Tomato Dal/ Tomato Pappu

Tomato Dal is a simple and tasty recipe. It's a famous South Indian recipe.

Health benefits of Toor dal:

Toor Dal belongs to the category of Legumes. For over 10,000 years, 

legumes are a popular, healthful, and versatile food. Toor Dal come from 

plants with seed pods that split on two sides when ripe. It provides many 

of the nutrients your body needs,such as protein, fat, and carbohydrates. 

These foods serve as the best plant source of protein. These legume con-

tains building blocks of protein necessary for good health. The iron, folic 

acid, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and B vitamins in these foods help 

meet vitamin and mineral requirements. Legumes are high in dietary fiber,

low in saturated fat, and cholesterol free.

1. Slightly sweet, nutty flavored lentil .

2. An excellent source of protein and fiber.

3. High in dietary fiber.

4. Easy to cook .

5. 100% all-natural.

6. Low In Fat, Zero Cholesterol.

7. A small, sweet bean good for soups, salads, and rice dishes.

8. Delectable and very nutritious. So easy to make.

Ingredients:

2 -3 Tomatoes

4 Green Chillies

3/4 Cup of Toor Dal

Salt to taste

Red chilly powder to taste

2 tbs oil

1/4 tbs turmeric

1/2 tbs cumin seeds

1/2 tbs mustard

2 red chilly

4 curry leaves

A pinch of hing.

Coriander leaves for garnishing(Optional)

Preparation:

1. Wash the tomatoes under the running water.

2. Chop them nicely into 1 inch pieces.

3. Chop the green chillies.

4. Wash the dal and add tomato pieces and green chillies. Pressure cook it 

    at least 5 whistles.

5. Heat oil in a pan for tempering and add red chilly pieces, cumin seeds,

    mustard, turmeric, hing and fry for 5min.

6. When mustard start splutter add curry leaves and fry for a min.

7. Add the cooked dal and tomato pieces and stir well.

8. Add salt , red chilly powder and mix well. Cover to cook on 

    medium heat for 5 min.

9. Finally garnish with coriander leaves.

10.Tomato dal is ready to serve with hot rice with little ghee/ roti / Eat like a 

     soup too. 

Lauki Dal / Sorakaya Pappu / Anapakaya Pappu

Lauki Commonly added in chutney, Sambar, Juice, Curry, Dal. You can usually

find lauki in Indian/Asian grocery shops. It's a simple, very healthy and easily 

digestible Dal.

Tips: Lauki should be fresh small in size because Big Size lauki may
have harmful chemicals to grow it big, so go for smaller ones.
Just taste little bit before use of lauki. If it bitter don’t use that.

Lauki is known by many names in different regions:

Lauki is known as Sorakaya/Anapakaya in telugu Suraikai in Tamil
and Charanga/Churaykka in Malayalam and Doodhi in Hindi and Dudhi in

Marathi and Dudhi in Gujarathi and Lau in Bengali and Kaddu in Punjabi

and squash in English.

Below are the few benefits of lauki:
 
1. It is 96% water.
2. Excellent source of green nutrition.
3. Can easily be digested.
4. Very light on stomach.
5. 100 GM of lauki contains only 12 calories.
6. helps treating urinary problems.
7. Help to get rid of burning sensation in stomach.
8. Keeps you thin.
9. Does not increase fat in your body.
10. Very good for lever.
11. It can be cooked in many ways like Raita, Koftha, curry, Kheer, barfi,

      Paratha even roti by mixing with wheat.
12. Good for diabetes, High Blood Pressure & for all diseases.
13. There are no side effects.
14. Very good in digestion problems.
15. Helps in loosing weight quickly if you just eat boiled/cooked in steam 

      lauki sabzi without ghee/cheese/oils.
 
Ingredients:

1 Cup of Moong dal
1 Cup of Lauki Pieces
3 - 4 Green chillies
2 tbs Oil
1/4 tbs turmeric
1/2 tbs Mustard
1/2 tbs Cumin seeds
2 Red Chillies
Coriander leaves for ganishing
Salt to taste
A pinch of hing
 
Preparation:

1.  Peel the Lauki and slice it into half. Take out the seeds.
2.  Cut it into 1 inch pieces.
3. Chop the green chillies and keep it aside.
4. Wash the dal and add lauki pieces and chopped green chillies. 

