Search Results for: green lentil

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Green Lentil Dosa Crepes

The texture of green lentil dosa, is similar to the salted crepes known in the western world. A combination of split skinned green and yellow lentils with green chillies, lucknowi mithi fennel seeds and coriander creates an inviting and refreshing flavor on a crispy crepe. Traditionally dosas are rice and black lentil based and requires fermentation time. This recipe comes from Rajasthan, where it is known as Dal Childa and is often considered as a healthy breakfast option. It does not need fermentation time, has a lot more fibre and is good protein booster. When served with a yogurt accompaniment, it aids the lentils to become protein. They are easy to make as they don’t stick to the pan and so can be easily lifted and cooked. The texture and taste of this dosa or childa may remind you of Adai, a southern indian delicacy.

This can be a great dinner option too, as it is  light, fulfilling to taste, easy to make  and fennel seeds and coriander add a refreshing taste that gives it a unique flavor.

 

Recipe Makes 12-15  Dosa Crepes 

Cooking Time: 20 min

Preparation Time: 5 min

Soaking TIme : 2 hours

Ingredients
  • 1 cup split green lentils(skinned and split moong dal)
  • 1 cup yellow split lentils(yellow moong dal)
  • 4-5 green chillies
  • 2 tbsp chopped coriander
  • 1/2 tsp fennel seeds (lucknowi mithi saunf)
  • Salt to taste
  • Pinch of asofoetida
  • Oil to grease.
Method
  • Mix both the lentils in  a pan, and wash them thrice in plenty of water, draining water everytime.
  • Add  4 cups of water and soak for 2-3 hours.
  • Remove half of the remaining water from the soaked lentils.
  • In a mixer/food processor, grind the lentil along with the balance water for about 4-5 min.
  • Add  chopped chillies and grind for further 2 min.
  • Remove the lentil mix from the food processor into a bowl.

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  • Add salt, asofoetida, chopped coriander and fennel seeds and mix thoroughly.
  • Put a thin round pan/griddle  to heat on medium high flame.
  • Grease the pan with dots of oil
  • Take 1/3 rd cup of lentil mix and pour it in the center.
  • Use a crepe tool or use a hollow spoon with round base and spread it evenly into 7-8 inch circle.
  • IMG_1742
  • Make sure that there are no lumps in the center.
  • Dot with oil on the edges of the crepe dosa and also a few dots on the top.
  • Cook on a medium flame and wait for the edges to turn golden brown.
  • Using a spatula, release the crepe from the sides first.

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  • Then flip it over and cook on the other side till golden brown spots appear.

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  • Roll the crepe and serve with green chutney or plain yogurt or pickle.

 

Tips

The pan should be well heated in order to have a nice uniform brown color.

The consistency of lentil mix paste, if found too thick, can be diluted with some extra water.

If you prefer crepes with a very soft texture,  add 1 tsp gram flour and 1 tbsp yogurt after the grinding of the lentils. 

Instinct Factor

Watch for the browning of the edges of the dosa to know that it  is done. And start releasing if from the edges and then go to the center to lift off. 

Feel Factor 

When combined with green chutney or pickle, it is possible to consume multiples of these at a time, as they are thin and light and somehow the guilt of calories is overshadowed by the fact that this is a good protein booster that you are consuming. Also it is closest to satisfying the craving for a Dosa, that can be made fresh easily and quickly, at your convenience.

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Dalvada Lentil Fritters

Dalvada Lentil Fritters

Dalvada Lentil Fritters, a specialty of Ahmedabad, Gujarat, is a highly nutritious, quick and easy snack that can be easily had in a place of a meal! You will find lots of people feasting on this as they are so delicious. I had been exposed to this delicacy during my childhood days,  eating the then famous dalwadas  at Natraj Cinema  during my college days at HL College. The snack is served with fried green chillies as accompaniment and is a popular street food of Gujarat, like the Vada Pav in Maharashtra.

This snack was made popular by the street vendors and made more famous by one vendor, Shri Ambika Dalvada. In one of the interviews with the owner, it turns out he is originally from Rajasthan, and  it is no wonder that a successful dish based on lentils would be coming from Rajasthani. As Rajasthan is known for Dal Bati, Moong Chilla etc. These Dalvada will also be appreciated by people who like Pesarattu, as it contains the same Split Green Gram Lentils as in the Moong Chilla or Pesarattu.

The addition of blackeyed peas (Chora Dal or Lobia Dal) gives it the extra crunch in the Dalwada. Split green lentil is already very high in protein and assists in lowering glycemic index. Black eyed peas or chora/lobia dal is  very high in phosphorous and magnesium along with high folate content. So together this is a great combination. The added spice of green chillies, ginger, garlic mix gives it a great flavoring.

What is interesting to know is that in southern food in USA, cowpeas(blackened peas) are known to bring good luck and so southerners insist on having them on the first day of the year, to bring them good luck. So why not have some luck coming your way on the upcoming Super Bowl weekend?!!

Hope your team wins as you munch on the Dalvada Lentil  Fritters, while watching the Super Bowl and also debating on which one was the most creative commercial of all! Have a great Super Bowl weekend!

Print Recipe
 Dalvada Blackeyed Peas Fritters
Nutritious snack with split green mung lentils with skin and black eyed peas(chora/lobia)
Dalvada Lentil Fritters
Course Appetizers
Cuisine Indian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Passive Time 3 hours
Servings
pieces
Ingredients
Course Appetizers
Cuisine Indian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Passive Time 3 hours
Servings
pieces
Ingredients
Dalvada Lentil Fritters
Instructions
  1. Mix the lentils and wash them thrice. Soak them in 5 cups of water for at least 3 hours
  2. Make a paste of chillies, ginger, garlic by crushing them in a mortar pestle.
  3. Keep very little water in the lentils and grind the lentils coarsely. Add the ginger paste to it and grind further. Add fresh coriander to the blended lentils.
  4. Add salt for taste, and add some water if needed to arrive at a dropping consistency.
  5. Heat the oil to smoking point and lower the flame to medium low
  6. Drop the dalwada fritters using your fingers or an ice cream scoop. The finger method works better tor me.
  7. Fry on a medium low flame till golden in color on both sides, rotating as needed.
  8. Sprinkle some chat masala and black salt powder on top and serve hot with green chutney.
    Dalvada Lentil Fritters
Recipe Notes

Tips

Grinding consistency is important to crunchiness and so is the water level in the mix.  If the mix is too watery, it will not drop well.Starting with less water will always be easy as we can add more with required.

