METHI SHAAK O CHOLAR DAL DIYE DHOKAR DALNA

I think the idea behind this vegetarian delight is "methi na gota".... Till date I did not go through anyone's recipe of it, which variety of dal / lentil do they use for it. Because chana dal / cholar dal / split Bengal gram dal is mostly used in our "dhokar dalna"... that is lentil cakes simmered in a spicy gravy, I used it. Alternatively, you can use split moong dal. Few days back, we had a visiting friend from India who no more fancy non-vegetarian food. I had to plan what vegetarian fare can I prepare for him, a little different from what we eat usually. Unfortunately he had only one dinner and a morning time tea meal with us, a small eater that he is, he skipped having this pure vegetarian delight with fresh fenugreek leaves and split Bengal gram lentil METHI SHAAK O CHOLAR DAL DIYE DHOKAR DALNA. 

Never mind, we enjoyed having this dish be it with rice or roti. My family enjoys this kind of vegetarian fares, though there is a meat or egg or fish curry always for them alongside or we can always manage a pure vegetarian meal with this, dal and pakoras. Fenugreek Leaves though slightly bitter, surprisingly does not remain so after cooking. I do some additions whenever I am cooking it like I add tomato, onion, egg plants to it. In this particular dish, once I added the yogurt and gram flour based gravy to it and let it stand for an hour or two, the bitterness vanished and it tasted wow! so yum.

I had few more things on my mind to share with you before the biggest festival of our's Durga Puja commences. I wished to share "chingri o murgir bora-tora" with my readers but I need to take care of few things asap, only two days are left! I need to do some facial clean ups, pedicure, manicure. My God's family is  eagerly waiting for a thorough clean up and new dresses to be worn.... that requires some 2-3 hours. So, attention has to be shifted towards my home from the blog a bit. I told you Cristine cannot make me happy ever with her cleaning services. I have to take the responsibility of my home tomorrow and day after. Of course Cristine helps a lot, she actually tends to make this home a garbage dumping ground. Anyway, let us be nice and calm during this festive period and eat, merry. I am yet to gift Cristine something which I usually do on Poila Baishakh, Pujo & of course X-Mas. She is Tom-boyish and wears only t-shirts and knee length pants. Her sister also gets dresses from me who could not go to meet her father after he went through a brain tumour surgery last year. Owners! you can manage your littler for two weeks come on. These Catholic Sisters do eat me sent "khichuri proshad" on every occasion, so I have not done any major sin as yet. Let us pray for the good of the mankind and share this vegetarian side dish with fresh fenugreek, split Bengal gram, spices, yogurt, gram flour METHI SHAAK O CHOLAR DAL DIYE DHOKAR DALNA, which may suit just beside your meat & fish & lentil dishes during any major festival.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE FRESH FENUGREEK & SPLIT BENGAL GRAM CAKE :

FRESH FENUGREEK LEAF : A BUNCH OR TWO
SPLIT BENGAL GRAM : 1MEDIUM TEA CUP
CHOPPED GREEN CHILLI : 1TSP
TURMERIC POWDER : 1TSP
RED CHILLI POWDER : 1TSP
CUMIN POWDER : 1/2TSP
CORIANDER POWDER : 1/2TSP
GINGER PASTE : 1TSP
CUMIN SEED : 1/4TSP
SUGAR : 1TSP
SALT : AS REQUIRED
OIL : 4TBSP

INGREDIENTS FOR THE GRAVY MIX :

PLAIN YOGURT : 2MEDIUM TEA CUP
GRAM FLOUR : 1/2SMALL TEA CUP
RED CHILLI POWDER : 1TSP
CUMIN POWDER : 1/2TSP
CORIANDER POWDER : 1/2TSP
GARAM MASALA POWDER : 1TSP
CHAAT MASALA : 1/2TSP
SUGAR : 11/2TSP
SALT : AS REQUIRED

INGREDIENTS FOR TODAY'S DISH

THE FRESH FENUGREEK & SPLIT BENGAL GRAM LENTIL CAKE
THE YOGURT & GRAM FLOUR GRAVY
CHOPPED TOMATO : 1/2SMALL TEA CUP
CUMIN SEED : 1/4TSP
BAY LEAF : 1
WATER : AS REQUIRED
OIL : 2TBSP

PROCEDURE :

Soak the split Bengal Gram Dal in enough hot water for 2-3 hours. Tear off the leaves of the fresh fenugreek bunch.

Wash the leaves taken in a colander, let the water drain. Drain the soaked water from the dal, wash it well and grind to a paste in a blender adding very little water.

Heat 2tbsp oil in a wok. Temper with cumin seeds and chopped green chillies. Stir and add the washed greens. 

To it add very little salt, turmeric and red chilli powder. 

Stir cook for 3-4 minutes and add the dal paste.  To it, add ginger paste, cumin powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, little salt and the sugar.

Stir continuously for 2-3 minutes and transfer to a greased, squared box.

Cut them in desired shapes. Better if we can refrigerate for another 2 hours and then cut. Easier to fry without breakage.

Heat oil in a wok, fry them lightly without burning them. Store on a plate.

Beat the yogurt with the salt and the sugar. 

Pour onto a bowl, add the gram flour, red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala, chaat masala, turmeric powder and whisk well. Add little water required for a paste like consistency.

Heat oil in a wok and temper with cumin seeds and a bay leaf. Add the yogurt mixture and the washed and chopped tomatoes. Stir till the tomatoes melt.

Add 11/2 coffee mug of water to the wok and simmer for 4-5 minutes at minimal heat, we are done!

We will cool it and refrigerate. We will pour the chilled yogurt gravy atop the dhoka / lentil cakes about an hour before we have them with steaming hot plain rice, "maach / mangsho and dal."