Zaiqa

Pakoday and bhajiye are the usual Iftaar snacks that I serve during ramadan other than chanay ki dal and fruit chaats. Deep fried, this kind of snacks are perfect for this monsoon season when served as a snack at tea time as well.

Moong ki Dal Kay Pakoday – Green gram fritters

Ingredients:

Dhuli moong ki dal (skinless split green gram) – 1 1/2 cup
Onion – 1, finely chopped
Ginger garlic paste – 1 heaped tbsp
Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
Green chillies – 3-4, finely chopped
Cilantro – 3 tbsp, finely chopped
Chopped curry leaves -1 tbsp
Chopped spring greens – 1/2 cup (optional)
Salt – to taste

Method:

Soak the dal for 4-6 hours. Drain and grind it adding little or no water. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Heat oil to deep fry in a kadai. Drop spoonfuls of the mixture into the hot oil and deep fry on both sides until golden. Continue until the mixture is finished. Drain on paper towels. Enjoy the pakoday along with mint and cilantro chutney.

This is my third entry to the The Hyderabadi Ramadan Food Festival that I am hosting on my blog: and the first entry to the event- Joy from Feasting to Fasting being hosted at Lubna’s blog-Yummy Food.

Luv,
Mona

Among all those amazing dried products that one can make during hot Indian summer days making use of the strong sunshine, dal ki badiyan are the ones I really love.

Badiyan are tiny sun dried lentil nuggets, which are nutritious and an excellent substitute for meat in curries. Many varieties of badiyan are available ready made in stores. But nothing compares to these homemade variation that I am addicted to since childhood.

Dal ki Badiyan ~ Sun Dried Lentil Nuggets

Split and skinned green gram/Moong ki Dal – 500 gms
Hari Pyaz/Spring greens, finely chopped – 3 cups (only the greens, not the white)
Ginger-garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Salt and Red chilli powder – to taste

Method:

1. Soak the dal for 2 hours in fresh cool water. Later, drain and wash the dal in several changes of water. Once washed and drained, puree the dal in blender adding just enough water to aid in the process. (Note: Do not add too much water, or else the badiyan will not form properly)
2. In a mixing bowl, add the pureed dal, chopped spring greens, ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt. Mix thoroughly.
3. Drop blobs of the prepared mixture on a clean and dry tray or a rimmed baking sheet using your hands or a spoon. Leave the tray in the sun during daytime and bring the tray indoors when dark. On the first night, gently scrape the partially dried badiyan and invert them so that the next day the bottoms also get nicely dried up in the sun. It usually takes 3-5 days under hot sun for the badiyan to completely get dried.
4. When completely dried, transfer the badiyan to an air tight container and store at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Be careful and keep away from moisture.
5. Always shallow fry a few needed badiyan in some oil until the color changes to golden brown just before consumption. Do not burn them or else their taste will worsen. Consume the crunchy shallow fried badiyan on the side to your meals, or add the shallow fried badiyan to any of your favorite curries or soups and cook for just a few minutes.

Dal Ki Badiyan Pictorial

Blobs of the mixture on tray, ready to be sun dried

Badiyan – Sun drying

Shallow fried Badiyan, ready for consumption

Preparing Dal ki Badiyan in Oven:

If you live in areas where sunlight is scarce and plays hide and seek with you, you can even prepare badiyan in the oven. Just lightly spray or brush the tray with a little bit of cooking oil, then drop the batter on the tray as shown above and place the tray in the oven pre-heated at the lowest setting. Let it bake for around 2-3 hours. Shake the tray after every hour. Keep a close eye and as you observe they are completely dried up, remove and let them cool on a rack. Once completely cool, transfer to air tight containers and store until needed. Shallow fry a few needed the badiyan in a little oil and enjoy when fancied.

Other Amazing sun dried Indian food products from this series are:
1. Sukhi Dahi Mirch – Sun dried Yogurt Chillies
2. Dhoop Nimbu ~ Sun Preserved Lemons

Pulses are an essential component of Indians meals. They are the main source of protein and iron in an Indian diet.

Split husked Moong dal~Dhuli hui Moong dal and Tomato

Moong is one variety among the common Indian pulses. Whole Moong, as called as Green gram, in Urdu language is called as Hari Moong. These whole moong beans are sprouted to increase their vitamin C content and consumed in salads or sauteed lightly. Split moong with skin is called as Chilkon wali moong. And split husked moong, which I have used today to prepare this dish is called as Dhulli hui moong ki dal.

Tamatar-pyaz wali dhulli Moong dal
served with store bought warm whole-wheat Afghani bread

Split husked moong is oval shaped and pale yellow in colour. I love to prepare them this way in a tomato-onion mixture for breakfast as my Ammi used to do during my childhood.

