A Bong's Kitchen

Cholar dal with vegetables is a regular dish for dinner at my home. Not only does it taste very good but it is also very nutritional, as bengal gram dal is high in fiber and so helps in fighting cholesterol. It is also good for the diabetics as it is low in fat content and rich in zinc, calcium and proteins. Normally cholar dal is prepared with only grated coconut in it by the Bengalis and then is given a seasoning of ghee and cumin seeds and red chillies. But I add carrots, brinjals, pumpkin, potatoes, green peas and radish too. It tastes differently from the normal cholar dal but everyone loves having it this way at our home.

Ingredients :

Bengal gram dal or channa dal - 1 cup
Carrots - 2 small sized, diced into small pieces
Pumpkin - 150 gms, diced into small pieces
Potatoes - 2 small sized, diced into small pieces
Brinjals - 150 gms, diced into small pieces
Green peas - 100 gms
Raddish - 150 gms, diced into small pieces
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Freshly prepared Garam Masala powder - 1 tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
Salt
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Bay leaf - 1
Asafoetida (Hing) - a pinch
Red chillies - 2-3
Green chillies - 2-3 slit along the length
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Freshly Grated ginger - 1/2 tsp
Fresh coriander leaves - chopped finely

Method :

Wash the vegetables and cut them into small dices and keep them aside. Then wash the cholar dal (chana dal) in water and after draining off all water, put into a pressure cooker. Add the diced vegetables as well as the grated coconut. Then add turmeric powder, garam masala powder, sugar and salt and some water (about 2 cups) and closing the lid, let the dal and the vegetables to boil to two whistles. After two whistles, when the steam goes out, this dal mixture will need to be given a seasoning. So for seasoning, take some ghee in a pan and heat it. Add hing and the slit green chillies, then red chillies and cumin seeds and saute them for a few seconds, and then add the boiled chana dal along with the vegetables into this pan. Stir in another cup of water, mix nicely and give it a boil (for about 2-3 minutes). Then turn off the burner and garnish it with the chopped coriander leaves and garam masala powder before serving it. This cholar dal goes very well with hot rotis or porothas or even with luchis.

I have always loved eggs and Dimer Jhol used to be a regular item for dinner during my graduation days at Hyderabad. I often used to cook bhat and Dimer Jhol for dinner after returning back tired from my tuitions. Even now after marriage also, whenever I run out of choices or have not much options in terms of vegetables, this Dimer Jhol comes as a rescue. Today I added a twist, I added boiled matar as well, so it was a dimmer-jhol-cum-ghughni.

Ingredients :

Eggs - 4
Potato - 2 medium sized
Onion paste - 3 tbsp
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Tomato - 1 large sized, chopped finely
Boiled white peas - about 100 gms
Chili powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
Cloves - 2
Cinnamon - 1” piece
Black cardamom - 1
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt as per taste
Mustard Oil - about 5-6 tbsp
Chopped coriander leaves for garnishing

Method :

Wash the pototoes thoroughly and put them into a pressure cooker to boil for two whistles. Then cut them into cubes. Boil the white peas for a whistle in a pressure cooker and take them out to soak in plain water for sometime. Boil the eggs as well in another pan with a pinch of salt, till you see cracks developing on the egg shells. That would mean that they are cooked. Now let them to cool down a bit and then drain out all the water and add fresh cold water to the pan so that the eggs remain in them for 4-5 minutes. Then remove the egg shells and sprinkling some salt and turmeric powder, coat the eggs nicely on all sides. Then heat the oil in a deep bottomed pan and fry the eggs till golden. Fry the potatoes too and keep them aside.
Again to the same oil, add the whole spices (slightly crushed so that their aroma comes out). Once they start to splutter, add the onion paste and saute on medium flame for a few minutes till they turn golden brown. Add the ginger garlic paste and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Now add coriander powder, chili powder and turmeric powder, also add the chopped tomatoes and little salt and cook till they become all mushy. Keep stirring every now and then so that the gravy doesn't get burnt. Now add the fried eggs and potatoes and the boiled white matar, mix them nicely with the gravy and then pour in about 2 cups of water and let the curry to cook on simmer flame, after covering it with a lid. When it's done, you can garnish the dimer jhol with chopped coriander leaves or garam masala powder and serve it hot with steamed rice. I had it with bhaat today. Ah, it tasted heavenly.