Coconut Veg Pulao | Coconut Pulav - Pressure cooker method

 Anyone who follows my blog regularly will for sure know my love for pulaos and the many variations I have tried and posted on my blog .

You all may laugh if I say , I prefer pulao over biryani . I feel pulao is mildly spiced and does not have over powering spices and flavors as is the case with Biryani. I always prefer mild seasoning and spices as part of my meal and that is what suits my palate too .

Today's coconut veg pulao was my mom's speciality and she would make it quite frequently at home . The addition of coconut paste with corriander, mint and few other spices adds a natural creamy and sweet taste to the pulao.  Adding veggies and corn makes it a full meal and can be easily packed for lunch or pot lucks . 

This coconut veg pulao comes handy and is sumptuous to make a full meal by itself on  days when  you are pressed for time and unable to prepare a full fledged meal . I normally pair it with some Ginger Raita or Boondi Raita and some chips for the crunchy element.  

This coconut veg pulao is saatvik which means Onion and Garlic are not used in the recipe ,hence this can be prepared and served on festive days too .

This month we are exploring varities of Biryanis and Pulaos suggested by Swaty in our food group "Shhh cooking secretly challenge" . Swaty has an amazing collection of Pulaos on her blog and this Jodhpuri Pulao in particular has drawn my attention to bookmarking it to make it soon.

I was paired with the talented and super cool Shobha aunty of Shoba's food Maaza for this month theme and we exchanged our secret ingredients and came up with exotic recipes. My secret ingredients to aunty were green chillies and Biryani Masala while she gave me fresh coconut and ghee.

Aunty has prepared a yummy Chole Pulao from Sindhi Cuisine which is so  very inviting and I am waiting to try it soon.

Some more Pulao varieties on my blog for you all to try 

Moti Pulao

Masala Peas Pulao

Chutney Pulao

Aloo Mutter Pulao 

Rajma Pulao

Channa Pulao

Preparation Time - 15 mins
Cooking Time - 20 mins
Complexity - Medium
Serves - 2 to 3 

Ingredients

Assorted Vegetables chopped in to small cubes ( beans , carrot, fresh corn, peas )
2 cups rice
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp ghee
fresh corriander for garnish
handful of cashewnuts
salt as needed
pinch of sugar

2 tsp lime juice
2 tsp biryani / pulao masala

whole spices  

small stick Cinnamon,

2 cardamoms

1 tsp jeera 

3 cloves

2 bay leaves

To grind

1/2 cup fresh grated coconut
2 green chillies
few mint leaves
handful fresh corriander
small piece of ginger
1/4 tsp saunf/fennel seeds

** skip carrot and ginger for Jain version

**skip ghee for vegan version

Method

• Wash the rice and soak it for 10 mins in water and then drain it through a colander and keep aside.
• Take all the ingredients mentioned under the To Grind section and grind to a fine paste with sufficient water.
• In a pressure pan or pressure cooker, heat the oil and ghee and splutter all the whole spices one by one on very low flame until you get a fragrant aroma.
• Saute all the chopped veggies with a little salt , turmeric and then add the ground coconut paste with 1/2 cup water along with the biryani masala and let the masala cook for 3 to 4 mins.
• Depending on the variety of rice you have taken add the water ( If basmati then for 1 cup rice add 1.5 cups water) . I used 4.5 cups water for the quantity of rice I took . I used thin grained Sona Masuri rice for making the Pulao.
• Let the water boil nicely , adjust salt and spices at this stage. Add the drained rice to this boiling water with pinch of sugar and 2 tsp lime juice ,mix well and pressure cook for 2 whistles on medium flame.
• Let the pressure release naturally . Open the lid and fluff the rice with fork taking care not to break the rice .
• Garnish with fresh corriander and roasted cashew nuts just before serving.

Inji Thayir Pachadi | Ginger yogurt dip | Adraki Raita

 Inji Thayir Pachadi also known as Inji thayir is frequently made in a Tambrahm home and also a part of Sadhya menu in Kerala .  Whenever there is an elaborate festive  spread ,then inji thayir will definitely be a part of the menu.

