Serve with rice for a truly Gujarati dal-bhaat experience. Delicious!My recipe for Gujarati Dal is so easy and flavoursome. It’s a classic Indian comfort food recipe I make at least once every fortnight.

How to serve this Dal

While Gujarati Dal at weddings is usually a more filling affair, at home, it can be much more casual. I like to eat it as it is, with boiled rice and a dollop of plain set yoghurt. There’s something so satisfying about the hot and sour dal against the cold yoghurt. A touch of jaggery in the dal offsets the flavours so beautifully.

If you’d like to make a meal of it, try serving your dal with the following to create a Gujarati thali at home:

Gujarati Ravaiya (Stuffed Aubergine Curry)

Ask any Gujarati and they’ll rave about their mum or gran’s Ravaiya (stuffed aubergine curry). It’s in our nature. There is no love greater than the love you feel when you eat these hand-stuffed baby aubergines.

Check out this recipe

Foolproof Indian Boiled Rice

Learn how to achieve the longest, most separate grains of rice with this easy recipe for boiled Basmati rice. Serve alongside your favourite curries and daals.

Check out this recipe

Puffy Masala Poori

Learn how to make puffy, crispy Masala Poori at home. This easy recipe is foolproof. Just follow the step-by-step video and enjoy your fresh Indian Poori with any curry. I love mine with Gujarati-style Bateta nu Shaak.

Check out this recipe

Key ingredients in Gujarati Dal

Oily toor dal (also called split pigeon peas, arhar or tuver), water, ginger, chilli, tomatoes, turmeric, kokum, salt, jaggery, coriander, ghee, cinnamon, curry leaves, star anise, cloves, asafoetida, dried chilli, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, peanuts, cashews.My favourite part are the simmered peanuts and cashews which become extremely tender and melt in your mouth.

What style of Dal should I choose?

For this type of dal, it’s best to use the oily style of split pigeon peas (toor/tuver/arhar). They are dried and coated in a slick of oil to preserve them for months, even years.This makes toor the ultimate pantry ingredient to have on standby when the contents of your fridge is looking sparse.

Tip: Always wash your dal!

Always wash dal to rinse away oil. As a child my mother would keep me occupied by placing a bowl of toor dal in warm water in front of me so I could swish and swoosh the oil away. It was the ultimate sensory activity for a bored little monkey like me, and something I still find utterly cathartic today.

How to make Gujarati Dal in a pressure cooker

To make light work of boiling dal, this recipe calls for a pressure cooker. I use a traditional pressure cooker with a whistle attachment. You can also use an Instant Pot or equivalent pressure pot.Place the dal in a pressure cooker along with 1L of water.

Close the pressure cooker (whistle on) and cook for 7 whistles. If you’re using an Instant Pot or similar pressure pot, cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Carefully release the steam. The dal should be really mushy, almost liquid.

How to make Gujarati Dal without a pressure cooker

Fear not! You can still have your dal. Simply boil the dal in a large pan, covered with a tight-fitting lid for 30-35 minutes or until mushy. Add a teaspoon of oil to the pot to reduce the amount of foam that builds up inside the pot. Do not leave boiling dal unattended as it can overflow.

Gujarati Dal without onion and garlic

Since this is a wedding-style of Gujarati Dal, this recipe does not include onion or garlic. For various religious reasons, many people refrain from eating these two ingredients. Therefore the dal served at celebrations is almost always free from onion and garlic.

Types of Gujarati Dal

Dal simply refers to ‘pulses’. There are dozens of varieties of Gujarati Dal and each home will have a unique method of preparation for these variants. Eat these with rice, rotli, paratha or Let’s explore some of the most popular ones.

Dal Dhokli

Not only is Dal Dhokli a one-pot wonder, it’s also packed with mouth-puckering hot, sweet and sour flavours, protein and comforting carbs. The spicing is gentle and aromatic with star anise, cinnamon, cloves and ajwain-flecked dhokli (a cross between a dumpling and pasta).

Gujarati Mug

Gujarati Mug is a simple dish of whole green mug (moong/mung beans). There are so many ways to prepare this protein-packed pulse. The Gujarati way uses just a handful of spices, ginger, chilli and sometimes tomatoes. I like to add lots of garlic! Perfect with a bowl of plain rice or black pepper paratha.

Mug ni Dal

This variety of dal is similar to the above, except it calls for split, skinless mug (moong/mung beans). The final result is creamier than the dish with whole mug and the appearance is more yellow in colour, since the green skins are removed.

Urad

Thick and creamy black lentils (of Dal Makhani fame) with simple spices. A traditional dish for Saturdays. Saturday represents the day of Lord Hanuman. Belief has it that he gathers his otherworldly strength from eating such lentils. Urad is packed with vitamins, protein and iron, so move over Popeye- Hanuman’s in town and he brings with him the strength of a thousand elephants and karahi’s full of Urad!

Trevti Dal

A combination of three types of lentils. Usually toor (arhar dal), chana dal and moong dal but the recipe can vary from cook to cook. I like to add split, skinless urad dal. Trevti Dal is creamy and thick, with a tempering of both whole spices and ground spices.

Gujarati Kadhi

I have mixed feelings about including Kadhi in this list, simply because it’s not technically a type of dal. However, most recipes call for besan (gram flour) which is a chickpea-based product, so I’ll let it slide!Yoghurt-laden Kadhi is almost always served in the same way as dal (with rice or as part of a thali). At most Gujarati weddings, the hosts will serve either Gujarati Toor Dal or Kadhi, not both.

Gujarati Wedding Dal recipe

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Gujarati Wedding Dal

Gujarati Wedding Dal, also called Gujarati Lagan Dal is an aromatic preparation of split pigeon peas, peanuts and whole spices. Serve with rice for a truly Gujarati dal-bhaat experience. Delicious!

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Keyword daal, vegetarian, wedding

Servings 6

Author Sanjana

Equipment

• Pressure cooker

Ingredients

For the dal:

• 200 g oily toor dal also called split pigeon peas, arhar or tuver
• 1.5 L hot water
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 2-3 green chillies finely chopped
• 200 g chopped tomatoes I use tinned
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 piece kokum or juice of two large lemons
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp jaggery or brown sugar
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander

To temper the dal:

• 1 tbsp ghee
• 2- inch cinnamon stick
• 5-6 curry leaves
• ¼ tsp asafoetida hing
• 1 star anise
• 2 cloves
• 1 dried red chilli
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 10 peanuts whole
• 10 cashew nuts

Instructions

To cook the dal:

• Wash the dal in plenty of water. Drain and repeat twice more.
• Place the dal in a pressure cooker along with 1L of water. Close the pressure cooker (whistle on) and cook for 7 whistles. If you’re using an Instant Pot or similar pressure pot, cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Carefully release the steam. The dal should be really mushy, almost liquid.
• Sieve the dal into a large bowl to ensure it’s of a flowing consistency. Set aside.

