Dalwali Roti/Dal Parathas

Attending weddings and all the ceremonies that accompany them are a whole lot of fun - the family gatherings, dance and music, dressing up in finery, the gossip and merry-making and most importantly, the lavish variety of cuisines that Indian weddings offer. Gorging on the rich, feasty spread day after day for almost two weeks, my tastebuds died and my senses could no longer take in the sight or smell of typical wedding food! All my hungry stomach craved for was some warm dal and rice. Back home in Dubai, I promptly made, what else, dal-chawal for the dil!!

I often end up with left-over dal which are converted into dal parathas or dalwali rotis, which are easy to make and perfect for a filling breakfast. I used leftover toovar dal which tastes the best in the roti/paratha but moong/masoor dals will also work fine. If the dal is too watery, heat it to evaporate the liquid as much as you can, allow it to cool and keep it in the fridge to thicken, before using it for the rotis.

Depending on the consistency of the dal, add atta/whole wheat flour to it, sufficient to make it into a dough. To give the rotis a crunch, add 1 minced onion, 2 minced green chillies and a handful of finely chopped coriander leaves even if the dal already has these ingredients. Add salt if necessary and knead into a dough in the same way as for rotis. Divide the dough into small balls. Roll out a ball into a circle and apply some ghee. Bring the edges together and twist into a ball again. Roll out the stuffed ball into a roti and roast evenly on both sides on a skillet till orange spots appear. Apply ghee on the roti and roast again till it is slightly crisp on the outside but soft inside. Serve hot with a dollop of butter, yoghurt and pickle.

What you do with left over dal? Let me know through your comments.

Black eyes bean / Rongi Cutlets

It's evening. I stretch my legs on the couch, reach for the remote and flick the TV on. The phone rings, hubby tells me he'll be home sooner than usual. Now that's great news and the perfect setting to have a snack and tea – not something we do usually. Checking the fridge, I find some leftover rongi staring at me. Now, I'm not in a mood to have the same thing again for dinner, and being the way I am, I cannot throw it away either! I wondered if the leftover rongi would turn into a chubby, charming cutlet. With a light salad on the side, it seemed perfect for an instant evening snack. Here we go, ready, steady, cook!

I had around 2 cups leftover rongi to make around 12 cutlets. The rongi should not be runny at all, it should be thick. As the rongi already contains spices, it didn't require any more. Run a potato under water, stick the wet potato in the microwave, cover and cook it for 3 minutes and leave it in the microwave itself for another minute. Remove, peel and mash it. I tore 2 slices of bread, ran it in the chopper for a few seconds. Add it with the mashed potato to the rongi to bind it and shape into cutlets. Heat oil in a pan, shallow fry the cutlets 5-6 at a time, about 2-3 minutes each side on a medium flame. As all the ingredients are already cooked, you don't have to fry it too long.

While the cutlets are frying, grate a carrot, chop some coriander leaves finely and slice an onion and mix them. Squeeze half a lime over it, add some salt and pepper and toss.

I served the cutlets with bread, the salad, tomato ketchup, mango-chilli sauce and tea. The whole process took about 20 minutes. It was a complete meal with a bit of all nutrients -carbohydrates (bread, potatoes, breadcrumbs); proteins (rongi/black eyed beans); vitamins(salad); minerals (spices); fat (oil). This idea should work with left over rajma or kale channe or chhole too.

I'm sending this over to Mallugirl for her Summer Express Cooking Event.