Apple Dal

I don't know where my day goes nowadays. I don't find enough time to post more regularly. Friends are beginning to comment, requests are piling up, so are the recipes and pictures. Here is a recipe that has been waiting it's turn for a year.

When my mother-in-law was here last year, she brought a bunch of Tamil food magazines. In one of them was this apple dal recipe. I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out when we made this for the first time. But it was such a simple recipe and the slight tart and sweet taste of apples really enhanced the lentils. It really captured the fall :)

Ingredients:

1-2 green apple (choose slightly tart ones)
1 cup cooked toor dal
1 medium onion - chopped
2 green chilies

1/2 tspoon each of mustard & cumin seeds

1/2 tspoon turmeric powder
1/2 tspoon red chilli powder
1/2 tspoon cumin seed powder
1/2 tspoon coriander seed powder
pinch of asaefotida
1/2 tspoon lemon juice
2-3 curry leaves
bunch of cilantro - chopped to garnish

Method:

Peel and dice the apples into medium cubes and mix it with lemon juice. Set it aside for 10-15 mins. Heat oil and temper it with asafoetida, mustard and cumin seeds. Then add in the green chiles, curry leaves and the onions.

Add the turmeric, cumin, coriander, and red chilli powder. Then add in the apples and let it simmer for 4-5 minutes. Then add in the toor dal, 1 - 1 1/2 cup water and let it cook till the apples turns soft.

Garnish with cilantro and serve warm with rice.

Happy & Prosperous Diwali!

This Diwali, I made my comfort dessert - payesh. Recipe coming soon!

Have a safe and joyous Diwali!
Wishing you sparkly days filled with happy memories.

Two Bean Chili with Turkey Meatballs

It's supposed to be fall right? Just checking, because the temperatures have dipped below freezing at night and Aswin mentioned that there may be flurries this weekend. With everything around me pointing to winter instead of fall, it was time for me to bring out my slow cooker.

Well, my slow cooker is ancient. I bought it second hand several years ago when I was a student at a garage sale. And it has traveled with me everywhere. Instead of fancy settings, this cooker has only two settings - high and low. I have thought about getting a new one several times, but hesitate, because I am attached to this old one which has shared so many of my adventures.

I was going to make three-bean and realized that I had only two. So I made two bean chili and added some pre-cooked turkey meatballs at the end when it was simmering. It turned out awesome. Just what we needed to drive the chill away and pretend that it's still fall.

Ingredients:
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into small cubes
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into small cubes
2 carrots small cubes
1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tspoon ginger grated
2 bay leaves
1 dry red chilli
1/2 tspoon red chilli powder
1 tspoon cumin powder
1 tspoon coriander powder
1 tspoon fresh oregano
1/2 tspoon dried parsley
1 can diced tomato
1 can tomatoes
1 can kidney beans
1 can black beans
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2-3 cups water or broth
2 tbspoon oil
6-7 turkey meatballs cut in halves or quarters
chopped fresh cilantro leaves
lemon wedges for serving

Method:
I start this in a suacepan and end it there, but all the cooking happens in the slow cooker.

Heat oil and temper it with bay leaves and dried chilli. Add in the ginger and garlic and saute for a minute. Add in the onions and cook it for a couple of minutes till the raw smell goes away. Add all the spices and mix it together.

Now put this spice mixture in the slow cooker. Add in the vegetables, tomato puree, diced tomatoes, beans, and broth on top. Mix well and let it cook together. Alternately, you can cook it on stove top for 30-45 minutes on low heat till the vegetables are cooked and mixed well together.

I made a big batch of chili. So for dinner, I took out some, added pre-cooked turkey meatballs and let it simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Serve it warm with lemon and cilantro. Enjoy.

This is going to MLLA: 16th Helping hosted by Cook Sister. This was started by Susan of Well Seasoned Cook.