Green Lentil Dal with Spinach

Category: Dal / Lunch
Preparation Time: 10 mins + soaking time
Cooking Time: 20–25 mins
Servings: 3-4 servings

Dal is something I make quite regularly at home, and usually toor dal is my go-to dal for everyday cooking. After moving to the US, I started noticing different varieties of lentils that are easily available here. One of the ones I really liked after trying was green lentils.

What I particularly love about green lentils is their texture after cooking. Unlike some dals that become completely mushy, green lentils still hold their shape a little even after they are cooked. They become soft and tender, but you can still see and feel the lentils, which I really enjoy.

Green Lentil Dal with Spinach

This dal can be made as a simple plain dal, or you can add spinach or any greens you have on hand. Whenever I have spinach, I usually add it to the dal like I did here. Otherwise, I simply make the same recipe without spinach.

Of course, you can make this recipe with other dals too. I have made a very similar version with toor dal, which used to be my regular dal recipe before I started making it with green lentils.

The combination of tomatoes, ginger, cumin, kasoori methi and spinach gives this dal a lovely flavor without making it too complicated. It is a simple, comforting dal that goes well with rice as well as roti or chapathi.

Ingredients:

• Green lentils - 1 cup
• Spinach, chopped - 2 cups or as needed
  (I used baby spinach leaves)
• Tomato - 2 small or medium, finely chopped
• Fresh ginger, grated - 1/2 Tbsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp, adjust according to spice level
• Asafoetida / Hing - a pinch
• Ghee - 1 Tbsp, divided
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 Tbsp
• Kasoori methi / dried fenugreek leaves - 1/2 Tbsp, crushed
• Salt - as needed
• Water - as needed

Ennai Kathirikkai Kuzhambu / Stuffed Brinjal Kuzhambu

Category: Kuzhambu Varieties / Lunch
Preparation Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: 25–30 mins
Servings: 3–4 servings

Enna Kathirikkai is one of the popular spicy tangy dish using brinjals. Small brinjals are stuffed with a freshly roasted masala and then cooked slowly in a tangy tamarind-based kuzhambu.

Ennai Kathirikkai Kuzhambu

The freshly roasted stuffing masala is what makes this kuzhambu special. The combination of coriander seeds, dals, sesame seeds, red chilly and dry coconut gives a wonderful aroma and flavor to the gravy.

This is a great side dish for hot rice, especially with a little gingelly oil. I also like to let the kuzhambu rest for some time before serving, as the brinjals absorb all the flavors from the gravy.

For this recipe, choose small tender brinjals which are firm and fresh. We need to slit them without cutting them completely so that we can stuff the masala inside.

Ingredients:

• Small Brinjal / Kathirikkai - 7–8 nos
• Small onions / Pearl onions - 10–12 nos, peeled
• Garlic - 5–6 cloves
• Tamarind - small lemon-sized ball
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Sambar powder - 1 to 2 Tbsp
• Salt - to taste
• Sesame oil / Gingelly oil - 2–3 Tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves - few
• Water - as needed

To Roast & Powder:

• Coriander seeds - 1 Tbsp
• Channa dal - 1 Tbsp
• Toor dal - 1/2 Tbsp
• Whole Urad dal - 1/2 Tbsp
• Dry red chilly - 2 nos
• White sesame seeds - 1/2 Tbsp
• Shredded Dry coconut - 2 Tbsp (can use fresh grated coconut as well)
• Salt - as needed

Beetroot - Manathakkali Vathakuzhambu (Beetroot - Sun-dried Black Nightshade Berries gravy)

Category:  Kuzhambu Varieties
Preparation Time: 15 mins  
Cooking Time: 20 -30 mins 
Servings: 4 servings

Vathakulambu, a name that evokes nostalgia for many of us, especially when we’re away from home, where we crave these home-style kulambu varieties.

Beetroot Manathakkali Vathakuzhambu

Vathal refers to sun-dried vegetables or berries. Kuzhambu, a tamarind-based gravy, is typically served with rice in Tamil Nadu, South India. Manathakkali, the black nightshade plant, produces berries which were then sun dried and used in this kuzhambu.  It might look daunting to make these kuzhambu varieties but trust me this is one of the easy preparation and you can store this even for few days in refrigerator. 

Usually, I make vathakuzhambu with dried vathals alone. However, since I had extra chopped beetroot, I decided to add it to the kuzhambu. Initially, I was a bit skeptical about how it would turn out, but it turned out surprisingly delicious. The combination of spiciness, tanginess, and a slight bitterness from the vathals, along with the sweetness of the beetroot, created a perfect harmony. This dish would pair excellently with rice and a kootu, which is a vegetable, coconut-dal-based curry. I served this with boiled matta rice and keerai kootu. Papad or appalam would complement this delightful combination perfectly.

Ingredients

• Beetroot – 1 small to medium, peeled and chopped
• Small pearl onions – around 10, peeled
• Garlic – around 10 cloves, peeled
• Manathakkali Vathal - 2-3 Tbsp / as needed
• Tamarind – lemon-sized
• Vatha Kuzhambu powder / Sambar powder - 2-3 Tbsp / as needed
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt – as needed
• Jaggery – a small piece, optional
• Water – as needed

For Tempering

• Sesame oil – 2–3 tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 Tbsp
• Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Dry red chillies - 2
• Asafoetida - a pinch
• Curry leaves - a few

Nei Appam (Ghee Appam)

Category: Indian Sweets / Festival Recipes
Preparation Time: 15 mins + 3 hours soaking + 1–2 hours resting time
Cooking Time: 15–20 mins
Servings: 4 servings

Festivals are always a great excuse to make some of our traditional homemade sweets, and Krishna Jayanthi is one of my favorite occasions to prepare simple, delicious treats at home.

