Dubki Kadhi

 

          This is a very popular dish from Chhattisgarh. It is a yoghurt based gravy with soaked and ground urad dal dumplings dunked in it. Dubki word in Hindi literally translates to dive. Hence the name. 

          It differs from the rest of the kadhi recipes of different states as the lentil dumplings are not fried. They are directly dropped into the boiling kadhi and cooked. So this dish is healthy and wholesome. This classic dish is very easy to prepare and is best enjoyed with jeera rice, plain rice, paratha, chapatti or tandoori roti. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it. 

• 1/3 cup urad dal (split black gram lentil)
• 1/3 cup yoghurt
• 2 tbsp. mustard oil 
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
• 2 dry red chilies 
• 1/4 tsp. fenugreek seeds
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 2 green chilies, slit
• 1/4 tsp. asafoetida
• 1 tsp. ginger-garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. red chili powder
• 1 tbsp. coriander-cumin powder
• salt to taste
• 1 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped

          Rinse the urad dal well and soak overnight or for a minimum of 3-4 hours. Drain well and grind along with a green chili and a pinch of salt to a fine paste without adding any water. Beat well and keep aside. 

          In a mixing bowl, take the yoghurt and 1 tbsp. of the ground urad dal paste. Whisk till it is lump free. Keep aside. 

          Heat oil in a pan and temper with mustard seeds and dry red chilies. After it stops spluttering, add the fenugreek seeds, onion, garlic, curry leavers, green chilies and asafoetida. Sauté till light brown. 

          Add the ginger-garlic paste and all the dry spices mixed with some water. Sauté till the oil separates.

          Now add the whisked yoghurt, 2 cups water and salt to taste. Once it comes to a boil, make small dumplings of the dal paste, using your hand or a spoon and drop them directly over the boiling kadhi. 

          Cover and cook on a medium flame for 10-12 minutes. Once done, the dumplings will surface over the kadhi. Switch of the flame now.

          Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with hot steamed rice, jeera rice or chapatti.  

                          Grind the soaked, one green chili & a pinch of salt to a fine paste without

                          adding any water. Beat well and keep aside. 

                        Whisk the yoghurt & 1 tbsp. of the ground urad dal paste. Keep aside. 

                                  Heat oil & temper with mustard seeds and dry red chilies.

                    Add the fenugreek seeds, onion, garlic, curry leavers, green chilies....

                                  .... and asafoetida. Sauté till light brown. 

                     Add the ginger-garlic paste & all the dry spices mixed with some water. 

Sauté till the oil separates.

                                  Add the whisked yoghurt, 

                                  2 cups water & salt to taste. 

                        Once it comes to a boil, make small dumplings of the dal paste & drop 

                        them directly over the boiling kadhi. 

                    Cover & cook on a medium flame for 10-12 minutes till the dumplings will

                    surface over the kadhi. Switch of the flame now.

                                  Garnish with coriander leaves.

                        Serve with hot steamed rice, jeera rice or chapatti.  

Idiyappam Urad Dal Pakora

           This can be a perfect party appetizer. Made from some leftover Idiyappam (string hoppers) and ground urad dal. My first try and they came out absolutely yummy. So go ahead and give it a try and surprise your loved ones. Serve along with tomato sauce, green chutney, mayo or hummus. They can also be relished as a tea time snack or as a side dish with dal chawal, curd rice or sambar rice. 

• 1 cup leftover Idiyappam
• 1/4 cup split urad dal (black gram) soaked for 3-4 hours
• salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp. red chili flakes
• 1 tsp. ginger, grated
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2-3 tbsp. coriander roots, chopped
• 1 tsp. kasuri methi, crushed
• 1/2 tsp. garam masala powder
• 1/4 tsp. asafoetida
• pinch of baking soda
• oil to deep fry

          Grind the soaked dal with very little water into a paste. Mix together all the ingredients (except oil) and keep aside for 5-10 minutes.

          Heat oil in a pan and drop spoonful of the batter. Fry on a medium flame till golden in color. Drain on a kitchen towel and serve with tomato sauce, chutney, mayo or hummus.

Foxtail Millet Idli

          As millets in general are very popular these days, I keep experimenting with various types of them. So let me share a idli recipe made with foxtail millet. This wonder grain is both diabetic and heart friendly. It is a great substitute to rice and has a lot of health benefits and antioxidants. So do try this yummy foxtail millet idli and relish for breakfast / brunch with coconut chutney and sambar.

• 1 cup foxtail millet
• 1/2 cup urad dal (split black gram)
• 1/2 tsp. fenugreek seeds 
• 1 tsp. oil to grease the idli moulds
• coconut chutney & sambar to serve

           Soak the millets, dal and fenugreek seeds in sufficient water overnight. Grind into a smooth paste and make a batter of pouring consistency.

          Keep in a warm place to ferment overnight. Grease the idli moulds and ladle the batter into it. Steam for 12-15 minutes. 

          Set aside to cool for some time. Then demould with the help of a spoon and serve them hot with coconut chutney and sambar for a healthy, sumptuous breakfast.

Mini Oats Uttapam

          Make your first meal of the day a healthy way. So why not with some Oats Uttapam - the mini version? So here is another one from my kitty. Do try them and relish with coconut chutney and sambar as and when you like - for brunch, mini tiffin, tea time snack or a lunch box meal. You can also try for a light dinner too. Why not.....So Bon Appetit!!!!