To temper the dal:

• Heat the ghee in a large, heavy-based pan. Add mustard seeds and allow them to crackle. Next, add the cumin seeds, cinnamon, star anise, dried red chilli, cloves, kokum, curry leaves, asafoetida, peanuts and cashews. Sauté over a low heat for 1-2 minutes, just until the cashews begin to brown slightly.
• Add the ginger and fresh chillies. Cook this for a further 30 seconds and then tip in the tomatoes. Add ground turmeric and jaggery. Stir well and allow the masala to come to a gently simmer. Stir all the time to help the jaggery melt in.
• Carefully pour in the dal mixture. Stir well. Add a further 500ml water and season with salt. Bring to the boil. Boil gently for 20 minutes. Stir frequently to ensure the dal doesn’t settle at the base of the pan. If you feel the dal is too thick, you can always thin it out with more water. The boiling extracts more flavours from the spices, resulting in a tastier dal.
• Garnish with fresh coriander. Serve hot with rice. For wedding vibes, I love this with a side of stuffed aubergine curry, farfar and poori.

Notes

What if I don’t have a pressure cooker?

Boil the dal in a large pan, covered with a tight-fitting lid for 30-35 minutes or until mushy. Add a teaspoon of oil to the pot to reduce the amount of foam that builds up inside the pot. Do not leave boiling dal unattended as it can overflow.

Other notes

• Dal will thicken on cooling. If making ahead, you may need to add additional water before serving.
• As dal boils, it will develop a skin on top. This is normal. Stir often to minimise.

How to freeze Gujarati Wedding Dal

This dal freezes particularly well. Place cold dal in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature and reheat thoroughly before serving. You may need to loosen the dal with additional water to achieve a flowing consistency once more.

Love Sanjana

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Paired with rotli, stuffed vegetable curry and rice, it’s always been our staple Sunday lunch.

What is Gujarati Daal?

Gujarati daal is made with oily tuver daal (arhar), also known split pigeon peas. They are dried and coated in a slick of oil to preserve them for months, even years.

This makes tuver the ultimate pantry ingredient to have on standby when the contents of your fridge is looking sparse.

Tip: Always wash your daal!

Always wash daal to rinse away oil. As a child my mother would keep me occupied by placing a bowl of tuver daal in warm water in front of me so I could swish and swoosh the oil away. It was the ultimate sensory activity for a bored little monkey like me, and something I still find utterly cathartic today.

Unlike many other regional Indian daal recipes, you pass the mixture through a sieve. Next, add the golden liquid to tempered spices, nuts and tomatoes.

Important!

Simmer it low and slow. Be heavy-handed with the seasoning: lemon juice, jaggery and salt are your friends because they are what gives Gujarati daal life. Serve as part of a larger meal or simply in a bowl with boiled rice.

My favourite part are the simmered peanuts and cashews which become extremely tender and melt in your mouth.

How to make One-Pot Daal Dhokli

Enter Daal Dhokli. A hand-rolled, wheat flour and chickpea flour pasta that’s dropped into a simmering pot of daal.

It’s more of a stew than a soup and considered a comfort food by many. I find adding a little chickpea flour to the Dhokli dough gives the cooked noodles a welcome firmness so they hold their shape in the daal.

If you like your pasta al dente, give it a go. This is a dish that’s unique to western India and a true food hero.

My mother always cut out pretty diamond-shapes. Although, every family, from Maharashtra through to Gujarat and Rajasthan, have their own unique way of making it.

Flavour star: Ajwain

Daal Dhokli is a true one-pot wonder. It’s packed with mouth-puckering hot, sweet and sour flavours, good protein and comforting carbs. The spicing is gentle and aromatic with star anise, cinnamon, cloves and ajwain-flecked pasta.

The yellow colour of the Dhokli predominantly comes from turmeric but the flavour is unequivocally down to the addition ajwain seeds. Having said this, if I have fresh ajwain leaves to hand, I add them to the dough for unbeatable peppery freshness.

Daal Dhokli is often made with leftover daal. Simply add water, more lemon, salt and jaggery, bring to a rolling boil and drop in the pieces of Dhokli. Because who said leftovers can’t be special?

More Ideas for One-Pot Daal Dhokli

• Add 250g fresh or frozen peas towards the end for a version called Matar Dhokli.
• Serve with steamed rice for a double-carb comfort feast or add in a few handfuls of spinach leaves if you like plenty of greens.
• Finally, my favourite way to enjoy it is with a swirl of thick Greek yoghurt and fresh coriander chutney.

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One-Pot Daal Dhokli

Not only is this daal from Western India a one-pot wonder, it’s also packed with mouth-puckering hot, sweet and sour flavours, good protein and comforting carbs. The spicing is gentle and aromatic with star anise, cinnamon, cloves and ajwain-flecked pasta.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Keyword chickpea, daal, gujarati, indian sweets, lentils, pasta, soup, stew, vegan

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Sanjana

Ingredients

For the daal:

• 200 g oily tuver daal also known as split pigeon peas
• 2 1/2 L hot water
• 1 1/2 tbsp grated ginger
• 2-3 green chillies finely chopped
• 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• Juice of two large lemons
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp jaggery or brown sugar
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander

To temper the daal:

• 1 tbsp oil
• 2- inch cinnamon stick
• 5-6 curry leaves
• ¼ tsp asafoetida hing
• 2 star anise
• ¼ tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 8 peanuts whole
• 8 cashew nuts

For the chickpea pasta (dhokli)

• 90 g chickpea flour besan
• 125 g plain flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp chilli powder
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 1/4 tsp ajwain
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 75 ml boiling water

Instructions

• Boil the daal in a large pot of water (around 1.5L) until very soft and tender, about 40 minutes. You can also use a pressure cooker or an Instant Pot for this if you have them. Note that it will take less time if you use the latter. Allow to cool slightly and then pass through a sieve into a large bowl to ensure a smooth, golden liquid. You can also use an immersion blender for this. Don't skip this step as a smooth consistency is what makes for a good Gujarati daal.
• Give the pan a rinse and quick dry. Heat the oil in the pan and add the mustard seeds. Wait for them to crackle and then add the cumin seeds, star anise, cinnamon, cloves, curry leaves, nuts and asafoetida in quick succession. Stir briefly.
• Quickly add the ginger, chillies, tomatoes, turmeric and ground cinnamon. Cook for 5 minutes and then pour in the liquid daal and 1L water. It might sizzle and splutter a little so work carefully. Season with lemon juice, salt and sugar. Simmer for 15 minutes whilst you get on with making the dough for the dhokli.

