Daal Pitthi |Dal ki Dulhan | Bihari Cuisine | Vegetarian | Flavour Diary

Dal-Pitthi is one of the comfort and famous food in eastern part of India mainly Bihar, UP and Madhya pradesh. Dal Pitthi is Basically Indian style Lentil soup with pasta in it. Dal mean lentils and Pitthi is Pasta made of whole wheat flour. Typically dal pithi is served with chokha which is mashed potatoes fried with some onions, green chillies and pickle masala. 
In today's recipe i have used red lentils (masoor dal) but you can use other lentils like toor dal, moong dal too.Check out the ingredients and steps below.
This month i have a participated in Shhhh cooking club where your partner gives two ingredients to work on it and cook for one particular regional(this time its bihar) and all other members in the group start guessing the ingredients and my secert ingredients were Lentils and Flour and my Yummy Dal Pitthi is what i made. I loved the challenge and hope to participate in many more challenges.This time i have been paired with Priya from Priya's Menu....dig in to her blog for other yummies and a recipe to find out what my secrete ingredients to her.

Level: easy
Total time: 40mins

serves:2-4

1 cup:250 ml
1 tablespoon: 15ml
1 teaspoon:5ml

Ingredients

Masoor Dal /Red lentils : 1/2 cup
Water:3 cup
Turmeric: 1/4th teaspoon
Red Chilli Powder: 1 teaspoon (to taste)
Garam Masala Powder: 1/4 teaspoon
Salt to taste

Pasta/Dumblings:
Wheat flour: 1/2 cup
Salt: 1/2 teaspoon
Oil: 1 teaspoon
Water for making a stiff dough

Tadka:
Oil: 2 tablespoon
Cumin Seeds:1 teaspoon
Dry Red Chillies: 2 
Bay leaf : 1 or 2
Garlic chopped: 3
Onion Chopped: 1 small

Directions

• Wash and soak Massor dal for 20mins.
• Mix the ingredients under pasta and make a dough a keep a side for 15 mins
• In a pressure cooker add water, soaked masoor dal, turmeric,chilli powder, garam masala powder. Bring the mixture to boil and keep it boiling for 5 more mins on medium flame.
• While dal is boiling make pasta. Make 3 parts of the dough and Roll each part in big circle with 2 to 3 mm width. Now cut the small circles using cookie cutter /lid.
• Take each small circle and pinch opposite sides of the dough to make flower shape and keep aside. And repeat the same for the rest of the dough. Your pasta is ready to go in dal.
•  Now add pasta to the boiling dal and Close the lid and pressure cook for 1 or 2 whistles.
• Once pressure is released,open the lid and check whether pasta and dal are cooked. Do the taste test and adjust the seasonings and add  water for desired consistency and tadka and bring the dal to boil and add chopped coriander and serve hot.
• Tadka: In a small pan , add oil and once oil is hot add cumin seeds, Bay leaf, red chillies ,Chopped garlic and chopped onion and fry until onion turns golden brown.

You may also like:

Carrot Cake Smoothie

Orange Cake with Orange Syrup

Dry Garlic Chutney

Hyderabadi Chaney ki Dal (Lentil salad)

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Quick Easy Apple Beetroot Coconut (ABC) Halwa recipe | Flavour Diary | Indian dessert recipe

Today's recipe is easy to make stress free and quick way of making halwa. This halwa is goodness of health except the sugar part but you can replace sugar with jaggery to make it more healthier version. I love to experiment different combos of ingredients and that's how my ABC recipes have come up. You known i am regularly irregular in posting recipes because of extra activities in day to day work. This halwa is healthy and tasty to gobble up just like that or you can sandwich between breads and have it in breakfast or snack.

Check out the ingredients and steps below ... and if you enjoy watching the making then click on the video below.

Level: Easy
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 mins
Serves: 4

1 cup: 250ml
1 tablespoon: 15ml
1 teaspoon: 5 ml

Ingredients

Butter/Ghee:2 tablespoons
Apple: 2 cups(grated)
Beetroot: 2 cups (grated)
Coconut: 1 cup (grated)
Sugar:1 cup(to taste)
Milk Powder:1 cup
Cardamom pods crushed:2 (or 1/4 teaspoon of cardamom powder)
salt:1/8 teaspoon
Crushed dry fruits for garnish

Directions

Peel and grate Apple,beetroot and coconut.
In a pan add ghee/Butter and add grated apple,beetroot and coconut fry  until all water dry's out.
Now add milk powder and sugar mix well and cook until sugar melts completely.
Add salt and crushed cardamom pods or powder to the mixture and cook for another minute.
Garnish with crushed dry fruits and serve....yum

You may also like:

Beetroot Fry Poriyal

ABC Salad(Avacado Black beans Cucumber Salad)

ABC Soup (Almond Broccoli Coriander Soup)

Beetroot Kesari sheera

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Lobia Alasanda vada | Black eye bean appetizer | Breakfast snack recipe | Flavour Diary

Today's recipe is healthy simple and easy to make. Soaking lobia is the only time taking element in making this easy breakfast/snack. As we are not using any water for blending these lobia's it will not absorb lot of oil while frying.
I usually make these lobia vada for breakfast and serve along with peanut chutney. This is best as party or finger food...tastes delicious even if its cold but it tastes best when hot.Check out the ingredients and steps for easy vada recipe.

