Bedvi Pudi

This is again a traditional rajasthani dish and superbly tasty. Its good as a snack, breakfast or a main meal. Best served with a potato curry though pickle and chutneys work equally well. I love to munch a couple with my cup of tea.

You need:
Urad dal (yellow lentils) - 1 cup
Wheat flour - approximately 2 cups
red chilly powder - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 1/2 or 2 tsp
Mota masala (optional) - this is a traditional rajasthani masala made with roughly ground fennel seeds, dry ginger, cloves, peppercorns and coriander seeds)
Oil - 2 tbsp for the dough and more to fry

How to:
Soak the urad dal 2 hours in advance. Drain excess water from the dal after 2 hours and grind to a very rough paste (2 turns in the mixer should be enough). Add all the spices and 2 tbsp oil to this lentil paste and mix well. Slowly add the wheat flour and knead the dough till it is slightly tight and has stopped sticking to your hand.

Heat the oil in a deep pan. Roll out the dough in small puris (1 cm thick rounds of dough) with a rolling pin. Fry in hot oil till nicely brown and crisp.

Serve hot.

Dal Dhokli

This is again a very popular traditional Rajasthani recipe that is easy to make and one of my favorites. It's a complete meal in itself and a delight to one's palate :)

You need:
For the dal
Split green moong dal (green lentils) - 2 cups
Onion - 2 medium - finely chopped
Ginger - 1 inch piece - grated
turmeric powder - 1 tsp
salt to taste
For the dhokli
Wheat flour - 1/4th cup
Gram flour - 1/2 cup
cumin seeds - 2 tsp
red chilly pd - 1/4 tsp
salt- 1/4 tsp
oil - 1 tbsp
water to knead
For tempering
ghee - 2 tbsp (can substitute with oil)
cumin seeds - 1 tsp
green chilly -1 -2 - finely chopped
red chilly powder - 1 tsp

How to:
Mix everything for the dal and put it in a pressure cooker with 2 cups of water. Put on high flame for 2 whistles and remove from flame.
Meanwhile, mix everything for the dhokli together and knead into a soft dough. Roll the dough in a slightly thick round using a rolling pin. Cut out 1 inch squares from this rolled dough. Keep repeating till all the dough is used up.
Open the cooker and add these dough pieces in the hot dal add more water (not more than 2 cups). Close the cooker and simmer on low flame for 15-20 minutes.
Open the cooker once cool. In a pan, heat the ghee, add cumin seeds and green chilly, add the red chilly powder and immediately pour over the contents of the cooker. Mix well.

While serving, add lemon juice and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with green coriander chutney.

Dal Makhani

Another one of my experimental dishes that I have put together after trial and error. Quite popular at dinner parties. Sarah, this is for you :)

You need

1 cup Black whole urad dal (lentils)

1/2 cup Jammu Rajma i.e. red kidney beans (these are smaller and lighter in color than the normal variety)

3 onions

2 tomatoes

2 green chillies

1 inch piece of ginger

3-4 cloves garlic (optional)

1/2 cup curd

1/2 cup milk

1 stick dalchini (cinnamon)

2-3 laung (cloves)

1 big illachi (cardamom)

2 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp cumin seeds

salt to taste

fresh coriander leaves to garnish

oil - 2 tbsp

ghee - 1 tbsp

Butter and cream to garnish (optional)

How to:

• Soak the lentils and kidney beans overnight.
• Grind 2 onions to a paste
• In a pressure cooker add the soaked lentils, onion paste, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, salt, turmeric powder and 4 cups of water. Steam on high flame for one whistle and simmer on low flame for 20 minutes
• Meanwhile, chop the remaining onion finely.
• Heat oil in a pan and fry the onion till golden brown
• Mix tomatoes, green chillies, garlic, ginger and grind to a paste. Add this paste to the cooking onions. Cover and cook for 2 minutes.
• In the curd, add half the red chilli powder, all of coriander powder and garam masala and mix well. Add this curd to the cooking tomato paste and mix well. Cover and cook till the oil leaves sides. Stir often to avoid sticking to the bottom.
• When the pressure cooker opens, add this paste to the lentils, close the cooker and steam again for 1 - 2 whistles on high flame . Add more water if needed.
• When the cooker opens, add the milk and bring to a boil.
• This dal tastes best when it has been cooked for a very long time. So simmer and cook as much as possible.
• While serving, take the dal out in a bowl. Heat ghee and temper cumin seeds. Add the remaining red chilli powder and pour over the dal. Add a dollop of butter and a swirl of cream and sprinkle with fresh coriander leaves.

Khichdi

Some people say that it's a food for the indisposed, but it is my favorite food at any time. Easy to make and light to eat the moong dal khichdi gets my vote every time. Here is how to make it.

Rice - 1/2 cup

Split green moong dal - 1 cup

Turmeric powder - 1tsp

Salt - to taste

water - 4 cups

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Add everything together except ghee and pressure cook on high flame for one whistle. Reduce the flame and simmer for 10 minutes.

Open the cooker after 15 minutes and beat the khichidi after adding the ghee till it is nicely mashed and lighter in color. Ready to eat.

To make it spicy you can also give it an onion tadka.