          Healthy eating is always welcome at my place. Who would deny a perfectly healthy, satisfying and a guilt free breakfast? So I try to create new recipes most of the time. Hubby and sons vouch for it, though I would go in for some greasy and spicy stuff sometimes to cater to my taste buds. 

• 1/2 cup oats, dry roasted and powdered
• 1/4 cup urad dal (split black gram) soaked for 3 hours & ground
• buttermilk as required
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. red chili flakes
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1-2 green chilies, chopped
• 2 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped
• oil to shallow fry
• coconut chutney & sambar to serve

          Mix the ground dal paste, powdered oats and salt. Add required quantity of buttermilk to form a smooth batter of dropping consistency.

          In a bowl, mix together onion, tomato, green chilies and coriander leaves. Keep aside. Heat a non-stick tawa and add few drops of oil.

          Pour a small ladleful of the batter and drizzle some oil around the edges. Sprinkle some of the onion mix over it and cook till one side is done before flipping it over to cook the other side.

          Transfer to a serving plate. Make similar uttapams and serve them hot with coconut chutney and sambar as accompaniments for a healthy and a sumptuous breakfast.

Palak Sepu Vadi Stir Fry

          Sepu Vadi is a traditional Himachali cuisine, where the vadis (lentil dumplings) are made of urad dal (split black gram). They are soaked, ground and steamed along with some aromatic ground spices. Later they are added to gravies. 

          Today I made a simple, yet delicious spinach stir fry along with these dumplings. It is an ideal side dish with any Indian bread or rice. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

• 2-3 bunches of spinach, chopped
• 1 cup fried sepu vadi (lentil dumplings)
• 1-2 tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. panch phoron (equal quantities of fennel, fenugreek, cumin, mustard & nigella seeds)
• 1/4 tsp. asafoetida (hing)
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2-3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1-2 fresh red / green chilies, chopped
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. ghee

          Heat oil in a pan and temper with panch phoron and asafoetida. After it stops spluttering, add the onion, garlic and chilies.

          Sauté till light brown. Then add the spinach, salt and turmeric powder. Continue to stir fry till the moisture dries up.

          Now add the fried sepu vadi and ghee. Toss well and cover. Switch off the flame and let it remain covered for 5 minutes. Serve as a side dish with either rice or chapattis.

                                  Heat oil & temper with panch phoron & asafoetida. 

                                  After it stops spluttering, add onion, garlic & chilies.

                                  Add spinach, 

                                 salt & turmeric powder. Stir fry till moisture dries up.

                   Add fried sepu vadi & ghee. Toss well & cover. Switch off the flame & let
                   it remain covered for 5 minutes. 

                                  Serve as a side dish with either rice or chapattis.

Sepu Vadi - 

• 1/2 cup urad dal (split black gram lentil), soaked overnight
• 1" ginger
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. coriander seeds
• 1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
• 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp. peppercorns
• 2 whole red chilies, broken
• oil to deep fry

          Dry roast coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, peppercorns and dry red chilies for a few seconds. Cool and grind into a fine powder.

         Grind the soaked and drained dal along with ginger into a paste. (Do not add any water). To it add 1 tsp. of the powdered spice and salt. Mix well.

         Spread it on a greased steel plate and steam for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. Then cut into desired shapes.

         Heat oil in a pan and deep fry them in batches to a light golden colour. Drain on a kitchen towel and keep aside to cool. 

          Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. It can also be frozen for a later use.

Himachali Sepu Vadi (Urad Dal / Split Geen Gram Lentil Dumplings)

          These are fried lentil dumplings made of soaked and ground urad dal (split black gram lentil). Few aromatic ground spices are added to it to impart more flavour. They are first steamed, cut into desired shapes and then deep fried. They are then stored in air-tight containers in the refrigerator for later use. 

          These Sepu Vadi (lentil dumplings) are cooked in gravy to be relished with any Indian bread or rice. I like having them just as it is or make into delicious chaat for an evening tea-time snack. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this simple local delicacy.

• 1/2 cup urad dal (split black gram lentil), soaked overnight
• 1" ginger
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. coriander seeds
• 1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
• 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp. peppercorns
• 2 whole red chilies, broken
• oil to deep fry

          Dry roast coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, peppercorns and dry red chilies for a few seconds. Cool and grind into a fine powder.

         Grind the soaked and drained dal along with ginger into a paste. (Do not add any water). To it add 1 tsp. of the powdered spice and salt. Mix well.

         Spread it on a greased steel plate and steam for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. Then cut into desired shapes.

         Heat oil in a pan and deep fry them in batches to a light golden colour. Drain on a kitchen towel and keep aside to cool. 

          Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. It can also be frozen for a later use.

                                Dry roast whole spices & grind.

                                  Grind soaked dal along with ginger into a smooth paste.

                                  Mix dal paste, dry spice powder & salt.

                                   Spread on a greased steel plate. 

                                  Steam for 10 minutes.

                                  When cool, cut into desired shapes.

                          Deep fry them to a light golden colour. Drain on a kitchen towel.

                                 Store in an airtight container for future use.