More commonly people now use, only yellow split moong dal, so you can try that recipe too. But the dal with the skin is more fibrous and nutritious than the yellow moong dal

Instinct Factor

It will have more flavor if green chillies are chopped and added to the mix along with coriander leaves. Since I was having kids as guests too, I decided to make a paste of it. Addition of Chat masala and Sanchal or black salt powder was purely instinct driven!

Feel Factor

Enjoying the delicacy from my distant past,!  Memories unfolded as I recalled all the carefree days of my college time.Truly a nutritious snack that I plan to make more, as the weather is still cold enough to enjoy warm snacks with a cup of tea and munching a handful while entertaining guests and having easy conversations. I would like to extend my gratitude to another friend at whose place I discovered the addition of blackeyed peas to dalwada, while enjoying Hindi Kavita and discussing literature with like minded folks! The best part of the Dalvada Lentil Fritters was the crunch in it, that promised to remain so even after they were cold.

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Temple Pongal Lentil Rice

Ven Pongal Temple

Temple Pongal Lentil Rice is the prasad one gets when one visits South Indian temples. The most famous south Indian temple is the Tirupati Balaji Temple in Andhra Pradesh. The temple is situated atop a hill and surrounded by seven hills around it. The access to the temple from the base of the city is a long winding road, and using the stairs/trails to hike up can take about 3-4 hours on foot. This is the most wealthiest of temples in India, with devotees giving large contribution as donations. This temple was what I visited post my marriage and coming from Jain household, was struck by the beauty, discipline and the utmost devotion expressed at various levels, from the learned priests to the the person working in the guesthouses over there. The temple prasad was just true delicacy, and having had my first taste of pongal as Tirupati Pongal, I am kind of spoiled by that.  A lot of restaurants serve this Pongal as Ven Pongal or Khara Pongal, but not many come close to the color, texture and taste of the original Tirupati Pongal. So on this day of Pongal, I took the time to recreate what I remembered from my visit many many years ago and hope Lord Balaji is blessing me on this attempt!

The texture of Temple Pongal Lentil Rice as I remember was more like porridge, and made out of small grain rice.  And I recollect the color as white base, and the taste of raw cumin and the yellow moong dal being seen clearly and of course dollops of ghee, cashews and black pepper!  A lot of recipes on the web talk about adding curry leaves. ginger and turmeric. However, I decided against it as that does not match with my visual memory. I could be wrong, but still wanted to make an attempt to recreate the blessings I received via the temple pongal in the way I remembered. And besides the logic that makes sense, is that this prasad would be made as simple as possible, considering the vast number of devotees that visit the temple. And the logistics of carrying curry leaves, ginger all way atop a hill and then the labor involved in cleaning and cutting would be a bit too much. Not using the added ingredients also helps me keep this recipe suitable to the aatham/chaudas menu, when green and root vegetables are not consumed in the menu.  There are some Jains who believe that the temple idol of Lord Balaji at Tirupati was originally an idol of Shri NeminathTirthankar. Whatever be the belief, the fact that today it is the most wealthiest temple and the most revered by devotees speaks volume for the faith of the devotee as well as the blessings obtained at the Tirupati Balaji Temple.

The Temple Pongal Lentil Rice is often cited as a complete meal as it has its content of grain, lentil and lots of protein via ghee and nutrition of cashews and black pepper. Black pepper was the original spice from India, used in place of red and green chillies. Pongal, festival of harvest in Tamil Nadu, is often celebrated by boiling milk over and Pongal also means boiling over.

Wishing all of you a Very Happy Pongal and loads of good wishes as you start a new year with optimism and good thoughts  with the prasad  of Temple Pongal Lentil Rice and blessings of Lord Balaji to guide you through the year!

 

 

 

Print Recipe
 Temple Pongal Lentil Rice
Comfort and pure joy to eat this soulful rice and lentil recipe from southern India.
Ven Pongal Temple
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Indian
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Passive Time 30 minutes
Servings
people
Ingredients
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Indian
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Passive Time 30 minutes
Servings
people
Ingredients
Ven Pongal Temple
Instructions
  1. Dry roast the yellow moong dal in a pan for 2-3 minutes on low flame till you get the aroma of roasting,
  2. Wash the rice thrice and soak with five and half cups of water for 30 minutes. After soaking, boil this soaked rice, along with its water. Add salt, peppercorns, cumin seeds and milk to it.
  3. Keep stirring in between so that the rice does not stick at the bottom. Halfway through add the roasted yellow moong dal.
  4. Once the rice and dal are cooked, and you have reached the desired consistency of the pongal, remove from flame. If the consistency looks to soupy, keep cooking till water is reduced.
For Tempering
  1. Heat the ghee in a small vessel, and add cashews and stir till they are golden brown. Add asafetida and remove from flame. Add this to the rice and mix well, and cook rice for another 2-3 minutes for the flavor to set in.
  2. Add the crushed pepper powder and keep stirring whole time, so that the rice does not set at the bottom.
  3. Serve warm with Shakkar Pongal or with coconut chutney or pickle or just plain is also very delicious!!. Plain yogurt serves a good accompaniment to Temple Pongal.
Recipe Notes

Tips

  • Small grain rice are crucial to obtaining the texture of the pongal as well as cooking on the stove is important so that you can get the right texture. I used the Spanish Goya Rice as  thats what I had at home and it worked well.
  • Ensure that the cashews do not get burned, and stay golden, which I missed out on.

Instinct Factor

  • Quite a bit of instinct involved in recreating this recipe by memory. I could be wrong, but I hope my readers from southern India will forgive me:)  Feel free to add red chillies, some coriander, if you want to add some more spice and fragrance.

Feel Factor

Happy to have the prasad of  Lord Balaji and invoke his blessings in some way! Texture was great according to my husband, who just loves this Pongal and any Pongal on earth. So much so that the Pongal restaurant in New York City, is his Mecca for this and we have to make a visit every time we are in NYC. So a compliment from him made my effort worthwhile.. Loved the cumin, black pepper and ghee flavor in this traditional temple recipe of pongal.

