I have been preparing very simple dishes for last couple of months. Occasionally I make something new, but it is almost impossible to click pictures these days. If at all I manage to click some, I don’t get time to post. Anyway, today I was determined to post something. So here it goes.
This recipe is from my friend Subhashini. She is like a walking encyclopedia. Every time we go to their home, I come back with a full tummy, few recipes of the dishes she served that day and lots of information about various things. I sometimes wonder how she manages to know so much. She has a 8 year old and a 2 year old. I asked her to give me some day to day recipes. She mentioned that she makes this paste with garlic, cumin, shallot and coconut and freezes them in small batches. Whenever required, she takes one batch out and uses it in dals/side dishes. Same day I tried this dish. I used moong dal as it cooks very fast. This dish was delicious. I will be making a lot more dishes with this paste in future.
Ingredients:
1 cup moong dal (or any other dal)
1/4 cup tomato
1 tea spn chilli powder
A pinch turmeric powder
1 tea spn ghee
1 tea spn mustard seeds
A pinch asafoetida
4-5 curry leaves
1 red chilli cut into pieces
2 tbl spn chopped coriander leaves
Salt
Spice Paste (Make a paste):
2 tbl spn fresh/frozen coconut
1 tea spn chopped garlic
1/2 tea spn cumin seeds
2 shallots(or sambar onions)
Method:
Cook dal with turmeric and tomato. I cooked on stove top as moong dal cooks very fast.
Then add salt, spice paste, chilli powder and cook for few minutes. Add coriander leaves.
Heat ghee and add mustard seeds, when they start popping, add curry leaves, chilli, asafoetida. Pour the seasoning on the dal.
Serves : 3-4
Preparation time : 30mins
Pictorial:
Great idea to keep ready stock of spice paste. Recipe of dal looks neat and simple. So doable. Thank you for sharing.
Hi shipla, thnx for this trick of freezing the paste. however i m a bit disappointed. whn i saw ur bolg few months ago, i was so impressed with ur regular updated but since i hav been its member, i so rarely get new feeds from ur end. we all luv u a lot, so plz be a bit more regular. hope u dint mind my being frank to u
Shilpa, how did you make the paste? Grind the shallots with the coconut and cumin seeds? Or cook the paste ingredients first and then grind it?
Thanks.
Just grind the shallots, coconut, cumin seeds and garlic without frying. It gets cooked when you add it to dal.
I make a similar paste Shilpa tends to make difficult dishes easier.
Lovely dal . Must try.
Simple and healthy .. thx for sharing
Vardhini
VardhinisKitchen
A great comfort food…Love the lovely colour of dhal…:)
simple and really helpful for a home maker,
Hi, Shilpa…
This seems to be yummy but will you please share how your fruiend freezes the shallot garlic in freezer…
She said she has some small boxes (A little bigger than ice cube sizes). Each box can hold the paste necessary to make a dal on one day. So she makes a big batch of paste and puts in these boxes. Whenever required, takes out one box and uses it. You just have to finish everything in 1-2 weeks.
Simply yummy!!
Made it today – was yummy! Thanks!
Any other dishes the paste can be used in?
Hi,
I was too looking for some different varieties with Moong Dal. Fed up with routine style.
M surely gonna try this out,, Thanks Shilpa!!
Hey Shilpa,
It was a lovely recipe just like so many others on your blog. Tried it yesterday and we all loved this dal. Thanks a lot.