Thick yogurt /curd is whipped well and to this is added a finely ground paste of ginger,coconut, green chillies and curry leaves  along with salt and tempered with mustard .

Puli Inji is a lipsmacking dip from Kerala cuisine and Inji Karvepillai Thogayal (ginger curry leaves chutney)from Tamil Nadu  compliment the quint essential thayir saadham ( curd rice )  especially during hot summers

Ginger - the Magic Spice

Ginger is widely used in India and world over across cuisines.  We can see that ginger will be a mandatory ingredient as part of cooking be it vegetarian or meat based recipes.  The reason for the wide spread use of ginger /adrak/inji is the refreshing strong flavor and the immense medicinal value it exhibits.

 Ginger is a wonder herb which aids in digestion,  relieves mild colic pain ,immunity booster and aids in improving metabolism. Ginger is also anti inflammatory ,eases cough and cold .Ginger also plays a very major role in Ayurveda .

In North Indian cuisine ginger is used in various types of gravies ,dhalls, sabjis , biryanis and pulao in combination with garlic while in south indian cooking, we use it in chutneys,  thogayals, pachadi a.k.a raita variety.

Ginger Tea flavored with cardamom is a very popular and refreshing drink in India and we all love to sip on it regularly.  

Preparation Time - 5 mins

Cooking Time - nil

Complexity  - easy 

Serves - 2 to 3 

Ingredients 

1/2 cup fresh grated coconut 

2 medium green chillies 

1/4 inch of fresh ginger 

Few curry leaves 

Salt to taste

2 cups thick yogurt/dahi/curd 

1 tsp oil 

Few mustard seeds 

Few udad dhall 

1 dry red chilli 

Method 

• Whip the curd in a mixing bowl and keep ready.
• In a blender grind the coconut ,green chillies, ginger and curry leaves to a fine paste with little water.
• Add this paste to the whipped curd and mix well by adding required amount of salt. 
• Prepare a tempering of mustard seeds , udad dhall,  red chillies and curry leaves in hot oil . Once this seasoning cools down ,pour it over the curd .  If you pour hot tempering over the curd,there is a tendency for the curd to get sour if you are not going to eat immediately. 
• Serve this flavorful and delicious inji thayir with your regular meal or even with a spicy biryani or pulao too.

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Bread Upma - Quick Breakfast (Bachelor's cooking)

Bread Upma is a quick recipe that can be put together in very less time ,to be precise just 10 to 15 mins and you will have a sumptuous and filling snack ready . 

Bread upma is the best way to use up left over bread or on days when you have no patience to cook up an elaborate breakfast,this is a perfect savior.  I would call bread upma as a bachelor friendly recipe, since this doesn't require any fancy equipment, special cooking  or cutting skills.  

As a school going kid, this used to be my favorite lunch box item after sandwiches. I am a die hard fan of bread and can eat bread for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  

You can add some veggies to this upma if you are packing it up for kids' tiffin  box . I generally add some boiled potatoes, carrots and beans to make the breakfast filling and sumptuous. 

I prefer to use a day old bread because it is easy to crumble it and there is not much moisture left in the bread that will make the upma soggy.

Preparation Time - 5 mins
Cooking Time - 15 mins
Complexity  - easy 
Serves - 2 to 3 

Ingredients 

8 to 10 slices of bread
2 green chillies
Few curry leaves 
2 tomatoes chopped

1/2 tsp turmeric 

Pinch of sugar

Salt as needed 

2 to 3 tbsp oil 

1/2 tsp mustard seeds 

Method 

• Crumble the bread  or roughly tear up the bread slices and keep ready. 
• Heat oil in a deep pan and splutter the mustard seeds ,curry leaves and green chillies. 
• Add in the tomatoes little salt and turmeric powder and saute it. Cook until the tomatoes turn mushy . 
• Add in the crumbled bread to the tomato mixture , mix it well till the bread is coated well with the tomatoes. 
• Sprinkle some water and cook covered for 2 to 3 mins .
• Garnish with fresh corriander and serve hot .

