Floral Drink of Rose-Jasmine and Basil (गुलाब मोगरा और तुलसी का शर्बत)

Rose-Jasmine-Basil Cooling Drink

In my garden I had plentyful bloom of fragrant red roses, Indian basil and Mogra. Once I thought of making good use of all these and experimented to make a drink out of them. This unfermented drink was too tasty, cooling and full of fragrance. The goodness of flowers and basil added to the look and flavor of the drink. It was instant hit with my children. 

Now both my children are grwonup, having their families. Few days back the rose, mogra bloomed aplenty and basil(Tulsi) was flourishing in my pot plants. It brought the nostalgic memerois back and I decided to make the floral drink with rose, mogra and basil. 

I share this recipe with all sweet memories of good old days with my kids.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Making Time: 2 hrs (Soaking time)

Servings: Makes 6 glasses of cold drink

Ingredients Required For making Floral Drink:

• Rose Petals (Of fragrant rose, I use American Rose): 50 gm
• Leaves of Indian Basil: 25 gm.
• Jasmine Flower (Mogra Flower): 20-25
• Sugar/Honey as sweetener;2 teaspoon /glass of juice or as per taste
• Freshly squeezed lemon juice: 1 Teaspoon /glass of juice

Directions for Making Floral Drink:

• Take freshly plucked rose remove the stalk, sepals, ovary and leaves. Save the petals and rest flower part. Basically all green part should be removed and rest flower parts should be kept for making the drink.
• Remove Green aprt (Sepals and stalk) from Jasmine flower (mogra flower) and give good wash in flowing water. Mix these washed flowers with cleaned roses.
• Remove the leaves of basil from stalk and wash them nicely.
• Mix the basil leaves with rose flower petals in a deep bowl or french press. 
• Boil 250 ml. water and pour it over the mixture of rose and basil. Cover and let it soak for 2 hours. The colour of water will start turning pink. If the basil leaves are of dark colour rather than green then the colur of water will look more like green tea extract.

Flowers and Basil Soaking In Boiling water

After two hours of soaking

• Decant all liquid and discard the solid.

Left over after draining liquid 

Store this decoction in fridge. It stay without spoiling for months together in fridge.

Bottled extract of Rose-Jasmin-Basil 

• Take ghalf glass of the decoction add:
• Chilled water
• 1 Teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Sweetner (sugar/honey) as per taste
• Mix well and enjoy the cooling chilled floral drink.
• Once the lemon juice is added the color of decocotion changes to beautiful pink.

Floral drink after and before adding lemon juice

After adding lemon juice and honey 

• The heavenly smell, taste and cooling effect will force you to make it again and again.

Tips:

• Make sure the water is boiling when it is being added to flower-basil mixture.
• Cover the container in which flower-basil mixture is being soaked tightly to ensure the aroma of flowers and basil is seeped in water nicely.

Alternate Suggestions;

• For those who use sugar as sweetner:
• Boil 300 ml. water. Add 50-60 gm sugar and dissolvesugar in water.
• Give one boil to the sugar water solution and pour it over flower-basil mixture and allow to soak.
• This will give the stweetned concoction only lemon juice will need to be added when you want to have this amazing aromatic floral drink.

Wheat Polenta /गेहूं के दलिये की खिचड़ी

Wheat Polenta (गेहूं के दलीय की खिचड़ी) 

Wheat Polenta

Broken wheat polenta with lots of vegetables cooked in olive oil is a complete meal in one pot. It is wholesome, rich in all macro and micro nutrients. Low on calories and carbs, high in protein, dietary fibers, vitamins. 

If cooked in clarified butter /butter it's flavor becomes awesome. 

Those who prefer can always add boneless chicken pieces /mutton pieces. But fish does not go well in it. Well baked /fried /steamed fish by side is awesome. 

In 2016 when I visited my son and daughter in law in Chicago my daughter in law cooked this polenta for us. Till then I was not much interested in making broken wheat Polenta, I preferred rice polenta only. But one spoon in my mouth and my taste buds were hooked for Broken wheat Polenta (दलिये की खिचड़ी). Rest is history. 

