Didn't take pictures, but it was all yummy. (My wife thought it was
pretty enough to photograph, but I thought it was kinda monochromatic.
We usually have greens with Indian food, but this time I had cabbage I
wanted to use up.)
Made masoor dal (pink lentil curry, recipe below), a green-split-pea
dal (recipe below), a pot of yellow rice (rice with turmeric thrown
in), some Israeli couscous with prunes and cashews (recipe below -- I
was out of raisins), some potatoes and cabbage. Had a friend's gift
of peach/ginger chutney on the side. It was a delicious meal, and way
too filling.
Masoor Dal (Pink Lentil Curry), from The Spice Box, by Manju Shivraj
Singh
[Author's note: This is the quickest dal to cook -- it takes only 20
minutes without using a pressure cooker. The pink color of the
lentils becomes pale yellow once it is cooked. The flavor is more
subtle than the green lentils.]
1 cup pink lentils
3 cups water
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tsp garam masala powder
Baghar:
1 tablespoon oil or ghee
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp cayenne pepper (I use less when a non-spicy person is eating)
1 tsp coriander powder
Garnish:
2 slices onion, fried till golden in oil (I use up to two whole sliced
onions here -- people like adding more onions to it)
a few copped fresh coriander or mint leaves (I use coriander)
Carefully pick over the lentils, discarding discolored ones or any
foreign matter. Wash in a sieve under running water. In a heavy
saucepan boil the lentils in water with turmeric. When cooked, turn
off
heat; add salt, lemon juice, and garam masala.
Heat oil; add cumin seeds. Fry 2 minutes. Turn off heat. Add
cayenne
and coriander. Stir and pour over the cooked lentils. Mix well. (At
this point, I ladle the dal into individual serving dishes.) Garnish.
Serves 6 (but two hungry people can polish it off as a big meal with
some naan or pita or rice)
Green Split Pea Dal (by serene)
1 cup green split peas
3 cups water
1 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 bay leaf
Bring all to boil, simmer 1 1/2 hours or more, adding water as
necessary, until you get a thick stew. Remove bay leaf before
serving.
Israeli Couscous with Prunes and Cashews (by serene)
1 1/2 cups raw Israeli couscous
2 tablespoons butter, margarine, or oil
3 cups boiling water
4 prunes, minced
1/3 cup roasted cashews, or pan-roasted raw cashews (I used the
latter)
Saute raw couscous in butter until it just barely starts to brown and
smell like it's cooking. Add water. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes,
then set aside for 10 minutes, still covered. Mix in prunes and
cashews just before serving.