• 1 cup - Pancharatna dal mix 
• ½ cup - green lentils
• ¼ cup - peanuts
• 1 inch - ginger - chopped and crushed
• 3 - green chilies - finely chopped
• 1 - tomato - finely chopped
• 1 tsp - cumin seeds
• ½ tsp - kaloji (nigella seeds) - fennel seeds or caraway seeds maybe substituted 
• ¼ tsp - asafoetida
• ½ tsp - turmeric powder
• ¼ tsp - red chilli powder
• 1 tsp - curry powder (optional)
• 3 tsp - ghee or oil
• ½ cup - chopped fresh cilantro or coriander leaves
• 7 to 10 - curry leaves (optional)
• fresh lime juice from 1/2 lime or as per taste (optional)
• salt as per taste

1. Wash the lentils with water multiple times until water runs clear. I usually collect the water from multiple wash and use it for watering my plants.
2. Add 4 cups of water to the lentil and cook it until tender. I use pressure cooker and cook it for two whistles. Instant pot may be used. Or just boil the lentil in a sauce pan over medium flame until it is cooked - for this you may need more water and it will take more time. Set aside the cooked lentils.
3. Heat ghee in a pan, add cumin seeds & nigella seeds to the hot oil.
4. Once the seeds starts to sputter, add asafoetida, chopped green chilies, crushed ginger and curry leaves. Stir for a minute 
5. Add peanuts and stir it until peanuts are slightly roasted. 
6. Next add chopped tomatoes, bit of salt and sugar and cook until the tomatoes turn mushy. 
7. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and curry powder. Mix and cook of a minute
8. Now add the cooked lentils to the mix. If needed add some more water. 
9. Add salt and bring it to rolling boil. 
10. Turn off the stove and mix-in lime juice.
11. Garnish with chopped fresh coriander and serve.

Chole Bhatura or Chana Bhatura is one of the common dish in North India, especially in Punjabi house hold. One will definitely find it in North Indian restaurant menu. It is one of the famous combo, though one may have bhatura with other curry; or have chole with rice, chapati, roti or poori. The recipes are kinda my way of doing the way I like it. For Chana/Chole, I take the shortest and simplest route of making it in pressure cooker with ready chana masala powder and canned Garbanzo beans (chana) and at times canned tomatoes. Anyway, I make it when I have ran out of things in refrigerator and I have to visit my pantry for emergency supply - which happens rarely. I am going to mention both recipes here, but note that it is NOT the authentic way of preparing the dish. That said, it still turns out delicious in its own way, so give it a try. 

BHATURA

CHOLE | CHANA

• 1 cup - Moong dal
• 1 whole - tender Ridge Gourd (about 2 cups cut pieces)
• 2 - green chillies
• 1 tsp - cumin seeds
• 1 tsp - turmeric powder
• ½ tsp - mustard seeds
• 2 tsp - freshly grated ginger
• 1 tbsp - oil or ghee for seasoning
• 2 tbsp - lime juice
• 2 tbsp - chopped coriander leaves
• 5 to 8 - curry leaves
• 4 to 5 - dry coconut slices (optional)
• 1 pinch - hing | asafetida
• salt - as per taste

1. Rinse moong dal couple times until water runs clear.
2. Optional step: soak dal for half hour
3. Cook dal with 3 cups of water in pressure cooker for about two whistle or 12 to 15 minutes in microwave oven on high
4. Meanwhile, wash ridge gourd. Using a peeler, peel the hard ridges off. Cut and discard the ends of the gourd. Cut the gourd into 2 cm thick circles. if it is wide, cut them into halves. Keep aside.



5. Other preparation: Slit green chilies length wise; extract lime juice; grate ginger and chop coriander leaves and keep all aside.
6. Heat seasoning oil/ghee in a sauce pan on medium flame. Add mustard to the oil.
7. Once mustard starts to sputtering, add curry leaves, asafetida and cumin seeds (optional coconut slices).
8. Reduce the flame, and carefully, pour the cooked dal into the sauce pan. Note, the oil is hot and when pour the dal it will start flying all over the place - cover the pan to avoid it or stir the dal to stop it.
9. Using a masher or buttermilk churner, mash and churn the dal.



10. Set the flame medium-high, add more water if needed and bring it to boil.
11. Now, add the cut ridge-gourd, green-chilies, turmeric powder and salt to sauce pan with dal.



12. Cover the pan and simmer it until ridge gourd is cooked. Stir in-between to prevent dal burning at the bottom.
13. Once the ridge gourd is cooked and tender, turn of the flame. 
14. Mix-in lime juice to taste.
15. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with rice and pokoda on the side.

