Masala Vadai (Crispy Lentil Dumplings)

This has always been one of my favorite snacks. It brings back the memories of being a kid, a kid who couldn't care less about calories, or fat content...

Hopefully you enjoy it as much as I do. 

Ingredients:
2 cups bengal gram/chana daal
1/2 cup chopped onions
3 finely chopped green chilis
1tbsp of chopped ginger
curry leaves
salt
oil for frying

Preparation
Soak chana daal in warm water for half an hour. 

Grind it without adding water - you want a fairly coarse grind, not a smooth paste. Add the rest of the ingredients into the daal & mix thoroughly.

Note: You can grind the curry leaves and ginger into the daal as well, however the green chili & the onion must be finely chopped and added to the mixture, it adds to the flavor of the dumpling.

Form into patties - about 3" diameter, and deep fry them in oil. Serve hot with coconut chutney, or your favorite condiment.

Daal-Baati: A Comforting Lentil Dish from Rajasthan

One of the hits at our Diwali dinner was this lentil dish from Rajasthan, the "land of kings". It is a simple, healthy and comforting dish comprised of a combination of spiced lentils served with unleavened bread. This is best served with clarified butter available through most Indian stores.


Ingredients:

For the Panchmel Daal (5 types of lentils)
1/3 cup split Bengal gram (chana daal)
1/3 cup toovar (arhar) daal
1/3 cup green moong daal (split green gram)
2 tbsp urad daal (split black lentils)
2 tbsp whole moong (whole green gram)
1 big onions paste
1 medium tomatoes puree
1 tbsp ginger finely chopped
1 tbsp 3 teaspoons chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1 tsp cumin seeds
3 cloves
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 green chillies, slit
2 pinch asafoetida
2 tsp amchur (dry mango powder)
3 tablespoons ghee
salt to taste

Daal Preparation:
Clean the daals and Pressure cook for 2 to 3 whistles in medium flame or till the daals are cooked.

Combine the chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala with 3 tablespoons of water and keep aside.

Heat the ghee in a pan and add the cloves, bay leaves, cumin seeds, green chillies and hing. When the cumin seeds crackle, add onions paste ans saute till golden brown. Now add the prepared masala paste and saute for another minute or 2. Now add the tomato puree and let it cook till the mixture starts leaving oil from the corners.

Add the cooked daals, amchur, and salt and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes. Adjust the consistency of the daal before serving and if required, add some water. You should have a consistency similar to lentil soup for this.

For the Baati:
4 cups whole wheat flour (or roti flour)
2 tbsp oil
3/4-1 tsp salt
ajwaien (carom seeds) to taste
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
Whole milk

Baati Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350F

Form a stiff dough with all the above ingredients, let it sit for at least 30 mins. Add milk gradually to make sure you dont end up with too soft a dough.

Make little disks out of the dough -  to form these disks pull the edges outward and then push it down to the center. This will make them a little more fluffy.

Put the baati in the oven for 20mins at 350, and then broil just before serving to brown them a little.

Enjoy!