When we were a newly married couple, my husband and I used to cook dinner together. We had a lovely terrace off the kitchen in our first home. We would take a drink each — my preferred drink was and is Coca Cola — and we would concoct all kinds of delectable dishes. One of our favourites was the simple moong dal, made with tomatoes, onions, garlic and fresh coriander leaves. We would team it with paranthas or rotis and rice and with fried fish or prawns as a side dish.
Ingredients
(Serves 3)
Moong dal, split 1/2 cup Onion 1 medium, chopped Tomatoes 2 medium, chopped Green chillies 2, chopped Garlic 5 cloves, chopped Turmeric 1/2 tsp Red chilli powder 1 tsp Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp Ghee 1 tsp Salt to taste Coriander leaves for garnish, chopped
Method
Wash and drain the moong dal. Add the onions, tomatoes, green chillies and garlic. Add water and boil.
Add salt, turmeric and red chilli powder. Simmer till the dal is cooked completely. Add water as needed.
Heat the ghee in a small frying pan and cumin seeds. When they stop sputtering, add them to the dal.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice or roti.
Cooking Carrot Halwa or Gajrela will fill your kitchen with the most comforting smells. The aroma of grated carrot boiling in milk takes me back to my childhood, my son’s childhood, and winters in Delhi. For a healthier version, I use less sugar and skimmed milk.
Carrot halwa is good to have in winter as the combination of sugar and ghee helps to prevent chills. Carrots are full of Vitamin C, which can help boost immunity, something that is immensely useful during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Boil it with the milk on low heat in a heavy bottomed pan. I used Mother Dairy Toned Milk as I wanted to make a lighter version. In Singapore and Australia, I used Paul’s Fresh Milk. In the UK, I preferred to use Ivy House Farm.
Once all the milk has evaporated, add the sugar. Keep stirring after adding the sugar so that the carrots do stick to the bottom of the pan.
Once all the liquid has been absorbed, add the ghee. This will give a lovely glaze to the halwa.
I feel that tomato soup is like the Indian dal — there are as many ways of preparing it as there are people in the world. And each recipe is unique. With winter setting in, there is nothing more comforting than a bowl of hot tomato soup.
This particular recipe I learnt from a friend when we were schoolgirls. I have adapted it to my taste and it became a family favourite, especially with my mom.
Healthy cup of warmth and taste
Ingredients
(Serves 2)
Tomatoes 6 large Potato 1 large Spring onions 6 Red chilli powder 1/2 tsp Salt to taste Bread 4 slices, cut into croutons Butter 2 tbsps
Method
Wash the tomatoes. Peel the potato. Clean the spring onions.
Steam them whole in a pressure cooker with 2 cups of water.
Peel the steamed tomatoes. Add the steamed vegetables to a blender and grind.
Transfer to a wok and add the red chilli powder and salt. Add water from the steamed vegetables if needed. Bring to a boil, stirring it continuously. Simmer for four minutes. Switch off the heat.
Add a tablespoonful of butter to a frying pan and toss the bread croutons on high heat for about three minutes.
Serve the soup in a bowl with a blob of butter and the croutons. Enjoy!
Thanks to Covid-19, all of us have been binge- watching old favourites on Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney Hotstar. I have recently been immersed in Covert Affairs, something I used to watch in the later part of the last decade. Apart from the thrills and the international destinations, what I love about the show it is the food.
As Annie and Ben race through Sri Lanka, being shot at by almost everyone in the world, they stop at a roadside stall and have Sri Lanka’s favourite street food, Kothu Roti and Chicken. I remember having this with my husband in Colombo on my way to Singapore from India back in 2000.
So I decided to try and make this popular dish. It takes some doing as I had to make Sri Lankan chicken curry and Godambu Roti (wheat bread) separately and then assemble the dish on a hot heavy-bottomed pan.
For the Godambu Roti: Wholewheat flour or atta 1 1/2 cups Oil 1 tbsp Salt 1 tsp
Eggs 2 Onions 2 medium, 1 sliced and 1 chopped Cabbage 1/2, sliced Carrot 1, peeled and grated Spring onions 3 Green chillies 2, chopped Curry leaves few sprigs Salt to taste Masala made for Sri Lankan Chicken Curry 2 tbsp Tomatoes 2, chopped
Method
Shred the chicken and remove any bones.
Add oil and salt to the wheat flour and knead well to make a soft dough using as much water as needed. I followed this recipe for Godamba Roti, but modified the quantities of the ingredients as I did not want to make as many rotis.
Make lemon-sized balls and soak them in oil for seven hours.
Spread on a flat surface using your fingers.
Toast on a hot tawa or griddle. I used Futura’s nonstick tawa. It works best.
Add some of the chopped onions, tomatoes and green chillies to the eggs with salt and whisk briskly. Scramble in a hot frying pan with 1 tsp of oil.
Snip the Roti into ribbons using a pair of kitchen scissors.
In a wide heavy-bottomed pan, take 3 tablespoons of oil. Add the onions, cabbage, carrots, green chillies, curry leaves and spring onions and stir fry on high heat. Add tomatoes and some salt. Be careful not to add too much because the chicken and the scrambled eggs already contain salt.
Add the chicken and the shredded roti. Add the masala that was made for the Sri Lankan Chicken Curry.
Add the scrambled eggs and toss well to mix everything.
