THAALI IDEAS (NORTH INDIAN MINI THAALI #1)

 A Thaali is a 3 course(and above) Indian meal which features a combination of dishes that are wholesome, mix and match with each other in terms of texture and  flavour, and are balanced. India being a country with a huge food culture and heritage there are a great number of thaalis which can be cooked, either within a single cuisine, or a mixture of cuisines that match well.

This is an attempt by me to bring here as many Thaali ideas as possible for you all to create. We all want an balanced meal which takes very little time to create, and this is just that. The Thaalis in this series will range from simple to complex, and festive to on the go. 

The below Thaali took me under 60 mins to create. All the recipes mentioned here are also available separately. But here I am giving the whole process of how I went about creating it, and also giving the recipes side by side.

Do let me know in the comment section if I should create more Thaalis like this for you to try. This current one is a simple working day thaali, which one can create before leaving for work(can pack this as lunch as well), or once back home, or any day.

Planning goes a long way in creating a wholesome, and delicious meal. Please go though all recipes to check if you have all ingredients mentioned.

 PREP TIME: 30 Mins(previous day)                       COOK TIME: 55 Mins

 TOTAL TIME:85 Mins                                              COURSE:  MAIN/ THAALI

 CUISINE:  NORTH INDIAN                                    SERVINGS: 5

 AUTHOR: Rajni Ram

Elements of this Thaali:

*Korean Carrot Salad, *Cabbage Pulav,  *One Pot Tadke wali Dal,  *Green Apple Raita, *Pickle, and *Chaach(buttermilk)

Pre prep: All Vegetables were cut the previous day ( Julienne or Grate the carrot for salad. Chop the cabbage into strips, wash, drain, chop Onions, Capsicum, tomatoes, and store in fridge.)

Preperation and cooking:

STEP 1 : Wash the rice for the Pulav, add adequate water, and pressure cook. (details in recipe). (15 mins approx to cook)

STEP 2: Wash the dal, drain and rest for 10 minutes.(10 min approx)

STEP 3: Within the 10 minutes of the resting time for Dal, complete the carrot salad.

STEP 4: Start cooking the dal as per recipe.(20 mins from start to end)

STEP 5 : The pressure must have settled in the rice, open cooker and spread out the rice on a plate to cool.

STEP 6: Start cooking the pulav as per recipe.( 15 min approx)

STEP 7: While the cabbage is getting cooked(sauteing) grate the Green apple for Raita and complete the raita.

STEP 8: The cooled rice will now be ready to add to the Cabbage mix. Complete the Pulav 

 RECIPES FOLLOW:

1. Korean Carrot Salad:

Ingredients:

     

     Carrots 3 medium sized, julienned or grated roughly

     Caramelized Onions 1/2 cup ( I used store bought dehydrated onions)

     Salt as required 

     Sugar 1 tsp

     Garlic 4-5 cloves chopped finely

     Pepper powder 1 tsp   

     Apple Cider Vinegar(ACV) 1 tbsp ( add more if you want more acidity)

     Crushed coriander seeds/Dhania 1/2 tbsp

     Olive oil (cooking oil, not extra virgin) 2 tbsp

     Fresh Coriander leaves for garnish

     STEPWISE RECIPE: 

    

     1. In a large bowl, take the julienne/grated carrot. Add all ingredients to it except the olive oil.

2. Now in a small frying pan or tempering pan, take the olive oil and heat it to smoke point(be careful to not start a flame while smoking the oil. If the oil crosses smoke point, it can catch fire). Pour this smoking hot oil over the salad ingredients and give them all a good mix. The salad is ready to serve. We liked it chilled, so I put it in the fridge until ready to serve. 

     

    

NOTES:

1. Olive oil is the recommended for the exact flavours of the salad.

2. While bringing the oil to smoke point, be careful to not start a flame while smoking the oil. If the oil crosses smoke point, it can catch fire).

3. Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) can be substituted with white vinegar. I would suggest adding it as per your taste.

2. Cabbage Pulav:

     Ingredients:

     Rice 1 cup precooked and cooled ( I used regular Sona Masoori)

    Cabbage 1/2 of a medium one. chopped to think strips

    Capsicum 1 medium chopped to strips

    Tomato 1 large chopped 

    Cumin seeds 1 tsp

    Fennel seeds 1/2 tsp

    Shah jeera/ Caraway seeds 1/2 tsp

    Cinnamon 1 inch stick

    Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp

    Salt as required

    Red chilli powder(regular) 1 tsp

    Coriander powder 1 tsp

    Fennel Powder 1 tsp

    Garam Masala powder 1/2 tsp

    Oil for sauteing 1 tbsp 

    Fresh coriander leaves chopped for garnish

STEPWISE RECIPE FOLLOWS:

1. Precook 1 cup rice, spread it on a plate to cool and keep aside. In a Kadai heat the oil. Add the cumin seeds, fennel seeds and Shah jeera, Cinnamon stick, and fry until light brown. 