Tamatar-Pyaz wali Dhulli Moong dal – Tomato-Onion flavored split husked Moong lentils

Ingredients:

Split Moong Da/Dhulli hui moong dal – 1 cup
Canola oil – 2 tsp
Onion – 1, finely sliced
Tomato – 1, large, finely chopped
Red chilli powder – 1 1/2 tsp
Salt – 1 1/2 tsp
Turmeric – 1/4 tsp
Cilantro – 2 tbsp, finely chopped

Method:

1. Wash and soak the split moong dal for about an hour in cool fresh water.
2. Heat oil in a saucepan at medium heat and add the sliced onion. Stir and cook until just lightly browned. Add the chopped tomato, red chilli powder and salt. Mix well and cover the lid and let cook for about 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes are mushy.
3. Drain the dal and to the tomato onion mixture. Mix well and pour in 1 cup warm water. Cover and let cook until the dal is soft but not mushy. Add more water if needed. Once done, remove from heat, garnish with cilantro and serve warm immdiately.

This delicious dal is my entry to the event ‘Delicious Dals from India’ being hosted by Suma at her blog Veggie Platter.

Luv,
Mona

Sprouting whole green gram or Sabut Moong/Hari Moong is quite simple. Here is a simple tutorial showing the procedure. Moong is the most widely sprouted pulses in the world.

Day 1-Night: Wash and soak a cup of whole Moong dal in surplus fresh cool or tepid water in a dark place.

Sabut Moong/Whole Green Gram Soaking in water

Day 2-Morning: Drain the dal and shower wash them gently under cool or tepid water. Soak them again the same way.
Day 2-Night: Before you go to sleep, line a colander with wet muslin cloth and drain the plumped up dal. Tie the ends of the cloth into a knot. Hang in a dark place at room temperature where it wont be disturbed.
Day 3-Morning: Check the dal if they have started sprouting. The dal should have sprouted usually by this time if you happen to live in warmer areas.

Sabut Moong~Whole Green gram (behind),
and Spouted Sabut Moong~Green gram (front)

If it hasnt, which happens if you are living in colder areas, use a sprinkler to spray some fresh cool water on the cloth if its dry.
Day 4-Night: Your sprouted moong is ready. If they have not much sprouted, leave them for the night and enjoy these sprouted Moong.

Note:
1. Do not let the sprout shoots grow too long. It is suggested that they shouldn’t be longer than double the size of seed itself.
2. To store the sprouts, put them in a glass bowl and submerge them in cold water. Refrigerate it and they stay crisp for almost 5 days. I had read about this tip in a magazine which I thought to share.

Sprouted Moong are a good source of proteins, vitamin-C, iron and potassium. They are best eaten raw in salads, or very lightly cooked. Long cooking methods destroys the vital vitamins and disrupts the flavor. I usually prepare a light snack using sprouts. You can also add sprouts to pasta and noodles, or salads for some extra nutrition. I also like to use the sprouted moong as a stuffing in the wraps and fajitas along with the other ingredients and also in the Fried rice.

Picture Source: Flickr
I leave you with the snapshot of a Velvet Mite which we call ‘Birbabuti’ in Urdu. We witness a lot of them just after the first rains in Hyderabad. These harmless mites are so tiny and very restless arthropods. Their sensory velvety red covering is gorgeous. Children were always very attracted to them. Are you guys familiar with it?

Luv,
Mona

Daliya Soup is a very usual item for Iftaar in Ramadhan in my house. I had first tasted it in my Khala/Aunt’s house and since then loved it always. It is highly nutritious and useful for a body which has been fasting throughout the day providing it with vital nutrients and comforting it.

Daliya/Broken Wheat and Whole Green Gram/Sabut Moong Dal

Daliya is Broken wheat. It is also used to prepare Haleem, an another Ramadhan special dish for Muslims.

Do not serve serve it piping hot when you break the fast at Iftaar. Serve it lukewarm. Your kids will also enjoy this healthy and nutritious soup.

Daliya -Broken Wheat and Lentils Soup

Ingredients:

Home made Ghee/Clarified Butter – 2 tsp
Ginger Garlic Paste –  1 tbsp
Tomato – 2, medium sized, finely chopped
Red Chilli powder – 1 tsp
Salt – 2 tsp
Dry roasted Coriander/Dhaniya powder – 1/4 tsp
Turmeric/Haldi – 1/8 tsp
Broken Wheat Kernels/Daliya – 1 cup, washed and soaked for 30 minutes
Whole Green gram/Sabut Moong Dal – 1/2 cup, washed and soaked for 30 minutes
Water – 1.5 litre
Lemon juice- 1/8 cup
Chopped Cilantro/Kothmir – 5 tbsp

Method:

1. In a pressure cooker at medium heat pour ghee and as soon as it warms up, add ginger garlic paste and stir fry it till it golden bworn in colour. Add 4 tbsp chopped cilantro and mix well. Immediately add chopped tomatoes and red chilli powder, salt, turmeric and coriander powder. Stir to mix and half cover the lid for 3 minutes.
2. Drain the soaked dal and wheat kernels.
3. Add the drained dal and wheat to the pressure cooker and give it a stir. Pour in water and pressure cook it for 10 minutes or until the dal and the wheat kernels are done.
4. You can add more water if needed at this point. Let the soup boil uncovered for 3-4 minutes. Garnish with remaining chopped cilantro, add lemon juice and serve lukewarm.

This goes to ‘Joy from feasting to Fasting’. Luv, Mona