For the chickpea pasta (dhokli):

• In a bowl mix all of the ingredients for the dhokli and knead into a firm, smooth dough, about 8 minutes by hand. Cover the dough with a clean, damp tea towel and rest for 10 minutes.
• Divide the dough into four portions and roll out (using extra plain flour) into something resembling a thick chapatti, around 2mm thick. Cut the dough lengthways from the left, and then across from the right, into diamond shapes. TIP: I use a pizza cutter for quick and clean shapes. Set aside and repeat for the rest of the dough. You'll have a few scraps of dough at the edges of each round. You can add them in as they are.
• Bring the daal to a rapid rolling boil and one by one drop in all the diamond shaped dhoklis. Remember to keep the daal at a constant rolling boil so the dhokli don't stick to the bottom of the pan. Stir them gently to avoid sticking. You may need to add extra boiling water as it is likely to thicken while the dhokli is cooking. This is normal. When you have done taste it to make sure it's spicy, sweet and sour.
• Ladle into bowls and top with fresh coriander.

Notes

Pack leftovers away into an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 48 hours. The Daal Dhokli will thicken once cool so when reheating, you’ll need to add some extra water to bring it back to a stew-like consistency. Reheat in a saucepan, stirring often to avoid sticking.

Freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Love Sanjana

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I’m making Khichdi, Gujarati style, like how they eat it on the farm in my ancestral home of Porbandar. It’s served with Gujarati Lasan ni Chutney, a blow-your-socks-off garlic and chilli preserve, and a cold glass of Chaas (salted buttermilk with roasted cumin). This is the comfort food every Gujarati has precious memories of growing up. The porridge-like consistency of a ghee-beaten rice and lentil mishmash was usually the first solid food we ever ate as toothless babies and our fondness for it stayed with us right through to adulthood. It became a familiar and nostalgic comfort blanket for the belly.

Loaded with hearty goodness and family tradition, Khichdi was and (still is) regarded as being every doting Gujarati mother’s nourishment of choice for her child.

My recipe uses salt but feel free to omit it or reduce the amount for weaning. Just a few weeks ago, I prepared a salt-free version for my 6-month old and he gobbled it up with gusto. It was his first real taste of food, as it was mine 29 years ago.

Unlike other regional variations of the dish, Gujarati Khichdi is subtle and gently spiced but still creamy with ghee or butter. It’s not pilau or biryani and traditionally, Khichdi is not loved for its long, separate grains you strive to achieve with other rice dishes. Think risotto. It’s a stodgy, filling rice and lentil porridge with or without a blend of spices depending on the regional style and interpretation you choose.

I like to use dried, split mung beans with the husks on (mung daal chilla) but you can also use the skinned yellow variety of mung daal if you prefer. As far as spices go, turmeric, asafoetida and black pepper are all that’s needed.

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Village-Style Gujarati Khichdi

Unlike other regional variations of the dish, Gujarati Khichdi is subtle and gently spiced but still creamy with ghee or butter. It’s not pilau or biryani and traditionally, Khichdi is not loved for its long, separate grains you strive to achieve with other rice dishes. Think risotto. It’s a stodgy, filling rice and lentil porridge with or without a blend of spices depending on the regional style and interpretation you choose.

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Keyword gujarati, lentils, rice, turmeric

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 125 g basmati rice
• 125 g dried split mung beans (the kind with the husks left on)
• 600 ml hot water
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/8 tsp asafoetida
• 1 tsp salt
• 100 g butter or ghee
• 1 tsp freshly-ground black peppercorns

Instructions

• Combine the rice and dried split mung beans. Wash them in cold water several times and then place them in a pan that has a tight-fitting lid.
• Add the water, turmeric, asafoetida and salt. Stir and bring to the boil. Place the lid on the pan and reduce the burner to low. Cook for 25 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed and the khichdi is tender.
• Next, add in the butter and black pepper and beat the khichdi with a wooden spoon for a minute until creamy and porridge-like in consistency.
• Serve with more butter or ghee and Gujarati Lasan ni Chutney (optional but delicious).
• You can also cook the khichdi in a pressure cooker. Follow the same method and cook for 10 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before opening the cooker and beating in the butter and black pepper.

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Happy 2014! It’s a new year and time to start getting excited about the adventures ahead. This year I get to marry my best friend and biggest supporter in all my work and passions. I have never felt so excited and nervous in my whole life.

I thought it would only be right to begin the year with a recipe that’s close to my heart; one which combines my love for Gujarati and East-African food in a beautiful way. Traditional Gujarati Daal Vada are crunchy, spicy and perfect for dipping into yoghurt. My East-African version incorporates bananas to add a hint of sweetness against the intense chilli and lemon heat. The magical thing about adding ripe banana to the batter is that it reacts with the lemon and baking powder, creating a puffy, fluffy-in-the-middle fritters that still have an incredible golden crunch on the outside because of the ground mung daal, urad daal and rice.

For me, rice is an important addition to any Daal Vada recipe because it ensures the fritters are crispy on the outside – essential when you’re craving a crunchy deep-fried starter to begin an Indian meal. But my favourite way to enjoy crispy Daal Vada is with hot, sweet masala chai and great company.

Remember to wash your daal and rice thoroughly and soak overnight for easy grinding and beautifully-textured vada. The frying process is a little tricky – and utterly frightening for the first few vada, but go carefully and you’ll get the hang of it in no time (I say as my finger throbs with pain from the oil splash I got from frying these vada an hour ago). Totally worth it though.

Think crunchy, fluffy, deep-fried pancake bites with a touch of sweet banana, a zip of fresh lemon and a punch of chilli heat (hence the ‘Bullet’). Serve immediately after frying with lemon wedges and fresh coriander and yoghurt chutney.

Coriander and yoghurt chutney is my go-to dip for any Indian starter because of it’s amazing power to perk up any dish from samosas to tikkis and of course, these Daal Vada. All you need to do is open your blender, throw in a washed bunch of coriander, a few dollops of yoghurt, a peeled clove of garlic, green chilli and lots of lemon juice, salt and sugar. Blend until smooth for the ultimate dipping, dunking or drizzling experience.

Bullet Banana Daal Vada
(Serves 8)

Ingredients

75g mung daal
55g urad daal
35g basmati rice
1 ripe banana, peeled and broken into large pieces
2 hot green chillies, stems removed
2 hot red chillies, stems removed
3-inch piece ginger, peeled and cut into chunks
250ml warm water
1 tbsp sunflower oil
2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
140g gram flour (chickpea flour)

2 tsp ground coriander seeds
1 tsp ground cumin seeds
1 tsp ground fennel seeds
Pinch turmeric
½ tsp asafoetida
2 tsp baking powder
Juice and zest 2 lemons
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

Oil for deep frying

Method

1. Pick through your mung and urad daal to ensure there are no stones or other foreign objects. Place the daals and rice in a sieve and wash them until the water almost runs clear. Soak them in cold water overnight.

