Dalitoy (konkani dal curry)

Famous dalitoy (sound toy as tou-yee, close to the original sound :)) of konkani cuisine, hands down is the slurpicious simple dal curry. It is staple and mostly loved by all. It's so funny that even though it's such a simple recipe, it's like making tea. Every house you visit, the taste of tea/chai is different and unique. Everyone puts in their own twist when it comes to making dalitoy. The one that is served in the temple's, is the ultimate one 😀

DaliToy A konkani Dal Preparation

I was surprised to get many messages and comments from my close friends who tried it out and loved it. It then occurred to me that I had never mentioned this recipe to anyone before- thinking that everyone must be knowing it and that's how a basic dal preparation is! I was wrong and so here is a post on this super simple yet powerfully delicious dal- dalitoy!

DaliToy with Plain Rice and Pickle

Here is the recipe of the magical and most common dalitoy.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Toovar(toor) dal [for healthier version I use yellow split moong dal]
• 2 green chillies slit 
• 10 leaves of curry leaves
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• big pinch asafoetida (can increase the quantity if you like)
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 2 cups water 
• 1 tbsp ghee or oil
• 1/2 tsp salt or as per taste
• handful chopped cilantro as garnish
• 2 tsp grated coconut [optional]

DaliToy Ingredients in pic

DalliToy after Tadka

DaliToy after cilantro garnish

Preparation:

• Wash dal and keep it soaked for 30 min. [Always soak lentils and pulses before using, helps to reduce the gas formation in the stomach :)]. You can skip if in a hurry.
• Add dal and water in a pressure cooker and cook the dal for 2 whistles. [for toovar dal 2, for moong dal 1] One can also cook on stove top, takes a little longer and need to keep an eye as its getting boiled. Usually will take 20 + minutes on stove top[or till dal is fully cooked].
• Let the cooker cool down, check the dal, mash it a little bit if needed with a spoon. I use traditional wooden handmasher, ghotni :)
• In a vessel, heat ghee/oil, add mustard seeds, once it starts to splutter add green chillies, curry leaves, stir quickly, lower the gas to sim, then add turmeric and asafoetida(hing)
• Into this immediately add the cooked dal, give it a stir and add more water to adjust the consistency of the dal as per your requirements, some like it thick and some like it thin.
• Add salt and bring to a quick boil. Switch off the gas and garnish it with a handful of chopped cilantro and grated coconut(optional).
• While serving with rice, top it with little bit of ghee OR lemon juice it tastes super yum!

Notes: 

*You can have variations while making dalitoy. One can add tomatoes and green chillies while pressure cooking the dal.

* You can also add 2 inches of ginger roughly chopped either in your tadka or while cooking dal.

* You can give garlic tadka too.

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

Nutrition Facts: Lentils is a mighty member of legume family, it's a good source of cholesterol-lowering fibre. It has good amount of folate and magnesium which is needed for a healthy and loving heart :) It replenishes our iron stores. Light on body, a good source of protein for vegetarians. Lentils Rule :)

Palak Shenga Patal Bhaji (Spinach/Peanuts Gravy)

Palak (Spinach) + Shenga (peanuts) + Chana Dal (Bengal gram) + Besan (gram flour) + few spices = A finger licking Spinach Peanuts Curry! This is one of the comfort curries that I make and enjoy with rice rotti (bhakari) or phulka. Once you see the recipe you will know that it is a soul-comforting dish.

I asked my kid to give me 3 sentences describing spinach ... now the first thing that comes out of his mouth is 'it is gross'! I had to reprimand him and then coax him to say nice things (he actually likes spinach:)) So then he gave me these simple lines: 1> It is green in color and is a leaf.
2> It is healthy, and then adds, 'well I have to say that, right?'  :)
3> I like it in my soup (only)
Well, I thought that was good enough for now!

Spinach is available all over the world and is said to be first grown in Persia. The best thing about this leaf is, it has a nice texture and contains no harsh taste, so you can easily manipulate its taste to your liking. It tastes great just in plain salads, or saute with garlic, mix with coconut milk or based masala, onion tomato gravy, you can make pakodas, throw it in soups, the famous palak paneer etc etc.

This recipe of spinach gravy is unique and tastes fantastic! It is more or less Maharashtrian style of preparation and was shared by another foodie Vidya Baindur who makes excellent thalis. Her thalis are the best in town and to die for! Thanks to her that I make this curry often and am happy to share it on my blog now.

