Tag: Indian vegetarian curry

Lunch & Dinner

Kaddu Chana Dal – Simple, Satvik & Soul-Soothing

Puspa


🎃 When Pumpkin & Dal Make Everyday Food Feel Festive

Not all good food is fancy.
Sometimes it’s just pumpkin cooked until soft, chana dal adding bite, and spices that whisper instead of shout.

Kaddu Chana Dal is that kind of dish — comforting, clean, and nourishing.
It’s the kind of sabzi that feels like home, especially with soft phulkas or a spoon of ghee rice.


🛒 What You’ll Need (Serves 3–4):

1 cup chana dal, soaked for 30 mins

2 cups pumpkin (kaddu), peeled & cubed

1 tbsp oil or ghee

½ tsp mustard seeds

½ tsp jeera

1–2 green chilies, slit

1 pinch hing (asafoetida)

½ tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp red chili powder

Salt to taste

½ tsp amchur or squeeze of lemon (optional)

Fresh coriander leaves for garnish




🍲 How to Make It – Satvik, Spiced & Soothing

1. Pressure Cook Chana Dal

Boil soaked chana dal with a pinch of turmeric until soft but not mushy (2–3 whistles). Drain and keep aside.

2. Temper & Cook Pumpkin

In a pan, heat oil/ghee. Add mustard seeds, cumin, hing, and green chilies.
Add pumpkin cubes, salt, turmeric, chili powder. Sauté for a minute. Cover and cook until pumpkin is soft.

3. Add Chana Dal & Finish

Add cooked chana dal to the pumpkin. Mix gently.
Add a splash of water if needed and simmer for 2–3 mins.
Adjust salt and tang with amchur or lemon juice.

4. Garnish & Serve

Top with fresh coriander. Serve with roti, rice, or even plain curd.



❤️ Why Kaddu Chana Dal Is Everyday Soul Food

Satvik and nourishing

No onion, no garlic — just pure flavor

Balanced texture: soft kaddu + bite of dal

Because simple food is often the most healing

Lunch & Dinner

Mushroom Masala Curry – Rich, Spiced & Roti-Ready

Puspa


🍄 When You Want Bold Flavors Without the Meat

Mushrooms soak up masala like a sponge — they love garlic, they hug gravy, and they bring bite to every spoonful.

This Mushroom Masala Curry is everything you want from a weekend curry — deep color, intense flavor, and just the right kind of heat.
But it’s also simple enough to whip up on a weeknight with pantry staples.


🛒 What You’ll Need (Serves 2–3):

200–250g mushrooms, cleaned & sliced

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 medium tomatoes, pureed

1 tsp ginger-garlic paste

1–2 green chilies, slit

½ tsp turmeric

1 tsp red chili powder

1 tsp coriander powder

½ tsp garam masala

1 tsp kasuri methi (crushed)

Salt to taste

2 tbsp oil or ghee

Fresh coriander for garnish

Optional: 2 tbsp fresh cream for richness




🍛 How to Make It – Bold, Creamy & Packed with Flavor

1. Sauté the Mushrooms

In a pan, heat 1 tbsp oil. Sauté sliced mushrooms on high flame till they shrink and brown slightly. Set aside.

2. Make the Masala Base

Add more oil. Sauté chopped onions until golden.
Add ginger-garlic paste + green chilies. Cook till raw smell disappears.
Add pureed tomatoes, turmeric, chili, coriander powder, and salt. Cook till masala thickens and oil separates.

3. Bring It Together

Add sautéed mushrooms to the masala. Mix well. Add a splash of water if needed and simmer for 5 mins.
Add garam masala + kasuri methi. Mix. Stir in cream if using.

4. Garnish & Serve

Finish with chopped coriander. Serve hot with roti, paratha, or jeera rice.



❤️ Why Mushroom Masala Works Every Time

Meaty without being meat

Rich and restaurant-style, made at home

Ready in 30 minutes

Because mushrooms + masala = match made in the pan

Lunch & Dinner

Chana Masala – The Curry That Knows How to Hold a Roti (and Your Heart)

Puspa


🛣️ Dhaba Vibes, Stainless Steel Plates, and a Big Fat Ladle of Flavor

There’s something about Chana Masala that just says,
“Come sit down. You’re not going anywhere for a while.”

Maybe it’s the way the gravy clings to a torn piece of roti.
Maybe it’s that hit of ginger and green chili just when you thought it was mellow.
Or maybe it’s because this dish has fed more train rides, Sunday lunches, and office dabbas than we can count.

It’s hearty. It’s heady.
And it’s what comfort looks like — if comfort wore a steel kadai and smelled like roasted jeera.


🛒 What You’ll Need (Serves 3–4 Roti Lovers):

1 cup chana (dried chickpeas), soaked overnight & pressure cooked

2 medium onions, finely chopped

2 medium tomatoes, pureed

1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

1–2 green chilies, slit

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp turmeric powder

1½ tsp red chili powder

2 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp chana masala or garam masala

1 tsp dry mango powder (amchur) or a squeeze of lemon

Salt to taste

2 tbsp oil or ghee

Fresh coriander, chopped



🍲 How to Make It – The Slow & Spicy Way

1. Start with Sizzle
Heat oil/ghee. Add cumin seeds and green chilies. Let them crackle.
Add onions. Sauté till deep golden brown — take your time.


2. Build That Masala
Add ginger-garlic paste. Cook till raw smell disappears.
Add tomato puree, turmeric, red chili, coriander powder.
Cook till oil separates and the masala turns into a deep, dark red.


3. Bring in the Chana
Add cooked chickpeas + a bit of the stock (water from boiling).
Add salt, chana masala, amchur. Simmer 10–15 mins till thick and rich.
Smash a few chickpeas with the back of your ladle for thickness.


4. Final Touches
Finish with a squeeze of lemon and fresh coriander.
Rest 5 mins before serving — the flavors deserve to settle.





❤️ Why Chana Masala Is Always a Good Idea

It’s full of spice, body, and that north-Indian warmth

It pairs with rice, roti, kulcha, or just a spoon

It makes you feel full, happy, and ready for a nap

Because it’s not “just chana” — it’s Chana Masala.