2. Once soaked, drain the daals and rice and wash again until the water runs almost clear. Place in a blender or food processor and grind with 250ml warm water until you get a smooth paste. Place the paste in a large bowl and rinse the blender as you’ll need it again.

3. In your blender or food processor, add the chillies, ginger, banana, salt, sugar, ground coriander seeds, ground cumin seeds, ground fennel seeds, turmeric, asafoetida, lemon zest, lemon juice and fresh coriander. Blend until you get a smooth, but not entirely uniform paste. Add this to the daal and rice paste.

4. Next, whisk in the gram flour and 1 tbsp oil, ensuring there are no lumps.

5. Heat the oil in a deep, non-stick pan or wok. You’ll know the oil is ready when a cube of bread browns all over in 50 seconds.

6. Quickly whisk the baking powder into the vada batter, ensuring it is mixed in thoroughly. It should resemble pancake batter.

7. To fry the vada, dip your fingers into a little water and shake off any excess. Now, make a ‘cup’ with the four fingers on your dominant hand and scoop enough batter into your fingers to come up to the first line on your middle finger, using your thumb as a stopper. Gently drop the batter into the oil, ensuring your hand is close to the surface of the oil but not touching it on so close, the batter splashes back when you drop it. Use your thumb to push the batter down into the oil. You will almost certainly get smaller blobs of batter in your oil but don’t worry about this – you can scoop them out and scoff them later. Do about 8 vadas at a time and don’t overcrowd the pan. Fry until puffed up and crispy all over. Remove the vada and drain in a colander lined with kitchen paper. Repeat the process until you run out of batter.

Serve hot with lemon wedges, cooling coriander and yoghurt chutney and a cold beer.

Here’s to a spicy, sweet and utterly heavenly New Year. 

Love Sanjana

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Comfort food doesn’t get any better than a bowl of piping hot, creamy, spicy lentils topped with crispy onions, fried green chillies and crunchy fried spinach.

Urad, or black gram lentils are a staple in Indian homes and are used for making a variety of dishes from simple daals to elaborate Masala Dosa. They’re packed with protein and have a heartier texture than mung beans. Because of their tougher texture, they need to be cooked thoroughly to extract as much of their creamy starchiness as possible. I find the easiest way to do this is to soak the urad daal overnight and cook them using a pressure cooker – something you’ll find in every Indian home, rather than it being just an alien contraption collecting dust in the back of your Nan’s cupboard. After that, I slow cook for 6-8 hours for the creamiest, most off the hook daal you’ve ever tasted.

I love dinners like these. A shot from the other day. Spinach, sweet potato and peas in coconut milk, daal makhani, samosas, Indian churros, lime and coriander sour cream chutney and a mega stack of soft chapattis.

Growing up, I was reared on Gujarati Urad Daal rather than the richer Punjabi version of black gram lentils more popular on restaurant menus around the globe. We were taught that eating urad daal every Saturday (the holy day of Hanuman, the ever-powerful monkey god), we’d become so strong we’d be able to lift mountains. To no surprise, my wrestling-obsessed brother would wolf it down it with plenty of hope and hot, buttery chapattis.

The key difference between Gujarati and Punjabi urad daal is that the Gujarati version has no garam masala, kidney beans or cream. This isn’t to say it’s not delicious but more practical to eat often. However, if I’m honest, the ingredients my native Gujarati version lacked are the things I love so much about the classic Punjabi recipe here. Once you’ve made this version at home, Daal Makhani you get down your local Indian restaurant or takeaway won’t suffice, trust me.

My favourite way to eat Daal Makhani is with Garlic and Coriander Naan, Salted Lassi and nothing more. My recipe may not make you strong enough to uproot mountains like Hanuman dada, but it sure as hell will make you crave a weekly fix every Saturday… or Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.

Daal Makhani
Serves 4-6

Ingredients

220g urad (black gram lentils), washed and soaked in cold water overnight
200g kidney beans, washed (I use tinned)
1 tbsp oil
3 large cloves garlic, crushed
5 tbsp ginger, grated (loads, don’t be shy)
2 large, thin green chillies, chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds, ground
200g passata
900ml hot water
Pinch bicarbonate of soda
1 tbsp brown sugar or jaggery
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi)
1 tsp coriander seeds, ground
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp salt
100ml double cream
50g butter

Method

1. Heat the butter in a pressure cooker, add the cumin seeds, garlic, ginger, chillies, tomato puree and passata. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the hot water and bring to the boil. Stir in the soaked urad and baking powder (this helps them cook quickly and evenly).

2. Put the lid on the pressure cooker and cook on a medium heat for 35 minutes or until the lentils are soft.

3. Stir in the ground coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, cinnamon, sugar, salt and double cream and stir.

3. Blend very briefly with a stick blender, leaving the majority of the urad whole. This is just to make it thick and creamy. Add the kidney beans. Pour in to a slow cooker and cook on high for 6-8 hours, stirring often. At the very end, add the garam masala and a dollop of butter.

3. Serve with fried onions, fried spinach, fried green chillies and a splash of cream (optional).

Note: Urad daal has a tendency to thicken as it cools so you may need to loosen it up with some hot water before serving.

Love Sanjana

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They’re the snack of my father’s childhood and this is a recipe that together, we have developed over the years.

What are Kachori?

Deep fried snacks of flaky pastry and spicy filling. Filling options are endless but these moong daal Kachori are my favourite. Once you eat one, you’ll always go back for a second. Fact.

Kachori are like the forgotten little sister of samosa – the underdog starter that accidentally slipped through the fingers of Western restaurateurs.

What do Mombasa-Style Daal Kachori taste like?

I cannot emphasise enough how good lentils are with sweet, hot and sour flavours. The addition of sour green mango cuts through the richness of the daal and spices and balances the deep heat of the chillies, ginger and cinnamon perfectly.

These Kachori are inspired by those sold at the famous Bhagwanjis sweet mart in Mombasa, Kenya. My entire family raves about Kenya-style kachori and these, along with Bateta Vada, are guaranteed to put a smile on my dad’s face. And I can vouch that he has great taste.

What are some other popular Kachori fillings?

Kachori come in all flavours, shapes and sizes. You can stuff the classic flaky pastry with onions, crushed green peas, urad daal or even potatoes. The filling is always strong and spicy. This heat is what give Kachori thie robustness.

The three bite-sized snacks can be made into UFO-like patties. Top them with yoghurt, sev, chopped onions and tomatoes to make Kachori chaat.

What do you eat with Kachori?

