Dal Kheema | Meat Mince & Lentils Curry

This dish is a combination of meat and lentils. I personally prefer Urad dal (black gram lentil) with meat because of its creamy and soft texture. It happens to be an ideal curry to have with parathas as breakfast or dinner. I am not trying to exaggerate in any ways when I say that it is one of the easiest and quick recipes which makes it so phenomenal. There is no need of cooking lentils and meat separately, as everything gets cooked in one single pot. The cooking time of the meat and lentils is almost the same.


Serves: 4
Cooking time: 30 to 40 minutes.


Ingredients:

• 500 gm mutton mince (chicken or beef can be used)
• 1 cup Urad Dal (wash and soaked for 15 minutes)
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 tbsp ginger & garlic paste
• 2 tbsp yogurt
• 1 tbsp red chili powder
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
• 1 tsp shahi jeera (caraway seeds)
• 2 green chilies chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped mint leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Salt
• 4 tbsp cooking oil

Method:

1. Wash and soak urad dal for 15 minutes or till it has to be added to mince.
2. Heat oil in a sauce pan and add 1 tsp shahi jeera, 1 cup chopped onion and 2 green chilies. Fry till onion becomes soft and pink.
3. Then add 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste, 1 tbsp red chili powder, 1 tbsp coriander powder, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder and 1 tsp cumin powder. Saute well for 2 to 3 minutes on low flame. Or till the raw smell disappears.
4. Add mince and stir well till it is well combined with spices. Now add 2 tbsp whisked yogurt, mint leaves and salt. Place the lid and cook on medium low flame for 10 minutes.
5. Once the mince is half cooked, then add the soaked dal (without water). Mix well and add very little water only if needed. Place the lid again and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes or till dal is cooked. Do not add too much water and overcook as we want the lentils to be firm and not mushy. 
6. Finally add 1/2 tsp garam masala powder, lemon juice and chopped coriander leaves. Cook for a minute and serve hot with parathas.

You might also like other mince recipes on blog:

Baked Marrow & Mince Stuffing

Mince & Cheese Bread Roll Ups 

Chili Seekh Kabab 

Kheema Paratha 

Multi purpose Mince stuffing

Dal Panchratan | Lentils Curry

Dal Panchratan is a popular dish in most of the Indian restaurants. 'Panchratan' means five jewels, and here five jewels represents five different kinds of lentils. The idea is to prepare a curry using these five kinds of lentils. It is very essential that you need to have an equal proportion of these. The method of preparing remains the same as any other dal tadka recipes.



Serves: 4
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes


Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup toor dal (split pigeon peas)
• 1/4 cup chana dal (split chickpeas)
• 1/4 cup moong dal (split green gram)
• 1/4 cup masoor dal (split brown lentils)
• 1/4 cup urad dal (black gram lentil)
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 cup finely chopped tomato
• 1 tsp whole cumin
• 2 tsp ginger & garlic paste
• 2 green chilies chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped mint leaves
• 2 tsp red chili powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp garam masala powder
• Salt
• 1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves
• chopped ginger for garnish
• 1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
• 4 tbsp cooking oil

Method:

1. Wash and boil the lentils with salt and few drops of cooking oil in a pressure cooker by adding enough of water (3 to 4 cups approx).
2. Heat oil in a sauce pan and add whole cumin, fry till it sizzles and turns slightly dark in color.
3. Add chopped onion and saute till soft, followed by 2 tsp ginger garlic paste, 2 tsp red chili powder, 2 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp cumin powder and 1/4 tsp turmeric powder. Fry for sometime on low heat till the raw smell disappears. Add few drops of water if spices stick to the saucepan.
4. Now add chopped tomatoes, green chilies and mint leaves. Fry till tomatoes are cooked and oil starts to separate from the masala.
5. Add the boiled lentils along with its water and stir well so that the spices are well combined with lentils.
6. Finally add lemon juice, garam masala powder, chopped coriander and salt if needed.
7. Stir well, cover and cook on low flame for 20 minutes. Keep stirring in between to avoid the lentils from sticking to the pan.
8. Serve hot by pouring some ghee (clarified butter) and chopped ginger.  

