Cook Without Book

                                    Spices The history and culture of Indian spices is probably as old as civilization itself. The Vedas, the Bible, and the Quran are all replete with references—direct or indirect. The earliest literary record on spices in India is in the Rig Veda (around 6000 BC) as well as in the other three Vedas—Yajur, Sama, and Athasva. Spices constitute an important group of organic commodities, which are virtually indispensable in the culinary arts. They can be primarily defined as farm products used in various forms; fresh, ripe, dried, broken, powdered etc., which contribute to the aroma, taste, flavor, color, and pungency of food. Spices may be in the form of bark, buds, flowers, fruits, leaves, rhizomes, roots, seeds, stigmas and styles, or the entire plant. It is hard for me to imagine my pantry without these magical gifts of nature that change the entire char...

Ingredients • Split pigeon pea (toor dal/arhar dal) 3/4 cup • Whole wheat flour (atta) dough 3/4 cup • Gram flour (besan) 2 tablespoons • Salt to taste • Turmeric powder 3/4 teaspoon • Red chilli powder 3/4 teaspoon • Asafoetida 2 pinches • Oil 1 tablespoon • Peanuts 1 1/2 tablespoons • Kokum petals 3 • Jaggery (gur),grated 1 1/2 teaspoons • Ghee 1 tablespoon • Mustard seeds 1/2 teaspoon • Cumin seeds 3/4 teaspoon • Whole dry red chillies,broken 2 • Curry leaves 6-8 • Fresh coriander leaves,chopped 2 tablespoons Method Boil dal with one fourth teaspoon turmeric powder and salt in a pressure cooker till completely cooked. Whisk till smooth.Transfer into a deep pan and heat. Take whole wheat flour in a bowl. Add gram flour, salt, one fourth teaspoon turmeric powder, half the red chilli powder, one pinch of asafoetida and oil and mix. Add sufficient water and knead into a stiff dough. Roll the dough into a ball...