These Kenya-style Kachori are delicious with Tamarind and Date Chutney but you can serve them with any chutney you like.

In India, Delhi is the state most famous for Khasta Kachori. There, the flat-style of Kachori (usually filled with onions and/or potatoes, or peas) are served with a green coriander chutney or red chilli. Kachori are always a delicious accompaniment to serve with Masala Chai.

Can I make Kachori ahead of time?

Absolutely. They’re a popular weddings party snack so if you’d like to feed a crowd, they are ideal. Make the filling for these Kachori a day or two in advance. Simply wrap in cling film keep in the fridge.

Having said this, I recommend that you make the dough on the same day.

How to make Kachori ahead of time

You can prepare Mombasa-Style Daal Kachori in advance and keep in the freezer for easy cooking later. Half-fry the Kachori for around 6 minutes until light blonde in colour. Allow to cool on absorbent kitchen paper and then pack into a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 6 months. Cook straight from frozen.

How to cook Kachori from frozen

Heat oil in a pan suitable for deep frying. The oil temperature should be 175°C/350°F. Fry the Kachori in small batches until golden brown and piping hot, about 4 minutes.

To oven bake or air-fry half-fried Kachori

While these Kachori may not be suitable for baking or air frying, half-fried and then frozen Kachori can be reheated in the oven or air fryer. Cook from frozen at 175°C/350°F for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.

Alternative cooking methods for Kachori

It’s possible to cook Kachori in an appam or paniyaram pan but the overall look and texture will be different to fried Kachori. I don’t do it but if you like, you can try that.

How to make perfect Kachori pastry

The trick to perfect kachori is to ensure the pastry is short, yet pliable enough to wrap thinly enough around the filling without creating holes which may break them when you fry them.

Make sure your kachori are perfect by tapping the pastry once cool – they should sound hollow.

Toasted semolina will give the pastry a delicious depth of flavour.

Why is my Kachori pastry breaking?

Not enough oil/fat or the dough has not been kneaded enough. Kachori dough must be short so fats are imperative. Add too little and the pastry will be thick and doughy. Knead the dough for at least 8 minutes and then rest for 30 minutes so the gluten has a chance to relax.

Why is my Kachori dough thick and soft?

Not enough water. Water not ice cold. Ensure you add ample ice-cold water to the dough for a crispy finish. If your Kachori pastry is thick and soft, the water was not cold enough to create shortness and flakiness.

How to wrap Kachori

To form the Kachori, take a portion of dough. Press it out to flatten onto your palm, about 5cm wide. Place the formed daal filling in the centre and gently pull the pastry around the daal to cover.

Pinch the dough closed and remove excess dough using the length of your index finger and thumb. Try to use pull gently from the top so that gravity naturally pulls the Kachori down. This will give the Kachori a very thin and even coverage.

How to make vegan Kachori

Replace the ghee in the pastry for the same measure of vegan butter or oil. Then follow the recipe as directed.

Mombasa-Style Daal Kachori recipe

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Mombasa-Style Daal Kachori

Crispy bites of pastry-covered daal. These kachoris are inspired by the ones sold at the famous Bhagwanjis sweet mart in Mombasa, Kenya. My entire family rave about these Kenya-style Kachori with moong daal and sour green mango.

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine African, Indian

Keyword black daal, kachori, moong, pastry, snacks

Prep Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 2 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings 28 kachoris

Author Sanjana

Ingredients

For the pastry:

• 450 g plain flour (all purpose/maida)
• 80 g coarse semolina (lightly toasted in a dry frying pan)
• 2 tsp fine salt
• 4 tbsp ghee (soft but not melted)
• 5 tbsp any flavourless cooking oil (I used rapeseed)
• 275 g ice-cold water

For the filling:

• 400 g moong daal (yellow, skinless)
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 225 g raw green mango, peeled and grated (about 2 mangos)
• 2 tbsp any flavourless cooking oil (I used sunflower)
• 110 g onion, very finely chopped (1 medium onion)
• 2 tbsp grated ginger
• 6 thin green chillies, finely chopped
• 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground fennel seeds
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 125 g crushed sev or gathia
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves
• 50 g sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 L any flavourless cooking oil for deep frying

Instructions

To make the daal filling:

• Wash the moong daal in plenty of cold water. Drain and repeat 2-3 times. Allow the daal to soak in hot water for 2 hours.
• Drain the soaked daal and place in a pot filled with plenty of water. Add ground turmeric and bring to the boil. Cover with a lid and simmer for around 10-15 minutes until al dente, about 90% cooked. Keep checking and remove from the heat when the daal breaks when pressed between your fingers. It shouldn't mash completely. Drain.
• Heat oil in a frying pan. Add finely-chopped onions, minced ginger and chillies. Stir well and sauté just until the onions have softened, about 2-3 minutes. The onions shouldn't brown.
• Add the onion mixture to the cooked and drained daal, along with the grated raw mango, ground cinnamon, ground fennel seeds, ground cloves, salt, sugar, sev and fresh coriander leaves. Stir the mixture well to combine. It might seem like a lot of spices, salt and sugar but Kachori filling must be strong. The daal is very bland by itself and requires this amount of seasoning to produce a good result.

To make the dough:

• Place the plain flour in a bowl, along with semolina and salt. Mix briefly to combine.
• Add the ghee and oil and use your fingertips to rub the flours and fats together, similar to making shortcrust pastry or a crumble. This process is called "moarn" in Hindi. The step is complete when the flour holds together in a solid mass when squeezed together. It should crumble under gentle pressure.
• Next, add the water and mix to form a shaggy dough. Turn out onto a clean work surface and knead the dough for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
• Pop the dough back into a bowl and cover. Set aside to rest for 30 minutes.

To assemble the Kachori:

• Once the daal mixture has cooled, mash it using a potato masher or pau bhaji masher. Whole daal should still be visible in the mixture but it should be mashed enough so that it holds together when you press it into a ball shape.
• Form the daal mixture into approximately 24g balls. They shouldn't be too large. Arrange on a tray or large plate.
• Divide the rested dough into 18g portions and cover again.
• To form the Kachori, take a portion of dough. Press it out to flatten onto your palm, about 5cm wide. Place the formed daal filling in the centre and gently pull the pastry around the daal to cover. Pinch the dough closed and remove excess dough using the length of your index finger and thumb. Try to use pull gently from the top so that gravity naturally pulls the Kachori down. This will give the Kachori a very thin and even coverage.
• Roll the ball gently between your palms ensuring there are no creases or holes in the dough, especially where you sealed. If there are, the Kachori will burst whilst frying and the filling will become really greasy. Repeat for the rest.

