Simplified Indian Cooking
Sonth is the Hindi name for mature, dried ginger. It is available as a powder and is the key ingredient in Tamarind Chutney. Traditionally, Tamarind pods are soaked in water to squeeze out the pulp, you can save time by buying Tamarind concentrate or paste. I prefer concentrate, it tastes more like the actual pulp […]
Most people do not eat enough whole grains these days. There is such a large variety of grains in the market now and each grain has its own dietary benefits. I lived on a farm for a few years in India and my mother created delicious meals, desserts and snacks using all the available grains. […]
Chana Daal with Squash is one of my favorite Daal recipes and I make it often! You can use any one of the many squashes available but I like the taste of Bottle Gourd, also known as Opo squash or Ghiya or Lauki. Because of its mild taste, Lauki lets the Chana Daal flavor come […]
Indian pickle or Achaar is quite different from Western pickle. Most Achaars use oil and spices for flavoring and therefore can stay on the shelf for a long time. Achaar is almost always ‘ripened’ in the sun which causes the black mustard (rye) to ferment, imparting the classic sour taste to the vegetable used. Sour […]
Lentil or Masoor is one of my favorite Daals. Lentil is also used as a snack when soaked and deep fried; a popular ingredient in ‘Daalmoth’. In my blog posting ‘All about Daals‘, I have grouped Lentils in group 2 along with whole and split Green Peas, whole and split Yellow Peas, whole Moong beans, […]
The word daal comes from the Sanskrit word ‘dal’ which means to split; daal is literally a whole bean or legume that has been split in half. When cooked, the soup-like dish (also called Daal) is a great source of protein, complex carbohydrate, essential amino acids and dietary fiber. Also known as a lentil or […]
Arhar daal, also known as Toor daal or pigeon pea is the most commonly cooked daal in India. In North-Eastern India Arhar Daal is cooked almost every day for lunch or dinner. My mom would sometimes add a seasonal vegetable to daal such as squash or taro root and season it with raw mango slices […]