Indian India recipes

Raita   Yogurt and mint salad that can be served with any Indian food Red / white onion Cucumber Tomato A few sprigs of coriander (‘Dhania’) Chopped mint or mint sauce Low fat plain yogurt Raita/chutney masala ½ tsp cumin seeds Finely chop your onion, cucumber, tomato & coriander. Add to yogurt, add chopped mint or mint sauce (2 tsp per 500g yogurt) Add raita/chutney masala, if wanted. In a dry pan, toast the cumin seeds then scatter these over your raita. Put in the fridge for a couple of hours, then stir and eat! 

Tarka Dal This is a good basic recipe for the the classic pulse dish served in many varieties all over the sub-continent. For the Dal: 1 x 500g (1llb) pack split red lentils (‘Masoor dal’) or Chana dal, Moong dal or Toor dal 2 tsp turmeric (‘haldi’) ½ tsp ground red chilli Salt to taste 2 tsp crushed garlic, or garlic paste 2 tsp grated ginger, or ginger paste 1 small onion, finely chopped One thick slice of lemon, de-seeded. A handful of chopped coriander stalks (save the leaves for later) For the Tarka: 1 tbsp ghee or mustard oil, or a light vegetable oil ½ tsp ground asafoetida (‘Hing’) 1 or more green chillies, sliced into fine rings 3 cloves garlic, finely sliced & chopped lengthways 1 tsp cumin seeds (‘Jeera’) Check the lentils for stones and wash them in several changes of water Put the lentils into a large saucepan or stockpot and cover with plenty of water. Leave to soak for a couple of hours. Add all the other dal ingredients, stir, cover and bring