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South Indian Lunch (Saatvik) - Thali #4

 Weekends are leisure time when the whole family gets to have a peaceful sit down meal over some chit chat and banter.  It had been a long time since I prepared and served an elaborate meal for my family.

This morning too as always I dint have this thali planned on my cards ,but as I went about cooking it just happened and by the time I finished cooking, I was elated with the outcome. 

The items on the thaali are very simple to make and did not need any special ingredients.  All the veggies needed were sitting right in my vegetable basket and so my job became a lot simpler.   

Every recipe on the thali is already on my blog,so all you have to do is click on the individual names below on the menu and viola,you shall be redirected to the detailed recipe post . 

Carrot Kosambri 

Aloo Capsicum Sambar 

Chou Chou Carrot Curry 

Tomato Rasam 

Carrot Payasam 

Payatham Paruppu Payasam (Parippu Pradhaman) | Moong dhall kheer - Mahalaya / Amavasaya Special

Payatham paruppu payasam is a very simple but tasty kheer or paysam made using moong dhall specially during Amavasya .In my home,this payasam is made only during the days when we offer obeisance to Pithrus.   

This payasam is also known as Parippu Pradhaman made in Kerala for Onam or Vishu Sadhyas . In Kerala style a pinch of cumin powder and dry ginger powder is added to this Pradhaman.

In Hindu Tradition,  Amavasya(New Moon Day) / Amavasai / Amavaas(अमावस्या) is considered very important day to pay obeisance to all the departed souls in the family.  The forefathers are called  as "Pithrus" and the oblation ritual is called "Shraadh/ Tharpanam" . There is a mild difference in the way the shraadh is offered in North and South  India . When I say difference, the difference is in terms of the Prasad offered and also the way the ritual is performed.  In my post ,I will quickly describe the way Tharpanam is done in a typical South Indian Brahmin household .

Black sesame seeds (karuppu ellu ) and water are offered as oblation to the forefathers.  The oblation is offered to Father ,grandfather, great grandfather likewise ,mother,grandmother and great grandmother.  The oblation dates back to 3 generations .  Devout and traditional Brahmins perform this Amavasya Tharapanam every month all round the year .

If one is unable to do it every month ,there is a rule that he must perform the shraadh atleast  on Mahalaya Amavasya, during the Mahalaya Paksha / Pithru Paksha which is a period of 15 days starting from Full Moon to New Moon . This special fortnight falls in the month of September- October and generally corresponds to the Tamil Month of Purataasi.  This year in 2021 Mahalaya Paksham has started on 21 /9/2021. 

Mahalaya Amavasya also known as Sarva Pithru Amavasya will be observed on 06/10/2021.

An elaborate meal which is very satvik in nature (sans Onion and Garlic)  using basic native  vegetables will be prepared and offered to the fore fathers .

Moong Dhall / Split yellow lentils are used while cooking a Shraadh meal and native vegetables like cucumber ,arbi(taro root) , snake gourd (podalangai /padwal) , raw banana (vazhakkai),cluster beans(kothavarangai/gawar) , broad beans (avarekkai/paapdi) , bitter gourd (karela/pavakkai) , ginger ,curry leaves ,coconut are used . Jaggery is used for making sweets and not sugar.  The Amavasya meal is more or less  standard in every household with some minute changes here and there . Jeera/cumin,Pepper and dry red chillies are the only spices which are used .Turmeric is avoided in most homes but some families use fresh root turmeric and not turmeric powder. Mustard seeds and Udad dhall are used for seasoning along with asafoetida.

On other special occasions we prepare different  payasams or kheer . It is customary to prepare Medhu Vada and Moong dhall paysam along with Vazhakkai (Raw Banana) Curry  on every Amavasya even if one is unable to prepare an elaborate spread.

Preparation Time - 20 mins
Cooking Time - 10 mins
Complexity - simple 
Serves - 2 to 3 

Ingredients 

1/2 cup moong dhall/payatham paruppu 

1/2 cup powdered jaggery .