Step by step pictures

You might also like my other dal recipes on the blog:

Chana Dal Masala 

Dal Makhani

Dhaba Style Dal Fry

Dal Palak

Masoor Masala

Moong Curry

How to make Dhaba Style Dal Fry

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Chana Dal
• 1/2 cup Toor Dal
• Pinch of turmeric powder
• 5 to 6 cups of water
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• 1 tbsp chopped ginger
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 1 medium tomato chopped
• 2 green chilies chopped
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp amchur powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 4 tbsp cooking oil
• Salt

For Tadka:

• 1 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 green chili chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic sliced
• 1 dry red chili

Method:

1. Wash and soak chana dal and toor dal for 30 minutes. Boil in a pressure cooker with 5 cups of water, pinch of turmeric and salt.
2. Heat 4 tbsp cooking oil and add cumin seeds. When it crackles, add chopped garlic and ginger. 
3. Then add chopped onion and fry till light brown followed by tomato and green chilies. Fry for 1 minute.
4. Add all the spice powders - 1 tsp red chili powder, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp amchur powder and 1/2 tsp garam masala powder. Fry the masala well by adding few drops of water till the raw smell disappears. (fry on low flame for 5 minutes)
5. Now add boil lentils and stir well. Season with salt and lemon juice. Cover and cook the dal for 10 minutes on low flame.
6. Prepare tadka by heating 1 tbsp cooking oil and 1 tbsp butter in a small pan. To this add cumin seeds, chopped garlic, chopped green chili and dry red chili. Saute for few seconds and pour this over the dal.
7. Serve hot with Roti or steamed rice. 

Moong Curry | Whole Green Gram Curry

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup whole green gram ( whole mung)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped tomato
• 1 tsp chopped ginger
• 1 tsp chopped garlic
• 2 green chilies finely chopped
• 2 tsp red chili powder (according to preference)
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 1/4 tsp garam masala powder
• 1 tsp whole cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida (hing)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves
• 4 to 5 tbsp cooking oil
• Salt

Method:

1. Wash and soak mung dal for 4 hours. Boil it in a pressure cooker with 3 cups of water and salt.
2. Heat oil in a sauce pan and add 1 tsp cumin seeds. Once it splutters and changes color, add asafoetida followed by chopped ginger and garlic. 
3. After few seconds add chopped onion and saute till light brown.
4. Then add tomatoes, chopped green chilies, 2 tsp red chili powder, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder and 2 tsp coriander powder. Cook the masala on low flame till tomato cooks well along with the spices and oil starts to separate. This will take about 5 minutes.
5. Now add the boiled mung and mix well. Cover with the lid and cook for 10 minutes on low flame. Adjust the consistency by adding water as required. 
6. Finally add 1 tbsp of lemon juice, 1/4 tsp garam masala powder, chopped coriander and salt if needed. Stir well and check the seasoning. 
7. Cook for another 5 minutes.
8. Serve hot with steamed rice, pulao or rotis.

Note: If the curry becomes too watery, then cook for a longer time till the water evaporates.

Coastal Fish Curry

This recipe of fish curry is a common recipe of the coastal region of Southern India, that includes coastal areas of Kerala, Karnataka and Goa. Maybe just slight changes here and there in spices, but this recipe is more of a Mangalorean speciality.

The place where I belong to, Fish Curry is almost considered to be a sacred food. By 'sacred' I mean, no one is allowed to mess with it. It has to be that 'perfect' curry which only the elder ladies of the family take the privilege to prepare. Making a good fish curry is considered to be an art, and still every household has its own special taste. The best fish curry which I always relish is by my mother and my mother-in -law and of course, the excellent one prepared by my grandmother. 

