Combo Menu Idea : Chana dal with eggplant & Potato-capsicum Curry with Phulkas

Today's post is about a combo menu I tried few weeks back. Chana dal with brinjal and aloo-capsicum curry. This chana dal I make often, It goes very well with chapathi or phulka.

Chana dal with aubergine/brinjal(Cholar dal begun diye)
Ingredients :
Chana Dal : 1 cup(unsoaked)
Brinjal : 2 (cut into long slices)
Dry red chillies : 2
Green chilli : 1
Panch Phoron : 1 tsp. (mix together fennel seed, cumin seed, kalonji/black cumin seed, fenugreek seed & mustard seed in equal quantity)
Trmeric powder : 1tsp.
Sugar : 1tsp.
Salt to taste

Method :

•  Soak Chana dal in enough water for at least 6 hours. If not prepared, soak in hot water for 2 hours. Then pressure cook the dal until it is cooked. Once it is soaked nicely, it doesn't take long to cook. Keep in closed cooker for another 15 minutes, then open and add 1/2 -1 cup of water and mix well. keep aside.
• In a pan, heat oil, fry brinjal pieces with a pinch of salt until lightly brown, keep aside. In the same pan, add oil if needed, temper with dry red chillies, chopped ginger, slitted green chillies and panch phoron, wait until panch phoron darkens a bit, then you will get the aroma, pour dal over it. Add turmeric powder and sugar n salt to taste. Add fried brinjal pieces into dal.
• Let it boil for 3-4 minutes. When dal has thicken a bit, remove from fire. 
• You can garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

 

 Potato-capsicum Curry ::::::

It's very easy-to-make and same time it's very tasty and goes along with phulkas or chapathis.
Ingredients :
Potato : 2(medium), cubed
Capsicum : 1(big), Cubed
Onion : 1, chopped finely
Ginger-garlic paste : 2 tblsp.
Tomato : 1, chopped
Cumin seeds : 1 tsp.
Hing/asofoetida : a pinch
Turmeric powder : 2 tsp.
Red chilli powder : 1-2 tsp.
Coriander powder : 2tsp.
Oil : 2 tblsp.
Salt to taste
Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing

Method :

• Heat oil in a pan, fry potato pieces with a pinch of salt until lightly brown from all sides. keep aside. In the same oil, temper with hing/asofoetida and cumin seeds, when seeds crackle, add chopped onions. Saute until onions are light brown, add ginger-garlic paste, chopped tomatoes and saute until tomatoes turn soft.
• Then add all powdered spices along with 2 tblsp. water, so spices don't stick to the pan, saute until oil seperates. Now add capsicum and fried potato pieces. Mix well with spice paste. add salt and about 1 cup water. Close the lid and let it cook. When veges are done and gravy thickens a bit, remove from fire. 
• Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.