Nutritional value of Wheat Polenta Made From Given Ingredients : (approximate values) 

• Energy : 580 Calories 
• Carbs : 92 gm.
• Fats : 10 gm. 
• Cholesterol : 4gm.
• Dietary Fibers : 29.8 gm. 
• Protein : 58 gm
• Calcium : 83 mg
• Iron : 8.7mg
• Potassium : 800 mg 
• Sodium : 5mg 
• Sugars : 2.7 mg
• Rich in micronutrients like Selinium, Zinc. 
• Rich in vitamin A, C D and B6

Preparation Time : 20 minutes (including roasting of broken wheat) 

Cooking Time : 15 minutes 

Servings:4Medium Servings 

Ingredients Required For Making Wheat Polenta (गेहूं के दलीय की खिचड़ी) : 

• Broken wheat (गेहूं का दलीय): 100 gm
• Green Gram (छिलके वाली मूंग दाल) : 50 gm
• Red Lentil (मसूर दाल) : 50 gm. 
• Carrot : 50 gm 
• French Beans : 50 gm
• Onion: 100 gm
• Tomato : 100 gm
• Green Chilies : 2
• Ginger : 1inch piece or grated 1Tea spoon
• Clarified Butter (घी) : 2 Teaspoon if solid 3Teaspoon if melted 
• Red Chili Powder : 1 Teaspoon or to taste 
• Cumin Powder : 1 Teaspoon 
• Salt : 1/2 Teaspoons or to taste 
• Water: 350 ml 

Directions For Making Wheat Polenta:

• Mix both dal and wash them nicely. 
• Dry roast dalia (broken wheat) on medium flame with continuous stirring, till the wheat pieces start popping and change color to white. 

Broken wheat being roasted 

Roasted broken wheat 

• Mix washed dal and roasted dalia and add water enough to just cover the top. Almost150 to 200 ml water will be required. Let the mixture soak till rest of the preparations are being done. 

Soaked Daal Mixture and Roasted Broken Wheat

• Clean and chop carrots, beans and tomatoes finely. Keep them separetly. 
• Grate ginger, cut onion to thin slices or small pieces. 
• Break green chilies to two pieces. 
• In a pressure cooker take ghee and heat on high heat. Once ghee is hot reduce the heat to medium and add cumin seeds. 

Cumin seeds in ghee 

• Once the seeds splutter add ginger. Cook for 30 seconds then add chopped onions and green chilies. 
• Cook with stirring till onion turn translucent. It will not take more than 2 minutes. 

Onion Green chili cooking  in Ghee

Onions cooked till Traslucent

• Add Chopped carrots and beans. Cook for 2 minutes with occasional stirring. 

Chopped vegetables and Ginger added to Onions

• Add tomatoes and mix. Cook the juices of tomatoes is cooked and starts drying. 

Tomatoes added to vegetable mixture 

Ready for soaked daal and wheat to be added

• Add soaked Pulses and broken wheat mixture. No need to drain. Just add whole thing as it is. 
• Add 

Salt 

Cumin powder 

Turmeric powder 

Chili powder 

Soaked Daal-Wheat mixture Salt and Spices added

• Give a nice mix and cook for 2 to 3 minutes with stirring and mixing before adding water (350 ml.) 

Ready for closing the cooker and cooking

• Mix. Put the lid of pressure cooker with the weight on it. Let pressure build in cooker.. 
• Once pressure is build in cooker reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 to 7 minutes or till three whistle by cooker. 
• Switch off the heat. 
• Let the pressure settle down in cooker. 
• Give a nice mix to the cooked Polenta (खिचड़ी). 

Wheat Polenta (गेहूं की खिचड़ी) 

• Serve hot with 

Ghee 

Salad 

Pickle 

Curd /raita 

Papad by the side. 

I prefer to just spread a teaspoon of ghee and take onion, radish and cucumber as accompaniment. 

Wheat Polenta( गेहूं के दलीय की खिचड़ी) 

Tips :  

• If excess water is used for soaking then reduce amount of water while cooking. 
• Check the hotness of green chilies, chili powder.Increase or decrease the amount as required. 
• To check if amount of water is correct in cooker, just place the handle of laddle on the surface of mixture in cooker. Gently remove it and check for mark. The mark left by water and spices should not be more than an inch from the tip of laddle. 
• Broken wheat can be roasted and stored to be used as and when required. 

Suggested Variations: 

• For chicken lovers pieces of boneless chicken can be added along with beans and carrots. This will increase the protein content in Polenta. 
• Potatoe pieces can be added while cooking onion. This increases the taste but also carb content
• Vegetables likes cauliflower, grean peas, capsicum can be added. This will not only add to the taste but also increase the amount of dietary fibers and micro nutrients. 