Nothing for me is more comforting than a bowl of fresh steamed rice topped with an authentic and aromatic fish curry. And I am on my way to master this skill myself, maybe till I get to feed my great grand children.

You might also like similar kind of recipes in my blog:

Goan Prawn Curry

Prawn & Drumsticks Curry

  

Recipe for Coastal Fish Curry

Serving: 5 to 6

Preparation Time: 15 to 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 500 gm King Fish (Surmai) or any big fish of your choice
• 1 tomato chopped
• 1 cup thick extract  fresh coconut milk ( OR 1 cup warm water + 3 tbsp coconut milk powder)
• 4 tbsp cooking oil (or coconut oil)
• Salt

For Curry Tadka

• 1 onion sliced 
• 2 small green chilies
• 7 -10 curry leaves
• 1 inch piece of ginger sliced
• 2 tbsp coconut oil

For Curry Masala

• 3/4 cup fresh coconut 
• 10 dry red chilies (medium spicy)
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp whole cumin
• 1/2 tsp black pepper corns
• 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds (methi seeds)
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp chopped ginger
• 5 curry leaves
• 1 green chili
• 1 small onion chopped
• 1 tbsp tamarind pulp ( OR 3/4 cup tamarind soaked water)

Preparation:

1. Cut and clean the fish pieces and keep aside.
2. Fish Curry Masala: Grind the coconut into a very fine paste by adding few drops of water at a time. 
3. Heat a pan, add 1 tbsp oil and roast -  10 dry red chilies (medium spicy), 1 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp whole cumin, 1/2 tsp black pepper corns and 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds (methi seeds) for 2 to 3 minutes on low flame.
4. Then add chopped garlic, ginger, green chili and chopped onion. Roast all of them together for 1 more minute on medium flame. Cool and transfer to a grinding jar along with ground coconut paste and tamarind pulp.
5. Grind the masala into a fine paste by adding little water as needed. This will take several rounds of grinding, as you need to grind it to a super smooth and fine paste.

Method:

1. Heat a sauce pan with 3 tbsp of cooking oil. Add the fish curry masala, salt, chopped tomato and 3 cups of water (approx). Let it boil slowly and cook on low flame for 10 minutes.
2. Once the masala is cooked and the raw smell disappears, taste and check the salt and also the sourness in the curry. If you want more spicy then add extra green chilies and also if needed add extra tamarind pulp.
3. Adjust the consistency of the curry by adding some water if it is too thick and let it boil again.  
4. Now add fish pieces one by one. 
5. Do not stir too much with the ladle, as it might break the fish. Just rotate the sauce pan gently to stir. Place the lid and cook on low to medium flame for 5 to 7 minutes or till fish is almost done.
6. Finally add coconut milk to the boiling curry and cook for 2 minutes on low flame.
7. Remove from heat and keep warm. 
8. Curry Tadka: In a separate pan, heat 2 tbsp of coconut oil (or cooking oil). Fry sliced onion till soft and light pink, then add curry leaves, chopped ginger and green chilies. Saute for few seconds on high heat and add the whole tadka to the fish curry.
9. Serve hot with steamed rice.

South Indian Style Beans Stir Fry | Beans Sukka

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes (for chopping)
Cooking time: 10 to 15 minutes


Ingredients:

• 3 cups of chopped green beans (string beans)
• 1 medium onion roughly chopped
• 3 green chilies (or as per taste)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated coconut
• 2 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 tsp black gram dal (urad dal)
• 6 curry leaves
• Pinch of turmeric
• Salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp cooking oil

Method:

• Heat oil in a kadhai or a thick bottom sauce pan.
• Add 2 tsp mustard seeds, and when it starts to splutter add 2 tsp urad dal. Wait till urad dal slightly changes its color.
• Now add chopped onion, green chilies and curry leaves. And immediately add the chopped beans and a pinch of turmeric for a golden color. (no need of frying the onion)
• Season with salt and sugar and add 1/2 cup or 1/4 cup of water. Place the lid and cook for 10 minutes on medium to low heat. (cooking time varies according to the nature of beans)
• Do not over cook the beans as they need to retain the color and crunch.
• Add freshly grated coconut and cook for 1 more minute.
• Serve hot as a side dish.