To fry the Kachori:

• Heat oil in a pan suitable for deep frying. The oil should be at least 6cm deep.
• Once the oil temperature reaches 160°C/320°F, you're ready to fry the Kachori.
• Carefully place the Kachori into the hot oil, one at a time. Fry only a handful at a time depending on the size of your pan. If you add to many at once, the oil temperature will drop and this will affect how your Kachori cook.
• Try not to move the Kachori around too much at first. Once the outer coating of pastry firms up, you can begin to move them around so that they cook evenly. Use a perforated spoon or frying spider to bob the Kachori around in the oil. Don't increase the temperature. A low frying temperature is ideal so that they Kachori become very crispy. The semolina will ensure they don't absorb a lot of oil.
• The Kachori will take around 8 minutes over a medium-low heat. After this time, you can increase the oil temperature to 175°C/350°F for the last 2 minutes. The Kachori will turn a beautiful golden brown colour. Once they have reached this point, lift the Kachori out of the oil and place them onto a plate lined with kitchen towel to absorb any excess oil.
• Repeat the frying process for all of the Kachori, ensuring you allow the oil to cool down to 160°C/320°F before you fry every new batch.
• Serve the Mombasa-Style Daal Kachori with my Tamarind & Date Chutney (recipe linked below).

Video

Notes

Make ahead

You can prepare Mombasa-Style Daal Kachori in advance and keep in the freezer for easy cooking later. Half-fry the Kachori for around 6 minutes until light blonde in colour. Allow to cool on absorbent kitchen paper and then pack into a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 6 months. Cook straight from frozen.

To cook Kachori from frozen

Heat oil in a pan suitable for deep frying. The oil temperature should be 175°C/350°F. Fry the Kachori in small batches until golden brown and piping hot, about 4 minutes.

To oven bake or air-fry half-fried Kachori

While these Kachori may not be suitable for baking or air frying, half-fried and then frozen Kachori can be reheated in the oven or air fryer. Cook from frozen at 175°C/350°F for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.

Alternative cooking methods

It’s possible to cook Kachori in an appam or paniyaram pan but the overall look and texture will be different to fried Kachori. I don’t do it but if you like, you can try that.

Pin this recipe for later!

If you like this, you’ll love my recipe for Chilli-Garlic Mogo

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The ultimate vegan seekh kebab recipe using green bananas and chickpeas. Make them in the oven or cook over a barbecue for smoky, tandoori flavours. Serve with salad, naan and your favourite chutneys and dips.

Check out this recipe

Makai Paka & Maraghwe Bhajiya

Check out this recipe

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There’s nothing more OTT than being the table that orders the ‘sizzler’ in a restaurant; the loud crackling noise, the aromatic waft of spices and the annoyingly smug smiles on the diners’ faces. It immediately reminds me of how it feels to be on the receiving end as I sit there with my lacklustre Aloo Chaat, thinking, ‘Sizzlers are so overrated and tacky… but I’ll get one next time.

It’s a love/hate thing.

Whether it’s crowned with vegetables, paneer, cassava or meat, sizzlers are notorious for their sticky, spicy sauces made with plenty of chilli and garlic. It’s not something you’d order on a first date.

I’m not ashamed to admit I own a sizzler (purely for showing-off purposes) and although you know my first love in life is paneer, I’m sizzling up something more unusual this time.

Idli or South Indian rice cakes are made with ground rice and split urad daal which have been gently steamed. Because idli are so perfect fresh from the steamer, leftovers are often overlooked (at my house, anyway). I’m sure all those yummy South Indian ammas out there have some amazing recipes for using up idli leftovers.

Rather than feeling bad about throwing idli away, cube them up and use them in place of your usual sizzler ingredients.

Think about it, you shallow-fry fluffy rice cakes to get a crispy coating, then plunge them into a dark, spicy sauce tossed with crunchy peppers and onions. The soft idli pieces immediately suck up all those chilli-garlic flavours like sponges. All it needs is a squeeze of lime for the perfect finish.

Sizzling Chilli Idli
(Serves 4)

Ingredients

500g cooked and cooled idli, cubed
1 tablespoon oil
2 onions, peeled and sliced into strips
2 peppers (I used red and yellow), sliced into strips
5 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons grated ginger
4 green chillies, chopped
1 teaspoon tomato puree
2 tablespoons Sriracha (Thai chilli sauce) or any hot chilli sauce
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
4 tablespoons hot water
4 spring onions, sliced
2 teaspoons sesame seeds

Oil to shallow fry idli
Lime wedges to serve

Method

1. Heat enough oil in a pan to shallow fry the idli until golden and crunchy on all sides. Drain on kitchen paper and set aside.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large wok. Add the garlic, ginger, sesame seeds and tomato puree. Stir fry for a moment, then add the chillies, chilli sauce, soy sauce, hot water and sugar. Cook for three minutes.

3. Add the onions, peppers and fried idli. Cook for a further three minutes, tossing so the sauce coats everything. Remove from the heat. If you don’t have a sizzler, add the spring onions and serve now.

4. If you want to serve it on a sizzler, place your cast iron sizzler on a flame for five minutes. Carefully add the chilli idli, sprinkle with chillies, spring onions and sesame seeds and using the special sizzler handle, serve immediately.

Here’s how I make my idli:

Ingredients

200g rice
100g split urad daal (get it in your Indian supermarket)
1 ½ tablespoons salt
1/8 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/8 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
Oil for greasing pan 

Method

1. Wash and soak the daal for 8 hours.

2. Add washed rice, fenugreek seeds and bicarbonate of soda to the daal mixture and add around 320ml water. Grind into a batter.

3. Leave to ferment overnight. Add the salt just before you want to use.

4. Grease an idli maker and fill until ¾ full and steam for around 10 minutes. For chilli idli, you should fill a greased baking tin with the idli batter and steam for around 30-40 minutes, cool and cut into cubes.

You can keep the idli batter in the fridge for up to a week.

I love this so much, I steam idli batter in a baking tray the day before, just so I can make chilli idli the following day. I promise that once you’ve tried it, you’ll, like me, be creating leftovers on purpose. And buying a poncey sizzler.

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I’m yet to meet a person who doesn’t love masala dosas. A light, healthy meal full of nutrients and flavour, dosas are widely popular on restaurant menus and in roadside cafés.

Ever since I was a little girl I have always associated these crispy rolls of spicy potato with family outings to a nearby vegetarian restaurant which serves ‘monster dosas’. If you hadn’t already guessed, these are gigantic versions of the South Indian speciality. When I say gigantic I’m talking over a ft long.

We didn’t always go out to eat moster dosas, sometimes we were treated to the special type of masala dosas – homemade ones.

On strained tiptoes, I used to peek over the stove top to watch my mother swirl the thinnest sheet of batter you’ve ever laid eyes on, as glorious mix of anxiety and hunger slowly took over my pot belly. As soon as I saw the faintest tinge of golden brown through the pancake, I’d run to pick up one of our very Indian Pyrex plates from Popat Stores in Wembley and return to collect my reward for waiting so patiently.