Mushroom-Baby Corn Sabzi(Indian savory Of Mushroom and Baby Corn)

Mushroom-Baby Corn Savory 

Mushrooms belong to edible fungus family. They are called Agaricus Biporous, and are native to grass lands of Europe and North America. They basically come in two colors white and brown. Both have almost same nutritional values. The names depending upon color and area they are grown may differ. Now these natives of Europe and North American grasslands are grown almost in all parts of world.  

Wild mushrooms are seen growing rampantly in hilly ranges of Himalayas; one has to expert to find out which is poisonous and which is edible one.

Mushrooms are great source of protein, vitamin, and many other micro-nutrients. Mushroom soups, mushroom bruschetta, palak mushroom, mushroom do pyaja, there are so many ways mushrooms can be cooked. Mushrooms marinated in herbs/Curd and spices and then barbecued makes excellent appetizers. As far as I am concerned give me any day any time mushroom, even plain mushroom roasted on fire I will welcome it with drooling mouth. I am just crazily in love with fresh, juicy mushrooms.

Baby corns are rich source of antioxidants, Vitamin A, Vitamin C and of course much needed dietary fibers.

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.in/2015/05/creamy-mushroom-soup.html

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.in/2015/06/mushroom-soup-in-cream-of-coconut.html

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.in/2013/12/chili-mushroom-mushroom-cooked-with.html

Capsicum brings not only imparts great color and different texture to sabzi but also lots of nutrients. They are rich source of Vitamin A, C, B6, and E, along with folates and dietary fibers.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Servings:  4 medium size helpings

Nutritional value of Mushroom Baby corn Sabzi  with given ingredients: (Approximate values)

• Energy: 280cal
• Fat: 3.0gm
• Cholesterol: 2gm
• Sodium: 7.8 mg
• Potassium: 400 mg
• Protein: 6gm
• Carbs: 8.5gm
• Dietary Fibers: 3.3gm
• Sugars: 3.0gm
• Vitamin: Rich in vitamin D, C, B­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­6,
• Rich in Iron and Magnesium Calcium

Ingredients Required For Making Mushroom-Baby Corn Sabzi:

• Button Mushrooms: 200 gm
• Baby Corn: 100 gm
• Capsicum: 100gm
• Onion: 100gm
• Tomato: 100 gm
• 2 Teaspoon Cream/fresh malai
• Clove: 1
• Green cardamom: 1
• Black pepper: 2-3 seeds
• Cumin seeds: 1 Teaspoon
• Red chili powder: 1/2Teaspoon or to taste
• Cooking oil (I use olive oil): 2 Teaspoon
• Salt: 1 Teaspoon or to taste

Direction For Making Mushroom-Baby Corn Sabzi:

• Wash and pat dry, mushrooms, baby corn and capsicum.
• Peel and slice onion into thin slices.
• Slice tomato into thin slices.
• Crush clove, black pepper corn and green cardamom with pestle-mortar.
• Cut mushrooms to approximately 1/2inches size. Medium size mushroom to four pieces, small to two and bigger 6-8 pieces.
• Cut baby corn to 2 inches (approximately) long slices.
• Remove seeds and stalk of capsicum and cot it to 2 inches (approximately) pieces.

Chopped vegetables

• Heat a wok or thick bottom pan, put slices of onion and tomato in it sprinkle 1/4teaspoon salt and cook for 15 minutes on medium heat (I use gas stove) . keep stirring in between. After 8-10 minutes the tomato slices will become mushy and onion slices will become transparent and will lose their original texture.

Sliced Onion and Tomato cooking 

After 15 minutes of cooking 

• Cool the cooked onion-tomato mixture and once it comes to room temperature grind it to fine paste.

 Cooked Onion-Tomato Paste

• Heat cooking oil in a wok/thick bottom pan. Once the oil is hot enough but not smoking hot add crushed spices ans cook on low flame for 30 seconds.

Pounded whole spices in oil 

• Add the paste of cooked onion-tomato. Cook with continuous stirring for 2-3 minutes on low flame. The paste will start becoming dry, oil will start separating from the paste and paste will turn little darker shade.

Onion Tomatoe puree cooking in oil with spices 

Baby corn added 

• Add baby corn and mix nicely. Cover and cook on low heat for 2 minutes with once or twice stirring.

Baby corns and puree after 2 minutes of cooking 

• Add mushrooms and capsicum. Bring the heat to high and cook for 3-4 minutes with continuous stirring High heat will ensure that the mushrooms do not lose their texture and moisture while getting cooked nicely. Stirring will ensure even cooking of all ingredients.

