Some of Padma Shri awardee Tarla Dalal's popular recipes

Tarla Dalal, Tarla Dalal recipes, Food special, Tarla Dalal Tribute, Indian celebrity chefs, cookbook authors, Mumbai

We pay tribute to India's first 'masterchef' and Padma Shri award-winner with a collection of some of her famous recipes.

Tarla Dalal

Veg Makhanwala

Ingredients
>> 250 g French beans, chopped long
>> 250 g carrots, chopped long
>> 250 g onion, chopped in rings
>> 250 g potatoes, sliced long
>> ¾ litre milk
>> 2 tsp maida
>> 1½ cup tomato ketchup
>> Salt and chilli powder to taste

Method
>> Boil the French beans and carrots separately
>> Fry the potatoes till crispy
>> Saute onions in a bulb of butter
>> Add the French beans, carrots and potatoes
>> Churn the milk, maida and tomato ketchup in a hand-mixer and put to boil separately
>> Mix the veggies and sauce just before serving

Spicy Spinach Dumplings

Ingredients
>> 2 tea-cups of spinach, finely chopped
>> 1 green chilli, finely chopped
>> 1 tbsp gram flour (besan)
>> 2 tsp wheat flour
>> 2 tsp fresh curd
>> A pinch of asafoetida (hing)
>> A pinch of sugar
>> 1 tsp oil
>> Salt to taste


Spicy Spinach Dumplings and Paneer Kebabs are best eaten with green chutney

Method
>> Mix all the ingredients and add curd if the mixture is too dry
>> Shape into small flat rounds
>> Steam the rounds in a cooker for five to seven minutes
>> Serve hot

Paneer kebabs

Ingredients
>> 5 potatoes, boiled and peeled
>> 1 bulb of butter
>> 500 paneer
>> ½ cup coriander, finely chopped
>> 1 tsp ginger-green chilli paste
>> Salt to taste
>> 1 cup of bread crumbs ground in the mixer

Method
>> Mash the potatoes in butter and keep aside
>> Mash the paneer and add coriander, ginger-chilli paste and salt to taste
>> Flatten a handful of potato mash and stuff it with the paneer filling and roll it into balls
>> Roll the balls in bread crumbs
>> Heat oil in a deep pan and fry the balls till they turn golden brown
>> Serve hot

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Preparation time: 10 to 15 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
For the dressing
>>2 tbsp sesame seeds (til)
>>1 tbsp poppy seeds (khus-khus)
>>3 tbsp sugar
>>2.5 tbsp olive oil
>>4 tbsp vinegar
>>Half tsp white pepper powder
>>Half tbsp red chilli flakes
>>Half tsp vegetarian Worcestershire sauce, readily available in the market
>>1 tbsp finely chopped onions

Other ingredients
>>3 cups spinach (palak) leaves, finely torn into pieces
>>2 cups sliced strawberries
>>3 tbsp blanched and slivered almonds (badam)

For the dressing
1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
2. Cover and keep in the refrigerated for at least an hour.

How to proceed
1. Just before serving, combine the spinach, strawberries and almonds in a bowl, pour dressing over the salad and
toss well.
2. Serve immediately.

Moong Dal Pandoli

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Soaking time: 2 to 3 hours
Serves 4

Ingredients
>>1 cup green moong dal (split green gram)
>>1/4 cup fresh curds (dahi)
>>2 tsp ginger-green chilli paste
>>Salt to taste
>>1 tsp oil
>>1 tsp mustard seeds (rai/sarson)
>>1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
>>Half tsp asafoetida (hing)
>>2 tsp lemon juice
>>2 tsp fruit salt for serving

Green chutney

How to proceed
1. Clean and soak the moong dal in enough water for 2 to 3 hours. Wash thoroughly to remove some skin and drain.
2. Add 1 tbsp of water and curd and blend in a mixer till smooth.
3. Add the ginger -green chilli paste and salt and mix well.
4. For the tempering, heat the oil in a small non-stick pan, add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and asafoetida.
5. When the seeds crackle, add the tempering to the batter and mix well.
6. Tie a muslin cloth on top of a vessel half-filled with water and heat till the water boils.
7. Just before steaming sprinkle the fruit salt on the batter and add lemon juice over it, when the bubbles form, mix gently.
8. Put 1 tbsp of the batter on the muslin at regular intervals, cover with a dome shaped lid and steam for 5 to 7 minutes.
9. Repeat with remaining batter to make more pandolis.
10. Serve immediately.