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Dahi Vada Lentil Fritters in Yogurt

Dahi Vada Lentil Fritters in Yogurt, is a popular dish across India via various names, such as Dahi Bhalla in Punjab, Dahi Vada in Maharashtra and Gujarat, Thayir Vadai in Tamil, Thayir Vada in Malayalam, Perugu Vada in Telegu, Mosaru Vade in Kannada, Dahi Bara in Odia and Doi Bora in Bengali!! Whew!! A truly popular snack item across the land of India. But my gut tells me this snack would have originated from Southern India, where Vada is ancient traditional cuisine, still very much appreciated and consumed in today’s world too! Thanks to this process of blogging, I now know so many ways to say  yogurt and learnt my new word for the day!! This recipe talks about fresh as well as freezing the dahi vadas, enabling it to easily serve this popular item for dinner guests!  It is interesting to know eating lentils and yogurt, is a highly healthy combination for the body to make protein and I am sure our ancestors had an inkling about it!

The dish looks colorful, can be prepared in advance and the yogurt gravy hides the round fritters or vadas. It can be enriched with cashews and fennel seeds, which gives a refreshing feel to it. A lot of talent is displayed by many, by the way the tamarind and green chutney are garnished on top,which could be a perfect line of green red, or one can go the famous Jackson Pollock way of painting and just splatter the same and have fun! This highly delicious combination cools the heat in the summer, and is a perfect menu item for Jains following strict diet regulations on aatham, chaudas or paryushan and it is quite filling too,. So one can easily have this as a complete meal too.

The trick to having really soft Dahi Vada lie in the type of lentil and the grinding of the lentils. Urad dal gives the softest taste, for sure, but using green and yellow dal also taste equally good, if grounded correctly. It has 3-4 garnishes on the top, but one can either use pre-made chutneys, or go the simpler way of using just red paprika powder , salt and cumin powder and it still tastes satisfying!

Everyone should give this a try, as this is definitely one healthy snack/meal  that is simply satisfying to mind and body and it is not a wonder that this cashew flavored spongy dahi vadas are a family favorite at our end, specially as the summer rolls in!

DAHI VADA LENTIL FRITTERS IN YOGURT

Recipe makes 18-20 Dahi Vadas for 4-5 people

Prep time: 30-45 min

Pre-Soaking time  5-6 hours

Ingredients
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For the Vadas
  • 2 cup urad dal split black lentils OR ( this is more popular)
  • 1 cup  split yellow moong dal and 1 cup split green dal (this is more healthy)
  • 4 green chillies
  • 1/4 cup broken cashews
  • 1  tsp fennel seeds
  • salt to taste
  • oil for frying
For the Yogurt Gravy
  • 2 quarts of yogurt
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 tsp Red chilli powder
  •  1 1/2 tbsp Sugar(optional)
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper powder
For the Garnishes
  •  3-4 tbsp Green chutney
  • 3-4 tbsp Tamarind Chutney
  • 4-5 tbspChopped Coriander
  • Salt
  • Roasted cumin powder
  • Red chilli powder
Method

For making the Vadas

  • Wash the lentils thrice in plenty of water, and soak them in 8 cups of water for at least 6 hours.
  • Drain almost all the water from the lentils and add salt, green chillies, and grind it to a batter having smooth paste consistency.

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  • Add cashews and fennel seeds and mix well.
  • Heat oil for deep frying on high flame. Once heated reduced to medium flame.
  • Using a cookie dough scooper or ice cream scooper, or even plain spoon, drop spoonful of batter for frying the vadas or fritters.
  • If the grinding is correct,the vadas will turn over on its own, otherwise flip them when edges become golden.

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  • Once the vadas are fried, drain them on bounty paper to remove excess oil.
  • At this stage, the vadas can be frozen for future use
  • Or let it cool completely and soak a few of them in 7-8 cups of water for 10 minutes.
  • If you have excess vadas, you can freeze them in an airtight container for future use.

Using Frozen Vadas

  • Remove the vadas from the freezer, and heat 6-7 cups of water to boil. Once it boils put the frozen vadas and simmer for 8-10 and allow it to cool completely.

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Using Fresh Vadas:

In 6-7 cups of water, put the freshly fried vadas and soak for half an hour or so. Remove from water and press the vadas in between palms and remove the excess water. If the vadas have turned out spongy, they will bounce back to a round ball shape- This is the test for sponginess or softness of vada.Dahi Vada

 

For making the yogurt gravy

  • Blend the yogurt using a whisk in a smooth consistency, and add salt, chlli powder, sugar, and black pepper.

 

 

Assembling the Dahi Vada Lentil Fritter in Yogurt

  • Arrange the soaked vadas in a flat and deep dish, and you will notice the color of the fried vadas has also become lighter now.
  • Pour the yogurt gravy on top. so that the entire vada is soaked in yogurt, and leave it for 10 min to chill in the refrigerator
  • Add some more yogurt gravy before serving,  and sprinkle all the garnishes on top and serve.

Dahi Vada

Tips

Frozen vadas, need to be soaked in hot water so as to regain its sponginess. If the fresh vadas are not that soft, one may try soaking in hot water for achieving softness.

If not using green chutney due to Jain Paryushan or aatham chaudas, one can spice it up with extra red chilli powder

Black Pepper powder addition is from the Dahi Bhalla version of Dahi Vada.

Instinct Factor

Frying the dahi vada and grinding the dahi vada batter comes with practice, so keep on trying, as I realized the perfect grinding level only recently!!Might explore with a bit of mint flavor next time.

Feel Factor

One gets protein, fibre, and yogurt and in this delicious dish of  Dahi Vada Lentil Fritters in Yogurt. I have also found  that vadas frozen and used later on are also equally tasty, so , definitely a dish that can be made once and savored over and over again. 5-6- Dahi Vadas make a complete meal and many happy with the cooling spiced  yogurt on the top and soft spongy fritters on the inside and the garnish artwork on the top and not to forget the very many names you can call this dish by!! A real treat in heat of the summer!

 

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Gujarati Dal Dhokli Lentil Soup with Dumplings

Gujarati Dal Dhokli Lentil Soup with Dumplings is a delicacy to be enjoyed on a rainy cold day.  Having this on cold day or when you are down with cold, warms up your body, clears the sinus and stuffed up feeling and brings in energy in a lethargic body. Various kinds of dal dhokli exist in India. The  version presented here is the famous Gujarati Dal Dhokli made in Yellow Pigeon Lentil. This dish is a highly authentic gujarati menu item and a dish found in most rural cuisine in Gujarat.

