All Time Classic

Dal is a traditional Indian dish prepared by cooking lentils with vegetables and spices. This simple yet delicious Dal is a pleasure to the palette.

Read More...

A common item on the menu and an all time classic at our home is Dal. I think it is pretty much the same in lot of Indian homes.Dal is a traditional Indian dish prepared by cooking lentils with vegetables and spices. There is a wide variety of lentils available and can be used to make Dal. Rich content of protein and fiber in lentils makes Dal a nutritious dish.

Here is a simple Dal recipe my mom makes at home. Channa dal cooked with onions, veggies and coconut paste to a creamy consistency. The blend of coconut tempered with a touch of mild spices gives the dal its unique flavor. This simple yet delicious Dal is a pleasure to the palette.

Channa Dal	- 1 cup
Coconut	- 2 tbsp grated
Onion	- 1 small chopped
Potato	- 1 cup diced
Carrot	- 1/4 cup diced
Green Peas	- 1/4 cup
Green chilies	- 4-5
Cloves	- 3 cloves
Bay leaf	- 1 small
Turmeric	- 1 tsp
Ginger Garlic Paste	- 1 tsp
Cilantro	- for garnish

Place channa dal and 2 cups of water in a pressure cooker, cook for 2 -3 whistles. If cooking over stove top, cook dal until soft.

Mash the dal and keep aside.

Grind the coconut to a fine powder/paste in a blender and keep aside.

You can substitute 1/4 cup of coconut milk for coconut paste.

Heat some oil in a heavy bottom vessel.Add cloves, bay leaf, green chilies and ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute until it flavors the oil.

Add chopped onions and fry until it is cooked and translucent.Add the diced potatoes, carrots and green peas and cook until done.

Since it takes a while to cook potatoes, I pre-cook them before adding it to the onions. You can cook them on stove or in a microwave. You can do the same for carrots and green peas as well.

Add mashed dal, coconut powder/paste, turmeric, salt and stir well. If the Dal is too thick add some water to it.

Bring it to boil on simmer (low-heat), stirring frequently.

Turn off the heat, garnish with cilantro. Serve with rice or rotis.

This is my entry to Susan's My Legume Love Affair 27

Guilty Food Pleasure!

Fettuccine Alfredo is an Italian pasta dish prepared with fettuccine tossed in a cheesy sauce. It is super fatty and super tasty!

Read More...

All of us have at least one guilty food pleasure. Something we love and enjoy eating despite feeling guilty for enjoying it! Fettuccine Alfredo is one such dish for me. Fettuccine Alfredo is an Italian pasta dish prepared with fettuccine tossed in a cheesy sauce. It is super fatty and super tasty!

I have had Fettuccine Alfredo at Olive Garden and Macaroni Grill quite a few times but it never occurred to me until few months back that I must mimic this at home! Recollecting the taste of the sauce, I gathered my ingredients for this sinful goodness!

My Fettuccine Alfredo turned out to be a perfect pairing of rich, creamy sauce and perfectly cooked pasta. Parmesan cheese combined with butter and cream formed a smooth and rich sauce. My selection of using chives was just right. It provided a mild, aromatic onion flavor without overpowering the dish. Hot fettuccine pasta tossed along with a creamy sauce, fresh herbs, and seasoned with dash of pepper is one mouth-watering dish.

I realized I could prepare a low fat version of this dish and retain most of the taste and creaminess. Now, my guilty pleasure will not be guilty anymore!

Fettuccine	- 1/2 lb or 1/2 box
Cream	- 2 cups
Butter	- 1/2 stick or 4 Tbsp
Parmesan Cheese	- 1 cup (grated)
Chives	- 2 Tbsp (Optional)
Pepper	- to taste
Salt	- to taste

Cook fettuccine as per the directions on the box.

To prepare the sauce, heat a saucepan to medium-hot.

Melt the butter. Then, pour the cream and gently stir until it all warms up.

Depending on how you like your Fettuccine Alfredo,dry or with sauce, alter the quantity of cream used.

Add parmesan cheese to the creamy butter sauce. As the cheese melts, the sauce will thicken.

Now, add chives, pepper, and stir.

Chive is a type of herb that belongs to the Onion family. It carries a mild onion flavor. You can replace Chives with your favorite herb.

Remove from heat.

Add fettuccine to the pan and toss, making sure the pasta is completely coated with the creamy sauce.

Serve with grated parmesan cheese on top along with salad, bread sticks and a glass of wine.