KHATTI DAL
(HYDERABADI DAL)

Ingredients

• 175 gms masoor dal
• 900 ml pint water 1 ½ teaspoon Standard Four Spices
• 3 green chillies
• 12 curry leaves
• 300 ml pint tamarind extract
• 1 table spoon tomato puree
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoon oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 4 dried red chillies
• 4 cloves garlic, halved.

Preparation:

• Place the dals in a saucepan with the water, Standard Four Spices, whole green chillies and six curry leaves.
• Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the dals have broken up.
• Add a little extra water if the dal begins to get too dry.
• Pour in the tamarind extract, then stir in the tomato puree and salt and simmer for a further 15 minutes.
• Mash the cooked dal with a potato masher or blend the mixture briefly in a liquidiser (first remove the whole chillies and curry leaves) until smooth and creamy.
• In a separate pan, heat the oil until it is very hot, then add the remaining curry leaves, cumin seeds, dried red chillies and garlic.
• As soon as the garlic is golden, pour the oil and whole spices over the dal and cover the pan straightaway.
• Leave for 1 minute, then serve hot.

Serves:  4
Preparation time: 40 minutes.

RICE SALAD BUTHI

Ingredients

• 100 g basmati rice
• 150 ml pint natural yoghurt
• 3 tablespoons Hare Masala
• ¼ teaspoon salt freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

• Cook the rice, then drain it thoroughly and leave until cold.
• Mix the cold rice with all the remaining ingredients and chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Serves: 2 to 4
Preparation time: 30 minutes.

Note:
You can make the garnish for this dish as elaborate as you like. Try making one or more roses from the thinly peeled skin of a tomato. Add fresh coriander leaves to complete the flower.

PANEER TAWA MASALA

Ingredients

• Paneer- 750gm.
• Ghee- 120gm.
• Ajwain- 2tsp
• Onion- 200gm.
• Ginger- 11tbs
• Green Chillies- 4
• Red Chilli powder- 1tsp
• Coriander powder- 1tsp
• Makhani gravy- 300ml.
• Garam Masala- 2tsp
• coriander- &frac13 cup

• THE PANEER: Cut into 1/2 inch cubes.
• THE VEGETABLES: Peel, wash and chop onions. Scrape, wash and chop ginger. Remove stems, wash, slit, deseed and chop green chillies. Clean, wash and chop coriander.

Cooking
Heat ghee on a large tawa, add ajwain and saute over medium heat until it begins to crackle. Add onions, ginger and green chillies, saute for 2 minutes. Then add red chillies and coriander powder, stir for a minute. Now add Makhani Gravy and bhunno until the gravy becomes thick and coats the paneer. Adjust the seasoning. Sprinkle the garam masala and coriander, stir.

To Serve
Remove to a dish and serve with an Indian bread of your choice.

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 10-12 minutes
Cooking time: 6-7 minutes

Laziz Khumb

Ingredients

• Mushroom(fresh)- 600gm.
• Ghee- 150gm.
• Cabbage- 100gm.
• Garlic Paste- 20gm.
• Whole Red Chillies- 4
• Coriander seeds- 5gm.
• Tomatoes- 750gm.
• Green Chillies- 4
• Ginger- 30gm./3tbs
• Coriander- 20gm.
• Onions- 100gm.
• Capsicum- 40gm.
• Garam Masala- 2tsp
• Salt

• THE MUSHROOM: Slice off earthy base of the stalk, cut into quaters and wash just prior to cooking. Heat 5tsp ghee in a pan and saute over medium heat for 4-5 minutes. Drain.
• THE CABBAGE: Wash shred. Heat 5tsp ghee in a kadhai and saute over medium heat until the liquid has evaporated. Remove cabbage and reserve the ghee.
• THE REMAINING VEGETABLES: Wash and chop tomatoes. Remove stems, wash, slit, deseed and chop green chillies. Scrape, wash and chop ginger. Clean, wash and chop coriander. Peel wash and slice onions. Remove stems, cut capsicum into halves, deseed and make juliennes.
• THE WHOLE SPICES: Pound red chillies and coriander seeds with a pestle.

Cooking
Reheat the reserved ghee (plus 50g) in a kadhai, add garlic paste and stir over medium heat for 20 seconds. Add the pounded spices, stir for 30 seconds, add tomatoes and bunno until the fat leaves the masala. Then add green chillies, ginger and half the coriander, stir.
Heat the rmaining ghee in a separate kadhai, add onions and saute over medium heat until transparent. Add capsicum and saute for 2 minutes. Transfer the masala from the first kadhai, add mushrooms and cabbage, stir constantly for 3-4 minutes. Adjust the seasoning. Sprinkle garam masala and the remaining coriander, stir.

To Serve
Remove to a dish and serve with an Indian bread of your choice.

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 18 minutes