A seasonal simple meal: Cranberry dhal

After seeing the fresh cranberry in my grocery store last week. I remembered my Cranberry Dhal pictures. Yes, I cooked exactly a year ago when I found those fresh cranberries. I cooked with dhal, clicked, downloaded in my hard drive and saved carefully under “unblogged” file. And forgot forever until I saw some fresh berries. This “superfruit” is only available fresh for shorter period. Traditionally associated and served for the holiday menu in form of sauce, jelly, mixed in bread, muffins, etc.. I blogged last year Spicy cranberry chutney and some medicinal value. Another way to use this fresh berries in our Indian cooking is : Dhal or make sambar (omit totally the tamarind). The dhal pairs perfectly with the sour cranberries, you have the zing without lemon or tamarind! After all we can do much more other than chutney!

  Cranberry Dhal 

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Ingredients:

Dhal: ¾ cup

Fresh or frozen cranberry: 10 counts (The more u add it will be sour and tangy)

 Medium onion: 1- diced

Green chillies: 5 counts- split in half 

Red chilli powder: ½ tsp (totally optional) but recommended

Turmeric: ¼ tsp

Salt: according ur taste

 Seasonning: 

Mustard seeds: 1 tsp

Cumin: 1 tsp 

Hing: a pinch 

Curry leaves: few

Oil: 2 tsp 

 Garnish: 

Cilantro: 1tbsp - minced finely 

  Special ustensil: Pressure cooker

 Method: 

Cook the dhal with 2 cups of water with few drops of oil in pressure cooker. Leave at least 4 whistles and let the pressure released completely. 

Now, heat oil in pot, start with hing and next mustard seeds, once they spluttered, add the cumin, curry leaves, onion and green chillies.

 When the onion starts to be translucent add the cranberry, chilli powder, turmeric powder and cooked dhal.

 Adjust the salt and cook until the berry starts to pop, it will take just few minutes. 

  Note: always start with fewer berries and increase according your taste

  Green banana curry / Vazhakkai Podimas 

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Ingredients: 

Green banana: 2 (boiled and grated) 

Medium onion: 1 –

 minced Curry leaves: few fresh 

Red chilli powder: 2 tsp

Turmeric: ¼ tsp

Salt: according ur taste

Fennel seeds: 2 tsp (crushed coarsely) 

Seasonning 

Mustard seeds: 1 tsp

Urad dhal: 1 tsp 

Oil: 2 tsp

Method: 

Cut the banana in half. Take a pot add the cut banana and cold water. Bring it to boil and switch off the stove after 4 to 5 minutes. U can even steam it. Once cooled down, peel the skin. Now grate the banana. Heat oil in a pan, start with the seasoning (mustard and next urad dhal) when the urad dhal starts to slightly turn brown add the onion, curry leaves. Fry until translucent. Now add the chilli powder, turmeric and the grated banana and adjust the salt. Cover and cook until the raw smell goes away (it will not take more than 5 min). Sprinkle the fennel seeds powder and switch off the stove. Serve as a side dish for rice.

Quiet a simple indian meal altogether: Cranberry dhal, Green banana curry, papad served with white rice.

The Cranberry dhal is for Sra who host My Legume Love Affair- 17, event originated by Susan