When this is being cooked, the whole house fills up with aroma of fragrant cinnamon, cloves, lemon and jaggery. This must be in my opinion one of the oldest dish of dumplings from India. It is easily a complete meal by itself. So when you are in the mood of lazing around and also want to have a wholesome meal that is quick and less taxing, try this option. The other version of Dal Dhokli that I have had is from Rajasthan and that too has multiple varieties, which I shall be sharing soon.

This is also very frequently cooked, during the Jain Paryushan when one gives up green vegetables. And the dish is so delicious, you will not feel that you are missing out any green vegetables on that day. The taste of this dal dhokli is sweet, sour, spicy, and is  fragrant and slurpy. The trick to fragrant lentils is in the seasoning of the dal lentils which needs to be done at the appropriate temperature and with patience.

A must try recipe for soup, lentil, dumplings and gujarati cuisine lovers!! And a special earth day celebration the Jain way, respecting  and protecting earth and omitting the green vegetables, a routinely concept for certain days of the month

Wishing all the readers a Very Happy Earth day, for our dear Planet ,we all call HOME SWEET HOME!

Recipe makes for 3 people

Cooking time 1 hour

Prep time: 20 min

Ingredients
  • 1 cup yellow pigeon lentils
  • 2 tbsp ghee clarified butter
  • 2 medium cinnamon sticks
  • 1 dried red whole chillies
  • 4-5 cloves
  • 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
  • 3/4 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1/8 tsp asafoetida powder
  • 8-10 peanuts, without the skin
  • juice of half a lemon medium sized
  • 1 ripe banana
  • 5 tbsp sugar
  • 1/4 cup size jaggery piece
  • 8 cups of water
  • salt to taste

Optional ( To be avoided when making it for Jain Atham or Paryushan Festival)

  • 1/2 tbsp finely diced ginger
  • 1 1/2 kashmiri green chillies diced
  • fresh coriander for garnishing

For the dhokli or dumplings

  • 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • pinch of asafoetida
  • 1/8 tsp red chilli powder
  • 1/8 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1/4 tsp white sesame seeds
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 1/4 cup of water to knead dough
  • salt to taste
  • dusting flour
Method
  • Wash the toor dal yellow pigeon pea lentils thrice, in water, and soak in  2 1/2 cups of water for about half an hour.
  • Pressure cook the soaked dal lentils along with water for 6-7 whistles on medium flame and let it cool.

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  • In a deep pan, put the ghee melt on  medium flame.
  • Add mustard to the ghee and let it crackle.
  • Add cinnamon sticks and let them expand in size.
  • Add cloves and again let them expand.
  • Add asafoetida.
  • Add cumin seeds and let them brown.
  • Add the boiled lentils to the seasoning.
  • Add salt, water,  peanuts, sugar, jaggery lemon , and let it boil on slow-medium flame for about 40 min.

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  • If using the optional items, add these ingredients to boiling along with water and sugar etc,
Making the dhokli/ dumplings
  • Combine all the ingredients for the dhokli to knead into a soft dough.

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  • The kneaded should feel soft and pliable
  • Refrigerate the dough for about 20 min.
  • Take a quarter cup size dough ball, and roll it into a circle about 9 inches in diameter, using the dusting flour.

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  • Using a knife make diamond/square shape cuts and shift it to a broad plate.

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  • Repeat for 3 more dough balls.
  • After the lentils have boiled for about 40 min, add the diamond shape dhokli dumplings to the lentils and boil for another 20 min

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  • Add banana halves about 5 min before serving.

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  • Garnish with a spoon of ghee and serve.

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Tips

While boiling the dumplings or dhokli, make sure that the lentils are boiling and then add.  Also stir in a few minutes, to ensure that the dhoklis are not sticking.

When the dumplings or dhoklis are cooked you will see them floating easily.

Instinct Factor

Why not variate with a different shape of dhokli?

Feel Factor 

Wow, a dish from one of the oldest grains known split pigeon peas, and that also cooked following the principles of respecting the environment and earth, and celebrate the earth day, made this super delicious dish rise few notches higher in my view!! The taste is just yum, with the appetite already whetted by the fragrant aroma of the spices, and the tongue getting the taste of spice, lemon, sugar , sweet and slurpy. Would not be surprised if this becomes a frequent item on your quick menu list. Enjoy this truly simple, highly delicious and wholesome healthy Gujarati Dal Dhokli Lentil with Dumplings.

 

 

 

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Dal Bati Churma Lentils with Hard Wheat Rolls

What better way to celebrate HOLI , the festival of colors, other than share Dal Bati Churma recipe, from  Rajasthan, also famous for its equally colorful Holi!!! The moment one hears of Dal Bati Churma Lentils with Hard Wheat Rolls, one associates it as probably the most well known item of the Rajasthani cuisine to others. Rajasthani HOLI is also an experience one needs to have, if possible. I have extremely colorful memories of Holi celebrations in Jodhpur, because of its warmth, colorful holi and the wonderful food! Holi is also very special for us for various reasons. For a person with roots in Rajasthan, it is also very rewarding to be presented with Dali Bati Churma to celebrate special occasions even if it is a birthday of special someone!! A menu with Dal Bati Churma will  make many hearts warm and some ears spark!!

Dal Bati Churma is a very traditional food and needs some taste cultivation, as I underwent, and as is true for many delicacies that need to have an acquired taste. The bati or wheat rolls are flour based and undergo steaming and cooking/baking process. Whereas the Dal is cooked like any other lentils. The Churma is again made from flour and mixed with jaggery/sugar. And all these are garnished with melted ghee/clarified butter,which further accentuates its taste. The way to eat this is also very unique, as one needs to break the bati doughnuts into small pieces, pour the lentils on top and mix in some churma on the top. This whole process is enjoyed even more, if one is willing to eat this delicacy using finger. Often grandparents have said that eating with your fingers makes the food more tasty and satisfying too! I wondered  many times as to why this was so true? The reason for this is “ Food well focused upon brings about better absorption, assimilation and satisfaction leading to better health and a calmer, stress-free life.” as per an article in guardianlv.com.  And I fully agree with this observation as having experienced this first hand. Read more at http://guardianlv.com/2013/06/eating-with-your-hands-is-healthier/#zysblkHvxIG6DJR0.99 

Though this dish looks complicated it is not so tough, but does requires some hand work out!  A modified version(based on Tarla Dalal’s recipe ) is presented here. This recipe uses carom seeds, jaggery, and is suited to even be an item for Jain Paryushan or Atham Chaudas Menu!