If you enjoy watching how its made click on the link below

Level: Easy
Prep Time: 10min

Cook time: 20 mins
Soak time: 5 hr or overnight
Serves: 2-3 people
1 cup = 250ml

Ingredients

Blackeyed Beans/Lobia/Alasanda - 1 cup (250 ml) 
Salt - 1 tsp  (to taste)
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Green Chilis - 2 nos (to taste)
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Onions - 1 medium chopped
Coriander Leaves chopped 1/4th cup
Few Curry Leaves
Oil - for Deep frying

Directions

Wash and Soak the Lobia for minimum 5hrs or overnight.
In blender add soaked n drained lobia,ginger,green chillies,cumin seeds and blend it to smooth paste.(Don't use water for blending)
In a bowl add lobia paste,finely chopped onion,chopped coriander,chopped curry leaves and salt and mix well.
In a pan heat oil and make small dumpling out of the lobia mixture as shown in the video and fry lobia vada on both sides until golden brown on medium flame.
Take vada out on kitchen towel and serve hot along with chutney or ketchup or any spicy nonveg curry.



YOu may also like Breakfast/Snack Recipes:

Pesarattu Upma

Cornmeal Idli

Bedmi Poori

Semiya Upma

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Beetroot Poriyal Fry Recipe | Flavour Diary | Side Dish | Easy Indian Vegetarian Recipes

Today's recipe is simple stir fry and a good source of fiber and iron. Betroot Fry/Poriyal is a simple stir fry of grated beetroot  with spices and coconut .This beetroot fry best goes along with rice or roti/chapati.
You might be interested in other Beetroot recipes like 
Beetroot Lassi
Beetroot Kesari
Beetroot Pakoda

If you enjoy watching how its made click on the link below

Level: Easy
Prep Time: 10min

Cook time: 20 mins
Serves: 2-3 people
1 cup = 250ml

Ingredients

Beetroot - 2 medium
Fresh Coconut grated - 1/2 cup
Oil- 2 tablespoons
Jeera/Cumin Seeds - 1 teaspoon
Onion - 1 medium

Green Chillies/Hari Mirchi - 2 
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Red Chilli Powder - 1 teaspoon ( to taste)
Salt to taste
Curry leaves - 10 
Chana Dal - 1 tablespoon( i skipped this and its optional)

Directions

In a pan add oil and once it is hot add cumin seeds/jeera and chana dal.
Once chana dal change color add chopped onion and green chilli.
Stir until onion becomes transparent. Once onion is transparent add grated beetroot and stir fry until it beetroot is almost cooked.
Add turmeric,chilli powder, Salt and stir well.
Add  fresh grated coconut and stir well. Cover cook and stir in between until coconut and beetrooot is cooked well. 
Serve hot with rice or roti/chapati.


YOu may also like Vegetarian recipes:

Aloo Paneer Curry(Without Tomato)

Potato Dry Curry

Palak Moong Dal Fry

Super Easy Mirchi Ka Salan

3 leaf Chutney

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Beetroot Kesari Sheera Recipe | Beetroot recipes | Flavour Diary | Indian Food

Today's recipe is a bit interesting with a twist in original kesari recipe. Kesari is a South Indian sweet dish which is commonly made with rava (semolina) ,kesar(saffron) and sugar and for some crunch dry fruits are added.This is one of the quickest and easy dessert to make.You can also check my Pineapple Kesari which is sweet and tart (katta meetha) in taste.
This recipe is adapted from Asheescookbook  and made few changes. Ashee has successfully completed 2 years of blogging and has a beautiful captured yummy recipes.Do visit her for yummy tasting recipes.
Check out the ingredients and steps below ... and if you enjoy watching the making then click on the video below.

