Chholar Dal (Bengali Style)

Ingredients:

Bengal Gram 1 cup.

Cooking Oil or Ghee 2 tbsp.
Seasoning - 2 types.
a) Panch Phoron 1 tsp.
Red Chili Powder 1 tsp.
or
b) Cinnamon ( Pounded lightly ) ½ "
Cardamoms 2 nos.
Cloves 2 nos.
Bay leaf 1 no.
Sugar (optional) As required
Cumin powder ( finely ground roasted) 1 tsp.
Jeera Powder (roasted optional) As required
Turmeric Powder 1 tsp.
Salt To taste

Method:
1. Boil Bengal gram dal with salt, turmeric powder, and 5 cups water.
2. When dal is cooked, but not dissolved, remove from fire.
3. Heat ghee or oil and (a) fry panch phoron till it sputters,add red chilies, and fry till it becomes dark red OR
(b) fry red chilies, add pounded spices and bay leaf and fry little.
4. Pour fried seasoning into hot dal and mix thoroughly.
5. Add sugar (optional), and sprinkle roasted jeera powder (optional).
6. Stir and serve.

Dal Fry

Ingredients

Moong dal ¾ cup
Masoor dal ¼ cup
Onion 1 nos.
Ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp.
Tomato 2 nos.
Cumin seeds ½ tsp.
Haldi ½ tsp.
Red chili powder ½ tsp.
Garam Masala powder ½ tsp.
Green coriander leaves
Pure ghee 3 tbsp.
Salt To taste

Method:
1. Chop onion and tomatoes finely.
2. Wash both the dals together and pressure cook for three minutes with three and half cup water and a little haldi.
3. In a pan, heat Ghee, add jeera, when jeera changes colour add chopped onion. Cook till light golden brown. Add red chili powder and ginger garlic paste. Sauté well.
4. Add tomatoes and reduce heat. Cover and cook till done.
5. Add the boiled dals and salt, bring to required consistency and add green dhania leaves and garam masala powder. The dal is done.
6. Before serving, heat little ghee, put Garam Masala Powder and pour over the dal.

Moong Dal (Bengali Style)

Ingredients:

Mung dal - 200 gm
Small whole pearl onions-10
Green chilies - 4
Milk - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 1 tsp
Salt to taste.
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Bay leaves - 4
Whole cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Method:
a. Fry the dry mung dal in a pan over medium heat until it becomes brown.
b. Wash and put mung dal to boil.
c. Simmer until dal is cooked.
d. In a separate pan, heat ghee and fry the bay leaves, onions and cumin seeds for a few minutes.
e. Pour the dal and simmer for 5 minutes.
f. Add 1/2 cup of milk and sugar.

Luchi (Bengali Style - Maida Puri)

Ingredients:

Wheat Flour - 500gm
Refined oil or Ghee - 2 tbsp
Salt according to taste
Warm water to knead the flour
Oil to fry

Method:
a. Knead 500gms of flour, 2 tablespoon of oil & salt according to taste with warm water.
b. Make small doughs.
c. Flatten them into round circular form.
d. Fry them one by one. Serve hot with other side dish.

Alu Dum (Bengali Style - Alur Dom)

Ingredients:

Potatoes(small) - 500 gm
Mustard - 1/2 table spoon
Curry leaves - 8-10 (Small)
Bay leaves - 2
Tamarind - 50 Gm
Chilli Powder - 1/2 table spoon
Chillies (green) - 5
Salt according to taste
Ginger paste - 1 table spoon
Garlic paste - 1/2 table spoon
Sugar - 1 table spoon
Refined oil - 3/4 table spoon

Method:
a. Boil potatoes and peel off the skins.
b. Soak tamarind in a cup of water for 10 min. and strain the juice.
c. Heat oil in pan and fry ginger, garlic, mustard, bay leaves with some sugar till brown.
d. Then add the boiled potatoes & fry until the potatoes becomes golden brown.
e. Then add chillies, curry leaves, salt & add tamarind juice.
f. Stir & serve hot with luchi/puri.

Corn Snack

SERVES 2

Ingredients
" 1 (15 ounce) can corn
" 1 teaspoon lemon pepper (You can use 5 drops of lemon juice as a substitute)
" 2 teaspoons mayonnaise

Directions
1. Drain the water from the can.
2. Empty the corn into a microwave-proof bowl.
3. Heat it for 1 1/2 minutes.
4. Remove from the microwave.
5. Add lemon pepper or lemon juice and mayonnaise.
6. Mix well.
7. Serve.

Stir Fried Chinese Vegetables

SERVES 4

Ingredients
" 300 g baby kai lan
" 100 g snake beans
" 150 g broccoli
" 1 medium red capsicum
" 2 tablespoons oil
" 2 cloves garlic, crushed
" 2 teaspoons grated ginger
" 1 tablespoon sesame oil
" 2 teaspoons soy sauce
" salt (optional)

Directions
1. Wash and trim thick stalks from baby Kai Lan.
2. Cut leaves into wide strips.
3. Cut snake beans into 5 cm lengths and slice spring onions diagonally.
4. Cut broccoli into small florets.
5. And capsicum into diamond about 2 cm wide.
6. Heat oil in large heavy based frying pan or wok.
7. Add garlic and ginger and cook over medium heat for 30 seconds stirring constantly.
8. Add beans, spring onions and broccoli, stir-fry for 3 minutes.
9. Add capsicum, stir-fry a further 2 minutes.
10. Now add baby kai-lang and stir-fry for 1 minute more.
11. Lastly add soy sauce and sesame oil, toss through and transfer the vegetables to a serving dish and serve immediately.
12. Recipe secret: Cutting vegetables into thin,even-sized pieces and on the diagonal helps them to cook quickly.
13. Also add the leafy vegetable last as they cook quickly and cook them until the leaves have just soften.

Sabzi Malai

This is for those who aren't counting calories. Enjoy this vegetarian meal with hot rotis(Indian flatbreads) or naan or even plain white milk bread!
SERVES 2

Ingredients
" 1 tablespoon oil
" 1 onion, chopped
" 1 teaspoon cumin seed
" 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
" 1 teaspoon red chili powder
" 2 teaspoons green chilies, chopped
" salt
" 1 cup tomato, chopped
" 1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped finely
" 2 cups cream
" 2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves, to garnish
Directions
1. Heat oil in a pan.
2. Add cumin seeds.
3. Allow to splutter.
4. Once they stop spluttering, add onion.
5. When the onion turns golden brown, add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, chopped green chillies, salt to taste and tomatoes.
6. Mix well.
7. Add bell pepper and malai.
8. Mix well.
9. Cook for 5 minutes.
10. You will notice that as this vegetable cooks, the ghee from the malai begins to float on top.
11. This means that the dish is ready (cooked).
12. Garnish with coriander leaves.
13. Serve hot.