I love the doughnut look of the batis and find them quite fascinating and the churma, the sweet mixture made of flour reminds me of the churma laddoo.   Both these with the tangy spicy five lentil dal makes Dal Bati Churma, the pride of Rajasthani Cuisine!! Eat any combination, Dal Bati, Churma Dal,  or the best one Dal Bati  Churma

 

Recipe makes for 3 people – Makes 10 batis

Preparation Time: 20 min

Cooking TIme :1 1/2 hour min  ( only Dal Bati- 1 hour)

Ingredients[shopeat_button]

Foe the Dal

  • 1/3 cup Chana Dal ( Bengal Gram Lentils)
  • 1/3  cup Tuvar Dal( Split PigeonPea Lentils)
  • 1/3  cup Chilkewali Moong Dal ( Split Green Gram Lentils)
  • 1 tbsp Urad Dal ( Split Black Lentils)
  • 3 tsp chilli powder
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • 1/2 tsp garam masala
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • a pinch asafoetida
  • 2 tsp amchur(dry mango powder)
  • 2 tsp tamarind pulp
  • 3 tbsp ghee
  • 6 cups water
  • salt to taste

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For the Bati

  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup semolina
  • 1/4 tsp ajwain seeds(carom seeds)
  • 8 tbsp milk
  • 4 tbsp melted ghee(clarified butter)
  • salt to taste
  • 6 cups of water to boil batis

For the Churma

  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 cup semolina
  • 6 almonds sliced
  • 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
  • 1/2 cup sliced jaggery
  • 3/4 cup sugar(or 1/2 cup jaggery)
  • 4 tbsp melted ghee for churma dough
  • About 2 cups of ghee for frying

For serving

  • 1/2 cup melted ghee

Method

Cooking of the Dal Lentils

  • Mix all the lentils/dal and wash thrice and soak in 3 cups of water for about 1 hour.
  • Pressure cook the dal/lentils upto 3 whistles, till cooked.

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  • In 3 tbsp water, mix turmeric, chilli powder and coriander powder and make a paste.

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  • Heat the ghee and add bay leaves. When they become red, add asafoetida, cumin seeds.

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  • As cumin seeds become brown, saute the paste for 2-3 min.

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  • Add the cooked lentils, salt, 3 cups of water and simmer for 10 min.
  • Add tamarind pulp and amchur powder and simmer for 20 min.

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  • Add garam masala, simmer for 5 min and remove from flame and cover with lid.

For the Batis

  • Make a firm dough by mixing all the ingredients. You should not need water, if needed add very little water. The dough will have cracks and difficult to firm.

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  • Make 9-10 balls and the balls will have cracks, which is how it should be.

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  • Flatten the balls a bit, and make a indent in the center, all the way through, like a doughnut. This way it will help to cook the center of bati better.

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  • Put the water to boil, in a broad vessel and boil the batis in it for 20 min over medium high flame.

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  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and bake on the middle rack for about 20 -25 min until golden brown. Batis need to be the last one to be cooked as it needs to be served warm right from the oven.

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For the Churma

  • Mix everything in a broad plate and add maximum half cup of water to make a stiff dough.

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  • Make 8-9 lump shaped oval balls.
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  • Heat the ghee for frying, once heated, put it to slow flame, and fry until orange brown. This will take 20 min or so.

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  • Cool for about 10 min and then break the churma balls into pieces, using pestle.
  • Add jaggery, sugar and pulse  grind to fine consistency.
  • Add cardamom powder and almonds and mix well.

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Serving Dal Bati Churma

  • Put the batis on a plate, and drizzle melted ghee in the center and top and serve with warm dal and churma.

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How to eat Dal Bati Churma

  • Break the bati into couple of pieces, pour the dal/lentils and mix in some churma.  You can eat plain churma too, with some melted ghee on top. Try any combination you like, as bati and churma or churma dal or all three dal bati and churma.

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Tips

Baking Bati is an area that requires a little experience. Turn the batis tray half way through.Flip the batis also half way through, specially if  not using convection baked oven. Alternatively we can cook the same for 20 min on Gas tandoor, that is how traditionally it is cooked.

Churma can be made well in advanced and also consumed subsequently for a week or so.

Instinct Factor

Adjust the consistency of dal, so that it has some pouring consistency and has some thickness too.

Add saffron strands to the churma to make it more richer in look and taste.

Because I was celebrating Holi on this day , I decided to make a mound as in Holi of Churma with a hole in the center for celebratory feel!

Feel Factor

Best way to experience the richness of dal bati churma lentils with hard wheat rolls,  is to eat it using your hands , and may that is why it is such a satisfying, rich and simple local meal. No wonder that it is a must have meal in weddings, special occasion and truly deserves its  place of pride in Rajasthani Cuisine. A rich item easily on a  menu list  for the Jain festivals too! Some people may need to cultivate a taste for this, but if your are bread fan, bati is an  authentic hard wheat rolls that I have come across in Indian Cuisine . Definitely a dish, one should taste at least once, for its texture, composition and combination. Like chole bhature or any other lentils, this recipe also has n number of variants,  as it is such a local food, that the flavour and taste changes evey few hundred miles. Hope you find your flavour of dal bati churma, here or in the land of Rajasthan!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

 

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Kachi Paki Dal Split Pigeon Pea Lentils With Bread

Kachi Paki Dal Split Pigeon Pea Lentils with Bread provides a highly colorful and healthy eating of  lentils the Sudanese way. Pigeon Lentils or Toovar Dal, is one of the oldest grains cultivated in the history of mankind, and was abundantly available in India and Africa, two of the oldest civilization zones in the world. In Gujarati cuisine, toovar dal is a staple item eaten mainly with rice and cooked frequently, so also in  southern indian cuisine in form of Sambhar, and  in rest of India mainly consumed along with rice. In fact, in Gujarat, Toovar Dal is also used in a dessert item of Pooranpoli, a sweet bread, made on special occasion. In my view, the Toovar Dal, suddenly leaped a few steps of importance, knowing that I am consuming one of the oldest grains  about 3400 years old, first found in Orissa in India, and also for the fact that this lentil is extremely  heavy on protein,  folate, manganese and phosphorous components. This toovar dal travelled from India to East and West Africa. So one gets the connection of how culture and cuisines are shaped and it is a moment of pride to introduce an East African cuisine for the broader Indian and other global readers.

