Rory, Here's a simple recipe for Toor dahl :rory wrote:please share your Jain recipes please! I'd love some:) I have my bottle of hing all ready & I'd love a chai recipe..please:)
I don't measure anything when i cook....but I'll attempt to guess by my eyeballing memory
I wash the Toor dahl several times in cold water...
say you want to cook for 4 people...
2 cups Toor dahl
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. hing
1 tsp. tumeric
2 Tbs. ghee
1 cup fresh cilantro/chopped
salt to taste (preferably Himalayan Salt)
red chili powder /to taste
1 Tbs. tomate paste /or 1 medium tomato (blend)
First cook Toor dahl (i use a pressure cooker, but you can cook conventionally ) Until dahl is soft/mushy
It takes about 10 minutes in pressure cooker/maybe 45 min conventionally
In separate pan :
Melt ghee
sizzle cumin seeds
add hing
add all other spices, except cilantro
add tomato paste or fresh/canned tomato (not to much)
Add spices/salt to cooked dahl
Add chopped cilantro last
I used to cook the ghee & spices then add dahl in same pot, then pressure cook, but the dahl dosn't cook as nice (it stays whole, instead of getting mushy cooked alone) I like it mushed...better texure...nice and smooth ...
Add as much hing or whatever spices you want to taste after mixing...
This is how i make chai:
1-2 cups water/boil
Lots of fresh ginger/grated
a few cardamon seeds/whole or ground with pestal or spice grinder
add tea (1 tsp per cup) (loose or bags) (Tajmahal /Liptons/Red Rose/whatever)
let boil few more seconds until nice brown color
you can add sugar (if using honey just put into cup)
add milk (2 cups), when tea boils (preferably whole) but 2% works too
when milk starts foaming to the top get off burner FAST !
Fan the top so it don't spill over .
Strain/if using loose tea
All this can be done in a very large kettle so you don't have to worry about it boiling over so much
I usually do it in a medium pan...and i gotta watch it like a hawk !
You can also just put EVERYTHING TOGETHER at once, and just bring to boil.
When i first started making chai i'd get so confused as to what goes next...then a nice Indian lady told me to just put everything together at once....and then that's what i did for a long time...until i got the knack of making it ...
I hope this works for you <3
emaho wrote: better to store my spices in something airtight to protect them from becoming bland.
Emaho..the spice box has an airtight cover But yeah...i used them up fast...so nothing sit's for too long.