Nadan Parippu Curry / Kerala Dal Curry

Parippu curry is a typical Kerala side dish for rice and also one of the main dish of Kerala Sadya or Onam Sadya. I usually make parippu curry with toor dal, but some people make it with Moong dal (cherupayar parippu / split yellow gram). If using moong dal, you have to dry roast it first to enhance the flavour and then cook in a pressure cooker.  If Parippu curry is served with hot rice, pappad and ghee you don’t need any other curry for rice.

Nadan Parippu Curry / Kerala Dal Curry

Ingredients:

Toor Dal / Thuvara Parippu - 1 cup

A pinch of turmeric powder

Grind Together:

Grated Coconut - ½ cup

Cumin seeds / Jeerakom - ½ tsp

Shallots / Chumannulli - 2

Garlic – 1 clove

Green Chillies - 3-4

For Tempering:

Coconut Oil - 2 tsp

Ghee -2 tsp

Mustard Seeds / Kaduku - ½ tsp

Shallots / Chumannulli - 2, sliced

Curry Leaves - 2 strands

Red Chillies - 2, torn into 2 pieces

Method:

• Grind coconut with the rest of the ingredients adding 3 to 4 table spoons water to a smooth paste and keep aside.
• Pressure cook washed toor dal with 3 cups of water and a pinch of turmeric powder for 8 whistles on medium flame.  Once done, mash well to a smooth paste with the back of a spoon.
• Add ground paste, salt and enough water to the mashed dal. Let it cook on low flame for 5-8 mins. Remove from heat.
• Heat oil and ghee in another pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add small onion, curry leaves and red chillies. Fry till small onion becomes golden brown. Remove from fire and pour everything over cooked dal. Mix well.
• Serve with rice and pappad and a drizzle of some ghee.

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Dal Makhani Recipe

Dal Makhani is a traditional North Indian vegetarian dish high in protein. Traditionally it is cooked on low flame for hours on charcoal, which gives it a rich creamy texture. Whenever I cook this I try to reduce ghee and butter as much as I can to make it healthier and also I never add cream expect if I am cooking for a party…. I can assure you even though you reduce ghee, butter and cream this curry tastes heavenly…. I have given the recipe as it is in the book and you are free to add moderate amounts of cream or butter if you wish…  

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