This dish has inherent sweetness when made from  “24  Mantra” brand organic lentils available at Indian grocery stores. Just boiled lentils is sweet enough to be consumed with no or minimum spices.  A recipe that comprises of salad, soup, and bread and has Indian spice flavour gives, eating soup bread and salad, a whole new look!

Kachi Paki Dal Split Pigeon Pea lentils with Bread has a rhyming name in Indian language meaning half uncooked (Kachi) and half cooked (Paki), as the normal Toovar Dal that is consumed with rice, goes for further extended cooking after being pressure cooked. Filling, satisfying, creative, spicy, lemony, crunchy and extremely quick are some of the words that comes to me when describing this rhyming dish from Sudan and I would not have been exposed to this delicacy had it not been for my dear sister-in-law!

 

Recipe Serves 3 people

Prep Time: 20 min

Cooking Time: 15 min

Ingredients[shopeat_button]
  • 1 3/4 cup toovar dal split pigeon pea lentils
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded cabbage
  • 3/4 cup chopped tomato
  • 2/3 cup chopped cucumber
  • 2/3  cup chopped capsicum
  • 2 tbsp coriander
  • 2 tsp finely chopped green chillies
  • 3 1/2 cups water
  • 1/2 cup oil
  • 2 tsp red chilli powder
  • 2 tsp dhania powder
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1/8 tsp asafoetida
  • salt to taste
  • lemon for garnish
  • 1 dozen dinner rolls
  • butter for grilling dinner rolls
  • fine sev for garnish (optional)

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Method

  • Wash the lentils thrice and soak in 31/2 cups of water for an hour.
  • Pressure cook the lentils to 3-4 quick whistles.
  • Cool the lentils thoroughly.
  • The lentils should be whole and not mushed up. If plenty of excess of water, drain the extra water.

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  • When ready to eat, warm the lentils.
  • Add oil, turmeric, asafoetida, salt, turmeric, chilli and dhania powder and stir well.

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  • Cook for 4-5 min and remove from flame.
  • Grill the dinner rolls with some butter.
  • Top the split pigeon pea lentils with some cabbage, tomatoes, cucumber, capsicum, few drops of lemon juice, coriander and fine sev.

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  • Serve Kachi Paki Dal with grilled dinner rolls.

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Tips

If preparing well in advance then excess water will be consumed by the lentils. The final  consistency should be like lachka dal or thick soup.

Instinct Factor

Overcooking will spoil the look and feel of this dish, so under cooking lentils will be advantageous if in doubt.

Adjust the spice level to your taste as it can be controlled with toppings of chillies and chilli powder, and also variate with the toppings of your choice.

Feel Factor 

A truly wholesome meal that is colorful, quick, healthy and provides the rainbow look and need of vitamins for a vibrant skin.  It is a perfect weekend/brunch and  tv meal menu that is well appreciated by all age groups. Kachi Paki Dal Split Pigeon Pea Lentils with bread, is a Sudanese dish that is based on its more famous cousin Sudanese Phool, described in another recipe on this blog as Spicy Rajma Soup at http://wp.me/p46j8l-fP. Both the recipes have global appeal because of the use of salads, bread, lentils and colorful preparation and visual appeal.

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Khaman Dhokla Gram Lentil Steamed Cake

People in India and  around the world  are filled with curiosity about Mr. Narendra Modi, India’s Prime Minister elect, on account of the sweeping victory claimed by him and his political party. So even I decided to join the club and do some more research about him, to know more about him as a person. Food being my passion, any information related to that sparked my interest. I came across this NDTV weblink on the top 5 favourite food of Mr. Narendra Modi at http://cooks.ndtv.com/article/show/narendra-modi-s-top-5-favourite-foods-525352. Needless to say they are all from Gujarati cuisine- Khili Khichadi, Khandvi, Dhiokla, Mango Chhundo( Chutney) and  Badam Pista Shrikand.

The state of Gujarat has something in its soil , for it is  the state from where stalwarts like  Mahatma Gandhi,  Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, JInnah, and now Narendra Modi to have risen to  political ranks of the country. Besides these, Gujarat has also been the state from where business man  Dhirubhai Ambani and the Patriarch JRD Tata have originated. And the foodie in me, will want to also say , that, there must be also something in what you eat that makes you rise to top!!

Taking a cue from Mr.Modi’s five favorite foods, I am glad to share the recipe of instant khaman dhokla gram lentil  steamed cake using Instant Mix. I have found  this to be very easy, consistent and tastes delicious. This is often a breakfast item in our home , and is easily cooked in 15-20 min. There are many different brands of instant packs available, of which this is definitely very reliable and  we have been using this for almost past ten years or so.

The khaman dhokla gram lentil steamed cake is soft, spongy, with a nice spicy garnish in the top. This is known for its sponginess hence, the comparison to a cake! And the good part of this is, if it does not turn out well, just crumble it and make it a Khaman mix with garnishes! So it is very forgiving dish for a new person trying it out. This is so popular that Gits has come with two varieties Khaman and Nylon Khaman. I prefer the Khaman Dhokla Mix.

The garnish on the Khaman Dhokla Gram Lentil Steamed cake could be red chilli powder, black pepper or even powdered roasted cumin seeds.  Recipe of Khandvi , another delicacy enjoyed by Mr. Modi,  can be found on this  blog at http://cookingbyinstinct.com/khandvi-bengal-gram-rolls/

I am sure we will be seeing a lot of Khaman Dhokla Gram Lentil Steamed cake and Tea at Prime Ministerial State breakfast and that is something  international dignitaries will get a good share of!!  Seeing its well acceptance and appreciation   by m  international friends and my daughter’s classmates, Khaman Dhoklas are going to be very much in demand now!