5 to 6 tablespoons grated coconut 

1-2 pods elaichi /cardamom 

1 tsp ghee (skip if vegan) 

**you can increase the quantity of jaggery depending on the level of sweetness you like .

Method 

• Grind the coconut and cardamom with some water to a fine paste and keep aside .
• Wash the moong dhall and pressure cook with sufficient water for 3 to 4 whistles or until mushy.  Release the pressure and mash it well with a ladle .
• In a thick heavy bottomed vessel ,melt the jaggery with 1/2 cup water . If you see any impurities , filter it through the sieve .
• To this melted jaggery add the coconut paste ,1/2 cup water and cook until the raw flavor of coconut is lost . Keep stirring as the coconut has the tendency to stick to the bottom .
• Now add the boiled and mashed moong dhall to the above and mix it well . The dhall should blend well with the jaggery coconut decoction. 
• Continue cooking on medium flame with occasional stirring until it comes to a rolling boil.
• Turn off the stove and add the ghee ,cumin powder and ginger powder if using  . Delicious paasi paruppu /hessaru bele payasam is ready .
• You can fry cashewnuts and coconut slivers in ghee and add it to the payasam .

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Carrot Sambol | Easy Carrot Salad - Vegan Srilankan Recipe

 Carrots are my favorite vegetable when it comes to eating raw . I love adding carrots to my meal as a salad or as raita . The subtle sweetness from the carrot and crispness ,gives the salad a nice crunch .

Gajar Koshimbir / Carrot Kosambri  is the Indian version of carrot salad where grated carrots are seasoned with tempered mustard seeds, udad dhall , red chillies and garnished with fresh coconut . Likewise, Carrot Sambol from Srilanka is a close cousin of the Indian Kosambari . 

In Srilanka, carrot sambol is served as a part of breakfast with Sevai /String hoppers and some stew . Many a times, lunch also has this healthy sambol as part of the menu .  

Carrot Sambol is very easy to make and can be prepared in a jiffy . Except for pepper powder and chopped green chillies ,there is no other spice element . The overall salad is crunchy and mildly spiced garnished with fresh coconut and mixed with tomatoes and onions.  While I was reading up about Srilankan cuisine, I found out another variant of Carrot Sambol ,prepared in the Jaffna region of Lanka. In that version, some amount of yogurt is added to the salad which resembles the Carrot Raita from Indian Cuisine.

Carrots are a powerhouse of nutrients and there will seldom be anyone who would hate carrots . From the childhood we have been told that , carrots are a good source of vit A and regular consumption of carrots help in preventing the deficiency of vit A . The orange color of carrot is got from Beta Carotene which is metabolised into Vit A . It addition to vitamin A , carrot is also a rich source of vit K and Vit B complex which are very much essential for our overall growth and health.

Carrots are widely used across cuisine all over the globe . Indian and Asian cuisine also make use of carrots widely in many recipes like stir fries, salads, fried rice , desserts , soups etc .  

Come winters;Gajar Halwa & Carrot Kheer are the most popular never to miss seasonal desserts that every household will dish out and serve . The warm serving of Halwa or kheer is perfect for the chill winter days.

Thai Style Carrot Salad is another lipsmacking and refreshing salad option I have bookmarked from Priya's blog "the world through my eyes" .

Preparation Time : 10 mins
Cooking Time : Nil
Complexity - easy
Serves : 2 to 3

Ingredients

3 - 4 orange carrots
2 green chillies
2 tsp pepper powder
3 to 4 tbsp fresh coconut
salt to taste
2 medium sized tomatoes 
1 small onion 
1/2 fresh lemon

**Can be made as a saatvik / No onion No garlic version by skipping the Onions.

Method

• Peel the carrots and grate them using a grater or food processor.
• De seed the tomatoes and chop them into small cubes
• Chop the onions.
• Mix the carrots,onion and tomato in a wide mixing bowl along with coconut,pepper powder and green chillies .
• Add the lemon juice and salt just before serving. Toss it lightly and serve immediately.

Tip : Never add the salt and lime juice before hand in any salad, as it will tend to release the juices and the salad will turn soggy and lose the crunch.

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Poosanikai (Ash gourd ) Mor Kootu | Pooshanikai Mor Kootu

Mor Kootu is a traditional recipe from the South Indian Cuisine, to be precise it is very common in the Tambrahm households . A simple, yet flavorful gravy prepared using yogurt/curd and coconut chilli paste . 