Level: Easy
Total Time: 20-30
Serves: 3-6

1 cup: 250ml
1 tablespoon: 15ml
1 teaspoon: 5 ml
Adapted from here

Ingredients

1 cup Sooji / Rava / Semolina
1 small Beetroot 
1/4 cup Ghee
1 cup Sugar
2 cups Water
1/2 tsp Cardamom powder
10-12 Cashew nuts

Directions

Peel and roughly chop and grind beetroot to paste.
In a pan add beetroot paste, water and sugar and bring it to boil and cook for 2-3 mins.
In a pan add ghee and fry the cashews and then add semolina/rava and fry for 3 to 5 mins until rava slightly changes colour.
Add little by little roasted rava/sooji, cashew mixture to the boiling beetroot water and mix well until no lumps are formed and cook for a minute or two until mixture comes together.
Sprinkle cardamom powder mix well. Cover lid & turn off heat then leave it for min. 

An InLinkz Link-up

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Aloo Paneer Curry without Tomatoes recipe | Flavour Diary | Indian Vegetarian Curry

Paneer is fresh cheese made with two ingredients (milk and vinegar/lemon juice) and is commonly used cheese in south Asia. Paneer is excellent source of proteins and this can be consumed in any form sweet or spicy. 
Today's recipe is bit different from regular paneer recipe as we are not using tomatoes instead we are using sesame seeds and desiccated coconut for gravy. Its easy to make but needs little patience for frying and grinding the ingredients. This curry best goes with roti/chapati/naan or any flavoured rice. Check out the ingredients and steps below ... and if you enjoy watching the making then click on the video below.

You might be interested in other Paneer recipes like 

Paneer Coconut Halwa

Achaari Paneer

Tawa Paneer Tikka Masala

Paneer Korma

Paneer Butter Masala

Shahi Meetha Paratha

Level: Easy
Prep Time: 15min

Cook time: 30 mins
Serves: 3-4 people
1 cup = 250ml

Ingredients

Butter- 2 tablespoons
Oil- 2 tablespoons
Paneer- 300gm

Aloo/Potato - 3 medium

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Coriander for garnish

Spices:

Black Pepper Powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Coriander Cumin Powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Garam Masala Powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Red Chilli Powder - 1 teaspoon ( to taste)
Kasuri Methi - 1 tablespoon

Salt to taste

For grinding:

Oil - 1 teaspoon
Onion - 1 medium
Sesame Seeds/Til - 1 tablespoon
Desiccated Coconut - 1/4 cup
Green Chillies/Hari Mirchi - 2 
Water - 1/2 cup

Directions

Onion Coconut Paste:
In a add a teaspoon of oil and add roughly chopped onion.
Once onion turns transparent then add sesame seeds and fry for few seconds until it start changing colour. Add chopped green chilli and dessicated coconut and fry until coconut changes colour.Take off from the fire.
Let the mixture cools down and transfer it to blender and add 1/2 cup of water and blend it to smooth paste.

Steps for curry:
In the same pan add 2 tablespoons of oil and once it is hot add paneer and fry them until it turn golden brown on both sides and keep it a side.
Then add potato and fry until it changes the colour and keep it a side.
In the same pan add butter and then add Onion Coconut paste, turmeric and ginger garlic paste and fry until the curry comes together.
Add water, fried potato, fried paneer and all the spices under spice list. Mix well and cook on medium heat with lid covered.Stir in between and turn of the heat and enjoy hot with roti/flavoured rice/naan.

YOu may also like Vegetarian recipes:

Cabbage Carrot Kofta Curry

Potato Dry Curry

Palak Moong Dal Fry

Super Easy Mirchi Ka Salan

3 leaf Chutney

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Easy Chicken Fry Recipe | Chicken Recipes | Nonveg Side dish | Flavour Diary

Today's recipe is simple easy and tastes delicious and is best with Rice, sambar or rasam. If you are lazy cook like me then you always find something or other on net to cook in no time and tastes delicious. Few months back Rafeeda from Bigsweettooth posted a easiest chicken fry, by seeing the word easiest i thought that is my type of recipe and someday i should give it a try. So here is the recipe for easiest and simple chicken fry.

Level: Easy
Total Time: 30
Serves: 2-4

1 cup: 250ml
1 tablespoon: 15ml
1 teaspoon: 5 ml
Adapted from here

Ingredients

500gm chicken, cut into medium pieces
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp red chilli powder (to taste)
½ tsp garam masala powder
2 tbsp oil
1 large onions, thinly sliced
1 tsp ghee/ butter
Salt to taste

Directions

Wash and pat dry the chicken. Rub in the powders and salt and allow to marinate for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan and saute the onions with a pinch of salt till golden brown.
Add in the chicken and toss well.
Cook on low flame for around 15 minutes or till the chicken is almost cooked, stirring occasionally.
Add in the ghee/ butter and fry till dry.
Serve hot with rice

#Easychickenfry   is going to be part of #MFBC 

An InLinkz Link-up

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Eggless Butter less Chocolate Cake Recipe | Flavour Diary

Easy and Simple to make Chocolate Cake with No Eggs and No Butter going in and needs no special equipment for making it. Check out ingredients and procedure in written below or simple click on the video below.