Mushrooms and capsicum added 

• Add
• Salt
• Red chili powder

Cooked after adding salt

• Mix nicely. Cook for another 1 minute to ensure salt and chili powder gets evenly mixed.
• Add cream, Mix nicely and switch off the heat.

After 2-3 minutes of cooking cream is added 

Mushroom-Baby Corn Sabzi

• Take out in serving bowl and garnish with chopped fresh coriander leaves.

Mushrooms Babycorn Savory 

• If you want to store it for next meal let the sabzi cool to room temperature the cover it. This will ensure that mushrooms do not wilt and lose their texture.

Tips:

• The curry paste can be made and stored for posterity. Omit garlic and ginger from the given recipe in the link and it will be oil-less curry paste for mushrooms, baby corn, delicately flavored fish etc.

https://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2020/04/oil-less-indian-curry-paste-onion.html

• Wash mushrooms thoroughly. Ensure no traces of soil are lingering to mushrooms.
• Do not increase the amount of spices used for tempering. Because excess of spices will overtake the subtle flavor of mushrooms and baby corn.
• Garlic and ginger has not been used in this recipe for the same reason that I wanted the flavor of mushrooms, baby corn and capsicum to be the hero of the sabzi.
• Once the curry pasteand baby corns are cooked in oil with spices heat is to be turned from low to high. Then onwards all cooking has to be done on high flame with constant stirring.

Suggested Variations:

• Along with green capsicum, Red and Yellow pepper can also be added. This will add color and little sour and sweet taste to the vegetable. Also The colored pepper are more rich in vitamin C and sugars. If not using olive oil use that oil which has less strong smell and flavor to maintain good flavor of main ingredients.
• If you want to use garlic and ginger then better chop it finely and cook with crushed spices before adding tomato-onion paste.

Mixed Daal (मिली जुली दाल) Indian Savory Of Mixed Pulses

Mixed Daal 

Vegetarians and vegans depend on Pulses (daals), Paneer /Tofu and legumes for proteins. Different types of pulses have different type of proteins. Thus to have most of the required proteins including mixed daal (savory made from mixture of different pulses) is very important. In one of my post I have blogged recipe for making mixed sabut daal (savory from mixed legumes) https://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2020/06/mixed-sabut-daal-indian-savory-of-mixed.html. This post is about savory from mixed pulses. Different type of daals not only bring different types of proteins but also different vitamins and micro nutrients thus bringing great nutritional value to the savory.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes 

Cooking Time: 15 minutes 

Serving: 6 large servings
Nutritional Value of daal cooked From Given Proportion: (Approximate Values)

Energy: 340 cal.
Protein: 25 gm.
Carbs: 12gm.
Dietary Fibers: 15 gm.
Sodium: 15mg.
Potassiun: 100mg
Fats: 4gm.
Extremly rich in micro nutrients like
Calcium, Iron, Zinc, Phosphorous, MagnesiumVitamin A, Vitamin B2, B3, B6, B9 and vitamin C.

Ingredients Required For Making मिली जुली दाल (Mixed Daal) :

• 20 gm: Chana daal
• 20 gm: Moong Daal (split green gram)
• 20 gm: Sabut Massor (whole Lentil)
• 20 gm: Dhuli Urd daal (split dechaffed black gram)
• 20 gm: Arhar/Tur daal (split Pigeon Peas)
• 20 gm : Masoor daal(red lentil) 
• 1 Teaspoon : Grated /paste Ginger 
• 1 Teaspoon : Cumin seeds 
• 1/2 Teaspoon : Ajwain 
• 2 : Cloves
• 1/2 Teaspoon:Red Chili Powder (optional) 
• 1/2 Teaspoon : Kashmiri Chili Powder 
• 2 Teaspoons : Salt or to taste 
• 2 Teaspoon Ghee (clarified butter) 

Directions for Making Mixed Daal (मिली जुली दाल :

• Mix sabut  masoor (Black lentil) and chana daal. 
• Wash and soak chana daal and black lentil/ masoor sabut for 30 minutes. 
• Mix all rest of the daals and wash them nicely till clear water comes from washing.
• In a pressure cooler put all daals (soaked chana daal and masoor sabut and rest of the mixture ofqwashed daals.
• Add 
• 500ml.water
• Turmeric
• Salt 
• Put the lid in cooker and keep on high heat till pressure starts building in cooker. 
• Lower the heat and allow the daal to cook in cooker for 10 minutes. 
• Switch off the gas and allow the cooler to cool. 

