GOT TOOR DAL?! :D

My post overflowing with Toor dal dishes this week goes to Linda of "Out of the Garden" blog who is the hosting JFI event this month. JFI event is originally started by Indira of "Mahanandi". Linda has chosen India's most favorite "Toor dal" as a theme to cook for this November. Thanks for hosting Linda, excellent choice for JFI!:))



About Toor dal:
"The pigeon pea is a member of the family Fabaceae. Other common names for Pigeon peas are arhar, red gram, toovar/toor (Hindi/Gujarati/Marathi/Punjabi), togari bele (Kannada), Kandi pappu (Telugu), gandul, guandul, Congo pea, Gungo pea, Gunga pea, and no-eye pea. The Indian subcontinent, Eastern Africa and Central America, in that order, are the world's three main pigeon pea producing regions.
In India, split pigeon peas or toor dal are one of the most popular pulses, routinely used everyday in dal or Sambhar, specially in South India.
Pigeon peas are nutritionally important, as they contain high levels of protein and the important amino acids methionine, lysine, and tryptophan. In combination with other cereals and vegetables, pigeon peas make a well-balanced food group."
Info from WIKIPEDIA.

Except in non-veg Dhansak and very few others, Toor dal is not usually used in cooking non-vegetarian dishes, so it's all vegetarian dishes here this week here!:))

Toor dal-fresh Dill spiced dumplings cooked in Tomato Gravy:
This is a classic Tamil dish called "Paruppu Urundai Kuzhambu", which means Dal dumplings in gravy, somewhat like Matzo balls in soup! The basic recipe idea is adapted from a cookbook called "Dakshin Bhog" and I changed the recipe a lot by adding Dill leaves to the dal and simmering it with spiced Tomato gravy, very nutritious and flavorful. Try it!:))


Toor dal-fresh Dill spiced dumplings:

Make the dal-dill dumplings first:
1. Soak 1/2 cup of Toor dal for 2 hrs in hot water, drain and add to a blender. Add 2 red chillies or 1/2 tsp chilli flakes,salt, 1/8 tsp of hing and grind to coarse paste without adding water.
2. Heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan, add 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds, 1 finely chopped green chilly,1/4 cup minced onion,fry until soft,add 1/2 cup chopped Dill leaves,stir for minute.
3. Add in dal paste, 1 tbsp grated coconut, 1 tsp rice flour, stir well for 1 minute until dal slightly changes color.Mix well and cool slightly. Make large marble sized balls and keep aside covered.

Sambhar powder: Roast 1 tbsp Coriander seeds, 1 tsp Cumin seeds, 1 tsp Tuar dal, 1 tsp Chana dal, 1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds,2 red dry chillies, 1/4 tsp Pepper corns,1" cinnamon stick, cool and powder.
Now make the gravy: 1. Heat 2 tsp each of oil and ghee in a deep pan, add 1 tsp mustard seeds, pinch of hing and few curry leaves.
2. Add 1 and 1/2 cups of Tomato sauce(canned), 1 cup water, 1/4 tsp turmeric,1 tsp sugar, salt, Sambhar pd, and cilantro and simmer on low heat until it boils for 2 minute and yu get a good aroma of Sambhar.
3. Now drop 3-4 balls of dal in the sauce,wait they come up on top,take them out and keep on a plate.Repeat with all the balls until they are cooked in the sauce.
4. To serve with rice and papad, heat the Sambhar gravy first and then add Dill balls to the gravy.Once they are cooked, they do not break. Delicious, enjoy!:)

Madras(Pearl) Onion Sambhar:
We call Pearl Onions as Madras onions in Karnataka. After Theeyal, this is my favorite Sambhar to cook immediately after I come back home from any vacation, craving for some spicy dal!:D
I like the Pearl onions to be still slightly crunchy in the Sambhar. I fry them separately and then add to cooked dal to prevent them from getting mushy if you cook with Toor dal in pressure cooker.


How to:

Roast these until golden, cool and powder: 1/4 cup dry grated coconut, 1 tbsp Coriander seeds, 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds, 1 tsp Pepper corns, 1 tsp Channa dal, 2-3 dry red chillies,1 tsp Poppy seeds. Add 1/4 tsp hing or asafoetida and powder in a coffee grinder.
Season: Heat 2 tsp oil, add 1 tsp Mustard seeds, 1-2 red chillies, few curry leaves.
To make Sambhar:
1. Peel about 20 Pearl onions, stir fry these in 3 tbsp oil in a non-stick pan until they are golden on the edges and almost cooked. They still should be whole and slightly crunchy. Cool.
2. Pressure cook 1 cup Toor dal with 3 cups of water, and 1/4 tsp Turmeric until soft. Mash slightly.
3. In a deep dish, heat oil and add all the seasoning ingredients, fry. Add cooked dal, Pearl onions, ground Sambhar powder, few chopped cilantro, salt and 1 tbsp Tamarind juice.
4. Simmer for 15 mins and serve with rice , pickle and Pappadoms. Tastes better the next day.

