Masoor-Moong Dal

Ingredients:

1. Masoor dal - 1/2 measure
2. Moong dal  - 1/2 measure
3. Onion - 1 (cut into tiny pieces)
4. Tomatoes - 2 medium size (cut into small pieces)
5. Ginger - 1 inch piece (shred it)
6. Garlic  - 2 (cut into tiny pieces)
7. Cumin seeds - 1tsp
8. Green chilies - 2-3 (cut into tiny pieces)
9. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
10. Red chili powder - 2 tsp
11. Garam masala - a pinch
12. Salt - to taste
13. Coriander leaves- for garnish
14. Lemon juice - 2 tsp (optional)
15. Oil/ghee

Method:

1. Pressure cook the dal (mixed together) with about 11/2 - 2 cups of water for 3 whistles.
2. In a pan, heat oil or ghee or a combination of both and add the cumin seeds.
3. When they splutter, add ginger, garlic and green chilies and fry for a minute.
4. Add the onion and fry till they become transparent (add little salt to fasten this process).
5. To this add the tomatoes and let it turn soft and mushy. (the tomatoes must be fully mashed)
6. Add turmeric and red chili powder and fry for a minute.
7. Add the cooked dal and adjust the consistency by adding water if required.
8. Add salt to taste.
9. When the mixture comes to boil, add a pinch of garam masala.
10. Switch off the heat and garnish with coriander leaves.
11. Add the lemon juice (if using).
12. Serve hot with rice or chapati!

Bhindi Masala

Inspired by geetaradhu's mirchi bhindi on YouTube. (http://www.youtube.com/user/geetradhu)

Ingredients:

1. Bhindi - about 800 gms
2. Onion - 1 large (cut into small pieces)
3. Tomatoes - 3 (medium sizes, cut into small pieces)
4. Ginger - 1 inch piece (cut into tiny pieces)
5. Garlic - 2 cloves  (make into paste)
6. Green chilies - 2 (slit them)
7. Masalas: Red chili powder (1 tsp), turmeric (1/2 tsp), garam masala (1 tsp), amchur powder (1/4th spoon)
8. Cumin Seeds
9. Fennel seeds (1 1/2tsp), Fenugreek seeds (1/2 tsp)
10. Curd - about 2-3 table spoons
11. Salt to taste and cilantro for garnish.
12. Oil - 2 tsp , and also for deep fry.

Method:

1. Wash the bhindi well and let it dry completely. 
2. Cut the bhindi into 1 inch pieces and make a slit in between to about 1/2 its length. (This is so that the masalas get into the bhindi). 
3. Heat oil in a kadai (enough for deep frying). Add the bhindi and deep fry till they change color and become slightly dark brown. You can take the bhindi out when they start to shrink a bit. Place it in on kitchen tissue to remove the excess oil. (Repeat this step if you are frying bhindi in batches).
   (NOTE: I read somewhere that you can brush the bhindi with little oil and bake it in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 180F. Give the bhindi a stir every now and then and make sure you don't burn them. I haven't tried it myself!! So if any of you'll try it please let me know how it worked out! )
4. In a small pan, dry roast the fennel and fenugreek seeds. When they start to burst and change color switch off the flame. Let it cool and make a coarse powder. (Do not let the seeds turn black!!)
5. Take a pan and heat some oil. Add the cumin seeds and let it splutter.
6. To this add the onions, ginger and green chilies and saute till they become transparent. (Add some salt for the onions to cook faster).
7. Add the tomatoes. Keep the heat to medium and let the tomatoes cook till they are soft and mushy. Sprinkle water if you want so that they do not stick to the bottom of the pan. (Make sure you don't add too much water, we want the mixture to be semi-dry)
8. Now add all the masalas mentioned above and mix it well.
9. To this add curd and the fennel/methi powder. (Make sure your heat is still in medium)
10. Add salt to taste and keep stirring this mixture.
11. Now add the bhindi and mix this well till the bhindi is coated well with this mixture.
12. Garnish with cilantro.
13. Serve hot with chapati or rice and dal. (I made Masoor-Moong dal along with this and had it with rice!!)

Bisibelabath

Ingredients:

• Rice - 1 1/2 cup (soak in water for about 1 ½ hrs)
• Toor dal - 3/4th cup
• Vegetables (potatoes, beans, carrots, peas, capcisum (1))
• Curry leaves
• For sambar: small onions*, drumsticks (optional), tamarind juice, sambar podi
• Mustard, Fenugreek seeds, asafoetida
• Salt to taste
• For bisibelabath powder: ¾ cup coriander seeds, ½ cup channa dal, 6-7 red chillies**, 5-6 cloves, few cardamoms, 1 cinnamon stick, ½ cup coconut
• Ghee, Oil

Method:
For powder:

1. In a small dry pan, add all the for powder ingredients (without the coconut)  and saute till the raw smell is gone and the dal turns a little brown.
2. Let this cool for a bit and grind it along with coconut till powder.

Bisibelabath method:

1. Cut all the vegetables (a little big) and pressure cook it with toor dal a 1 spoon of ghee for 3-4 whistles.
2. Meanwhile in a kadai, add little oil.
3. When the oil is hot, add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, asafoetida and let the mustard splutter.
4. Now add curry leaves,onions and drumsticks (if using) and very little salt (for the onions and drumsticks).
5. Saute till the onions turn light brown.
6. Add 2 spoons sambar powder and about 2 cups of tamarind juice.
7. Let the sambar come to boil.
8. Add the boiling sambar to the cooked vegetables.
9. Add salt (for all the vegetables and dal) and the bisibelabath powder.
10. Add the rice and some water if necessary and boil till the rice is cooked.
11. Keep stirring till the rice to avoid sticking to the pan.
12. Keep adding water if necessary while cooking the rice.
13. Serve hot, with raita (cucumber or onion) and with paapads!

* If you do not have small onions, substitute it with 1/2 a regular onion cut into 1/2 inch cubes.

** Adjust the number of red chillies according to your spice tolerance.

Red Bell Pepper Chutney

Ingredients:

• Red bell peppers - 2
• Red Chillies - 3-4 (depends on desired spice level)
• Tamarind  - small lemon sized ball
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp 
• Urad dal, Chana dal - 1tsp each
• Asafoetida
• Curry Leaves
• Oil
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. In a pan, heat oil, add mustard seeds.
2. After it crackles, add urad dal, red chillies, hing, curry leaves.
3. Add the red bell peppers.
4. Saute for a couple of minutes till  raw smell is gone from the bell peppers.
5. Add tamarind and saute for 2 minutes. Add salt to taste.
6. Cool and grind.
7. Make tadka with mustard seeds and urad dal (optional)
8. Goes well with idlies and dosas!!

Shimla Mirchi sabzi

Ingredients:

1. Shimla Mirchis (Green Bell Peppers/Capsicum) - 4
2. Besan (chickpea flour) - 1 cup
3. Onions - 1 medium
4. Red chilli powder - 1/2 spoon
5. Jeera (cumin seed) - 1 tea spoon
6. Salt - to taste
7. Oil
8. Garam masala - a pinch

Method:

1. Cut onions and green bell peppers into small pieces and put it together in a bowl.
2. Add salt, besan, chili powder and little oil to the bowl and mix well. Add very  little garam masala and mix again.
3. Heat oil in a pan. Once the oil heats up add the cumin seed.
4. When the cumin seeds starts to splutter, add the shimla mirchis and mix well.
5. Cook on medium flame.
6. Keep adding oil and stir the vegetable whenever they start to stick to the bottom of the pan.
7. Remove from the flame when the mirchis become soft.
8. Serve hot with chapattis.