Baingan (eggplant) Bharta

Ingredients:

Eggplant, medium - 3

Onion, finely chopped - 1 large

Green chilies, finely chopped - 2

Ginger, finely chopped - 2" piece

Tomatoes, finely chopped - 3 medium (I used half a large can and some juice)

Olive oil - 2 tsp

Cooking oil - 2 tbsp

Garlic - 8-12 cloves

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

Garam masala powder - 1 tsp

Amchur (dried mango powder) - 3/4 tsp

Salt - 1 tsp or to taste

Coriander leaves, chopped - 1/2 cup

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200 C (400 F). Make four deep, lengthwise slits in each eggplant and stuff one clove of garlic into each slit to force it open. smear olive oil all over each eggplant. Bake for 45 min to 1 hr. Let it cool. Peel and discard the skin. Mash the eggplant. Set aside.

Heat oil in a wok. Add cumin seeds. When they splutter, add the onions and coat well with oil. Fry until they start turning golden brown, then add chopped green chilies and ginger. Stir for two minutes, then add the tomatoes. Cook covered on a medium-low flame until the tomato pieces soften (about 10 min). Add the dry powders and salt, mix well, and cook until most of the moisture evaporates and the oil separates (about 10 min). Add the eggplant pieces, mix and cook for a few more minutes. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with rice or chapati.

Optionally, before serving, you can mix in some whisked yogurt.

Author: Shrinkingsodacan

Chayote with Moong Dal

Ingredients

To pressure cook:

Chayote, cubed -- 2

Moong dal -- 1 cup

Water - 2 cups

Tomatoes -- 2 (I used canned)

Garlic -- 6-8 pods

Green chilies, slit lengthwise -- 2

Turmeric powder -- 1/2 tsp

Salt - 3/4 tsp or to taste

Seasoning:

Oil - 2 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Garnish:

Coriander leaves, chopped - 3-4 tbsp

Method:

Add all the ingredients in the "pressure cook" section into the Instant Pot and pressure cook for 6 min. Allow pressure to release naturally.

Heat oil in a small container, splutter the cumin and mustard seeds and add to the dal. Mix well. Check for salt.

Garnish with coriander leaves.

Additionally delicious option:

Heat some oil, add panchphoron and whole green chilies and fry until the seeds splutter. Add chundakkai and fry well. Add chopped onions and salt and fry until translucent. Add 2 tsp of sambar powder, mix well. Add 1 cup boiled water and 1-1.5 tsp tamarind paste. Cook until raw smell goes away, then add the cooked lentils and chayote. Mix well, simmer for five minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Author:

Shrinkingsodacan

Instant Pot Dal Makhani

Ingredients

Udad dal - 1 cup

Water - 2-3 cups

Cinnamon sticks - 2

Cloves - 6

Pepper corns - 6

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Butter, cubed - 50 g

Salt - 1 tsp

Seasoning

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

[Kashmiri] Red chili powder - 1 tsp

Garam masala powder - 1 tsp

Finish

Salt - to taste

Fresh cream - 2 tbsp

Cook the first set of ingredients in the Instant Pot on the chili setting for 1h30m.

Heat the ghee and stir fry the second set of ingredients. Pour the dal into this mixture and simmer for 20 min, mashing lightly at the beginning.

Season with salt if required, serve with a dollop of fresh cream.

Sprouted dal fry (dry dish)

Ingredients:       
Sprouted dal - 1 cup (I used a mix of whole moth, whole green moong, and whole masoor)
For boiling the dal:
    Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
    Salt - 1/2 tsp
Seasoning ingredients:
    Oil - 2 tbsp
    Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
    Onions, chopped - 1/4 cup
    Green chilies, slit lengthwise - 1 large
    Dried red chilies - 2
    Ginger, chopped fine - 2 tbsp
    Salt - 1 tsp or to taste
For garnish:
    Coconut, shredded - 1 tbsp (optional) OR lemon juice - 2 tsp
    Coriander leaves, chopped fine - 1/4 cup

Method:
Mix 1/4 tsp turmeric powder and 1/2 tsp salt into XXX cups of water and bring to a boil. Add the sprouts and cook covered on a medium flame for 20 min (check at 15 min to make sure the lentils aren't overcooked -- they should have a slight crunch to them). Drain the lentils, throwing away the excess water.

Heat oil in a pan. When hot, add the cumin seeds and dried red chilies. When the seeds splutter, add the rest of the seasoning ingredients (except salt) and cook until the onions are translucent. Add the salt, mix well, and add the cooked lentils to this mixture. Toss to coat well, cook for a couple of minutes.

Garnish with coconut OR lemon juice (not both!) and coriander leaves. Serve with rice and a gravy dish or with chapatis.

Author: Shrinkingsodacan