Spinach with Chana Ddal

After reading yesterday's Dudhi with Chana Daal recipe on 'Abhiruchi', a reader friend 'Vaishali Deshpande' had suggested a recipe of Spinach with chana daal. Luckily I had Spinach in the fridge, so I tried that recipe today and it turned out really well. Me and my husband love leafy greens, so this is going to be one of the frequent recipes in my kitchen now onwards. Thanks Vaishali for this wonderful recipe!!
    I am going to share the same recipe with you all today.
Ingredients-
Spinach 1 bunch
Chana Daal 1/2 a cup
Ginger-garlic paste 1tsp
1 Onion, finely chopped
1 Tomato finely chopped
Red chilly powder, salt, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala as per taste
For tempering-
Oil 2tsp, mustard seeds, cumin seeds

Wash, drain and finely chop the spinach.
Heat oil directly in the small pressure cooker and add mustard and cumin seeds to it. Next add ginger-garlic paste and saute.
Add finely chopped onion and fry till it becomes translucent. Add tomatoes and fry. Next add spinach and chana daal.
Add all the spices and half a cup of water and close the lid and take 2-3 whistles and turn the heat off.
   When the pressure is released, open the lid of the pressure cooker and take out the curry in a serving bowl.
    Simple, tasty and healthy spinach curry is ready to serve!!

Dudhi with Chana Daal

      In the rush of fitting everything in a limited time span of a day, main worry for a working mum is cooking something healthy for her family, especially kids, which is tasty as well and can be churned without spending hours in the kitchen.
    The recipe that I am giving today is one of such recipies- Dudhi (Bottle gourd with Chana Daal. This curry accompanied by hot rotis and salad or raita as an accompaniment, makes a complete wholesome meal.
   Swami Ramdeo had already done a good job to stress the importance of Dudhi or Lauki. So no need for me to write more about it. Chana daal is full of proteins. When combined together, these two ingredients make a wholesome curry.

Ingredients and Recipe-
Dudhi 1 medium
Chana daal 1/2 a cup
Red Onion 1
Curry leaves 4-5
Oil 2tbsp
Mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida and turmeric for tempering
Salt, red chilly powder, garam masala as per taste
Jaggery 1 tsp
Coriander leaves for garnishing

1) Wash and soak the chana daal for 3-4 hours. I normally soak it in the morning before going to work. But even if you forget it, it can be soaked in boiling water for 30-40 minutes, and it's ready to use.
2)Wash, peel and chop the dudhi in cubes.
3) Finely chop an onion.
4)Heat oil in the small pressure cooker and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida, turmeric and curry leaves.
5)Next add finely chopped onion and saute till it becomes translucent.
6)Now add cubed dudhi pieces, soaked chana daal, salt,red chilly powder,garam masala and jaggery and mix well.
7) Add 1/2 a cup of water and put the lid on the pressure cooker and take only 1 whistle and switch the heat off.
8) When the pressure is released, take the lid off the pressure cooker and take out the curry in a serving bowl.
9)Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and it's ready to serve with hot rotis and a salad or raita!!

Happy Birthday Boss!!

Happy Birthday Boss!!
       
           He is the one who made cooking glamorous, he is the one who inspired millions of women to respect themselves and their cullinary skills, he is the one who inspired many Indian men to choose cooking as their profession. Yes, he is our beloved chef, Sanjeev Kapoor who rules the hearts of milllions of food lovers all over the world and it's his birthday today.
Being an ardent fan and follower of Sanjeev Kapoor, I call him 'Boss' and all my experiments with food start with him and end with him.
          I remember the days when 'Khana Khazana' started on Zee TV back in 1993. Those were the days when we were in college and studying unknown hours of the day to pursue our careers. That time we didn't have cable connection at home to prevent it from hampering our studies. So  I didn't know about this Khana Khazana, but one day, I watched one of its episodes at a friend's house and from that moment onwards my one-sided love affair started with Sanjeev Kapoor and his cullinary skills.
       The way he chops the vegetables, the way he mixes the flavours, the way he says, 'Ab is atte ke pede banaiye' and rolls the roti, oh!!!I am always mesmerized by that!!
         I don't think any other cookery show has got such an immense popularity in India as Khana Khazana. I must admit that I thoroughly enjoy cookery shows of Nigella Lawson, Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay, but still Sanjeev Kapoor and Khana Khazana are my all time favourites.
          Other than the genes inherited from my family, I think he is the one who has developed my interest  in the field if cooking. As I was growing up, I used to copy his style in chopping the vegetables, making different salads, combining different foods together. Another best thing about this show that I like is their well equipped kitchen. I keep buying so many new things for my kitchen that my husband calls it a 'Museum'.
          I must mention here that these thoughts of mine about Sanjeev Kapoor are only based on his cullinary skills. I don't have any idea about his personal life and how he is in his real life.
         So on the occasion of his birthday, let us all wish him a happy and healthy life ahead and may God keep inspiring him to inspire millions of his fans worldwide with his cullinary skills!!