Unlike the other kootu variety, mor kootu doesn't make use of cooked dal /lentil.  Mor kootu can be called as a close cousin of Aviyal but it is way much lighter on the stomach as it is prepared using just 1 vegetable as the  main ingredient .

Mor kootu can be prepared with vegetables like White Pumpkin (Ash gourd) , Chayote / Chou Chou , Vazhaithandu/ Banana Stem . Some even make use of cucumbers as well in the mor kootu

Mor kootu is served as an accompaniment to sambar or vathakuzhambu along with a stir fry ,but I love to mix mor kootu with rice and enjoy with some papads. For me mor kootu is a perfect wholesome meal after heavy binging . It is really very easy to prepare Mor kootu and can be put together in less than 20 mins .

If you are really famished, all you have to do is prepare rice on one burner and get ready to make mor kootu  on another burner and your lunch will be ready in less than 30 mins . A spicy kadalai paruppu thogayal is a perfect combination if you want to have mor kootu with rice . Just lipsmacking and trust me, you will end up eating a little more than usual .

I prefer using fresh curd/yogurt to prepare Poosnikaai Mor Kootu but if you have a liking for a tangy /sour flavor you can use mildly sour yogurt too . 

Donot forget to temper mustard and curry leaves in coconut oil as that is the main highlight of the recipe which enhances the taste and flavor of the curry .

Preparation Time - 5 mins

Cooking Time - 20 mins

Complexity - easy 

Serves - 2 to 3 

Ingredients 

250 gms white pumpkin/ash gourd/pooshnikaai 

1/2 cup fresh grated coconut 

1/2 cup thick curd/yogurt 

2 green chillies

1 tsp jeera/cumin

2 tsp coconut oil

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1-2 dry red chillies

Few fresh curry leaves 

Method 

• In a blender ,add the coconut, yogurt,green chili, few curry leaves ,cumin and grind into a fine paste. The water from the curd is enough to grind,in case you find it difficult you can add a few spoons of water to ease the grinding. 
• Peel the skin and cut the ash gourd into small cubes and cook it with salt and water until it is soft but firm ..donot over cook as it will turn mushy.  The pumpkin must hold shape yet be soft.
• Add the ground coconut paste to the cooked pumpkin and mix it well .Adjust salt if needed and let it come to a rolling boil and turn off. Keep stirring as curd and coconut paste will tend to get stuck to the bottom of the vessel and get burnt .
• Prepare tempering of mustard seeds,  dry red chillies and curry leaves in coconut oil and pour it over the mor kootu. Donot close the lid over the mor kootu while it is hot .Let it cool down and become warm,then you can close it with a lid. 

Some more traditional South Indian recipes using yogurt /curd 

Poosnikaai Mor Kuzhambu (ash gourd in yogurt gravy)

Kumbalkai Majjigehuli  (udupi style yogurt gravy)

Vendakkai Mor Kuzhambu (Ladies finger in yogurt gravy) 

Sweet Potato Pachadi / Raita

Kaalan (Kerala style yogurt gravy)

Mambazha Pulissery  (Mango in yogurt gravy)

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Kozhukkattai | Modakam | Modak

Lovingly as Ganesha is called "Modaka Priya" meaning a lover of Modakams , have you ever thought ,how this name stuck to him ? Well ,then read on to find out .... 

 Kozhukkattai or Modak are Lord Ganesha's favorite and we offer these incredibly delicious offering made from rice flour and jaggery on Ganesh Chaturthi and also during the monthly Sankashti Chaturthi.  

Kozhukkattai is also offered to Devi Varamahalaxmi during the Varalakshmi Viratham observed in the month of August. 

A small story ......

Baby Ganesha  used to love ladooos a lot and he would go on eating them but never felt satiated. Once Devi Parvati  was out of ladoos and that's when she  came up with this idea of stuffing coconut and jaggery in rice flour dumplings and serve it to Ganesha ,to see if his hunger is satisfied.  The moment Ganesha ate this Modakam,he developed an instant liking and also declared that he felt full after eating these Kozhukkattais. Hence , devi Parvati mentioned that any devotee who offers these kozhukattai or Modakams to Her son  Vinayaka they would be blessed abundantly and all their wishes would be fulfilled. 

