Nuchinunde with Hingu oil - Steamed Lentil dumpling with Asafetida oil

So This recipe is basically from Karnataka , and its healthy, less oil and steamed so what not to like about it. Its basically Gujju's deep fried dalwada answer by South in a Steamed version, Since it has lot of lentils, it usually eaten with Asafetida oil , you can have it with coconut chutney or Majjige huli , which is again curry based on coconut milk with vegetables similar process to Gujarati kadhi but added coconut milk and vegetables. I had it with hingu oil since it was fast and new way to had it. 

I was craving for dalwada but was not interested in deep fried version so this was so long on to do list so made it and enjoyed it, it was good while it was out of the steamer as well as cold too. 

To crush the dals, it totally up to you to finely crushed or coarse. I like it little coarse so I keep it that way. 

You can adjust the spice level as per your liking.

Keep in mind you are working with lentils since once you soaked it , it will double in size so you can adjust the quantities as per your need. 

Ingredients for lentil dumpling: 

1/2 cup Chana dal

1/2 cup split mung dal with chilka

1/2 cup coconut

2 tbsp. fresh coriander leaves

few fresh curry leaves

1 inch ginger finely chopped

2 green chilies slit

1 tsp whole jeera

pinch of hing

Salt as per the taste

Half white onion cut it in cubes

Ingredient for Hing oil

3 tbsp. oil

1/2 tsp hing

Method 

In a bowl take the dal and washed it nicely till the water is clean

then add enough water and soak for 4-5 hours.

Drain off the water from the dal and transfer to the grinder, along with all the ingredients mentioned in ingredients for dumplings

Without adding water make a coarse paste.

Now heat the steamer with water and grease the plate with oil on which you are going to put the balls.

Mix all the ingredients and make a cylindrical shape.

Place it in the steamer leaving enough space in between the balls.

Steam for 15 to 20 minutes or until its cooked completely.

When its done, take it out and enjoy with any chutney, majjige huli or the way I had it hingu oil 

Recipe for the hingu oil - In small pan, add the oil, when  oil is warm, add hing in it and mix it and shut off the gas and take the oil in bowl. and enjoy it with Nuchin unde. 

Not Fried Vada Curry

Vada curry is a very popular south Indian curry made with deep fried chana dal vada  and put that in onion tomato gravy and serve it with mainly with set dosa but you can have it with poori, idli or dosa too. 

Here I have made it in paniyaram pan so its not fried and still taste the same. This dish has no typical South Indian flavor  but still taste amazing. I had it here in one restaurant and since then I wanted to make it home, but after making it I realized that this is South Indian answer to North Indian Vadi. In North , vadi is from mung dal or black eye peas , this is from Chana dal and some different masala but hey , hubby loved it so all good. Generally two things are enough, set dosa and vada curry but my kids were having dosa with masala and sambar and chutney I have it too. I have used leftover dal mixture on next day to make chana dal tikki for lunch. 

Ingredients : 

For Vada : 

1 cup Chana dal

1/2 tbsp. Fennel seeds 

1 Green chili

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

2 tbsp. Coriander leaves

few curry leaves

salt as per taste

Oil as needed in paniyaram , and if you are frying then oil for frying

Method : 

soak Chana dal for 3-4 hours. 

Wash and drain the water and put the dal in blender along with fennel seeds, cumin , coriander , curry leaves and salt. 

don't add any water in this. You don't need fine paste.

Now take it out and heat up the paniyaram pan. Add few drops of oil in cavities and add small amount of chana dal mixture in it and cover and cook it on low to medium flame. When its cooked on on side, turn it and cook on other side. make sure its cook from inside too that's why keep the flame on low. 

If you are deep frying make very tiny balls and drop it in the oil and fry it. 

    

                                                        

Once its cold , make small pieces of it. 

Now let's make the curry.

Ingredients for the curry : 

2 tbsp. oil

1 bay leaf

1 inch cinnamon

2 cloves

1/2 tbsp. fennel seeds

Pinch of Hing

1 finely chopped onion

1 tbsp. ginger garlic paste

1 green chili finely chopped

few curry leaves

1/2 tbsp. Turmeric powder

1/2 tbsp. Kashmiri red chili powder

1/2 tbsp. cumin coriander powder

1 tomato chopped

salt as per taste

1/2 cup coconut milk 

for garnishing chopped coriander leaves & Mint Leaves

Method : 

In a pan, add oil and add bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, fennel and Hing and cook till you get nice fragrance of the masala. 

Add onion and cook for few minutes till it becomes pink. 

Add ginger garlic, chili and curry leaves. 

Sauté till the raw smell goes away. 

Then Add turmeric, chili powder, cumin coriander powder and salt. 

Stir it to mix it and add tomatoes. Cook till the tomatoes are cook and oil leaves the masala. 

Add water and coconut milk. Add more water since vada will soak up all the water while its cooking in the gravy. Add few of those chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves in the gravy.

Add now small pieces of vada and mix well. 

Cover and let it cook for 5-6 minutes till the curry thickens. 