Serve hot. This dish needs no accompaniments. It is a highly nutritious and satisfying dish by itself.
I was not a big fan of the bottle gourd or any member of the squash family. Till I got a bumper crop from the garden and the fresh bottle gourd with firm fleshy white meat and no seeds or very tender seeds turned me into a fan. The only dish I would make from bottle gourd or lauki was kofta curry. Then I tried my hand at this humble dal and surprised myself at how tasty it turned out. Using chana dal (split Bengal gram) gives the dish a lovely creamy texture.
Creamy and wholesome
Ingredients
(Serves 4 persons)
Bottle gourd or lauki 1 1/2 cups, peeled and cubed Chana dal 1/4 cup Onion 1, chopped Tomato 1 large, chopped Mustard seeds 1 tsp Garlic 4 cloves, chopped Red chilli powder 1 tsp Coriander powder 1 tsp Turmeric 1/2 tsp Salt to taste Oil 1 tbsp Coriander leaves a few sprigs, chopped Mint a few leaves
Method
Soak the chana dal in water for 30 minutes. Drain.
Add oil to the pressure cooker and sputter the mustard seeds. Add the onions and fry till they turn translucent. Add the garlic and fry for a few seconds. Add the tomatoes and fry till they soften. Add the spices. Saute for 1 minute.
Add the chana dal and the cubed lauki. Add salt and mix well. Fry for two minutes. Add enough water to cover the dal. Close the lid and let it cook on high flame for one whistle and on low flame for four whistles. Switch off the heat and let the pressure cooker cool.
Take the lid off and check the gravy. If needed, heat it till the gravy thickens.
Garnish with coriander leaves and mint and serve hot with rice or bread.
This is comfort food, especially in winter. The aroma of the pancake cooking on a hot griddle will set your taste buds working overtime. This is a healthy option for breakfast, packed with proteins from all the variety of lentils that go into the batter.
Comfort food
Ingredients
(Serves 6 persons)
Idli rice 1/4 cup Urad dal 1/4 cup Moong dal 1/4 cup Arhar dal 1/4 cup Chana dal 1/4 cup Masoor dal 1/4 cup Whole red chillies 4 Til oil Onions 2 medium, sliced Green chillies 2 Ginger 1” piece Curry leaves 4 sprigs Asafoetida powder 1/2 tsp Salt to taste
Method
Mix the first seven ingredients in a bowl, add water and soak overnight.
In the morning, drain and wash the the soaked rice and lentils.
Grind it along with the onions, green chillies, ginger and curry leaves.
Add the asafoetida and salt and mix well.
Heat a griddle and apply oil. Pour a ladleful of batter and spread it like a pancake. Flip it over after 30 seconds.
Use all the batter to make similar pancakes.
Serve with idli chutney powder, onion chutney or pickle.
I always use all-purpose flour for my cakes. Today, I experimented with whole wheat flour. In fact, I decided to go for the healthy version without eggs or butter. I used light vegetable oil and plain yoghurt instead. It turned out really delicious with a nice, chewy texture.
Healthy option
Ingredients
Whole wheat flour (atta) 2 cups Sugar 3/4 cup Sundrop vegetable oil 1/2 cup Yoghurt 1 cup Baking powder 1 tbsp Baking soda 1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon powder 2 tbsps Vanilla essence 1 tsp Water as needed Milk 3 tbsps Walnuts, roughly chopped 1/2 cup Raisins 1/2 cup
For the syrup: Cadbury’s Bournvita 2 tbsps dissolved in 1/4 cup water Cadbury’s cocoa 1 tbsp
Icing sugar 1 tbsp
Method
Mix the wheat flour, sugar, cinnamon powder, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl.
Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl
Using a stand mixer, add the oil and yogurt to the pan and mix at Speed 1. Add the flour mix, a little at a time. Add water as needed to maintain the consistency of the batter.
Add the milk and vanilla essence. Add the walnuts and raisins.
Use a stand mixer at Speed 1
Grease a 9”x6” rectangular cake dish and pour in the batter.
Bake in a 170 degree C oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Test after 50 minutes and when the skewer comes out clean, take the cake out of the oven. Let it cool.
Heat the Bournvita syrup in a nonstick pan and when it boils, add the cocoa. Heat on a low flame for 20 minutes, stirring continuously. Take it off the heat and let it cool.
Before serving, pour the syrup over the cake. Sprinkle icing sugar over the top.
This bread is easy to make. I make this in the bread maker, which means it is super easy. I usually put in everything after breakfast, wait for the proving to be over, add the cheese topping, and the bread is ready for lunch.
Full of cheesy flavour
Ingredients
(Serves 4 persons)
Milk 1 1/8 cups Bread flour 3 cups Butter, salted 4 tbsps Mozzarella cheese 1/2 cup, grated Cheddar cheese 1/2 cup grated Brown sugar 1 tbsp Oregano, dried 2 tbsps Salt 1 tsp Yeast 2 tbsps Cheddar cheese for topping 1/4 cup
Method
Heat the milk in the microwave for 30 seconds. It should be lukewarm.
Pour it into the bread-maker pan and add everything else in the order given above, except for the cheese for the topping.
After the final kneading cycle and before the baking starts, add the cheese topping.
Let the bread cool before slicing it. Enjoy with clotted cream mixed with dill and bacon bits.
Chills & Chillies 