Anshu's Food Odyssey

Punjabi's all-time favorite, Dal Makhani , is a delicacy that has carved its niche on the menu cards of restaurants not only in India but world-wide. Luscious, silky, creamy and buttery, its absolutely a treat for any and every food lover. Whenever we are dining out, its a must on our tables apart from one of our other few favorite dishes like Kadhai Paneer , Punjabi Chholey and Kashmiri Dum Aloo . And in case, we are opting for some non-veg, it has to definitely one of  Chicken Curry or Butter Chicken . Coming back to Dal Makhani, I tried various versions of the same a couple of times, but was never able to get the texture and flavors as that of a restaurant. This time when we were holidaying in Phuket, at one of the North Indian restaurants, we happened to savor this flavorful Dal Makhani. Requesting the chef, telling him how awesome the dal tasted, he was kind enough to share his secrets for this delicacy. When I got back home and tried making the dal using his recipe, I w

Dals or lentils are one food item which are normally prepared as curries; away from the league is this recipe of urad dhuli dal which is cooked dry in onion-tomato masala and tastes awesome with simple chapatis, naans and paranthas. If you have never had a dry dal before, this delicacy is a must try. Punjabi Style Dry Urad Dal | Dry Spiced Split Black Gram Lentils   Ingredients Urad dhuli dal or skinned split black gram lentils - 1 cup Medium sized onion (finely chopped) - 1 Medium sized tomatoes (finely chopped) - 2 Green chilies (finely chopped) - 2 Ginger (finely chopped) - 1 inch Garlic cloves (finely chopped) - 5 to 6 Cumin seeds - 1 tsp Salt - as per taste Red chili powder - 1 tsp Coriander powder - 2 tsp Turmeric - 1/2 tsp Kasoori methi powder (dried fenugreek) - 1 tsp Garam masala powder - 1 tsp Cooking oil - 2 tbsp Water - 1 and 1/2 cups Punjabi Style Dry Urad Dal | Dry Spiced Split Black Gram Lentils