Tomato saaru

Ingredients: Serves 6

1 cup toor dal
9-12 cups water
2 tomato - sliced in half
1-2 tbsp rasam powder
1 tbsp jaggery powder - optional
1 tsp coriander powder - optional
Salt
3 tbsp oil
2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
2-3 sprigs coriander leaves - finely chopped
3 dry red chilli - optional
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp asafoetida

Ingredients:
1) In a pressure cooker, wash toor dal, add 8 cups of water and tomato. Close the lid, place the weight and wait for two-three whistles. Keep aside and wait for pressure to be released.
2) Open the lid, add more water if you want a thinner consistency. I added 2 more cups :)
3) Add 1 1/2 tbsp of rasam powder, jaggery powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and bring to boil. Check for salt. Add remaining rasam powder if you want it spicy.
4) Heat oil in a skillet for a minute. Add mustard seeds and wait for it to splutter. Add cumin seeds, red chilli, asafoetida and fry for 10 seconds. Add it to saaru. Garnish with coriander leaves.
Done!

Tip 1: Do what appa does and add 1 garlic pod to the tadka.
Tip 2: I like to try different herbs for garnish. Dill goes really well as well :)

Nuchinunde

Ingredients:
1 cup toor dal
1/2 cup moong dal (Can substitute with toor dal)
1/2 cup chana dal (Can substitute with toor dal)
5-6 green chilli
1 cup grated coconut
1/4 tsp turmeric
3 Tbsp coriander leaves - finely chopped
1 sprig of curry leaves - finely chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 cm ginger piece
1/2 onion - optional
1/4 tsp pepper powder
Salt

Method:
1) Soak dal overnight. Drain and grind the next day into a coarse mixture along with rest of the ingredients except onion, coriander leaves and curry leaves. Do NOT add water while grinding.
2) Mix with onion, coriander leaves and curry leaves. Check for salt.
3) Take a fistful of the dough and roll into an oval about 5-6cms long. Do the same for the rest. Place it in a oiled plate.
4) Bring about 2-3 cups of water to boil in a pressure cooker. Place the plate in the cooker and cover it without the weight on top. Reduce heat to medium and steam it for 15 minutes.
DONE!!!

Serve with chutney or majjige huli :)

Udaka

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup toor dal
6-7 cups water
1 large brinjal - cut into large chunks
4 green chilli (1 finely chopped)
7-8 sprigs of dill (sabbasige soppu)
2 garlic pods - chopped
2 tomato - cut into large chunks
1 large onion - cut into large chunks
1/2 large onion - finely chopped
1 inch ginger
2 Tbsp Oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric
3-4 sprigs of curry leaves
1/2 tsp asofoetida

Method(Udaka):
1) In a large saucepan, boil toor dal in water for 15-20 minutes. 5 minutes before the dal would cook - Add brinjal. Let it boil for 4 minutes. Add 4-5 sprigs of dill(remove the roots) and 3 green chilli (whole) and let it boil for a minute.
2) Separate brinjal, dill, chilli into another container. Separate dal from the water into (yet!) another container
3) Take about 1 Tbsp oil in a frying pan. Add garlic, ginger, and onion(the one cut into large chunks) and fry until onion turns translucent. Add tomato and fry for 4-5 minutes. Let it cool.
4) Grind garlic-ginger-tomato fry with boiled brinjal-dill-chilli. Add salt as per taste. Udaka is done.

Method(Toor dal palya):
1) Take about 1 Tbsp oil in a frying pan. Add mustard seeds - wait for it to splutter. Add cumin seeds, finely chopped chilli, asofoetida, curry leaves and fry for 1/2 a minute
2) Add onion and fry until it turns translucent. Add turmeric and the boiled toor dal. If dry add about 1/4 cup water. Fry for 2-3 minutes
3) Finely chop the remaining dill and use it for garnishing the toor dal palya.

DONE!!!

Best served with ragi mudde :) Goes well with rice too..