Sambar dal soup made with powder

1/2 cup Tur dal
2 cups vegetables (any or a mixture of these: eggplant, chayote, acorn, any 
squash, radish)
1 1/2 tablespoon tamarind concentrate
1/2 teaspoon turmeric or haldi powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
4 teaspoon of sambar powder(easy home made sambar powder recipe here)  can be substituted with store bought adjust the amount if you are using store bought)
enough water for cooking

Seasoning: 
2 tablespoon of oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
2 teaspoon of channa dal
1 teaspoon of urad dal
1/4 teaspoon fenugreek or methi seeds
1 dry red chili
1/4 teaspoon of Asafoetida or hing
1 teaspoon brown sugar optional

Wash and cook toor dal in 2 cups of water for 30 minutes, add the vegetables and 
cook for 10 minutes, add tamarind, turmeric powder, sambar powder and salt cook for 5 minutes. You might need to add more water, sambar is a liquid soupy consistency.

Season: Heat oil in a pan when hot add channa dal, urad dal, when it sizzles add mustard seeds. After the mustard seed crackles turn the heat off add fenugreek seeds, red chili and asafoetida. Pour into sambar add 1 teaspoon brown sugar stir and turn the heat off.  Serves 2.

For normal every day cooking "sambar made with powder" has become very popular.  Quick and easy to make yet tasty.

Date roll or Khajur burfi

2 cups of ripe dates without pits
1/2 cups chopped of pistachios
1/2 cup of chopped almonds
5 tablespoon of oil

Mix the dates chopped pistachios and almonds.  Microwave it for a total 4 minutes.  Stir it at 2 minute interval. Let is cool down nicely in the refrigerator.

After it is cool place it on a greased parchment paper, press it down to make it into a square or rectangular shape.

Place it on a tray and let it cool in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Remove and cut it into squares.

Dates originated from the middle east.  Sweet and crunchy you can never get tired of these.  Eat a couple of these in the morning and they give you energy.  Dates are rich in minerals.

Pulao with Sprouted Mung beans

1 cup basmati rice
1/2 cup sprouted mung beans (ready made sprouted mung are available in most grocers)
1/2 cup frozen mixed vegetables
4 small bay leaves
8 whole cloves
one 2" stick of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon size whole nutmeg
3 tablespoon of clarified butter or oil
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
3 tablespoon of chopped almonds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon of salt or to taste
2 cups of water

Heat a pan with 2 cups of water.  When the water comes to a boil add bay leaves, whole cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and turn the heat off.  When the water cools strain it discard the spices and keep the water.

In another pan heat the clarified butter, when hot add cumin seeds, when the cumin sizzles add chopped almonds saute for a few seconds add rice saute for a couple of minutes.  The rice needs to be well sauteed.  Add turmeric, powder, garam masala saute, add mixed vegetables and sprouted mung add water add salt and the strained spice water.  Let the rice cook until it is done, takes about 8 to 10 minutes.  Serves 4.

This dish is a meal in itself.  The sprouted mung beans give this dish a crunch.  Serve with yogurt or raita.  

Cannellini bean with Yam

1/2 cup cannellini beans can be substituted with canned cannellini beans
1 cup chopped yam
4 tablespoon oil
1 cup chopped tomato
1 tablespoon chopped ginger
1 teaspoon chopped green pepper or to taste
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon of paprika or red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon of coriander powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Enough water for preparation approximately 2 1/2 cups

Wash and soak the cannellini beans in water for at least one hour before cooking.  

After one hour start cooking the beans in the same water it was soaked in for at least 15 minutes, add the chopped yam and cook for another 10 minutes until the yam and cannellini are cooked, keep aside.

In  a pan on medium heat add oil and tomato, cook till the tomato separates from the oil it takes about 5 minutes.  Add ginger, green chili, saute for a few seconds add add turmeric powder, paprika, coriander, cumin powder and garam masala powder, saute for a few seconds add the cooked cannellini beans and yam mixture add water if necessary add lemon juice and salt, let it come to a boil and turn the heat off.

Serve with rice or chapati.  Serves 2

Cennellini beans are white kidney beans.  Italian in origin.  Combined with yam it give it the right amount of sweetness.  Now you can do something with all the yams you see in the supermarket