Bengali Style Moong Dal AKA "kaancha moonger daal"

This was a day when I was particularly craving for the bengali styled food. Then again I'm thoroughly lazy so I realised, moong dal is the answer to all my woes.



Things you will need:
Dry red chillis :2
Cumin seeds: 1 tbsp
Dal : 1 small cup
Water: 4x the measure
Salt: 1-1/2 tsp
Oil: 2 tbsp
Ginger: 1 tbsp
Green Chilli: 1

Wash the moong dal and add some water and keep it doused on the side.

Now start the cooking.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a deep pan. Once the oil is hot add the jeera seeds, wait for it to stop crackling or at least when you can hear the crackling seperately.Now switch off the gas, drain the dal; add it to the jeera and red chillis and switch the heat back on.

Stir the dal till the dal is almost musical when it brushes against the pan almost a faint jingle sound.By this time the dal would have started to look almost split. Add water, simmer and cover.


In the meanwhile, grind the ginger and green chilli into mulch.


Once the dal is thoroughly cooked, add this paste to the dal and cover for 10 minutes post taking it off the heat.

Your delicious Bengali style moong dal is ready!

No sweat Vegetable stir fry

Often when I feel like eating healthy I realise I'm not the kind that likes slogging and slogging and slogging for hours before I get to something good.This is my go-to vegetable stir fry.

I start with some oil in the pan, grind 12 garlic cloves , 2 tsp ginger powder and 4 chillis into mulch and add into the still cold oil.
  
I like adding this to cold oil to avoid allll the fumes the adding chilli to hot oil can be avoided. The I add aniseed and cinnamon and follow this by adding cubed mushrooms. I add mushrooms first for they give out water and keep everything from burning without the added hassle of adding more oil. Then goes in the diagonally sliced corn. I like cutting them diagonally for you can cut longer fancier looking pieces and such a huge time saver. :) Add 2 tbsp salt, 1/2 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp chilli powder, 1/2 tsp garma masala, 1/2 tsp coriander powder and anything that you find. That's the magic of my cooking style, very accommodating; much like me. ;D

Then I add the spring onions and beans. Then as usual I micro 2 tomatoes that have been poked through for 2 minutes till its cooked.

Then my love for spinach remains unhindered, and I cut out the leaves after washing it thoroughly.


Simmer and cover it for 15 minutes. Be ready for yummy yummy in your tummy. :)

Tomato soup for the sick and lazy

I woke up with a terrible stomach ache, one that was well anticipated and I had already arranged for a work from home situation. Either way I realised I need something that goes down gently without much turbulence.

So I  started making the tomato soup.

Things you will need for this tomato soup:

1. 7 medium sized tomatoes
2. 2 long carrots
3. 1 pressure cooker
4. oil
5. whole jeera seeds
6. bay leaf
7. 8 cloves of garlic
8. ginger powder
9. Spaghetti
10. Italian basil
11. lemon grass
12. coriander powder
13. garam masala
14. aamchur powder
15. salt
16. sugar

Poked 7 medium tomatoes through and through with a knife and set it on the microwave in a deep dish for 10 minutes while I minced 2 carrots.

Took a pressure cooker, put in 1.5 tsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp jeera seeds and 1 bay leaf.

Then I added the carrots and fried them till they lost their moisture.

By this time the tomatoes were done, and I squashed the now thoroughly cooked tomatoes with a fork.

Lot of online websites suggested that I peel and mix and remove the pulp, but if I were ready to perspire that much then this wouldn't be a lazy blog is it?

Now we add the squished tomatoes to carrots and stir.

Then I microwave 8 cloves of garlic in the microwave for 20 seconds easily peels off the skin (this way of peeling garlic is a great time saver and quite fun too). Using the handy mortar and pestle I grind it to a paste.

I have a ginger powder that's rather handy and put in 2 tsp of ginger powder, all the masalas at home - coriander powder, garam masala, aamchur powder & pepper. 

Then I add about 10-15 strands of spaghetti, 12 leaves of Italian basil and about 2 inches long sprigs (about 10 in number) of lemongrass to the mixture, add 2 tbsps of salt, 1/4 tsp of sugar to balance the acidic taste of tomatoes. Also taste post its ready - namak swaad anusaar! And about a ton of water - kidding, about 750 ml should do.

Then set the pressure cooker lid and wait for two whistles when the aroma of basil and lemongrass fills your home that's when you know you are ready to get fit, as this soup heals the soul.

This is how the soup finally looks. =)