• 1 cup whole green lentil (Mung beans or Moong)
• 3 tbsp - unsalted butter 
• 1 tbsp - Ghee
• 2 - onion finely chopped 
• 3 -  bay leaf 
• 2"- cinnamon piece
• 3 - green cardamoms 
• 1 - black cardamom (optional)
• 3 - tomatoes
• 1 tbsp - ginger garlic paste
• 2 tsp - red chill powder /or as per taste
• 1 tsp - garam masala powder
• ½ tsp - sugar
• 1 tsp - amchur
• ½ tsp - kasuri methi 
• 1 cup - cream or 1 can - coconut milk ( I usually use coconut milk)
• ¼ cup - cream (more for garnish)
• salt - as per taste

1. Add water to mung beans and rinse well a few times. Drain the water and soak it in 3 to 4 cups of water for 7 to 8 hours or over night. 
2. Next, drain the water and rinse it well. Pour socked mung beans over a wet kitchen towel, tie the wet towel with beans in it and place it aside for the beans to sprout.
3. Next day, morning you should be able to see good amount of sprouts.
4. Pour 4 cups water and sprouted beans in a pressure cooker. And 1 tsp of salt and a ½ inch piece of ginger.  Pressure cook for 2 to 3 whistles or until done on a medium heat. (each pressure cooker is different) 

• Heat a heavy bottom pan with 2 tbsp butter and ghee. Add the bay leaves, cinnamon and both cardamom to the butter, saute for half a minute. Then add onions and fry until they are translucent.
• Stir in ginger-garlic paste and saute for one minute or until the raw smell goes away.
• To the mixture, add the cut tomatoes and let it cook until soft.
• Add salt, red chill powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, sugar and amchur. Saute well until  it smells good and turns thick.

• Now add the cooked moong beans to the mixture and add a cup of water.
• Cover and cook on a low flame until the dal thickens stirring often in between to prevent burning the bottom.
• Add cream or coconut milk and ½ cup water. Mix, cover and continue cooking on medium flame. Stir in-between.
• Once you see the oil starts to float on the top, crush kasuri methi between your palm and sprinkle over dal.
• Taste to check for salt and add more salt if needed. Add rest of the butter and mix well.
• Garnish dal makhani with butter or cream or coriander leaves and serve with naan, roti/chapati or rice

• 1 cup - Moong dal (split green gram or Mung beans)
• 1 inch - Fresh ginger (or ½ tsp ginger powder)
• ½ tsp - Turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp - Ghee
• 1 tsp - Panch Phoron (combination of five seasoning seeds - Fenugreek/Methi seeds, Nigella/Kalonji seeds, Cumin/Jeera seeds, Black mustard/Sarso seeds and Fennel/Saunf (or sonp) seeds)
• ¼ tsp - Asafoetida (hing)
• 3 - Red chilies (or as per taste)
• 1 - Lime 
• Salt - as per taste
• Chopped Coriander leaves for garnish

1. Wash Moong dal several times until water runs clear. Soak for about 15 minutes and drain. 
2. Transfer the dal into a pressure cooker. Add about 3 cups of water. 
3. On medium heat, cook dal for 1 to 2 whistle. This depends on the cooker design
4. Turn of the flame and let the pressure be released.
5. If it is convenient, you may continue to cook in the pressure cooker with the lid remove or transfer cooked dal to a saucepan
6. With back of a ladle mash the cook dal to the sides of the pan. 
7. Put the saucepan on medium flame.
8. To the cooked dal, add salt  and turmeric powder.
9. With flat side of a knife or a mortar and pestle, crush ginger and add it to simmering dal.
10. Meanwhile prepare for the seasoning. 
11. Heat ghee in a small seasoning pan, when ghee becomes hot, add Panch Phoran. Break red chilies and add to the hot ghee. Once seeds starts splattering, add asafoetida/hing. (Optional: few curry leaves may also be added)
12. Pour the hot seasoning to the dal. 
13. Lower the heat and let dal simmer for 5 more minutes. 
14. Turn of the heat and add chopped coriander leaves (May add lemon juice too)
15. Serve Moong dal hot with lemon wedges on the side.
16. Goes well with rice and/or roti/chapati.

1. Wash Moong dal several times until water runs clear. Soak for 15 minutes and drain. 
2. Transfer the dal into a microwave safe bowl. Take a bigger bowl as it may spillover as the dal comes to a boil. 
3. Add about 2 cups of water. Microwave on high-heat for about 10 mins. (this depends on the microwave oven)
4. Heat ghee in a saucepan on medium flame. when ghee becomes hot, add Panch Phoran. Break red chilies and add to the hot ghee. Once seeds starts splattering, add asafoetida/hing. (Optional: few curry leaves may also be added)
5. Now, carefully add cooked dal to the tempering in the saucepan. Please note that the ghee is hot.
6. Stir and reduce the flame.
7. With back of a ladle mash the cook dal to the sides of the pan. 
8. To the cooked dal, add salt and turmeric powder. Stir
9. With flat side of a knife or a mortar and pestle, crush ginger and add it to simmering dal.
10. Let it simmer for 5 more minutes. 
11. Turn off and stir-in chopped coriander leaves 
12. Serve Moong dal hot with lemon wedges on the side.
13. Goes well with rice or roti/chapati.