Special Masale Dose!
Quick and crisp (Adai)Toor dal-Rice masala dosa, sprinkled with MTR brand red Chutney powder, stuffed with Potato-Tomato filling, served with Coconut-Garlic Chutney and ghee! Sounds good huh? I thought I will give a special twist to the good old Masala dosa and combination of all these three slightly different than usual dishes makes one very tasty masale dose! Enjoy!:))

To make the batter: Soak 1 cup long grain rice, 1/2 cup Toor dal, 1/4 cup Chana dal, 2 tbsp Moong dal, 2 tbsp Urad dal for 4 hrs.
2. Drain all the water, add as much water as you need to grind the soaked dal in the blender until you get a thickish coarse batter like Semolina/cream of wheat, do not have to grind until very smooth.
3. Add the batter into big bowl, adjust the salt and it's ready to use right away or keep it in the fridge if you don't need it immediately.

Potato-Peas-Tomato filling:

To make this: 1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan, add 1 tsp mustard seeds,2 tsp Urad dal,few chopped curry leaves, 2 chopped green chillies, 1/2" fresh ginger grated or minced.
2. When they turn slightly golden, add 1 minced onion, 1/8 tsp chilli pd, stir until edges are golden. Add 3 peeled, cubed Potatoes, 1/4 cup water, cover and cook until almost cooked.
3. Add 2 large Tomatoes chopped, salt and cilantro. Mix and cook until all the water has evaporated. Adjust the spices and serve.


Coconut-Garlic Chutney:
This is an easy chutney you can make in a jiffy and you will love it if you like Garlic! Keep the chutney creamish in color!

This is how you make it: 1. Add 1 cup of grated fresh Coconut, 2 fresh green chillies, 1/4 tsp pepper corns, 3 garlic,few Cilantro stems (not leaves), few curry leaves, salt, 1 tbsp yogurt to the blender.
2. Grind all these to a smooth paste without adding water if you can. Sprinkle little bit of red chili pd on top and serve.
I used MTR brand dry red chutney powder to sprinkle on top of the dose. To make your own, you can powder 1/4 cup roasted Chana dal(chutney dal or chana dalia) and powder it with red chilli pd, salt, Hing.



How to make Masala Dosa:




1.Heat a electric griddle to 300F. Take a ladleful of batter, pour and spread into huge oval shaped dosa, sprinkle with 1/2 tsp chutney pd, drizzle with oil or ghee.
2. When the bottom is golden, brush 1 tsp of Garlic chutney, add a 4 tbsp of Potato filling in the center of the dose.
3. Fold in one side of the dose to the center and repeat the other side in the same way and take it out on a plate.
4. Serve the crispy dose with little Ghee,Potato filling and Garlic chutney on the side.







Toor dal-Chana dal Chutney:
This nutritious and quick to make Dal chutney tastes great with some freshly cooked hot rice and ghee or with some plain Yogurt and rice. Keeps well in the firdge for atleast a week!

You Need: 1/2 cup Toor dal, 1/4 cup Chana dal, 1/4 cup dry grated Coconut, 3 dry red chillies or 1/2 tsp red chilli pd, 2 tsp Coriander seeds, 1 tsp Cumin seeds,1 tbsp Peanuts, 1 Garlic, few curry leaves, salt, 2 tsp Tamarind juice.
Seasoning: 1 tbsp oil, 1 tsp Mustard seeds, 1 red chilly, broken.
To make it:
1. Heat a pan, roast both dals, coconut, Peanuts, chillies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, garlic, curry leaves one by one until reddish. Cool.
2. Add salt and tamarind juice to the blender along with roasted dal etc and grind with very little water to a coarse paste.
3. Heat oil to season, add mustard seeds and red chilly. When they splutter, mix with chutney. You can keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days.

More Toor dal dishes I have already posted:
Beets Rasam
TogariBele Saaru, Mysore style
Dal Palak
Okra-Tomato Sambhar
Adai with Beans Palya and Chutney
Toor dal-Dill Sambhar
Toor dal-Beans-Dill Bassaru
Zucchini-Carrots Adai

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Last photos of the Fall:

Turning bright red before all the leaves fall out. Now all these trees are almost bare!!

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