressure cook adding enough water. Mash and keep aside.
2. Wash and chop bitter gourd slices thinly. Heat oil and saute the slices till its completely cooked and shrink in size. Remove in a plate.
3. Temper mustard seeds, bay leaf, red chilli, grated coconut, half of ginger paste and saute for few minutes.
4. Add the bitter gourd slices to it and saute well.
5. Lastly add the cooked moong dal, salt, sugar and required water.
6. Boil for few minutes. Add the remaining ginger paste and switch off the flame.
7. Serve with plain rice, begun bhaja or aloo posto !

METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

Wash the moong dal and take in a pressure cooker. Add 2 cups of water, a pinch of turmeric powder. Pressure cook in low flame for 2 whistles till dal cooks mushy. Open the cooker after steam is released. Mash and set aside. Wash and slice the bitter gourd thinly. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a kadai. Saute the thin bitter gourd slices in low to medium flame till its roasted and golden brown in color. Remove in a plate. Melt ghee in a pan. Temper mustard seeds, 2 bay leaf, 2 whole red chilli and 1/2 tsp of grated ginger / ginger paste. Lastly add grated coconut and saute till it turns golden in color. Switch off the flame. Add the sautéed bitter gourd slices, required salt, sugar to the cooked dal. Add tempered ingredients too. Add the remaining ginger too. Mix well. Add little water and adjust the consistency. Boil for few minutes. Switch off the flame. Serve with plain rice adding few drops of ghee. You can serve with begun bhaja or aloo posto as side dish. Enjoy !

Note

Make sure you saute and roast the bitter gourd slices. If you want to remove bitterness, soak the bitter gourd in little salted water. Squeeze well and then saute in oil. Some people add 1 cinnamon, 1 clove and cardamom in ghee while tempering. But I din't use it.

Bengali style tetor dal / bitter gourd dal recipe is ready to enjoy with plain rice.

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