As with most recipes, there are various versions of this dish. Even though the process is slightly labour intensive, every tiny bit of this heavenly dessert is worth it.

• Grated carrots - 4 cups
• Milk - 4 cups
• Ghee/clarified butter - 1/4 cup
• Sugar - 2 cups
• 2 tsp - green cardamon powder
• A handful of cashewnuts - chopped
• A handful of raisins

• Heat 2 tsps of ghee in a heavy bottomed pan & fry raisins & cashewnuts until golden brown. Remove & set aside
• Add grated carrots & saute for a couple of minutes.
• Add 4 cups of milk & stir at regular intervals.
• Cook until milk is completely absorbed
• Mix in ghee & sugar & stir till sugar is completely dissolved & carrots get a glaze.
• Turn off the stove, Add in green cardamom powder & mix well
• Garnish with chopped cashewnuts & raisins.

One such Punjabi dish we all love is the Punjabi Kadhi Pakode. Kadhi is a thick gravy of sour yogurt & chickpea flour simmered into a perfect consistency & seasoned with yummy spices. What makes the Punjabi Kadhi unique is the additon of Pakodes/fritters.

Kadhi - Chawal is such a comforting dish that once you get hooked to it, you will yearn for more.
My husband, who is ever fond of yogurt based gravies, just loves kadhi-pakode. We make this whenever we are bored of the regular Dal/Rasam/Sambar stuff ..

Here is how I made it:

Preparation Time: 30 mins

For the Kadhi:

• Chickpea flour/Besan - 1/2 cup


• Yogurt - preferably sour - 2 cups


• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp


• Turmeric - 1/2 tsp


• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp


• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp


• Nigella seeds/Kallonji - 1/2 tsp


• A pinch of Hing/Asafoetida


• Kasuri Methi/Dry Fenugreek Leaves - 1 tbsp


• A few curry leaves


• 2 green chillies


• salt as per taste


• oil - 2 tsp

Method:

• Mix sour yogurt & chickpea flour in a large bowl & make sure no lumps are formed


• Heat oil in a large wok/kadhai, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds & kallonji


• Once the seeds pop & splutter, add turmeric, red chilli powder & a pinch of hing


• Add the chickpea flour & yogurt mixture & cook on very low heat, keep stirring often


• Add salt & dry fenugreek leaves & mix well. Let it simmer until the mixture is of a custard like consistency. This will take about 25 mins


• While the kadhi is simmering away to a perfect consistency, Here's how you make the fritters,

For Pakodes/Onion fritters

• 2 onions - finely chopped


• 1 cup chickpea flour/besan


• 2 green chillies - finely chopped


• 1 tsp - red chilli powder


• 1 tsp - black pepper powder


• A pinch of baking soda


• Salt as per taste


• Oil for deep frying

Method:

• Mix all the ingrdients in a large bowl, add about 2 tbsp of water & make a batter. Make sure you add very little water as the batter should be fairy dry


• Heat oil in a wok, To check if the temprature is right, drop a bit of batter into the oil, if it floats & sizzles on top, its time to fry the pakodes


• Drop dollops of batter into oil & deep fry until golden brown

Dunk the pakodes into the kadhi & cook fo another 2 minutes.

Just before serving, temper with red/green chillies, a pinch of asafoetida & curry leaves. Close the lid immediately, for the flavours to infuse.

Serve with HOT steamed rice .. Enjoi !!!

• 500g spaghetti
• 2 ripe tomatoes/ 1/2 cup tomato puree
• 1 carrot - diced
• 100g mushroom - sliced
• 1 small bowl of sliced broccoli
• 2 - 3 tbsp - extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp - grated cheese
• salt as per taste

Method:

• Cook spahetti in a large pot filled with heavily salted water, as per package instructions
• Boil tomatoes in water, Peel off the skin & puree them using a blender
• Heat oil in a wok, Add diced carrots, mushroom & broccoli. Saute the vegetables for about 5 minutes
• Add pureed tomatoes & cook on low flame, until the vegetables are tender.
• Add cooked spaghetti & salt as per taste
• Mix well to combine, top with grated cheese & serve

Enjoi !!

• 1 cup french beans
• 1 cup american sweet corn
• 1 cup red kidney beans/rajma - soaked overnight or for 5-6 hours
• 1 cup haricot beans/white kidney beans - soaked overnight or for 5-6 hours
• 1 small red onion - finely chopped
• 1 tsp vinegar
• Salt as per taste

Method:

• Pressure cook french beans, kidney beans & haricot beans
• Cook sweet corn on stove top until tender
• Mix together all the ingredients in a large bowl
• Add vinegar & salt as per taste
• Toss well & serve

Can be served as an evening snack too . . . Enjoi !!!

Am sending over this recipe to Divya's Dil Se for the event Diet Foods .. & also to Sra's Place for the event My Legume Love Affair & A Recipe which is a brainchild of Susan

Thanks Divya & Sra & Susan for hosting.

