For those who want to cook easy vegetarian recipes from the other regions of the country, we bring you two Himachali dishes. Shared by home chef Sherry Mehta Malhotra, Urad daal cooked in raw mustard oil is one such lost recipe of Himachal. This is a very tasty dish from Kangra region of Himachal Pradesh. It's a one pot recipe and doesn't require a lot of effort. The best part is the rich flavour of mustard oil. Sherry also shares a very special dessert recipe from her grandma’s kitchen for Indulge.
Urad daal cooked in raw mustard oil
Ingredients:
Urad daal (black lentils): One cup
Mustard oil: One and a half cup
Garlic cloves: 10 to 15 (finely chopped)
Ginger - 1 big sized (finely chopped)
Onion - 2 medium sized (finely-chopped)
Green chillies - 5 or 6 (finely chopped)
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder: 1 tsp
Powdered garam masala: 1 tsp
Ghee: 2 tbsp
Method:
Take urad daal, wash it in water and drain and put it in a pressure cooker.
Add chopped garlic, ginger, onion, green chillies and raw mustard oil to it.
Add three-four cups of water, salt and chilli powder. Close the lid and after one whistle lower the heat to minimum. Cook for 30 minutes on low flame. Open lid after it releases its own pressure.The consistency of daal should be thick and thoroughly cooked. Sprinkle garam masala and two tbsp of pure ghee and cook for five more minutes. Serve hot with steamed rice.
Khus Khus and Makhna ki Kheer
Poppy seeds or khus khus contain good amounts of minerals, such as, calcium, potassium, magnesium and iron. These seeds are rich in dietary fibre and essential fatty acids.
A rich source of protein and calcium, makhna or fox-nut combines beautifully with milk to make a creamy and delicious kheer. Makhna is also great for those who are calorie conscious, since it’s low in fat.
Ingredients:
Makhna: One cup
Khus khus: Half cup
Ghee: 2 tsp
Full cream milk: 5 cups
Sugar: 1 cup
A few strands of kesar (saffron)
Green cardamom powder: Half tsp
For garnishing:
Pistachio slivers: 2 tsp
Method:
Heat the ghee in a deep non-stick pan, add the khus khus and sauté on a slow flame for two to three minutes, or till they turn crisp. In another pan, dry roast (or, with ghee) makhna till they turn crisp.
Boil the milk in a deep non-stick pan, add the sugar and roasted khus khus and makhna, mix well and cook on a medium flame for two minutes, while stirring occasionally. Add green cardamom powder and stir. Serve immediately garnished with pistachios slivers.
Tips: Served best if served chilled.
About the author:
Sherry Mehta Malhotra is a renowned home chef, caterer and a North West Frontier and Himachali pop-up specialist. A runner-up at the popular reality show Grilled, aired in Fox Life India, Sherry, a former Miss Shimla, is the director, host relations at The Indian Food Trail and founder of A Girl From The Hills (agirlfromthehills.com).