Let us take a look at the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh palak chopped (or 1 cup of frozen palak)
• 2 tbsp peanuts
• 2 tbsp channa dal(bengal dal)
• pinch methi seeds (fenugreek seeds)
• 1-2 green chillies (depending on hotness)
• pinch asafoetida
• 2 tbsp gram flour (besan)
• 1/2 tsp jaggery
• 1/2 tsp tamarind pulp
• salt as per taste
• 2 tsp oil

For tempering:

• 1 tbsp oil
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 4-5 curry leaves
• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
• pinch haldi
• 1/4 tsp chilli pwd

Preparation:

• Soak peanuts and chana dal in little water for an hour. Drain the water and keep aside. 
• In a pressure cooker (or vessel), heat oil, add hing, methi seeds, green chillies and saute. Add palak leaves and saute further. Drop peanuts and chana dal, mix everything, add 1.5 cups water and cook for 1 whistle or till peanuts and chana dal is cooked if cooking in a vessel.
• Open the lid once the cooker cools down. 
• Mix besan in a little water to make a smooth paste. Add this mixture in palak while you stir. Add jaggery, salt, tamarind and bring to a boil, adjust water if needed (besan starts thickening the curry) and simmer for few minutes.
• Make a tempering/tadka by heating oil, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, once it splutters add curry leaves, hing, turmeric, chilly pwd and pour over the spinach curry.
• Serve hot with bhakri, rice or roti!

You may also like methichi bhaji, lal (amaranth) bhaji, mooli pachadi, palak paneer..

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

Health Benefits: Spinach has a high content of vitamin K and is useful for protein modification and plays an important role in protecting bones from osteoporosis. Spinach is also high in fiber, which helps break down food and keeps your digestive system moving.One cup of spinach is all you need to get a full day’s requirement of vitamin A. That’s good news for your tired eyes. Very rich in iron content, that’s why vegetarians and anemics are encouraged to eat lots of spinach for healthy blood and proper red blood cell production.If you are prone to asthma attacks or have difficulty breathing, include spinach in your diet. The beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, potassium and magnesium in spinach all have anti-asthmatic properties.

Khatti Dal (Dal Hyderabadi)

Khatti Dal (Dal Hyderabadi) - is a very tangy and spicy dal preparation that will leave you wanting for more to slurp on :) This dal recipe fell into my lap from another foodie member Aman Kahlon who is a great cook himself.  It looked delicious by just looking at the recipe! I tried it immediately and simply loved it, it was finger licking good! Since then it became a regular curry in my kitchen!

As we know dal is a very important lentil used in Indian cooking, it is always nice to try new preparations and hope that everyone in the family likes it :), so that we can make it more often! Change is always welcome and yes khatti dal is one of them!

Originally from Hyderabad, the showstopper ingredient is tamarind, along with coarsely crushed coriander seeds. It gives that much needed fresh taste and flavors to the dal making it very special. Goes perfectly with the plain rice or jeera rice. You can change the consistency as you wish, keep it thick if serving with rotis or thin if serving with rice.

Let us take a look at the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup tovar dal (or yellow moong dal, masoor dal)
• 1 tsp turmeric( haldi )
• 3/4 tsp chili powder
• 10 curry leaves
• 2-3 red dry chillies
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 inch ginger crushed
• 3/4 tsp tamarind pulp
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp oil
• 1 tsp ghee
  

Preparation:

• Pressure cook dal with 2 cups of water, pinch turmeric, and ginger for 2 whistles or on stove top till dal is cooked mushy.
• In a mortar and pestle crush lightly coriander seeds and cumin seeds. In a bowl dissolve turmeric and chili powder in water to make a paste and keep aside.
• In a pan, heat oil, add mustard seeds till it splutters, then add curry leaves, pinch asafoetida, dry red chillies, then coriander/cumin and sauté quickly. Now add the mixture of chili and turmeric powder into the tempering. 
• Mix everything and pour the cooked dal into it. Mix and bring it to a boil.
• Add some water into tamarind pulp and drop it in the dal as you keep stirring. Add salt and let it simmer for 4-5 minutes. 
• Garnish with cilantro! Serve hot with plain rice or jeera rice!!

You may also like Dalitoy, Vali Bhaji(Randai), Bamboo Shoot Curry...

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

Notes:* Khatti Dal may appear more yellow if you add less chilli powder, I like to add more and my chilli powder imparts lovely color, hence you can see it more orange :)

Health Benefits: Lentil is a mighty member of the legume family, it's a good source of cholesterol-lowering fibre. It has a good amount of folate and magnesium which is needed for a healthy and loving heart :) It replenishes our iron stores. Light on body, a good source of protein for vegetarians. Lentils Rule :)