 Isn't it a nice myth behind Modaka being an eternal favorite of Ganesha  and he being referred as Modaka Priya?

Since we spoke of ladoos also being Lord Vinayaka's favorite, panchakajjaya ladoo is a traditional prasadam from Udupi cuisine which is offered during the festive season . My friend Preethi has detailed the process of making these traditional panchakajjaya  ladoo seem like a child's play . 

Kozhukkattai or Kozhukkata ,as easy as it may sound ,the tricky part is making the outer cover from rice. Once we master the art of getting the dough right,then making the Kozhukkattai is a breeze .

 There are 3 main steps involved in making the Kozhukkattai 

• Preparing the rice flour dough for the outer covering. 
• Jaggery coconut mixture for stuffing in the modakam
• Steaming the prepared modakam.

I have been following this recipe of making kozhukkatai for last 4 or 5 years and it has never failed me . This recipe was taught to me by Bageerathy Aunty who gave me the confidence that making modakam is not as hard as it may seem . 

Do follow this recipe to the T and you won't fail at all . Initially there might be some hiccups when you shape the modakm ,but as it is said practice makes one perfect, if you take the lord's name and keep preparing 3 or 4 times you can easily master this wonderful art of making kozhukkatai. 

 

Soaking Time - 3 hrs 
Preparation Time - 45 mins
Steaming Time - 7 to 8 mins
Makes - 10 to 12 modaks

Ingredients 

For the outer cover 
1 cup rice 
2 cups water 
Pinch of salt 
1 tsp oil 

Pre Preparation for the Rice flour dough

Wash and soak the rice in sufficient water for  3 to 4 hrs .

For the stuffing 
1 cup fresh grated coconut 
3/4 cup powdered jaggery
1tsp cardamom powder /elaichi powder 

Method 

Jaggery Stuffing 

• Melt the powdered jaggery in 1/4 cup water. 
• Let it come to a rolling boil or until all the jaggery is dissolved .
• To this, add the grated coconut ,elaichi powder and mix it well .
•  Cook on slow flame until you get a nice glossy mixture .Turn off the stove and transfer this mixture to a plate and let it cool . 

Outer covering for Modakam

• Transfer the soaked rice to a blender with 2 cups of water and grind to a very fine paste. 
• The batter will be runny and that is how it has to be.  Incase you happen  to add extra water ,donot worry ,it can be handled while cooking the dough .
• Strain this rice flour batter through a strainer to remove any rice grits that may have remained while grinding .
• To the strained batter add a pinch of salt and oil and mix well.
• Heat a heavy bottomed fry pan or vessel and transfer this batter to it . Reduce the flame to medium.
• Go on stirring the batter and you will observe the batter begins to thicken and starts forming lumps.
• Keep stirring and breaking the lumps until all the batter is well cooked and it appears lumpy. 
• To see if the batter is cooked well ,touch with your fingers and the dough must not stick on the fingers.  If it sticks continue cooking for 1 more min. 
• Turn off the stove and close the dough with a lid . The dough will further get cooked on this heat
•  Once the dough is warm enough to handle ,transfer it to a large plate ,grease your palm with some ghee or oil and knead the dough for 5 to 6 mins until you get a soft ,crack free and smooth dough . 
• Pinch out a portion of the dough and you should be able to roll into a smooth ball without cracks . This is the right consistency of the dough . If you are getting cracks while rolling ,the sprinkle a little hot water and continue to knead further till you get the desired consistency.  
• Cover this with a damp cotton cloth until use.