When its done, sprinkle fresh coriander and serve it with set dosa or idli. 

Sambar Sadam / Sambar Rice

I love this combo of sambar and rice so when I had a chance to make it I made and enjoyed it. There is a lot of ways to make sambar rice which also known as Sambar Sadam in TN. Sambar rice is nothing but a mixture of dal, rice, vegetables, and spices. It's a very delicious, quick and yummy dish. It goes perfectly with pickle and rice papad.

You can use small grain rice or the mixture of white and brown or you can mix other grains like quinoa or foxtail millets also. I just used basmati since that's the only rice I stored.

This recipe is not one pot dish but the flavor is amazing. You can just have as it is or when you have a company you can make some Kesari, medu vada or appe and you have a full dish.

Ingredients : 

1/4 cup Tuver dal (you can use little mung dal too)
1/2  cup Rice
2 cups of water
Few curry leaves
One pinch of Hing
2 tbsp oil/ghee
Few sticks of drumsticks 3 inches long
1 Tomato chopped
Few dried red chilies
1 tsp. Mustard seeds
1 tsp. Jeera
1 Onion chopped
!tbsp. Turmeric powder
1/2 cup Mixed vegetables (I used frozen )
Tamarind water - As per taste
Salt as per taste
2 tbsp. Sambar power


Method : 

Wash and clean rice and dal and put it in a pressure cooker with 2 cups of water. Cooked on medium flame till 2 whistles.

Let the pressure go out by itself.

When the pressure release, just slightly mash the cooked rice and dal.

Heat oil/ghee in a pan, add mustard seeds, when it crackles, add jeera, dried red chilies, curry leaves, and hing.  Add onions and cook its little pink.

Now add all vegetables and cook for few minutes.

Add tomatoes with Turmeric powder and cook till it's become little mushy.

Add a cup of water and cook till all the vegetables are cook.

When vegetables are cooked, add tamarind water, salt and sambar masala.

Cook for 5 minutes.

Now add mashed dal and rice.

Stir well to combine rice and dal and liquid mix, taste and adjust salt and spices.

If needed add more water to get the right consistency. When it starts to bubble switch off the gas.

Served hot with rice papad and pickle.

Multi Grain Masala Khichdi with Masala Kadhi

When you are craving for comfort food, for me its khichdi not just simple lentil and rice one, I need masala and spicy khichdi and if I can make gravy vegetable dish with it then its good , if not I go for kadhi and it has to have garlicky spicy red chili chutney too. Then I feel like I got the whole world in my plate.

But this time I take few other dals (lentils) with my rice and make it more healthy khichdi and added few more vegetables and enjoy it.

Ingredients for Khichdi

1/4 cup Yellow Mung dal
1/4 cup Massor Dal
1/4 cup Green Mung Dal (chilke wali)
1/4 cup Tuver dal
1 cup Rice
Few florets of Cauliflower
1 Small onion chopped
1/2 cup Pigeon peas
1 Potato in big cubes
1 Tbsp Oil
Few Whole pepper corns
1 or 2 Dry bayleafs
1  Small Cinnamon stick
Salt as per taste
1 tbsp Ginger garlic paste
1 tbsp Red chili powder
1 tbsp Turmeric Powder
Fresh chopped Coriander leaves


Method:

Clean and wash all dals and rice and keep it aside.

You can pressure cook this too but I like my grains separate so I cook it in big pot.

Take big pot, add oil in it, when its hot, add whole spices (peppercorns, bay leaf, cinnamon stick)
When its sputter, add chopped onion in it and cook till its pink in color.

Add ginger garlic paste and all powder masala and cook for a minute .

Add vegetables and water to cook in it.

Add your dals and rice in it and salt and enough water to cook everything. Cover it and let it cook on low to medium heat.

Dont over mix it while its cooking, you dont want grain to fall apart.

When the water is gone and lentils and rice is cooked, sprinkle lot of coriander leaves, I just love coriander so I use lot of it.

Enjoy as it is or with kadhi or gravy vegetable dish.

Ingredients for Kadhi

3 Tbsp of Yogurt
1 tbsp of Chickpea flour
Salt as per taste
1 tsp Cumin seeds
1 Green Onion chopped
1 Sliced green chili
1/2 tbsp Red Chili powder
Few curry leaves
1 tbsp Oil or Ghee
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 Tbsp Turmeric powder
Lots of coriander leaves - chopped

Method :

Beat yogurt and flour and mix it nicely.

Add cup of water in it and mix it again.

Heat a pan , with ghee or oil in it.

Add cumin seeds and curry leaves in it

When seeds change the color , Add green onion and sliced green chili in it.
Cook for minute or two and  add flour and yogurt mixture and mix it.

Now add salt, red chili powder, turmeric powder , ginger garlic paste and mix it and let it come for boil, after one boil , put the gas on low and let it boil , till you get you desired consistency.

When its done, add coriander leaves and enjoy.

I had with rice papad , green onion and my lasaniyu marchu aka spicy red chili chutney

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