Boiled Mixed daal

• In a wok/thick bottom pan take Ghee and heat. 
• Once ghee is hot but not smoking hot, add:
• Ajwain 
• Cumin 
• Lawang (Cloves) 
• Let the seeds splutter. 
• Once the seed splutter add: 
• Ginger 
• Whole red chili 
• Red chili powder 
• Kashmiri chili powder 
• Stir and cook for 10 to 15 seconds. 
• Add cooked daal from cooker and mix nicely. 

Boiled Mixed Daal Added To The Tempering

• Bring the heat to medium and cook the tempered dall for 5 minutes with stirring in between.
• Adjust salt. Add water according to the consistency of the daal you want. 
• Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. 
• Cover and allow to cool. This will allow the flavor of spices to seep nicely in daal. 

 Mixed Daal 

Mixed Daal Ready To Be Served

• Heat before serving. Season with Chopped fresh green coriander. 

Mixed Daal 

Tips :

• Soak only chana daal and sabut masoor because if not soaked they take more time to cook as compared to other daals. 
• Make mixture of uncooked daal and storetthem. Use as much is required. 
• Chana daal and sabut masoor can be omitted from mixture. 
• If falling short of time, then chana daal and sabut masoor can be soaked in hot water for 10 minutes.
• Stirring the daal while cooking with tempering is necessary to avoid daal sticking to the bottom andalso for ensuring even cooking.
• Always check chilies and chili powders for their hotness before adding. Adjust the amount according to hotness of chilies and spiciness you require. 

Suggested variations :

• If allergic to chana please omit it. Soak only sabut masoor. 
• Dhuli urd daal can be replaced with kali urd daal (split black gram). 
• In tempering after the seeds have sputtered finely chopped onion two to three table spoons, garlic one teaspoon can be added followed with ginger and chilies. 
• Tomato paste or finely chopped tomato 4 tablespoons can be added to the tempering. 

Mixed Sabut Daal (Indian Savory Of Mixed Legumes)

Mixed sabut daal

Dals (pulses and legumes) are rich source of protein and fibers. When different type of whole daal (legumes) are cooked requirement of different type of proteins by the body, is met. Vegetarians and vegans can rely on these power packed legumes and pulses to deliver protein, dietary fibers and many micro nutrients, which are essential for proper growth and sustenance of human body.

Many times I get queries that we used the same amount of tomatoes but our gravy/daal became too sour, or we used the same amount of chilies but gravy / daal became too spicy. I always mention in the tips that always check your tomatoes for sourness and chilies for hotness before use. They may differ with the variety which is being used.

Tips and suggested variations should always be read before following the recipe.

Preparation Time: 5 – 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Servings: Serves for 4-5 person (5 large servings)

Ingredients Required For Making Mixed Sabut daal:

• Rajma (Kidney Beans): 20 gm.
• Chole (Chick peas): 20 gm.
• Lobhiya (Black eye beans/cow beans): 20 gm.
• Kala Chana (Bengal Gram): 20 gm.
• Sabut Masoor (Whole lentil): 20 gm. (optional)
• Sabut Urd daal (Whole black gram): 40 gm.
• Onion: 50 gm. (1medium size)
• Garlic: 5-6 Cloves
• Tomatoes: 100 gm. (Two medium size)
• Bay leaves: 2
• Lawang (cloves): 3-4
• Dalchini (Cinnamon): 1/2 Inch piece
• Badi Elaichi (Black cardamom): 2
• Sabut Lal Mirch: 1
• Lal Mirch Powder (Red chili powder): 1 Teaspoon or to taste
• Kashmiri Mirch Powder: 1 Teaspoon (This is very less spicy but gives amazing color to savories)
• Salt: To taste
• Ghee (clarified butter): 50 gm. (Molten 4 table spoon/solid 2 table spoon)

Nutritional value: (Approx. value total daal made from above ingredients)

Energy: 350 cal.

Carbs: 55g

Fat: 20g

Protein: 25.5g

Dietary fibers: 16g

Sugars: 4.5g

Sodium: 13mg

Potassium: 625mg

Extremely rich in micro nutrients and minerals, to name few

Calcium, Manganese, Copper, selenium, Phosphorous, Zinc, Magnesium, Iron, Vitamin C, A, B and foliates.