Rajma and spinach wraps

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Makes 4 wraps

For the dough
>>3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
>>Half tsp oil
>>Salt to taste

For the rajma and spinach stuffing
>>2 tsp oil
>>Half tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
>>A pinch asafoetida (hing)
>>1.5 cups finely chopped onions
>>1 tsp crushed garlic (lehsun)
>>1 tsp ginger-green chilli paste
>>Half tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
>>1 tsp coriander-cumin seeds (dhania-jeera) powder
>>Half tsp chilli powder
>>3/4 cup chopped tomatoes
>> 1.5 tsp tomato ketchup (optional)
>> 3/4 cup soaked and boiled rajma (kidney beans)
>>Salt to taste
>>4 cups finely chopped spinach (palak)
>>2 tbsp chopped coriander (dhania)

Other ingredients
>>4 readymade or leftover chapatis
>>4 lettuce leaves
>>3 tbsp eggless mayonnaise
>>1 cup thinly sliced onions

For the dough
1. Combine all the ingredients together in a bowl and knead into a soft dough using enough water. Keep aside.
2. Knead again till smooth, cover with a wet muslin cloth and keep aside.
For the rajma and spinach stuffing
1. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and add the cumin seeds.
2. When the seeds crackle, add the asafoetida and onions and sauté on a medium flame till the onions turn translucent.
3. Add the garlic, ginger-green chilli paste, turmeric powder, coriander-cumin seeds powder, chilli powder, tomatoes, tomato ketchup and 2 tbsp of water, mix well and simmer till the tomatoes are soft.
4. Add the rajma and salt, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 5 to 7 minutes.
5. Add the spinach and coriander, mix well and cook on a medium flame for another 5 minutes.
6. Divide the rajma and spinach stuffing into 4 equal portions and keep aside

How to proceed
1. Place a chapatti on a flat, dry surface, arrange a lettuce leaf over it and apply 1 tbsp of the mayonnaise chutney mixture evenly on it.
2. Place a portion of the stuffing at the edge of the roti, spread ¼ cup onions on it and roll it up tightly.
3. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make 3 more wraps and serve immediately.

Recipes given below have been taken from Tarla Dalal's cookbook '100 Calorie Snacks'

Mushroom Pancakes

Enjoy yummy, low-cal mushrooms and spring onions -- a must on every weight-watcher's grocery list -- in a delicious filling for pancakes or wholewheat chapatis.

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Makes 4 pancakes
Suggested serving size for 100 calories: 1 pancake

For the pancakes
3 tbsp cornflour
2 tbsp plain flour (maida)
2 tbsp low-fat milk
1 tsp melted low-fat butter
a pinch of salt
1 tsp oil for cooking

For the stir-fried mushrooms
2 tsp oil
2 tsp finely chopped garlic
1/2 cup sliced spring onion whites
3 cups sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup sliced spring onion greens
2 tsp soya sauce
salt to taste

For the pancakes
1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, add 2 tbsp water and mix well to make a smooth batter of pouring consistency.
2. Divide the batter into four equal portions and set aside.
3. Heat a non-stick pan, pour a portion of the batter and tilt the pan around quickly to make a 125 mm (5") diameter thin circle.
4. Cook using 1/4 tsp of oil till both sides turn brown in colour.
5. Repeat with the remaining batter to make 3 more pancakes and set aside.

For the stir-fried mushrooms
1. Heat the oil in a non-stick kadhai or wok, add the garlic and sauté on high flame for a minute.
2. Add the spring onion whites and sauté on a high flame for 2 to 3 more
minutes. Sprinkle a little water to avoid the onions from burning.
3. Add the mushrooms and sauté on a high flame for 5 to 7 minutes, while stirring continuously till all the water evaporates.
4. Add the spring onion greens, soya sauce and salt and toss gently.
5. Divide it into four equal portions and keep aside.

How to proceed
1. Place a pancake on a clean, dry surface and spread one portion of the stir-fried mushrooms in a row at one corner and roll it up tightly.
2. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make 3 more stir-fried mushroom pancakes. Serve immediately.

Inputs from Phorum Dalal, Soma Das of the mid-day guide team