Slow Roasted Bell Pepper with Red Lentils (Bhuna Hua Simla Mirch Aur Masoor Dal) Recipe

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I don't think I can ever get bored of eating dal. Probably because it is so easy to make and doesn't need much planning or thought especially on a busy weeknight. And also because an egg omelette and a simple tomato dal were the first few recipes I tried under my mother's watchful eye. She is a terrific cook and all I wanted to do is cook like her. Though my first dal didn't turn out to be a spectacular one with the tempering almost burnt, I still fondly remember the night and its memories. Today's recipe (adapted from my favorite book - 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer) - Slow Roasted Bell Pepper with Red Lentils is a combination of flavors I never cooked before - bell pepper with red lentils. Finger licking good!

Tarla Dalal's Tawa Chana | Pan-Fried Chickpeas Curry Recipe

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A quick and easy recipe for chickpea curry - pan fried and lightly coated with spices. Perfect as a side dish for rice/roti or as an easy snack with crunchy chips. Indian food is not hard at all and this dish is the proof.

How to Make and Freeze South Indian Tomato Sauce Recipe

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..let us preserve some summer sunshine by making this vibrant sauce..

Summer is here. Farmer's Markets across Bay Area are bustling with tomatoes at their absolute best and also cheapest. Summer tomatoes are so much juicier and better when compared to their ghostly, almost powdery versions of the Winter. And Now is also the best time to get to work towards preserving a little sunshine by making a batch of homemade tomato sauce and freeze in a small containers, for later use. Not necessarily for colder months to come as I am pretty sure these will be used way before that. Almost every Indian curry starts with an onion-tomato base and this sauce  compliment well with all of them. 

Today's tomato sauce recipe is a South Indian version I stumbled upon in Madhur Jaffrey's 'Vegetarian Cooking' cookbook. The ingredients are basic pantry staples and the resultant sauce is very flavorful and aromatic. For this recipe, there is no blanching or peeling of tomatoes required. Just roughly chop them into chunks, mix in other ingredients, use some muscle power and let it simmer until it reaches a sauce-like consistency. Cool, blend and store/freeze. That is it. No fancy equipment except for a blender to puree the tomato-ey mixture. 

How to make Oats Pongal (Oats With Split Mung Dal) and Tomato Gotsu Recipe

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Ask any South Indian, what is his/her favorite breakfast? I am pretty sure Idli or Dosa will top the list along with Ven Pongal accompanied by a version of Coconut chutney. These are the dishes that defined our care-free childhood days. These are also the dishes we tend to go back to for comfort, time and again in some form or fashion. Today's post is about Oats Pongal, an incarnation of a traditional white rice cooked with mung dal and black peppercorns recipe. It is super simple to make, perfect for busy weekdays. A touch of ghee, grated ginger and curry leaves makes it flavorful just like its original version. The consistency of the pongal is purely of personal choice. I like mine a bit soupy while there are others who would want a little thicker. Adjust water quantity and play with various mix-ins (mentioned in the recipe below) and you have a healthy, one pot meal (for breakfast, lunch or dinner) ready in minutes. Now, a spicy side like a simple Tomato Gotsu makes the pongal even more enjoyable. If you are short on time, a blob of Indian pickle or a handful of potato chips work too. Enjoy!