• 1 cup toor dal
• 1 onion - finely chopped
• 1 tomato - finely chopped
• 1 green apple - cut into cubes
• 2-3 green chillies - finely chopped
• 1 tsp - mustard seeds
• 1 tsp - cumin seeds
• 2 tsp - oil
• A few curry leaves
• 2 tsp - sambar powder
• 1 tsp - corinader powder
• 1 tsp - red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp - kitchen king masala (optional)
• A pinch of Turmeric
• 1/2 tsp - Garam Masala
• Salt as per taste
• 2 tbsp - lemon juice

Method:

• Pressure cook Toor dal with a pinch of turmeric & salt
• Soak apple cubes in water mixed with lemon juice for about 15 mins
• Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan & add mustard & cumin seeds
• Once the seeds pop & splutter, add chopped green chillies & curry leaves
• Add chopped onions & saute till they turn transparent
• Add apple cubes & cook for 5 minutes
• Now, add chopped tomatoes
• Add Sambar powder, Red chilli powder, Coriander powder, Kitchen king masala, & saute till the raw smell disappears
• Add cooked toor dal & mix well
• The apples will be fully cooked my now & will be soft & mushy
• Add salt as per taste & add a pinch of Garam masala
• Give the mixture a gentle mash & mix well
• Cook on low flame for 10 mins

Transfer to a serving bowl & Serve with HOT rice or rotis .. Enjoi !!

I loved the slightly sweet & tangy taste of apples mixed with spices .. It had all the right ingredients to tickle our taste buds. We had our Dal with HOT steamed rice, accompanied by roasted papads, Yogurt & pickle. It was one complete meal we thoroughly enjoyed . .

NOTE:

• You could consider cooking the apples along with toor dal in a pressure cooker.
• If you do not like biting into apples, you could mash them into a paste or just boil them separately & puree them using a blender. This will keep people guessing about the secret ingredient.
• Addition or Deletion of spices is entirely upto you.

When are you making Apple Dal?

I would like to tag

• Sujatha
• Jayashree
• Usha
• Raaji
• Laavanya
• Madhavi

Thanks Priti . . .

• 1 1/2 cups Basmati Rice - soaked in water for about 15-20 mins
• 1 cup finely chopped onions
• 1 cup sweet corn - fresh/canned
• 1/2 cup Green Peas - Frozen/Fresh
• 3 tbsp - Kasuri Methi/Dry Fenugreek Leaves
• 2 tsp - cumin seeds/Jeera
• 1 tsp - Nigella seeds/Kallonji
• 1 tsp - Fennel Seeds/Saunf
• 2 green chillies - slit lengthwise
• 2 bay leaves
• 2-3 cloves
• 1 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
• 1 cup - Fresh Yogurt
• 3-4 Green Cardamoms/Elaichi
• 2 sticks - cinnamon
• A big pinch of Turmeric
• 1 tsp - Red chilli powder
• 1 tsp - Garam Masala
• Salt as per taste
• 2 tbsp - oil

Method:

• Cook soaked Basmati Rice in 1 1/2 cups of water
• Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan. When the oil heats up, throw in Cumin seeds, Nigella seeds & Saunf.
• When the seeds pop & splutter, Add green chillies, bay leaves & ginger-garlic paste
• Throw in Cloves, Cinnamon, Cardamons & saute for a minute
• Add onions & a pinch of turmeric & saute until they turn transparent.
• Add red chilli powder & Garam Masala & saute till the raw smell disappears
• Add kasuri Methi to this mixture & cook on low flame for about 2 mins
• Add sweet corn & green peas & saute until tender
• Add yogurt to this mixture & cook on low flame for another couple of minutes
• Add salt as per your taste. Add cooked rice to the mixture
• Fluff with a fork & mix well

Serve with Raita .. Enjoi !!!

Take another look . . .

• 2 cups of Eggplant chopped into big cubes - any variety will do
• 2-3 tbsp of Kasuri Methi ( dried fenugreek leaves) -
• 1 onion - finely chopped
• 1 large tomato - chopped
• A small piece of finely chopped ginger
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp nigella seeds/kallonji
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 2 green chillies - slit lengthwise
• Salt as per taste
• Oil
• A pinch of sugar

Method:

• Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a heavy bottomed pan, Once the oil heats up, Add cumin seeds & Nigella seeds
• Once they pop & splutter, Add green chillies & chopped ginger
• Add Onions & saute till they turn transparent.
• Add tomatoes & saute for a minute
• Add red chilli powder & fry till raw smell disappears
• Add chopped eggplant cubes & saute for about 2 minutes. At this point you may need to add about 2 tsp of oil to saute the eggplants
• Cover the lid & let it cook on low flame.
• Keep stirring every few minutes to avoid burning the eggplants
• When the eggplants are partially cooked, Add Kasuri Methi & mix well
• Cook on low flame until the eggplants are completely cooked
• Throw in the Garam Masala, a pinch of sugar & salt as per taste
• Mix well & Serve with Garam Rotis

Enjoi !!!

This is my entry for the event, Herb Mania - Fenugreek hosted by Red Chillies .. Thanks for hosting :)