Coconut & Egg Burji | Indian Style Coconut Scrambled Eggs

Serves: 2
Preparation time: 15 minutes


Ingredients:

• 1 cup freshly grated coconut
• 1 egg
• 1 medium onion finely chopped
• 2 green chilies (broken or torn with hand)
• 4 to 5 curry leaves torn
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves
• Salt to taste
• 4 tbsp cooking oil or coconut oil

Method:

1. In a bowl whisk the egg with a pinch of salt.
2. Heat oil in a thick bottom saucepan or kadhai. Add green chilies, curry leaves and chopped onion.
3. Fry onion till soft and add grated coconut. Gently cook the coconut on low flame for 2 minutes and then add the whisked egg.
4. Keep stirring constantly till all the egg has combined well with the coconut and the whole mixture is dry. Add a bit of salt if needed.
5. Finally add the chopped coriander leaves and stir well.
6. Serve hot with roti or toasted bread.

Note: Try to keep the flame as low as possible after adding the coconut, as the coconut and the eggs burn or stick to the bottom and can even end up burning.

You can check out my other recipes for breakfast.

Click here for all the recipes: Breakfast

Goan Prawn Curry | Step by step method of making Goan Prawn Curry

Serves:

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 500 gms prawns (peeled & cleaned)
• 3/4 cup fresh coconut 
• 1 onion sliced + 1 small for masala paste
• 1 tomato chopped
• 2 small green chilies
• 7 -10 curry leaves
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 7 -10 dry red chilies
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp whole cumin
• 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
• 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 1 tbsp tamarind pulp ( 3/4 cup tamarind soaked water)
• 1 cup thick extract coconut milk (1 cup warm water + 3 tbsp coconut milk powder)
• Salt
• 5 tbsp cooking oil

For tempering:

• 1 tsp whole cumin seeds
• 3 to 4 dry red chilies
• 5 curry leaves
• 2 tbsp cooking oil

Preparation:

• Heat a pan and dry roast dry red chilies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, black peppercorn and fenugreek seeds on very low flame.
• Grind fresh coconut into a fine paste by using some warm water. Try to grind as fine and smooth as possible.
• Now grind together coconut paste, dry roasted spices, curry leaves, small onion, garlic cloves, green chilies and tamarind pulp to a smooth paste by adding very little water.
• Clean the prawns and keep ready.
• Chop onion and tomatoes.
• Keep the coconut milk ready. To prepare fresh coconut milk, grind 2 cups fresh coconut with 1 cup water. Sieve the coconut mixture through a cloth and collect the milk in a bowl. 

Method: 

1. Heat oil in a sauce pan and fry onion till soft and light golden. Then add tomato and 2 or 3 curry leaves and cook for few minutes.
2. To this add the coconut and spice masala paste, salt and fry for 5 minutes on low heat.
3. When the masala starts to boil, add 1 cup thick extract coconut milk and 2 cups of water. Stir well and cook for 10 minutes on low flame. The oil will be visible on the surface of the curry.
4. Finally add prawns and cook for only 5 minutes and then switch off the flame. Keep the curry covered for sometime.
5. Heat a small pan with 2 tbsp oil. Add whole cumin and when it starts to crackle, add dry red chilies and curry leaves. Pour this tadka over the curry and quickly cover the gravy with the lid. Let the curry remain covered for 10 to 15 minutes.
6. Serve hot with steamed rice, dosa or idli.

Tip: The secret for a nice flavorful curry is, to grind the paste as smooth and fine as possible. This will take sometime and several rounds of grinding the paste in the mixer. Keep tasting and adjust the seasoning as needed. Also adjust the consistency by adding more water.

Step by step pictures