I adapted this recipe from my blogger friend Sujata dee blogging at BatterupwithSujata  . She has got whole lot of wonderful healthy recipes in her blog ...if you are health conscious or want to include some healthy ingredients in your diet then do check out her blog.

You might be interested in other Chocolate recipes like
Whole wheat Chocolate Banana Bread
Chickpea Chocolate Cake
Chocolate Sponge Cake
Eggless Whole Wheat Ragi Chocolate Cake
Butterless Chocolate Cake

Serves: 12
Level: Moderate

Prep time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 40-50

Ingredients

For Cake.....

All-purpose flour/Maida  - 360gms

Sugar  - 280gms

Unsweetened cocoa powder   - 30 gms

Warm Milk  - 500ml

Oil  - 250 ml
Vinegar - 2 tablespoons

Baking powder - 1  teaspoon

Baking soda  - 1 teaspoon

Vanilla essence  - 2 teaspoons

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C .Grease and flour 9 inch, round, cake pan; cover bottoms with waxed paper.
• Sift together the dry ingredients ;flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt and set aside. 
• Mix Milk and Vinegar and keep a side.
• In a large bowl, whisk in Oil and sugar.
•  Add Flour and Milk mixture alternatively and vanilla essence to the Oil sugar mixture and beat until well incorporated.
• Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in Center comes out clean.
• Cool pan on wire racks for 10 minutes. Loosen edges, and remove cakes to cool completely.

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Prawn Veg Pulao | Jhinga pulao | royyala Pulao | Rice Recipes

Looking for some easy,quick and one pot meal for lazy days then this Prawn veg pulao is one good option to opt for. This pulao has goodnees of both veggies and non veg and some spices which completely flavours up the rice. Prawn Veg pulao is completely different in taste compared to Prawn Biryani. You can also try my Hyderabadi style Prawn Parda dum Biryani.Prawn Veg pulao can be served  raita or with less spicy curry. Dig into the ingredients and steps for making a yummy rice dish.
This recipe is adapted and changed a bit to taste from my blogger friend Alka dee who blogs at culinaryxpress . If you want to explore odia cuisine then surely  her page has lot of mouthwatering recipes to look up for, which she has beautifully presented. 

You might be interested in other rice recipes like

Jeera/Cumin Rice
Ginger Lime/lemon Rice
Dry fruit Fried Rice
Hyderabadi Mutton Tahari
Chicken Fried Rice
Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani

Level: Easy
Prep Time: 15min

Cook time: 30 mins
Serves: 3-4 people
1 cup = 250ml

Adapted from here

Ingredients

Basmati Rice: 1 1/2 cup
Water: 2 1/4 cups

Prawns: 400gm
Mixed Veggies: 1/2 cup ( i used carrots, peas, corn)
Tomato: 1 medium
Onion: 1 medium
Ginger Garlic Paste: 1 tablespoon
Green Chillies split: 2
Lemon Juice : 2 tablespoons
Salt to taste
Oil/Ghee: 3 tablespoons
Fresh Coriander/kotimir chopped: 1/4th cup
Fresh Mint: 20 leaves

Powdered Spices:

Coriander/Dhaniya Powder: 1 teaspoon

Cumin/Jeera Powder: 1 teaspoon

Garam Masala Powder:  1 teaspoon

Turmeric: 1/2 teaspoon

Red Chilli Powder: 1/2 teaspoon

Whole spices:

Cumin seeds/Shahi jeera: 

Cinnanom stick: 1 inch

Cardamom pods / Elachi: 3

Cloves/Laung: 4

Directions

Wash and soak the rice for 20-30 mins.
Wash and Chop up the veggies and keep a side.
Wash and clean the prawns and marinate it with salt and turmeric.

In a pan add 1 tablespoon of oil/ghee and saute the prawns for 10 secs on each side and keep prawns aside.
In the same pan add 2 tablespoons of oil/ghee and add all the whole spices under the whole spice list and saute for 20secs.
Now add green chillies, onion cut length wise and saute until it turn light brown and then add ginger garlic paste and fry until raw smell is gone from ginger garlic.
Add finely chopped veggies, tomato ,salt, spices under powder spices list and fry for 2 or 3 minutes.
Add water,lemon juice chopped coriander,mint and bring to boil. Do the taste test and adjust salt and spice level and then add rice.
Cover and cook on low flame 10 to 12 mins until water is nearly disappearing then add fried prawns and cook the rice when completely done.
Serve hot along with raita or some less spice curry.

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