Nei Appam

This Nei Appam is one such easy festival recipe made with raw rice, jaggery, coconut and ripe banana. There is no refined sugar here, and the natural sweetness from the jaggery and banana makes these paniyarams absolutely delicious.

The batter is made by soaking raw rice and grinding it along with jaggery, coconut, banana and cardamom. I usually prefer using pure jaggery powder, which makes the process even easier. If your jaggery has impurities, simply melt it with a little water and strain it before adding it to the batter.

I like to let the batter rest for an hour or two before making the paniyarams. A small pinch of baking soda is added just before cooking, which helps make them soft inside.

These are cooked in a paniyaram pan with ghee, so they develop a beautiful golden-brown crust on the outside while staying soft and flavorful inside. They are best enjoyed warm!

Ingredients:

• Raw rice - 1 cup
• Jaggery powder - 3/4 cup (I used pure jaggery powder)
• Fresh coconut - 1/2 cup
• Well-ripe banana - 1 no
• Cardamom - 1 no
• Baking soda - a pinch
• Salt - a pinch
• Ghee - as needed

Banana Blueberry Muffins – Whole Wheat Muffins with Blueberries

Category: Baking / Kids Snacks / Breakfast
Preparation Time: 10–15 mins
Cooking Time: 20–25 mins
Servings: Yields around 12-15 muffins

Today I’m sharing a simple and delicious Banana Blueberry Muffin recipe made with very ripe bananas and frozen wild blueberries.

I usually like to use very ripe bananas in baking since they naturally add sweetness and moisture. For these muffins, I wanted to keep the added sugar to a minimum, especially since we are also adding blueberries. I use just 2–3 tablespoons of sugar, depending on how sweet the bananas and blueberries are.

I usually make these with 3 eggs, which gives the muffins a soft and moist texture. But you can also use 2 eggs and the muffins turn out well.

Banana Blueberry Muffins

These muffins are perfect for kids’ lunch or snack boxes and are also easy to whip up on a busy morning. When I pack muffins for lunch or snacks, I usually make them in a smaller size so they are easy to pack, quick to grab, and convenient for kids to eat. They can also be made ahead and packed for the next day’s breakfast or snack.

I used white whole wheat flour here, which is the flour I generally prefer for my baking. The combination of ripe banana, coconut oil and blueberries makes these muffins soft, flavorful and delicious!

Ingredients:

• Well ripe bananas - 4 nos, mashed
• Eggs - 2–3 nos
• Coconut oil - 6 Tbsp, melted
• Coconut sugar / Cane sugar - 2–3 Tbsp
• Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
• White whole wheat flour - 1½ cups
• Baking powder - 2 tsp
• Baking soda - 2 tsp
• Salt - a pinch
• Frozen wild blueberries - 1 cup (adjust as needed)

Method:

Mini Appams served with Instant coconut milk (Mini fermented rice pancakes with instant coconut milk)

Category: Breakfast / Tiffin /Kids Recipes
Cooking Time: ~2 mins 

Appam, a South Indian pancake, is a must-try! Made from fermented rice batter and coconut milk, it has a unique flavor. It’s bowl-shaped with a crispy edge and a soft, thick center. Traditionally cooked in an appachatti, a deep pan like a wok, it’s usually eaten for breakfast or dinner, often with a side of vegetable stew or sweetened coconut milk. The secret to appam lies in its fermented batter, and some recipes even include yeast!  

When you visit a South Indian restaurant, especially those that serve a buffet, you’ll likely find a live Appam counter. These are delicious, hot flatbreads served with sweet coconut milk. The line is always long, but it’s worth it for the taste. Everyone loves these appams, and they’re especially popular with kids. Everyone absolutely adores these appams, and they’re particularly beloved by kids.

Initially, I experimented with making appams using Idli/dosa batter, but I soon realized that it was best to make appam batter separately. Fermentation is the secret ingredient that makes appams soft, fluffy, and porous. If you’re not able to ferment the batter, especially during cold winters, you can try adding a pinch of cooking or baking soda. But that’s totally optional.

I have also tried using millets - Barnyard millet (Kuthiraivaali) and it came out very well. The ingredients for millet batter also given below.

I tried making mini appams in our cast iron paniyaram pan. At first, I thought I’d only make a few servings, thinking it might be a bit time-consuming. But guess what? These days, I’d rather make mini appams than the regular ones. They’re so tempting, not just for the kids, but for everyone! Plus, they’re easy to eat. Just pour some coconut milk over each one and enjoy!  

Appam with sweetened coconut milk is a heavenly combination, and I also love them with a spicy veg stew or kurma. Since we’re only getting frozen coconut here, making coconut milk the traditional way takes some time to thaw and extract the milk. So, I’ve decided to use the organic Thai coconut milk cans we get from Costco. This way, it’ll be super easy, quick, and the taste won’t be compromised at all! 

Ingredients: 
For Appam:

• Idli rice - 1 & 1/2 cups
• Raw rice - 1 & 1/2 rice (I used Sona masoori rice)
• Whole white Urad dal - 1/4 cup
• Methi / Fenugreek seeds - 1 Tbsp
• Poha / Thick aval - 1/4 cup
• Coconut milk - as needed 
• Salt - as needed
• Optional - Cooking / Baking soda - a pinch for small portion of batter 
• Oil - to drizzle as needed