Many people have never come across the black chickpea, which is a shame, because it is a very common ingredient throughout India. Black chickpea is very much like the common white chickpea but has a little more bite and nuttiness. When I was growing up in India, I only saw white chickpeas at restaurants. At… Continue reading Kala Chana (Black Chickpea)
Chicken reshmi kebab is a kebab made with ground chicken and cheese, giving it a lovely, silky texture. Reshmi kebab is a North Indian dish from Uttar Pradesh. It is sometimes confused with Chicken Malai Tikka, but chicken malai tikka is chunks of chicken marinated in a cream sauce before being roasted, whereas chicken reshmi… Continue reading Chicken Reshmi Kebab
In the 1940s, having already invented Butter Chicken, famous Indian chef Kundan Lal Gujral created Dal Makhani in New Delhi. He did it to bring the traditional Indian dal to world fame. Considering Dal Makhani is now sold in Costco, I’d say he succeeded. My earliest association with Dal Makhani is having it in fine… Continue reading Buttery Black Lentil Curry (Dal Makhani)
Dal palak, or Spinach dal, is a healthy Indian dish and a pantry meal that can be created with items you most likely already have on-hand. It is a simple Indian lentil dish with spinach. I love it as a midweek meal to assemble when I am too tired to cook something complicated and maybe… Continue reading Dal Palak Recipe (Spinach Dal)
Masoor Musallam is a classic dish from Lucknow. Masoor dal are red lentils. “Musallam” means “whole,” and these are whole, unhusked red lentils as opposed to split lentils. Some other names for this dish are “Lucknow Style Masoor Dal” and “Awadhi Masoor Dal.” It comes from the Nawabi, meaning it has its roots in cuisine… Continue reading Recipe for Masoor Musallam, A Whole Red Lentil Dal
“Bombay Halwa” is a popular Indian sweet that also goes by the name “Karachi Halwa.” Bombay Halwa is a type of Turkish delight found in India. It is made of starch, sugar, and some kind of flavor. My favorite flavor of Bombay Halwa is made with pistachios and cardamom.
My dad only knew how to make two things for most of my life: Chai and Indian-style fried rice. Today he makes many delicious recipes, but his Indian fried rice is still a favorite. I always think of him when I make fried rice because he would make fried rice from leftover rice in the… Continue reading Quick and Easy Indian Fried Rice (Vagharelo Bhaat)
Chana Masala goes by many names: Channa masala, chole masala, chole, cholle. They are all the same dish. It is usually made with the more common, light-colored chickpea, as opposed to black chickpea, kala chana. In my house, we typically call it “Chole,” which is the Punjabi name for Chana masala. Chole is a popular dish… Continue reading Easy Chana Masala
Moong dal (also known as mung dhal or mag ni dal), the mung bean split into half, is a staple across the Indian subcontinent and other parts of Asia. In fact there is evidence of the lentil being widely cultivated in India over 3,000 years ago. Now, that’s one ancient bean! Today, moong dal is… Continue reading Moong Dal
Lachko dal, with is made with tuver dal (toor dal in Hindi) is a hearty Gujarati comfort food. It is no surprise why. Lachko dal is full of flavor and has an extraordinarily creamy texture. This lentil dish is also super easy to make, versatile enough to be eaten with rice or paratha, freezes well… Continue reading Lachko Tuver Dal: Hearty Pigeon-Pea Stew
Tangy, spicy and slightly sweet, Osaman is perfect as a warm vegetarian sipping broth on a cold evening. Osaman is a traditional Gujarati lentil broth. The water that the split pigeon peas (tuver dal/ toor dal) are cooked in is flavored with lemon juice and spices. For such a simple dish, it is surprisingly complex… Continue reading Osaman: Instant Pot Indian Lentil Broth
Dal was a big part of my childhood. Pretty much every time my grandma cooked for us, there was dal. And she cooked for us a lot. My grandma’s Gujarati dal was different than my mom’s. While mom’s was spicy and comforting, grandma’s dal had a whole different flavor profile. Grandma’s dal was traditional Gujarati… Continue reading My Grandma’s Gujarati Dal