Recipe makes 20 pieces

Cooking time 15 min

Prep time 5 min

Cooling time 10 min

Ingredients
  • 1 pack Instant Khaman Dhokla mix ( Gits Brand)
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 cup plus 60 ml of water

For Garnish

  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 2 tbsp chopped coriander
  • 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 5-6 curry leaves
  • 2-3 tbsp grated fresh coconut ( optional)  I use the frozen grated coconut
  • Special equipment needed- Dhokla cooker with deep plates. Alternatively you can make your own dhokla cooker, with a broad deep pan and a deep dish, with a lid to cover.
Method
  • Put about a liter of water to boil in  the dhokla cooker.
  • Grease the dhokla plate with some oil.
  • In a prep bowl, empty the contents of the instant mix
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  • In a separate bowl, mix water and oil,
  • Mix in the water oil mix into the Instant mix, so that no lumps are left, and stirring constantly while mixing in the water/oil.
  • Once the water is emptied, hold the prep bowl with one hand, and vigorously stir the mix with your hand for about 20 sec.
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  • The mix will rise a bit. As soon as  it rises, empty the mix into the greased dhokla dish.
  • Sprinkle red chilli powder or black pepper or roasted cumin powder if you desire. You can also leave it plain.
  • Insert the dish into the dhokla cooker, cover the lid and steam on fast flame for 15 min.
  • Switch off the flame after 15 min and let it cool for further 10 min.
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  • While its cooling prepare the garnish.
  • Put 2 tbsp oil to heat.
  • Add mustard seeds to it.
  • Once mustard seeds crackle, add chopped chillies.
  • After 5 seconds, add cumin seeds
  • Add curry leaves.
  • Once cumin seeds become light brown, take off from flame.
  • Spread this garnish over the cooked Khaman Dhokla Lentil Steamed Cake.
  • Make diamond pieces by making dividing the dhoklas into four parts.
  • Then turn the dish a bit  and make further 4-5 lines.
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  • Garnish with fresh coconut and coriander.
  • Serve warm with Green chutney or ketchup or just enjoy plain.
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Tips

The trick to softness , lies in the vigorous stirring of the mix.

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If it does not turn out well, crumble the cooked dhokla and mix in the oil garnish as well corainder and coconut. Add an extra layer of sev ( thin gram noodles )  and serve.

Instinct Factor

Check if the dhokla is cooked by inserting a fort/knife to see that it is not  liquidy in the middle.

Feel Factor

Soft and yummy, spicy and colorful, healthy and nutritious , and soon to be a popular on an international level! A very healthy breakfast, appetizer that can be enjoyed with ketchup or green chutney.

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Triranga Idlis (Tricolor Idlis Rice & Lentil Steamed Cakes)

Inspired by the Independence spirit in air, due to the upcoming 65th republic day of India on January 26, I explored bringing this spirit to cooking. There are various events happening around the town, organized by local Indian Community via IAVA and am looking to forward to celebrating this with total patriotic spirit on 26th January via the Republic day celebrations of IAVA. Something that is simple, colorful, healthy and with a good deal of wow factor as well, is the Triranga Idlis. Triranga name is inspired from the  Indian Flag, which is also fondly called as  ” Triranga”, as it is in tricolor, The colors are in the order of orange, white and green. The white portion in the middle also has a blue circle with spokes, known as Ashoka Chakra. The idli colors are based on the flag. The natural color of idlis is white as it is primarily rice based.  To this I have added carrots for orange and spinach for green. Special quarter coin size idli moulds have been used for the coin size idlis, as these are very appealing to kids and also serve as a good finger bite appetizers in a party. And it also represents the size of the Ashoka Chakra in the middle!

Normally the use of carrots and peas is done as a topping on a rava idli( a variation of idli made from semolina) and I always  found this topping very attractive. To make the entire idli colorful, I have mixed the carrots and spinach with the idli dough, so that  it is visually more appealing, and also it disguises the taste of carrots and spinach, in case someone does not find them appealing. And needless to say, I do have members who dislike carrots. so I am hoping this is one way I can get them to eat carrots!

Idlis are very healthy and nutritious item and considered as an important breakfast item, in southern part of India, from where it originated. Its made of rice and black lentil . It texture is soft and fluffy and can be savored with sambhar( lentil soup) or chutney, which is often coconut based. Coriander based green chutney or just melted butter are other good accompaniments with idli. When idlis are fresh and hot, they taste yummy even if they are not accompanied with anything, specially when they are the size of coin shapes, as they just melt like small coin chocolates into your mouth!! The flavour of carrots mixed into the idli dough, tastes very nice. I topped the spinach based idli with gunpowder or hot chilli dry powder to create a contrasting flavour while eating. This dry idli chutney powder is easily available in Indian grocery stores. My challenge here is to have the pure green color on the spinach after the idlis are steamed..This is an area that needs some more thought…If any of you have any suggestions on retaining the green color please share…

And the verdict from the family members- yes to carrots based idlis, so here’s wishing Indian readers, a great patriotic week and day on 26th January 2014!  

Recipe makes:  64 coin size idlis 

Cooking time : 20 min

Preparation time: 15 min

Passive time: 20 min

Ingredients
  • 1 Gits Instant Idli mix
  • 1 cup baby green spinach or chopped spinach
  • 1/2 cup diced carrots
  • Salt to taste
  • Oil to grease
  • Gunpowder or dry idli chutney powder for garnish (optional)
  • Special Equipment: Coin sized idli moulds, or alternatively regular sized idli mould trays and Idli cooker
Method   
  • Put 3 cups of water to boil.
  • Boil chopped spinach for 4 min.
  • Strain the spinach, using a tea strainer, which is easy to lift off.
  • Re use the same water and boil carrots in it for 7 min.
  • Strain the carrots.
  • Grease the idli mould with a few drop of oil. You can skip this step if you would like to cut the calories. The pic here shows idli steamed without the initial grease. Greasing helps to remove the idli smoothly from the mould.
  • Put to boil 1 litre of water inside the idli cooker, and cover the cooker with  a lid. Put this at near high flame, on your second highest burner.
  • Pour the content of the mix into a wide and deep bowl. I often use a Large Prep Bowl.
  • In a separate bowl, mix water and oil.
  • With one hand pour the water/oil mix, at a medium pace in to the large prep bowl, and with the other hand, circularly agitate or stir vigorously the idli mix, as the water is being poured. This step is crucial to idlis being fluffy.
  • Continue doing this for about couple of minutes, and you will see the idli mix rising.
  • Divide the idli dough equally into three bowls.
  • Add spinach to one portion and add carrot to other.
  • Using hand blender or normal blender, thoroughly mix spinach with its portion of idli dough.
  • Do the same for the carrot and idli dough. 
  • Pour this mixture into the idli moulds, almost up to the edge. For coin sized idlis you will need idli moulds of that size. The pic here shows the idli mix poured in a regular size idli mould, as I forgot to take pics of the coin sized idlis..
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  • Lower the gas flame, open the idli cooker with caution using a towel or oven glove.
  • Put the idlis moulds with dough, inside the idli cooker
  • Cover with the lid and raise the flame to high.
  • Cook for 20 minutes and then switch off the flame.
  • For further 20  minutes, keep the the cooker closed.
  • Then slowly open the cooker, remove the idli moulds
  • Wait for about 20 seconds, and then using a butter knife slowly release the idlis from its outer edge.
  • Serve with chutney. lentil soup or sambhar,  or eat it with a dash of melted butter/clarified butter(ghee) ,which is also equally delicious.