She would spread a layer of my father’s speciality coconut chutney on top of the rice and lentil pancake, then a tumble of spicy lemon potatoes, and slowly roll it up ready to slide onto the plate gripped with restless hands. A drizzle of chutney on top and I was ready to sink my teeth into a harmonious medley of textures and flavours.

Now, I could go all fancy-schmancy by making monster dosa for you to stun your guests into thinking you’re a domestic god/goddess – but I won’t.

1. Because I’m not a pro dosa spreader.
2. Because mini is always cuter and more convenient.

I’m good at applying justifications to my weaknesses. If you are amazing at batter-spreading please go ahead and make giant ones – they will taste great. The key is to get the filling and the chutney perfect. Always remember to add plenty of lemon, salt and sugar – they make a big difference.

After stacks of experimentation, I found that if you’re a novice and want to spread thin dosa, use a cold pan wiped with sunflower oil. The downside to this is that the colouring of the pancake is not as even as it would be if you used a hot pan.

If you’re feeling brave, try using a hot pan but ensure you spread very quickly and very evenly. Easier said than done – I know. With time the technique becomes much simpler to perfect. Here are 10 top tips:

1. Always use a flat, non-stick pan with no ridges.
2. Use half an onion, pierced onto the end of a fork to rub oil into your pan. It flavours your pancake and stops it from sticking.
3. Pour your batter into the middle of the pan with a ladle, making concentric circles outwards to spread thinly and evenly.
4. Using a cold pan? Leave the heat on high to warm up your pancake quickly. This may alter the colouring of the dosas.
5. Using a hot pan? (Good for you!) Spread quickly, evenly and as thinly as possible over a medium heat.
6. If your dosa are thicker than you’d like, try to spread them more thinly whilst on the heat, flattening as much as you can.
7. When the top of the pancake dries out, spread it with some oil using the back of a spoon to stop it drying out completely. You could then place a lid over the top of the pan if you wanted to.
8. When you start to see golden brown specks under the pancake, gently use a spatula to loosen the edges from underneath, ensuring it doesn’t break.
9. When golden, flip and cook the dosa for 5-10 seconds on the other side. Flip back and spread the uncoloured side with chutney, add filling and roll.
10. Keep remaining batter in the fridge for up to a week. You can use this to make uttapam (thick dosa with added vegetables – no need to roll).

Mini Masala Dosa

Ingredients for the batter:

200g uncooked rice
100g urad dal (split and husked black gram)
50g channa dal (split husked Bengal gram)
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 small pinch bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp asafoetida
Salt to taste

You will also need:

½ an onion pierced through the top with a fork
Around 100ml sunflower oil

For the potato filling:

800g potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 cm cubes
150g onions, roughly chopped into cubes (optional)
2 large, hot green chillies, minced (or to taste)
2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp ginger, minced
50ml lemon juice
1 ½ tsp salt or to taste
2 tbsp sugar
8-10 curry leaves
1 tsp turmeric
½ tsp asafoetida (optional)
Handful of chopped coriander

For the coconut and coriander chutney:

5 large hot green chillies
1 small clove garlic
1 tsp ginger
80g coriander, including stalks
100g desiccated coconut
100ml coconut milk
1 tbsp sunflower oil
40ml lemon juice
2 ½ tsp salt
3 tbsp sugar
120g Greek yogurt

Method

For the potato filling:

1. Boil the potatoes in plenty of hot, salted water until tender. Drain and set aside.

2. Heat the oil in a large pan and add the mustard seeds. Wait for them to pop, then add the asafoetida, curry leaves, onions, chillies, turmeric and ginger. Allow to cook on a low heat for 5 minutes. Add the salt, sugar, lemon, and potatoes. Toss together and add the chopped coriander.

For the coriander chutney:

1. In a large bowl, soak the coconut in the coconut milk and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, blend together all other ingredients except the yogurt using a food processor or a pestle and mortar if you’re feeling energetic or have stress to relieve.

3. Mix the blended ingredients with the soaked coconut and yogurt mixture.

For the batter:

1. Mix together the rice, urad dal, channa dal and fenugreek seeds and wash 5-6 times in cold water.

2. Place them in a large bowl and cover with warm water overnight or for at least 5 to 6 hours.

3. After the soaking period discard the soaking water, reserving about 500ml.

4. Place the soaked rice, dals and methi seeds in a blender/grinder, and blend to a thick paste. The consistency of the batter should be just so that it covers the back of a spoon. Add a little bit of the reserved soaking water to help with the blending/grinding process. Blend/grind the batter to a degree where it’s grainy – this is what’s going to make your dosas crispy.

5. Place the dosa batter in an extra large bowl, and put the bowl on top of a tray to catch the batter the fermentation becomes too aggressive. Cover loosely and ferment overnight.

6. The next day, add salt, asafoetida and bicarbonate of soda, whisk lightly. It is important to add salt at this stage and NOT before as salt retards the fermentation process.

I created the slideshow below to illustrate the dosa making process. To see it in all its glory press play, hover over the slideshow and click the bottom right button to enlarge to fullscreen mode. Then click the top right ‘show info’ button to see my commentary.

You could also serve this with a finely diced salad of tomatoes, spring onions, coriander, a dash of lemon, a pinch of sugar, a pinch of cumin powder, and some salt. If you want to go authentically South Indian, top it of with a ladle-full of sambhar (a thick daal with vegetables). The dosa pancake is just a carrier for an array of fillings you cook up. We often fill them with lentils, vegetables and paneer, then serve with a variety of chutneys.

I don’t know about you but I could eat masala dosa for breakfast, lunch and dinner. My family love to have masala dosa parties where we invite all 50-70 family members over to dig in to dosas – yeah, I have a huge, loud and hungry family. These mini dosas are perfect for such occasions so why not try these and invite your family and friends over? Just don’t forget my invite.

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Don’t give me that look – I know what you’re thinking.

This weekend has been rush, rush, rush. I was panicking all day yesterday wondering what on earth I was going to present to you. I annoyed other people into helping me think of something, which has never really happened before. Shall I let you in on how this whole blogging shebang works for me?

I wake up on Monday mornings, droopy-eyed and full of bitterness about how quickly the weekend flew by, why it’s so damn cold and why I’m wearing two coats (yeah I know, what the hell, right?) Around lunchtime I start to wonder what could possibly sweeten up my mood.

Thinking about food usually does it for me. I couldn’t tell you why – although my belly, bingo wings and thunder thighs probably could. Figuring out what to eat by ingredient is much too complex for me, so I usually work out what would hit the spot by cuisine.

