If you are a vegetarian you will find today's Indian lunch recipes to be very simple. Yellow lentil is fast to cook and easy to digest and for this reason it is often given to people recovering illness. When we were kid we used to say " This is sick people's meal", but for them you reduce the spices. Though it is simple yet it is delicious with blend of mung and masoor.
DHULI MUNG MASOOR DAAL
Ingredients:
1/3 cup yellow split mung
1/3 cup split masoor or red lentil
1 tsp cumin
1/4 cup chopped tomato
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 tbsp finely chopped ginger and garli
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp red chilly powder
2 green chillies
1 tbsp olive oil
chopped cilantro for garnishing
1/2 tsp garam masala optional
Method:
Wash both the lentils. In a saucepan add water, lentils and salt. Bring it to boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer uncovered. Skim off the frothy stuff that rises to the top.
Add more water if the water is drying up.
Mean while in a small skillet heat oil for tadka (tempering). Add cumin seeds. let it splutter. Add onions. Cook them until light brown. Add chopped tomatoes, turmeric and red chilly powder. Mash the tomatoes nicely adding little water. Add the cooked onion tomato mixture to the yellow daal and allow to simmer till completely done. Make sure it does not get over cooked. It won't taste bad if it becomes mushy, only it does not look appealing to eat. Add chopped green chillies and some garam masala and garnish with cilantro. Serve as a soup or plain rice accompanied with any cooked vegetable.
OVEN COOKED BAINGAN
I never really liked eating brinjals or eggplants as a kid, but now I love to experiment with them because of their pretty colour.
This is just one effortless recipe. I cooked it while doing dishes and cleaning some other stuff.
Ingredients: about 14 baby egg plants, 1 tsp each of turmeric and red chilly powder, 1&1/4 tsp salt, 1 big tomato, 1/2 onion,1tbsp olive oil, butter for greasing
Method: Grease a baking dish with some butter or cooking spray . Wash the baby eggplants. Cut them lengthwise in fourths without cutting them all the way through and keeping the stalk attached.
Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Put the eggplants in a baking dish. Roughly dice the tomato. Cut onion in thick slices. Add onions, tomato, turmeric, red chilly powder, ginger garlic paste and salt to the baby egg plants. Drizzle one tablespoon of olive oil over it.
Mix everything and let it bake in the oven uncovered. After 15 minutes stir the baby eggplants. If you find lot of juice from tomato then increase the temperature of the oven to 450 degrees. We want our eggplants to be tender but still hold together when fully cooked. Let them bake for another 10 -15 minutes. By now they will be completely done.
Transfer to another bowl. Garnish with cilantro and sliced green chilly.
The lunch is not yet complete without mint chutney.
MINT CHUTNEY
Mint chutney is an excellent accompaniment to any lentil, beans, samosas, savory bread toast , potato tikkies etc.There is always mint chutney in my refrigerator during summer. It enhances the flavour of the food and promotes digestion.
Ingredients: 2 cups lightly packed mint leaves, 1/2 cup sliced onion, 1 green chilly, 3/4 tbsp of seedless tamarind, salt as per taste
Method: Soak tamarind in 3 tbsp hot water for 1/2 an hour. Wash mint leaves. Add mint, onion, salt and green chilly to a grinder. Mash tamarind with your fingers. Press all the pulp on one side with a spoon. Add the thick juice to the mint mixture. Grind it to a smooth thick puree. Transfer to a bowl. I keep my chutney in a small glass jar for easy storing.
I have given you a simple recipe of mint chutney. If you like you can add small amounts of cilantro and ginger as well. Tamarind paste can be replaced with lemon juice. There are many varieties of mint. If you taste any bitterness, add sugar. The picture of mint above (with small leaves) does not require any sugar but you can still add it.
DHULI MUNG MASOOR DAAL
Ingredients:
1/3 cup yellow split mung
1/3 cup split masoor or red lentil
1 tsp cumin
1/4 cup chopped tomato
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 tbsp finely chopped ginger and garli
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp red chilly powder
2 green chillies
1 tbsp olive oil
chopped cilantro for garnishing
1/2 tsp garam masala optional
Method:
Wash both the lentils. In a saucepan add water, lentils and salt. Bring it to boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer uncovered. Skim off the frothy stuff that rises to the top.
Add more water if the water is drying up.
Mean while in a small skillet heat oil for tadka (tempering). Add cumin seeds. let it splutter. Add onions. Cook them until light brown. Add chopped tomatoes, turmeric and red chilly powder. Mash the tomatoes nicely adding little water. Add the cooked onion tomato mixture to the yellow daal and allow to simmer till completely done. Make sure it does not get over cooked. It won't taste bad if it becomes mushy, only it does not look appealing to eat. Add chopped green chillies and some garam masala and garnish with cilantro. Serve as a soup or plain rice accompanied with any cooked vegetable.
OVEN COOKED BAINGAN
I never really liked eating brinjals or eggplants as a kid, but now I love to experiment with them because of their pretty colour.
This is just one effortless recipe. I cooked it while doing dishes and cleaning some other stuff.
Ingredients: about 14 baby egg plants, 1 tsp each of turmeric and red chilly powder, 1&1/4 tsp salt, 1 big tomato, 1/2 onion,1tbsp olive oil, butter for greasing
Method: Grease a baking dish with some butter or cooking spray . Wash the baby eggplants. Cut them lengthwise in fourths without cutting them all the way through and keeping the stalk attached.
Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Put the eggplants in a baking dish. Roughly dice the tomato. Cut onion in thick slices. Add onions, tomato, turmeric, red chilly powder, ginger garlic paste and salt to the baby egg plants. Drizzle one tablespoon of olive oil over it.
Mix everything and let it bake in the oven uncovered. After 15 minutes stir the baby eggplants. If you find lot of juice from tomato then increase the temperature of the oven to 450 degrees. We want our eggplants to be tender but still hold together when fully cooked. Let them bake for another 10 -15 minutes. By now they will be completely done.
Transfer to another bowl. Garnish with cilantro and sliced green chilly.
The lunch is not yet complete without mint chutney.
MINT CHUTNEY
Mint chutney is an excellent accompaniment to any lentil, beans, samosas, savory bread toast , potato tikkies etc.There is always mint chutney in my refrigerator during summer. It enhances the flavour of the food and promotes digestion.
Ingredients: 2 cups lightly packed mint leaves, 1/2 cup sliced onion, 1 green chilly, 3/4 tbsp of seedless tamarind, salt as per taste
Method: Soak tamarind in 3 tbsp hot water for 1/2 an hour. Wash mint leaves. Add mint, onion, salt and green chilly to a grinder. Mash tamarind with your fingers. Press all the pulp on one side with a spoon. Add the thick juice to the mint mixture. Grind it to a smooth thick puree. Transfer to a bowl. I keep my chutney in a small glass jar for easy storing.
I have given you a simple recipe of mint chutney. If you like you can add small amounts of cilantro and ginger as well. Tamarind paste can be replaced with lemon juice. There are many varieties of mint. If you taste any bitterness, add sugar. The picture of mint above (with small leaves) does not require any sugar but you can still add it.
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