Shaping the Modakam 

• Grease your palms and  pinch out a small lemon sized portion of the dough.  Roll it into a smooth ,crackfree ball.
• Make a dent in the center of the dough with your thumb .
• Starting from the center ,start flattening the dough towards the outer circumference till you get a nice base to put in the stuffing. 
• (This process is similar to how we roll and shape the wheat flour into a cup to stuff the filling for aloo paratha) 
• Take a spoonful of the stuffing and place it in the center and then bring in all the sides of the outer cover to the top shaping it like a cone . 
• If you are finding it difficult to shape it like a modak ,you can also shape it like a semi circle.  (Refer to the second image) 
• Continue this process for the entire set of dough and filling and keep the modaks ready .
• Prepare a steamer as we do for idlis and place these modaks inside the steamer and steam for 6 to 7 mins . You can see the jaggery syrup slightly oozing out and the outer cover will appear glossy . This is an indication that the modaks have been steamed to perfection. 
• Donot over steam as the outer cover will become hard. 
• Once the modaks have been steamed,let it cool down for a while before offering to the lord.

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Dal Kebab | Dal Kababs

Kebabs are native of Mughalai cuisine a wonderful culinary gift from the Moguls to us

 .Originally, Kababs were made out of minced meat mixed along with a whole lot of aromatic and exotic spices and then either grilled or deep fried . As always, recipes and cuisines  undergo various innovations and changes over time to suit to the native taste buds and thus evolved the various vegetarian version of Kababs . 

Kababs are one starter which I unfailingly order everytime we dine out . Seekh kababs,hara bhara kebabs ,dal kebabs ,dahi kababs are some of my all time favorites.  Kababs if made well ,are soft ,juicy ,succulent and melt in mouth often paired with a delicious Imli chutney or Spicy Hara Dhaniya Chutney .

 My blogger friend Sujata ji's blog was an inspiration for me to try my hands on making Kababs at home . Her Rajma Spinach Kabab was my inspiration post which gave me the confidence to prepare kababs at home.  You must also definitely try out the innovative Ivygourd Channa Kabab / Tendli Channa Kabab by Preethi . 

We are celebrating Kabab Special in our food group Shh cooking secretly challenge for the month of August  and am linking these Delicious Dal Kebabs to this month's event. 

Dal kababs are rich in protein and easy to make for a beginner . Dal kabab is more or less a close cousin of the Masala Vada except for a few extra ingredients like whole spices and masalas that go into the making of the kabab batter . Kids will definitely love these mildly spiced kabab and these will be a super hit at any kind off get togethers. With a little pre planning and preparation you can make delicious melt in mouth Dal Kababs at home and your family cannot stop with one .

Some more tasty starters from my blog 

Oats Tikki 
Aloo Matar Tikki 
Kothimbir Vadi 
Sabudana Vada 
Moong Bhajjiya
Bread Pakoras 
Falafel 

Soaking Time - 2 hrs

Preparation Time - 30 mins

Frying Time - 20 mins 

Makes about 10 to 12 kababs 

Ingredients 

1 cup channa dhall 

2 medium potatoes 

2 green chillies 

1/2 tsp saunf/fennel seeds 

Handful of fresh corriander 

Few mint leaves 

2 tsp lemon juice

2 tbsp bread crumbs 

1/2 tsp haldi powder

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp garam masala 

1/2 tsp amchur powder/ chat masala

Small piece of ginger 

Oil for deep frying

Salt to taste 

Method 

• Wash and soak the channa dhall in enough water for 2 hrs. 
• Boil and peel the potatoes . 
• Drain the water and add the dhall to a blender along with green chillies, corriander ,saunf and mint leaves and grind to a fine paste . Donot add too much water while grinding else the batter will become runny .If need be , sprinkle water while grinding .
• Transfer the ground paste to a mixing bowl , add salt , grated potatoes,  bread crumbs,  haldi powder ,red chilli powder ,garam masala , amchur powder,  lemon juice and mix it all well .
• Rest this batter in the fridge for 20 to 25 mins . This step ensures that there is no extra water and the salt also coagulates well into the kabab mix. The kababs will hold good shape if the dough is refrigerated.
• Heat the oil in a deep frying pan .
• Take the kabab batter out of fridge and pinch out small roundels and shape them into Tikkis or flat cookie like and deep fry in the oil on medium flame until the kababs turn crisp and golden brown .
• Serve it hot with chutney of your choice. 

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