Direction For making Mixed Sabut Daal (savory of Mixed legumes):

• Mix all sabut daal (legumes) except sabut masoor (whole lentil).
• Wash them thoroughly and soak for 6-8 hours.
• Once the whole daal (Legumes) are soaked and swell up, drain the water. Give gentle wash under running water.

Soaked Mixture of  Sabut Daal

• Pound both black cardamom in a pestle-mortar. Keep aside.
• Wash sabut masoor (Whole lentil) and add to the soaked sabut dal mixture.
• Put all these above daal in a pressure cooker. Add
• 500 ml. water
• 1 Teaspoon salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 Pounded black cardamom
• Put the lid on the cooker and start cooking on high heat till pressure starts building.
• Reduce the heat to low and allow the mixture of legumes ibn cooker to cook for 15-20 minutes.
• While mixed sabut daal are cooking in cooker, peel and chop onions finely.
• Peel and chop garlic and ginger finely or make paste of garlic and ginger. I prefer finelly chopped garlic and ginger because it gives better flavor.
• Either chop tomatoes super fine or make paste of it by chopping and pulsing the tomato pieces in a mixer-grinder. I prefer to make paste because it saves time and effort both.
• After 15-20 minutes of cooking the sabut daal mixture on low heat, switch off the heat. Allow the boiled daal mixture to cool.
• While the boiled sabut daal are cooling in the pressure cooker, make the tadka masala for the daal.
• In a thick bottom pan or wok take ghee (Clarified butter), heat it on medium fkame till hot but not smoking. Add
• Bay leaf
• 1Pounded black cardamom
• Cinnamon stick
• Cloves
• Whole red chili
• Cook for 15-20 seconds.

Whole Spices In Ghee

• Immediately add garlic and ginger (Chopped/paste) cook for 30 seconds with continuous stirring. The raw flavor of garlic will disappear and wonderful aroma of cooked whole spices, garlic ginger mixture will come.

Chopped garlic-Ginger Added to spices in Ghee

Ready for Onion to Be Added

• Add chopped onions and lower the heat. Cook with constant stirring till the onion pieces start becoming golden. They will become translucent and will start gaining golden brown color.

Onions Added to spices and Ginger-garlic

Ready For Tomatoes to be Added

• Add 
• Tomatoes
• Red chili powder 
• Kashmiri Mirch Powder
• Garam masala (optional)

• Mix nicely and cook on low flame till the tomatoes are cooked and ghee starts separating from the mixture. keep stirring in between so that the contents do not stick to the bottom.

Tomatoe paste and Chili Powder Added 

Masala Ready For Boiled Daal To Be Added

• The cooker and its contents must have cooled by now. Put all the liquid and the boiled dal mixture in the wok with tadka masala.

Boiled Mixture of sabut daal

Boiled sabut daal Added 

• Mix nicely. Add 150 ml.water, mix nicely and bring heat to high. Let the mixture of daal with masala come to a boil. Add garam masala (optional)

All spiuces, salt adjusted and daal allowed to Boil

• Check for the salt, spiciness and thickness of the daal. Adjust and balance by adding salt, chili powder and water. Bring the heat to low. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Let it cool for few minutes in the covered wok. This will ensure all spices flavor to mix with each other and seep in the daal nicely.

Sabut Daal Ready To Be Served

• Take out daal while it is hot in a serving bowl and garnish it with chopped fresh coriander leaves.

Mixed Sabut Daal

• Serve with Roti / Naan / Parantha / lachcha parantha / steamed rice.

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.in/2013/10/lachcha-parantha-pan-fried-indian-bread.html

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2013/03/healthy-least-oily-tomato-pickle.html

• Tomato pickle goes very well with it. I call it north meets south. (This daal is basically Northern India cuisine and Tomato pickle originated in Southern India)

Tips:

• Do not soak masoor daal. Add it to soaked sabut daal after giving masoor daal a good wash.
• Do not overcook onions. They should be translucent and just starting to go golden brown when tomato is added.
• Always check the chilies for their hotness before adding. Adjust the amount of chilies according to its hotness and your taste.
• Some tomatoes are very sour and some have sweet taste to them. Taste them and change the amount according to the sourness of tomatoes.

Suggested variations:

• Onion garlic can be omitted; Cumin seeds can be added to hot ghee and then rest of the condiments are to be added as described in directions.
• Vegans can replace ghee with olive/mustard oil or any other cooking oil.