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 Tips

Instead of carrots, you can even add tomato puree about 1 tbsp to get the orange color and different flavor. I prefer using the instant dough mix, but the same can be added in relative proportion to the fermented dough recipe too.

Instinct Factor

The amount of water needed in the idli mix depends on the water hardiness of your area. Increase the water content if idlis are hard and reduce if they are too wet  and slippery after cooking.

Feel Factor

Have fun by adding colors of your choice to an  otherwise regular dish in white. A visually appealing, healthy, kid friendly idlis and a new way of presenting the well known rice lentil idlis. The texture of idlis is soft and smooth. The spinach idli has a little dense flavour, while carrot is light and fun, and plain white idlis is the original light fluffy healthy meal in a lot of households.  

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Bhaidku Millet Rice Porridge

Bhaidku Millet Rice Porridge is a very traditional and very ancient meal from Gujarat India. It is a family favourite for us, having loyalists spanning for five generations starting from my great grandfather to my daughter! Talking about generations and their liking for Bhaidku Millet Rice Porridge, I am reminded of the story of the three bears and the porridge, and each of them relished their porridge just right! SImilarly over here one can get their Bhaidku just right in consistency and taste by adding water and/or milk and/or buttermilk. I wish we could enter this recipe that has such a great porridge texture in the World Annual Porridge Competition at World Porridge Competition.  Read more about a how a porridge should be cooked as well as different versions from famous chefs at Porridge Club Recipes. Hope some of them come across this ancient porridge version from India!!

And rightly so the history of millet goes as

Millet is thought to have originated in North Africa, specifically in Ethiopia, where it has been consumed since prehistoric times. There is even mention of millet in the Bible as an ingredient for unleavened bread. Millet is still an extremely important food staple in many Africa countries.

Since ancient times, millet has been widely consumed in Asia and India as well. The Indian flatbread roti is made from ground millet seeds. In the Middle Ages, before potatoes and corn were introduced, millet became a staple grain in Europe, especially in countries in Eastern Europe. The Setaria variety of millet was introduced into the United States in the 19th century. While millet has been used primarily for birdseed and livestock fodder in Western Europe and North America, it is now gaining popularity as a delicious and nutritious grain that can be enjoyed for both its unique virtues as well as the fact that it is a gluten-free grain alternative to wheat.

The majority of the world’s commercial millet crop is produced by India, China and Nigeria.”

This is one easy way to eat millet the highly nutritious grain, without much of an effort. The health benefits of eating millet can be read at Benefits of Millet.  A lot of people have dry grinders/blenders at home outside India, so this should be an easy process for them to pre grind the mixture of millet lentils and rice. Coarsely ground bhaidku millet rice porridge mix can be stored over a year or more in a freezer. And all you need is milk/yogurt as an accompaniment and you have a healthy meal in 20 minutes!! Enjoy your bowl of warm fuzzy eclectic porridge with this unique porridge recipe!

 

Recipe makes  servings for 2-3 people

Time to cook 20 min

Soaking time 30 min (optional)

Ingredients
  • 1 cup of bhaidku mix coarse powder from dry grinding of
    • 1 cup bajri millet seeds
    • 1/3 cup chilkewali dal split green lentils
    • 2/3 cup rice

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  • 1/3 cup ghee
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1/4 tsp ajwain or carrom seeds
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 1/2 cup water
  • salt ro taste
Method
  • Heat the ghee in a broad vessel
  • Add carom seeds to it and let it

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  • Add the bhaidku mix. salt and turmeric powder and roast for 8-10 minutes on slow- medium flame making sure it does not burn.

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  • Close the flame and add milk and water and soak for half an hour

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  • Ten minutes before serving, heat up the mix on a medium flame and keep stirring till the fat separates and the mixture thickens.

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  • Serve hot with buttermilk or plain yogurt.
  • Enjoy the highly nutritious and a complete healthy meal!

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TIps

If you are short of time, you can avoid soaking in the milk and water. If you are able to soak you will get a better thicker consistency,

Salt to be added will be a little higher than normal as millet requires additional salt.

Instinct Factor

Can go with or without milk, while cooking. Replace milk with water, milk with buttermilk while cooking or cook in plain water and mix milk/buttermilk while eating.

Feel Factor

Simply heavenly food in a jiffy! The texture is like a porridge and tastes warm and fuzzy with a hint of sourness if you have used butter milk as an accompaniment! Brings smile on the face of my daughter, my father in law and myself!. I guess we all love the warm yellow color, roasted aroma and salty and colorful taste of Bhaidku Millet Rice Porridge.  This is also often made for senior people having trouble chewing and eating, and I have fond memories of my great grandfather relishing this is as his dinner almost 2-3 days in a week! It is definitely more tastier than an oatmeal porridge in my opinion as it has the edge of the carrom seeds and flavour of buttermilk and millet/lentil/ rice.

It is wholesome, nutritious, very ancient meal which is  a must for lactating mother and young infants. So many praises because of its combination of grains, lentils, and milk products, Bhaidku Millet Porridge is specially very good evening meal in the winter season. I often get my stock of the dry grinded mix from India and freeze it in  the  freezer so that the millet does not get bitter and can last for more than a  year.  Am always ready for this kind of porridge as an evening meal!