I do a hi-tech international Matrix-styleè brain scan of what I’d like to shovel in to my mouth as quickly as possible. Let me give you an example of the kind of thought process that takes place:

Chinese: Meh
French: No
Italian: Hmm
Japanese: Maybe
Thai: Ouhh…
Indian: Nah
Mexican: Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner!

I promise you this is going somewhere – sort of.

Next, I think of all the possible dishes I could create to fill this particular craving using my favourite ingredients and influences from that part of the world. I usually end up getting so carried away with this that I end up blogging about one of the dishes I cooked up in a fantasy I had earlier in the week.

I’m not the kind of girl to ignore my belly when it speaks to me, just so you know.

I’ve always wanted to make a spicy chilli with dark chocolate, inspired by Mexican ‘mole’ sauce. In my recipe, I used chocolate to give the chilli an intense, slightly bitter flavour to counteract the savoury notes already muddling in the pot. The result? A rich, hearty bowlful of goodness, topped off with a dollop of sour cream, sprinkle of cheese and some fresh avocado.

Hand me the tortilla chips, por favor?

Now, if you’re Mexican or a whiz at cooking Mexican food, I apologise for this in advance. I’m not going to call this dish Mexican because it almost certainly breaks all the rules of Mexican cooking.

However, I’m not going to apologise for saying it’s delicious. (“It’s delicious”) – Because it is, and because I can say whatever I like here in my safe haven. Ha.

Black Bean and Chocolate Chilli
(serves 4-6)

Ingredients

160g dried black beans, cooked (I did mine in the pressure cooker)
80g dried pinto beans, cooked (I did mine in the pressure cooker)
80g dried soya mince, soaked in hot water then squeezed
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
300g passata
2 tbsp concentrated tomato puree
2 tbsp cumin powder
2 tsp coriander seed powder
5 hot green chillies, minced
125g 70% cacao dark chocolate, chopped
3 tsp sugar
4 tbsp lime juice
100g sharp cheddar cheese
2 tsp dried oregano
Handful of chopped coriander
Salt to taste
Around 1 litre hot water

To serve
Sour cream
Chopped avocado
Chopped coriander

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large, non-stick pan or dutch oven. Add the onions and allow to brown. Add the garlic, chillies, cumin powder, coriander powder, tomato puree, passata, sugar, oregano, chocolate and cheese, and bring to a boil.

2. Add the reconstituted soya mince, cooked beans and enough water to cover by about an inch. Put the lid on, turn the heat down to low and simmer for around 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Remove the lid and adjust the consistency of the chilli if necessary. Add more water if it’s thick, or continue to simmer with the lid off if too watery.

4. Add a handful of chopped coriander and season with salt. Taste, and adjust seasoning if necessary.

5. Serve in bowls and top with sour cream, avocado and coriander. You can have this with tortilla chips, flour or corn tortillas, spicy rice or seasoned potato wedges.

Have you ever cooked a savoury dish with chocolate? If not, go and make this – pronto!

The post Black Bean and Chocolate Chilli appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

Isn’t miniature food always better than supersized food? Take cupcakes for instance; tiny morsels of individually iced, fluffy cake is so much more alluring than a massive, calorie-laden, brick-ish cake.

Well, for me anyway.

In the same way, I would always pick a box of tiny chocolate truffles over a chunky chocolate bar. If you had given me the choice when I was a child I would have definitely supersized every time. Hence the regrettable existence of the unsightly pot-belly that tormented me in my early years.

I consume far too much salt, sugar and fat, which I am told will affect my twentysomething body in a number of gruesome ways before I hit my thirties and forties. This is one of those recipes which will carry most of the blame.

Luckily for you, I miniaturised these delicious mung daal and paneer samosas so that you can enjoy them without all of the guilt and fear of heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. Just don’t eat all of them at once. Having said this, I’m not a doctor and cannot advise against and diagnose illnesses using a computer. That’s how they all do it these days, right? I’m kidding with ya. Lots of prem to all of my doctor readers out there…

Whipping up samosas from scratch will play havoc with your new manicure, but it’s a labour of love and well worth the effort when you finally take a spicy bite. Lazy girls and boys may want to think twice about embarking upon this wonderful, time-consuming task.

These little pastries are perfect for parties and make excellent appetisers and hors d’œuvre’s. Your guests will also worship you for your delicious efforts.

They would partner well with a drizzle of tangy tamarind chutney (recipe coming soon due to a reader request) and served alongside a cooling raita (would you like me to post a recipe for this?)

Little Mung Daal and Paneer Samosas
(makes 25-35 little samosas- this may vary according to the size of your samosas)

Ingredients for the filling
1 cup mung daal, washed, soaked overnight and boiled until tender
2 cups crumbled paneer (recipe coming soon due to a request via Facebook for KO Rasoi)
¾ cup onions, finely chopped
1 tbsp oil
2 tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp white or red chilli powder (I used extra hot white chilli powder)
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp garam masala powder
¾ cup fresh coriander, chopped
Salt to taste

Ingredients for the pastry
(To form a firm, smooth dough. The basic rule of thumb is that if your dough becomes sticky, add a tsp of oil and knead, if it becomes too soft, work in a little more flour, and if it becomes way too firm add a little more water and combine)

1 ½ cups plain flour
4 tbsp oil
2 tbsp lemon juice (makes the pastry light and crisp)
½ tsp salt
½ cup cold water
½ tsp garlic, crushed (optional)

Other ingredients
Enough oil to deep fry the samosas
An extra bowl of flour
Cold water

Method
1. Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan and add the cumin seeds and onions. Sauté until translucent. Add the rest of the ingredients except the coriander and garam masala and cook the mixture until it’s dry and comes away from the sides of the pan. Add the coriander and garam masala. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the ingredients for the dough. Knead until firm and non-sticky.

3. Get to work rolling out and lightly cooking your fresh pastry sheets (I rolled mine to around 4 inches- step 2). Use my step by step below as a guide. I cook my pastry sheets on a dry skillet (step 7) making sure they do not brown. You just want them sealed enough so that you can work with them. Sandwiching two circles of dough together with oil and flour and lightly rolling over the top of them (steps 3, 4, 5 and 6) makes the pastry thinner and the whole process a little quicker. When they are cooked, carefully peel them away from each other (step 8), then half the circles into semi-circles (step 9). Wrap these in a tea towel until you need to use them.

4. In a small bowl, make a sticky paste from flour and cold water. You will need this to seal the edges of the samosas when you fold them.

5. Use my next step by step below to fold and fill all of your samosas with the cooled mung daal and paneer mixture.

6. Heat enough oil in a deep pan to deep fry the samosas until they are golden brown. Place on kitchen paper to drain away any excess oil. That’s my contribution to promoting good health right there.

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