     Pressure cook it at least 3 whistles.
5. Heat oil in a pan for tempering and add all the ingredients in order 

     like red chilly pieces, mustard, cumin seeds and hing and fry for 5 min.
6.  Add the cooked dal and Lauki pieces and stir well.
7.  Add salt, turmeric and rech chilly powder and combine well.
8.  Add more water to desired consistancy and cook on low flame for 5 min.
9.  Finally add chopped coriander leaves and mix well.
10. Lauki dal is ready to serve with hot rice or roti.  

Dosakaya / Indian Yellow Cucumber Dal

Dosakai: A cucmber that is yellow in colour, has a round shape and is available
in many parts of india. Commonly added in chutney, Sambar,Curry, Dal and
also making Dosa-avakaaya (a type of Indian pickle).
 

Health Benefits of Dosakaya/ Indian Yellow Cucumber:
 

1. Cucumbers are very low in calaries, have minimal amounts of fats and
no cholesterol.
2. Have a very high water content and are know to have diuretic properties,
and thus help in improving the kidney and bladder diseases. Eating cucum-
bers regularly in summer months prevents dehydration.
3. Contains ascorbic acid(vitamin c) and caffeic acid, so when applied topically,
it soothes skin irritations, sunburns, reduces inflammation and rehydrates dry
skin.
4. Good source of silica, which is found in connective tissues like muscles,
tendons, ligaments,cartilage, and bone. Regular consumption of cucmber
improves the health and complexion of skin, and healthy hair.
5. Moderate source of vitamin c, a natural water soluble antioxidant.  It enhances
the body's immune system, increases the elasticity of skin and blood vessels,
and prevents bruising of the skin.
6. Moderate source of folic acid and vitamins A, which are essential for maintain-
ing a healthy heart and eye sight.
7. Good source of other minerals like calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium,
zinc and manganese, which play a very important role in maintaining proper
metabolic activities of the body.
8. Good source of potassium and very low in sodium. This helps in lowering
the blodd pressure.
9. Very good source of dietary fiber. It adds roughage to the contents of the
intestines, promotes satiety, promotes the health of the colon, and also helps
in relieving constipation, hemorrhoids, diverticular disorders, etc.
10. Raw cucumber juice also soothes heart burn and acidity, also helps to
control the eczema, arthritis, and gout.

Ingredients:

1 Dosakaya / Indian yellow cucumber
1  cup Toor Dal
2 Gree chillies
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder to taste
2 tbs oil
1/2 tbs mustard
1/2 cumin seeds
1 red chilly
4 - 5 curry leaves
A pinch of hing

Preparation:

1. Peel Dosakaya and slice it into half. (Check the seeds and flesh for any bitter
taste. If the flesh is bitter, discard the dosakaya. If the seeds have bitter taste,
remove all the seeds and wash with water.)
2. Cut it into 1 inch pieces.
3. Chop the green chillies and keep it aside.
4. Wash the dal and add cucumber pieces and green chillies.  pressure cook 
the dal with cucumber pieces & chopped green chillies at least 5 whistles.
5. Heat oil in a pan for tempering and add all the ingredients in order like 
red chillies, mustard, cumin seeds and hing.
6. When the mustard start splutter add curry leaves and fry for a min.
7. Now add the cooked dal and cucumber pieces and stir well.
8. Finally add salt, turmeric and red chilli powder  and mix properly.
9. Add more water to desired consistancy and cook on low flame  for 8min.

10. Dosakaya Dal is ready to serve with hot rice with little ghee or with roti.

MASOOR DAL WITH SPINACH

Vegetarians no need to worry about protein foods. Masoor dal is high protein food.
Serve with roti.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup masoor dal
1 cup spinach
1/4 tbs turmeric
8 black peppers
1 medium onion
2tbs ginger & garlic
Salt (to taste)
Chili powder(to taste) Because we added peppers. So you have to check the
spice if you want to add more add chili powder.
1/2 tbs mustard's
1/2 tbs cumin seeds
1 red chilly
1 pinch asafoetida
4 or 5 curry leaves.
3/4 cup water for dal cooking.


Preparation:



1. Take a bowl add masoor dal and chopped spinach, black peppers.
2. Add 3/4 cup water put it into pressure cooker.
3. Heat oil in pan. When oil is very hot add mustard seeds, cumin seeds,
red chilly, asafoetida,curry leaves fry these ingredients till brown colour.
4. Add onions and cook until tender and translucent, but not browned.
5. Add ginger & garlic. Continue to fry until onions are deep yellow.
6. Add salt, turmeric. Pour cooked masoor dal and spinach into pan, mix well.
7. Wait 5 to 10 min. Now add red chilly powder. Mix well. Leave it 10 min.
8. Masoor dal is ready. Enjoy masoor dal with roti/parata.