Dal Pakwan

Ingredients

• 1 cup chana dal (Bengal gram)

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2  turmeric (haldi)

• 1 tablespoon ginger finely chopped

• 1 green chili chopped

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon  garam masala

• 1/2 teaspoon mango powder (amchoor)

Seasoning

• 2 tablespoons oil

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)

• 6-7 curry leaves

Pakwan (Crisp Puries known as Pakwan):

• 1 cup all purpose flour (maida/plain flour)

• 1/4 cup semolina (sooji)

• 1/4 teaspoon of salt

• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)

• 2 tablespoon oil

• Approx. 1/3 cup of water

• Oil to fry

Also need tamarind chutney for serving, check the recipe on my website

INSTRUCTIONS

Cooking Dal:

• Wash and soak chana dal for at least 2 hours in 3 cups of water.

• Drain the water and in pressure cooker add dal, 2-1/2 cups of water, salt, turmeric, green chili, and ginger, close the cooker and cook over medium high heat.

• As the pressure cooker starts steaming turn the heat down to medium and cook for about 4 minutes.

• Turn off the heat and wait until steam has stopped before opening the pressure cooker.

• Dal should be soft well-cooked but not mushy. Add black pepper, mango powder and garam masala, mix it well. Dal should be thick in consistency.

Seasoning

• Heat the oil in a saucepan. Test the heat by adding one cumin seed to the oil; if seed cracks right away oil is ready.

• Add cumin seeds, after seeds crack add curry leaves stir for few seconds and pour over dal mix it well and set aside. Curry leaves splatter be careful.

Pakwan

• Crisp Puries known as Pakwan: Mix flour, sooji, salt, cumin seeds, and oil. Add enough water to make firm dough. Knead the dough well.

• Set the dough aside and let it sit for at least 15 minutes or longer.

• Divide the dough in 10 equal parts, Roll the dough into about 5-inch diameter. If the dough is sticking to the rolling pin or rolling surface, put couple of drops of oil on the rolling pin and a couple of drops of oil on the surface.

• Prick the rolled dough all over with a fork. This will limit puries from puffing and make them crisp.

• Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. The frying pan should have at about 1 inch of oil. To check if the oil is ready, put a small piece of dough in the oil. The dough should sizzle and come up slowly.

• Fry 2-3 puries at time until both sides are a light golden-brown.

• Transfer puries over paper towel, it will absorb the extra oil.

• After the puries cool to room temperature they should be crisp. Puries can be stored in airtight container for 1 month.

NOTES

Serve Pakwan with hot dal with drizzle of tamarind chutney.

Mom's Easy Vegetable Biriyani

Ghee + Oil - 3 tbsp.

Whole Garam Masala - Cinnamon - 1 stick, Clove - 4, Cardamom - 2, Bay Leaf - 1, Star Anise - 1

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp Onion - 1, chopped Green Chilli - 2, slit Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 tsp Tomato - 1 Mixed Vegetables - Potato - 1, diced, Carrot - 1, diced, Peas - 1/4 cup, Cauliflower - 1/4 cup florets, Beans - 1/4 cup, diced, Mushroom - 1/4 cup, Bell Pepper - 1/4 cup, Baby Corn - 1/4 cup Salt & Pepper Turmeric - 1 tsp Chilli Powder - 1 tsp Fennel Powder - 1 tsp Garam Masala - 1 tsp Rice - 2 cup ( Seeraga Samba or Basmati), soaked in Water for 30 min. Coconut Milk - 1 cup Lemon Juice Cilantro

Heat Ghee and Oil in a pressure cooker.

Temper Whole Garam Masala and Cumin seeds.

Add Onion and Green Chilli; cook until the Onion turns translucent.

Add Ginger Garlic Paste and cook until the raw smell goes away.

Add the Tomatoes and cook closed until soft.

Add the Mixed Vegetables and mix well so the masala coats all the Vegetables.

Season the Vegetables with Salt, Pepper, Turmeric, Chilli, Fennel and Garam Masala Powder. Cook closed for 3 min.

Now add the Rice and mix well so the Masala coats all kernels of the Rice.

Finally add Coconut Milk and 3 cup Water. Cook closed for 12 min in medium heat and 5 min in simmer.

Garnish with Lime Juice and Cilantro.

Serve hot with Raita.

Chicken Rezala

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9_orEvsJFM