MIXED DAL DHIRDE/ DOSA

Ingredients:
Toor dal – ½ cup
Moong dal – ½ cup
Urad dal – ½ cup
Chana dal – ½ cup
Rice – 1 cup
Green chilies – 3-4
Ginger – 1”
Garlic – 3-4 cloves
Freshly chopped coriander leaves – 3-4tbsp
Salt as per taste

Cooking Procedure:
Use separate container for dals and rice. Wash all the dals and rice till water runs clear. Soak them for atleast 5-6 hours. Coarsely grind the rice. Grind all the dals to smooth paste, adding just the required amount of water to grind .Mix all the dals and rice together to form a cake like batter. Grind ginger, garlic and green chilies. Mix this paste into the batter. Add the coriander leaves and salt.
Heat the non stick griddle/ skillet on medium heat. Pour a ladleful of batter over the skillet and spread the batter evenly using a circular motion from inside out.
Pour a teaspoon of oil around the edges. Increase the heat and cook until the bottom of the dhirde/dosa starts to turn golden brown. Turn over carefully and cook the other side for a about a minute
Serve hot with coconut chutney/ chutney powder.

CHICKEN BALTI

Ingredients:
Chicken – 1 kg
Onion – 1 big sliced
Bay leaf - 2
Ginger paste – 1 tsp
Garlic paste – 1 tsp
Tomato – 2 medium chopped
Green chilies – 3-4
Red chili powder – 1 tbsp
Jeera powder – 1 tsp
Garam masala – 1 tsp
Everest mutton masala – ½ tsp
Yogurt/ curd – 4 tbsp
Kasoori methi – 1tsp
Cream – 2-3 tbsp
Chopped coriander leaves

Cooking Procedure:
Clean the chicken and keep aside. Whip the yogurt with little oil and keep aside*.
Heat some oil in a pan. Add onions and fry till dark brown (not black). Now add bay leaf, ginger paste and garlic paste. Fry well then add chicken. Fry this chicken on high heat till oil separates. Now add tomato and salt. Cook till tomatoes get dissolved. Continue cooking on high heat. Now add green chilies, jeera powder, red chili powder, garam masala and everest mutton masala. Stir well till oil separates. Now remove the pan from heat and add the yogurt**. Mix well and then return the pan on heat. Now add hot water and bring it to a boil. Reduce the flame, cover and let the chicken cook till tender. When the chicken gets half cooked add kasoori methi. When the chicken cooks completely add cream. Simmer for 2mins and finally garnish with coriander leaves.

* whipping the yogurt with little bit of oil will make a very smooth gravy.
** By removing the pan from heat and adding the yogurt will prevent the yogurt from curdling.

EGGLESS DATES AND WALNUT CAKE

Ingredients
Dates – 20
Water – ½ cup, warm
Walnuts – ¼ cup, chopped
Maida/ all purpose flour – 1 ¼ cup
Baking soda – 1 ½ tsp
Baking powder – 1tsp
Salt - 1/8th tsp
Condensed milk – 1 can, 14oz
Butter – 1 stick, 1/2cup
Vanilla essence – 1 tsp
Sour cream/ curd – 2tbsp

Cooking procedure:
Soak the dates in warm water for 30-35mins. Then grind the dates into paste. Preheat the oven at 350F. Line the bottom of baking pan with parchment paper. Spray pan with oil spray. Sprinkle some flour till the pan is evenly coated with flour. Remove the excess flour by tapping the pan several times.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Strain this mixture 2-3 times so the cake comes out fluffy. In a large bow, melt the butter and keep aside to cool. After the butter cools mix in the condensed milk, dates paste, vanilla essence and sour cream. Add the flour mixture to the batter in thirds. Combine all the ingredients properly using a whisk/spoon. Stir the chopped walnuts into the batter. Pour the cake batter into the baking pan.
Bake the cake at 350F for first 15 mins and then at 325F for 15-20mins. To see if the cake is cooked, put a knife in the center of cake. If it comes out clean it means the cake is cooked. If uncooked the batter will stick to the knife and you can continue baking at 325F till the knife comes out clean. Cool the cake for 10 mins.