MATAR SEDDHO / COOKED YELLOW PEAS

 

This is a no-oil recipe, very popular Bengali snack, not only in Bengal but eastern India is influenced by this terrific healthy snack recipe. It is served as breakfast with toasted bread/luchi or evening snacks with a piping hot cup of tea. Boiled yellow peas with gravy, is goes very well with samosa or chat. Here after cooked, yellow peas retain their shape and nicely soaked in all flavorful spices.

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups Dry Yellow Peas (Matar)
1 medium Potato, cut in cubes
1 Tomato (chopped)
1/2 medium Onion
1 small Cucumber
2 tbsps finely chopped Coriander Leaves / Cilantro
2 Hard Boiled Eggs, each cut in 4 slices
A pinch of Baking Soda
3-4 Green Chillies (finely chopped)
1/3 tsp Ginger paste
2 tbsps fresh Lemon Juice
1/2 tsp Roasted Cumin & roasted Dry red chilli powder
1/2 tsp Chaat Masala
1/3 tsp dry Mint leaves (coarsely pounded)
Salt to taste 

METHOD:

Wash yellow peas and soak in water for overnight.

Take yellow peas, potato and 2 1/2 cup of water in a pressure pan. Add chopped tomato, coriander leaves, baking soda, chopped green chillies, ginger paste, dry mint leaves and salt in it. Pressure cook it till 10 whistles. Let it cool naturally. Add roasted cumin and dry red chilli powder in it. Fold well.

Finely chop onion and cucumber. Set aside.

Now divide cooked yellow peas in two bowls equally.

Spread onion and cucumber on the top.

Garnish with sliced eggs and sprinkle chaat masala and lemon juice on the top.

Nutritious cooked yellow peas is now ready to serve.

TIPS: If you are purely vegetarian, just omit eggs, then also it is excellent in taste.

Linking to: Spotlight : Healthy Snacks @ Cuisine Delights & Recipe Junction

EGG TARKA

It is a very popular North Indian dish, hot favourite among Punjabis. You may add minced chicken or mutton with this tarka, but vegetarian tarka also tastes good without adding any non-veg item in it. This dish is widely avialable in dhabas. It is not only fulfilling, but nutritious also.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup Green Mung Beans
2 Eggs
1 medium Onion (finely chopped)
1 chopped Tomato
2-3 Green chillies (chopped)
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
A pinch of Asafoetida
1 tsp minced Garlic
1 tsp minced Ginger
1/2 tsp Dry Fenugreek Leaves (kasoori methi)
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp Red Chilli powder
1/2 tsp Shahi Garam masala
1/2 tsp Kitchen King masala
2 tbsps Sour Cream
2 tbsps finely chopped Cilantro
1 tbsp Butter
3 tbsps Oil
Salt to taste

METHOD:
Wash and soak mung beans in water for 4-5 hours. Drain water.

Transfer the mung beans in pressure cooker with 1 & 1/2 cup water. Pressure cook the lentils upto 5 whistles. Let it cool naturally. Set aside.

Heat 2 tsps oil  in a wok and make scrambled eggs with the two eggs. Set aside.

Now heat the remaining oil in wok. Add cumin seeds and asafoetida in it. Saute for few seconds. Add minced garlic and ginger, saute for another 10-15 seconds. Now add chopped onion and green chillies in it. Fry till onions turns golden in colour.

Now add turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder, shahi garam masala and kitchen king masala in it. Fry for 2 minutes in medium heat. Add tomatoes, dry fenugreek leaves and salt in it. Fry till tomatoes become soft, mashy and spices leave oil from sides.

Then add cooked mung beans and sour cream in wok with little water (if extra water is needed). Fold well. Cover the lid and cook for another 3 minutes. Add scrambled eggs in it. Cook for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, add chopped cilantro and butter in it. Mix nicely. Egg tarka is now ready to serve.

Serve hot with roti, naan or paratha along with onion slices, green chilli and lemon pieces.

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BEANS GRAM RICE

It is a perfect rice dish, one can make it on a lazy day and when feel like having a simple, but proteinous meal, very healthy and wholesome dish. An interesting combination of legumes-lentils-rice, an aromatic dish loved by all.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 Cup Kidney Beans (Rajma)
1/2 Cup Bengal Gram (Chana Dal)
1 1/2 Cup Basmati Rice
1 Medium Onion (thinly sliced)
1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
2 Bay Leaves
1/3 tsp turmeric powder
1" Ginger, cut into small pieces
2 Cloves
2 Green Cardamoms
1" Cinnamon
8-10 Peppercorns
1 small star aniseed
1/2 tsp Sugar (optional)
1 1/2 tbsps fresh Lemon Juice
25 nos Cashew nuts
3 cups of warm water
2 tbsps Clarified Butter (Ghee)
Salt as per taste

METHOD:

Soak kidney beans overnight in warm water. Drain water. Keep aside.

Soak Bengal gram for 2 hours, drain water and set aside.

Wash and soak basmati rice in water for 30 minutes. Drain water, keep aside.

Grind ginger, cloves, cinnamon, cardamoms, star aniseed and peppercorns with 1 tbsp water to make a paste. Set aside.

Heat clarified butter in a pan. Add bay leaves and cumin seeds in it. Saute for 10-12 seconds. Add onions and cashew nuts in it. Fry till onion turns golden.

Now add spice paste in it. Stir continuously till spices leave oil. Add kidney beans in it. Stirring for 2 minutes. Add Bengal gram and rice in it. Saute for another 2-3 minutes.

Pour 3 cups of warm water and salt in it. Fold well. When it starts to boil, cover with lid and cook it for 15 minutes exactly on lower heat. Switch off the heat now. Add sugar and lemon juice in it. Fold well by tossing.

Serve hot with any curry dish or raita.

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DAL MAKHANI

INGREDIENTS:

2 tbsp bengal gram lentils (chana daal)
2 tbsp red kidney beans (rajma)
3/4 cup of black lentils ( urad sabut)
1/2 cup stirred yoghurt (curd)
1/4 cup stirred sour cream (malai)
1 medium onion (finely chopped)
1 medium tomato (finely chopped)
1 tbsp ginger paste,
1 tbsp garlic paste,
2 green chillies (finely chopped)
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves (dhania patti)
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
3 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp Red chily powder
1 tsp coriander powder (dhania)
salt to taste


METHOD:
Soak gram lentils, red kidney beans and black lentils in water overnight.

In a pressure cooker add water, gram lentils, red kidney beans, black lentils and little salt. Boil for 30 minutes on medium heat. Make it cool and mash a little. Add stirred yoghurt and sour cream into it.

In a wok, heat 2 tbsp of butter. Add cumin seeds and garlic paste into it. stir for 1 minute. Put chopped onion and fry till golden brown.

Now add tomatoes, green chillies, ginger paste and little salt. Fry for 3-4 minutes so that tomatoes get easilly soften.

Add turmeric powder, red chily powder, coriander powder and stir about 2 minutes.

Add dal now, when it starts to boil, switch off oven. Now add garam masala and 1 tbsp butter. Mix well. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Serve hot with roti, paratha or steamed rice.

Linking to: 'Show Me Your Hits' hosted by Nalini's Kitchen