Dhal Curry with a Kick!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup toor dhal
1/2 cup mansoor dhal
1/4 cup diced red onions or shallots
3/4-1 cup diced orange bell pepper (capsicum) with seeds
1 tbspn dried fenugreek (kasoori/ qasuri methi) leaves
3 tsp Shan Dal Curry Spice Mix
pinch Asafetida
salt to taste


Method:
1. Rinse dhals in the same pan. Fill with twice as much water.
2. Boil on medium heat.
3. While this is going on, put the 1/2 cup diced onions or shallots in the pot and stir it.
4. Place the 1/4 cup diced orange bell pepper (and it's seeds) in a blender along with the Asafetida and dhal curry spice mix. Blend with 1/8 cup water or less (just enough to juice it). When it is pureed, add this to the dhal boiling on medium heat.
5. After 10 minutes taste for spice and add more dhal curry mix as per your liking. Add salt as per taste and the dried fenugreek leaves.
6. Boil until all dhals are soft and almost mashable.

Eat with roti, naan, chappati, rice or alone as soup.

** It is the pureed bell pepper (with it's seeds) that gives the kick!

Adai - Multi Lentil Pancake

Want a quick, protein filled crepe? Try a mixed dhal (lentil) pancake. It's made of a variety of soaked lentils, spices and salt. This tasty treat is good for any meal or as an afternoon snack with a side of coconut chutney or ketchup. (Photo by Sukanya - used with permission.)

This recipe is submitted to Dosa Mela.

Ingredients:
1 cup idli rice
1/2 cup chenna dhal
1/4 cup toor dhal
1/4 cup urad dhal
1/4 cup finely diced onions
1/4 tsp ginger paste
2 green chilies
20 curry leaves
15 peppercorns
1/2 tsp. red chili powder
to taste salt
pinch ing

Method:
1. Place idli rice, 1/4 cup chenna dhal, toor dhal, and urad dhal in a bowl. Cover with water. In a separate bowl soak the remaining 1/4 cup chenna dhal. Soak both for about 2 hours.
2. Grind all idli rice, toor dhal, urad dhal, 1/4 cup chenna dhal, ginger paste, green chilies, 10 curry leaves, 7 peppercorns, chili powder, salt, pinch of ing into a paste. It need not be a creamy batter, it can be slightly coarse.
3. Place batter in a bowl, remaining 1/4 cup soaked chenna dhal (Do not grind it, but make sure it's soaked. This gives a cruchy texture.), peppercorns (crushed in a mortar), onions (finely chopped) and curry leaves (finely chopped) in a bowl and mix it. Batter will be of a chunky consistency. If you like green chilies, finely chop in as many as you can handle! Use Indian small green chilies for the best taste.
4. Using oil, fry on a pan on high heat. Both sides need to be a golden brown. It can take 8-11 minutes to finish one adai about 8-10 inches in diameter.
5. Enjoy with your favorite condiments.

** Some may consider this an 'easy dosa' because it the lentils need not be so finely ground or batter set for fermentation.

Check this site for more adai recipe variations and a nice photo of the end product!