Cooking with Pushpa: Class 2

Today, I learned how to make Chana ki Dal, Mushroom Masala, and yet again to try and roll out the perfect chapati. I have not perfected chapati making yet. Unfortunately, my chapati either resemble India or they are still rather square. Below are the recipes below from today's lesson.

Chana ki Dal

Ingredients:

• 2 cups dried chana dal
• 4 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 small tomato, chopped
• 1/4 cup freshly chopped coriander

Tarka Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon jeera, or cumin, seeds
• 2 whole garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 small sliced red onion, chopped
• 10 whole curry leaves
• 2 green chilies, sliced lengthwise and chopped fine
• 2 tablespoons cumin powder

Directions:

1. Soak chana dal overnight in water.
2. Drain.
3. Add chana dal and water in a pot. Bring to a boil.
4. Then, add 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder.


5. Boil for 1 hour covered.
6. Add tomato and mix. Boil for 10 minutes covered.
7. Remove from heat. The dal should mash easily between fingers.
8. Prepare the tarka as follows. In a medium hot pan, add 1/4 cup oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Once butter melts, add jeera seeds, garlic cloves, onion, curry leaves, green chilies and saute for 2 minutes. Then, add 2 tablespoons cumin powder.
9. Add 1 spoonful of dal to the tarka, then add the entire pot of boiled dal to the tarka mixture.
10. Add 1 cup of water to the dal pot, then scrape the sides and the bottom of the pot to remove all the dal from the pot. Add this to the tarka and dal mixture.
11. Bring to a boil.
12. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves.
13. Serve heated.

Mushroom Masala

Ingredients:

• 14-16 mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
• 1 1/2 medium red onion, chopped
• 1 green chili, cut lengthwise and chopped fine
• 1 tablespoon garlic and ginger paste
• 1/2 cup freshly chopped coriander, divided
• 1/2 cup tomato puree
• 1/4 cup oil

Masala Ingredients:

• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 4 tablespoons coriander powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala

Directions:

1. Add oil to heated medium pan and saute onion for 10 minutes or until they are translucent.
2. Add chopped chili, 1/4 cup freshly chopped coriander, and garlic and ginger paste. Saute for 5 minutes.
3. Add tomato puree and simmer for 2 minutes.
4. Add masala to mixture, and saute for 5 minutes.
5. Add 2 tablespoons of water and a pinch of salt to the mixture. Then, add the mushrooms and stir to combine.
6. Cook for 5 minutes occasionally stirring, and add a few tablespoons water if the mixture begins to burn or becomes to dry. Remove from heat.
7. Garnish with 1/4 cup freshly chopped coriander.
8. Serve with chapati.

Today, we used Aashirvaad atta (whole wheat flour) instead of Pillsbury. This flour made the chapatis much lighter and more crispy. We will see how the boss (as Pushpa refers to him) rates them tonight when he returns from work!