Route 79

My favourite!

I've made daal of one variety or another before, but never thought to add butter to the end product. Makes sense!

Looks fabulous!

Hi Vicky - the dollop of butter adds a completely different dimension to the texture of the end-product. I wrongly attributed the "thickening" to the butter in the recipe - it's not responsible for the thickening at all - that's more to do with the amount of water evaoprated. The butter makes it more - well "creamy" is the best description - but I wouldn't say that it makes it too "rich". It just isn't the same without it. And even with the butter - it's still fairly low-calorie and "healthy". (At least I like to think so.)

Anand: I have to admit that (alongside saag) it is my favourite too!

Hi Jag,
do you do requests? Which makes this sound like a radio show. I'd love to have a recipe for Naan bread. We can get some vacuum packed naans at a local asian supermarket but it tastes like old cardboard. I'm sure it must be easy enough to do oneself but advice from an expert is eagerly appreciated.

Lentils must have been in the air on Saturday. I made a chicken curry with a lentil based sauce (red lentils + chana dhal).

Hi David: Now - funnily enough - naan is something that practically nobody in Asian community makes at home. And this is because they are normally cooked in a clay oven (tandoor). But the naans that we buy all the time taste fantastic - and not like cardboard at all. And ours don't come vacuum packed either - they come in a normal plastic bag that expires in a day or two - so are fresh - and meant to be reheated for eating on the day really. I am assuming that you can't get these types of naan where you are. Pity really - cos they're really cheap over here in Asian shops. Anyway - I will have to consult Ms79 on this particular request - as she is the expert on breads/roti/bhaturas etc. as the secret is always in the dough (atta) and the way it is prepared and cooked. I have seen naan being made on flat hot-plate rather than tandoor - so it must be possible - let me see what we can do ....

Strop: Excellent - you should send me your recipe so that I can try it out and get some photos done at the same time - and add it to the list. You've also reminded me to do channa masala (chickpeas) - as we cook/eat this a hell of a lot.

i like indian food - i just wish that so much of it didn't look like puke or runny pooh-poohs.

eurgh.

When you've been raised on the stuff - you get used to not thinking of it that way.

If you haven't been raised on the stuff - then perhaps you been seeing too much puke or runny-pooh in your lifetime? :-)

Hi, Iam Bhanu.i like the way u present ur recipies.i got married recently and so iam new to this cooking world. I usally search for new recipes on internet.i read ur Yellow dal recipe and tried it.It was yummy.my husband made me the queen of the day. Why dont u put more Indian recipes on ur site?

Hi Bhannu! Many thanks for your comment! I'm glad you liked the recipes! And I'm glad you tried the yellow dal - it is my all-time favourite! I'm really happy that your hubby liked it too. I will definitely add some more Indian food recipes as and when I get the time. Congratulations on your marriage - and I hope you and your husband can explore more food recipes together - it is so much fun cooking Indian food!

I live in Uzbekistan in city of Tashkent. When I was in India has bought in shop a package Moong Dal manufacture of firm Haldirams L.t.d. It was pleasant very much to my family. Has bought in Main bazaar crude Mung dal, thought at itself at home in Tashkent I shall prepare to children and they will be delighted. But at me has failed. Who be, knows, how prepares жаренный in oil moong dal. Help me. I shall be very grateful.
Forgive for my bad English
About respect Maksud

Hi Maksud: your English is excellent. Firstly - many thanks for your comment. I am so sorry that you did not delight your family/children by your attempt at creating the moong daal dish. But I hope that some other visitors to this page can help you in your request.

You can see that the way in which I prepare the daal is very simple and is also very tasty - but I am not sure how you prefer to taste it yourself. I hope that you will continue to try cooking it until it is perfect! Good luck! :-)

hello,iam sabeen
app ney iss recipe ko itnaa lambaa kar k likhaa hai ..kissi k pass itnaa time nahin hai ki koi bhethe kar puraa perhey app ko simple taraha se likhna chaiye .. wasee simple likhney ki kosish karein ...

Hi,

Who ever made this effort to put it on the net. 3 cheers for him/her. Thank you very much.
Great work.
Please put more of this kind

Thanks
Annu

Hi Anu - thank you so much for your kind comment! I have done quite a few more - you need to go to my home page at http://www.route79.com/journal - and then look on the left hand side of the page - click on the links under "FOOD".

Hi Sabeen - thanks for your comment also. For those who cannot understand Hindi - you said "You have written this recipe in such a long & drawn out manner that one does not have the time to sit down and read it through. You should write it in a short and simple manner."

Sabeen: I fully accept your feedback. Perhaps I will make a more concise version of the recipes to suit those who don't have the time to read the "long" pages. :-)

Hi.. I just wanted to thank you so much for doing this cooking site. I am an American girl and married a Indian man about 6 months ago. I have been trying to learn some recipes and this site has been so helpful. I love the pictures it really helps since some of these ingredients are different then what I am used to cooking. My husband says he loves the food.. So thank you very much and please post more of these great recipes..

Hi Tonya - many thanks for your kind comments! I hope being married to an Indian man is not so "trying" for you! ;-) Anyway - I'm so glad that you found the recipes/methods/illustrations useful - and I will surely add to them as time goes by. So please do visit here regularly - and please also share your experiences - and perhaps even some recipes of your own!

I am wondering if you have a good recipe for Bombay Aloo or Aloo Dhum. My husband says he really likes this and I cannot find a great recipe. All of your recipes turn out so good I thought maybe I would ask you.. Thanks so much!!

Hi

Do you know how difficult it is to find a good daal recipe in Florida? :)

Thanks and it was good...though I'll up the spices next time round - that's just me. Bland US style recipes don't make it :)

Amazingly, the local Publix supermarket had all the spices including garam...

I've got the link for all your recipes which means I don't need to live on Mcburgers anymore .

I used to live on your route...it's warmer here..:)

Cheers

Jeff

Hi Jeff - many thanks for your comment. Glad to hear that your local supermarket has everyhting you need too!
Florida eh? Lucky you - but just another suburb of London in my book! ;-)

This is wonderful- a traditional recipe that worked out very well. thanks!

Cheers Son - glad you liked it!

I have a pot of this daal boiling right now, and it is smelling like it is going to be delicious. As a college student, I miss indian food and so have been trying to make my own. Still, I doubt that buying the ingredients from the local supermarket will deliver the flavor of my mom's cooking.

Hi Hammad - I hope it tasted good! You're absolutely right though: it is impossible to recreate Mum's cooking.

Hey, this is great!
I was so happy when I found this no-fry method (Frying is against my religion:))).
I am making it second time just now. First time, my friends were delighted, and keept bugging me for quite some time: 'when R U gonna make that indian lentils again?'
Next time I'll try some other recipe.
Thank you so much
andjela

Hi Andjela: thank you so much for your feedback. Am so glad that you tried it and liked it! Cheers!

I was recently in India and could not get enough of Yellow Daal! This recipe looks easy to make and from reading the comments, tastes great too! Do you have a website of other dishes?