Dal Pakwan

OMG!!!! I did it. From last 2 years I wanted to make this dish. When I first time saw this recipe in Alka's Blog. But some or other thing took me away from trying this recipe. Thanks a lot Alka it was really yummy and now it will be in our regular weekend menu list.  Dal Pakwan is a traditional Sindhi breakfast  recipe.  Though it is full of calories but some time you can try out this yaar. The only thing I did to reduce  my guilt is I used half a quantity Maida and half wheat flour;-)

Ingredients

For Dal

Chana Dal - 1 cup

Tomato -1 (finely chopped)

Green Chillies - 3-4

Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Curry Leaves - 4-5

Oil - 1 teaspoon

Salt to taste

For Pakwan

All purpose flour (Maida) - 1 cup

Whole wheat flour - 1 cup

Ajwain - 1 teaspoon

Red chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Tamarind extract - 1 teaspoon

Hot Oil - 2 tablespoons

Salt to taste

Oil for Deep Frying

For Serving

Chopped onion - 1 medium

Chopped coriander - 2-3 teaspoon

Chopped tomatoes - 1 small

Sweet Tamarind chutney - As required

Chilli powder -  - As required

Procedure

For Dal

Wash and soak dal for one hour.  Now Pour oil in pressure cooker. When it becomes hot add cumin seeds, curry leaves and green chilies. Fry it for a minute.  Now add chopped tomatoes and cook it properly. Then add dal, turmeric powder and salt. Mix it properly.  Add little water and close the lid of cooker.  Cook till two whistles.  When the pressure got released open the lead. Cooked dal should  not  get mushy completely.  Add tamarind extract and mix well.  Again cook for a minute.  Dal is ready.

For Pakwan

Mix all ingredients of Pakwan. Except oil for  frying ;-).  Add little water at a time and kneed a stiff dough.  Cover it and rest it for 20 minutes. Then Make small balls of dough (approximately 10-11) .   Heat oil in Kadai for frying. Roll each ball like puri. Prick puri with knife so that it will not get puffed while frying. Now fry this Puri (pakwan) on medium flame till it turns golden brown and crisp.   Drain the  excess  oil on kitchen towel.

For Serving

While serving take  dal in a bowl.  Sprinkle chilli powder. Some sweet tamarind chutney. Then chopped coriander, onion and tomatoes. Serve it with hot and crispy pakwan

Italian summer salad

Heat is showing it's effect in March itself. Eating regular meal twice a day is real hard these days. So salad , juice, buttermilk are some good options.  Here is the nice and healthy option in Summer.

Ingredients
Brown Bread  - 2-3 slices
Boneless chicken - 100 gms
Tomato - 1
Cucumber -1
Lettuce leaves - 3-4
Green olives - 8-9

For DressingOlive Oil - 3 tablespoon

Garlic cloves - 3-4
Basil leaves - 1/2 cup
Vinegar - 1 tablespoon
Salt to taste

Procedure

Preheat oven on 180 C. Make small cubes of bread slices.  Bake this cubes in oven for 10 minutes.   Cut chicken into small cubes and boil with little salt into it.  Remove seeds of tomato and cucumber and cut in small cubes. Now take all the ingredients of dressing  in mixer pot and grind to coarse paste.   Now take this in a salad bowl.  Add olives, bread cubes, chicken cubes, tomato & cucumber cubes and cut lettuce leaves with your hands and put it in bowl.  Toss well .  Transfer it in salad plate and serve it.

Note - Vegetarians can replace chicken with Paneer  or boiled Rajma.