2. To this add the chopped capsicum and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add turmeric powder, and saute for another 2 minutes. Now add the tomatoes and continue to saute, until they become a little tender.

3. Now drop in the Cabbage strips, and saute for 2 minutes. Add salt, Red chilli powder, coriander powder, fennel powder and stir fry well. The cabbage will release water, keep sauteing until it becomes almost dry and the cabbage is well cooked, but firm and crunchy. 

4. Now add the garam masala, cook for a minute, and finally add the cooked rice. Give everything a nice stir so that the rice is well coated with vegetables and spices. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot .

NOTES:

1. Instead of the regular cabbage one can also use Purple or Red cabbage.

2. Other vegetables or soya chunks can also be added.

3. One Pot Tadke wali Dal:

    Ingredients:

    Moong dal 1/2 cup  washed and soaked for 15 minutes

    Tomato 1 chopped

    Mustard seeds 1 tsp

    Cumin seeds 1 tsp

    Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp

    Curry leaves a few

    Green chilli 1 chopped

    Ginger -garlic paste 1/2 tsp

    Salt as required

    Oil for sauteing

    Ghee 1 tsp

    Lemon juice 1 tsp (optional)

STEPWISE RECIPE FOLLOWS:

1. Rinse and soak the Moong Dal for 15 minutes. Now in a small cooker heat some oil. To this add the mustard and cumin seeds. When the seeds crackle add the turmeric powder, followed by curry leaves, chopped tomatoes and green chilli. Saute this well until the tomatoes start turning a little tender. Add the ginger -garlic paste and fry for 10 seconds.

2. Now drain water from the dal and add the Moong dal to the cooker. Mix everything together nicely, and add 1.5 cups water. Close the cooker and allow 5 to 6 whistles to come. Put off the flame and wait for the pressure to release. Now open the cooker. The water must have been absorbed and dal cooked. The mixture may appear dry.

3. Add 1 cup water and stir everything well. Switch on the flame, add salt and stir again. cook for 1 minute. Switch off the flame, if using lemon juice(optional), add now, pour the ghee and its ready to serve.

NOTES:

1. This recipe can be followed with Tuvar dal(pigeon pea), Chana dal(Bengal gram) or the mix of all three grams together. The cook time will vary.

2. To make this dal in a pan instead of cooker. To pre cooked dal add all the above tempering ingredients and saute tomatoes in the tempering, and pour it into the dal.

4. Green Apple Raita:

     Ingredients:

     Green Apple 1 grated with peel

     Yogurt/Curd 300 gm

     Salt as required

     Roasted cumin powder 1 tsp

     Sugar 1 tsp

     Red chilli powder 1/2 tsp (optional)

Directions: In a bowl smoothen out the curd with a ladle gently. Do not whisk, only fold.

Grate the apple with the peel, and drop into the curd, add salt, sugar and roasted cumin powder, red chilli powder(if using), and mix everything very well. put it in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

   NOTE: 

1. Use only Green apples as they give the right tartness and texture. The taste may change with regular eating apples. Green apples are the cooking variety.

2. I have not added red chilli powder here. But it can be added.

3. Fresh and finely chopped coriander leaves can also be added.

4. Use more apples for a stronger flavour/taste.

5. Mango Pickle- Was courtesy my mother who runs Paru's Pickles.

6. Chaach/Buttermilk(this quantity is for 1 glass)- Take 1 tbsp curd and whisk,pour 3/4 cup warer, add salt and cumin powder, top with chopped coriander, if you prefer. 

OVERALL NOTES:

 

1. Planning goes a long way in creating a wholesome, and delicious meal. Please go though all recipes to check if you have all ingredients mentioned.

2. A small tip- sometimes when in a hurry, instead of resting the dal for 10 minutes, a use it immediately after wash, but give it a slightly onger cook time in the cooker (may be 3 whistles more). Helps in saving time.

3. Most of the time I don't store chopped onions in the fridge, I chop them right then. If chopping ahead, I store them in a Tupperware  box so that the smell does not permeate all through the fridge.

If you tried creating this Thaali and liked it please comment below. I would love to hear how it went for you. If you have a query about the recipe email us and i'll respond as soon as I can.

If you would like to receive our recipes on your mail please leave your mail id at the homepage. Every time Rajjo's Kitchenn has a new post we will mail the recipe to you.

  

THAALI IDEAS (PALAKKAD MINI THAALI)

A Thaali is a 3 course(and above) Indian meal which features a combination of dishes that are wholesome, mix and match with each other in terms of texture and  flavour, and are balanced. India being a country with a huge food culture and heritage there are a great number of thaalis which can be cooked, either within a single cuisine, or a mixture of cuisines that match well.

This is an attempt by me to bring here as many Thaali ideas as possible for you all to create. We all want an balanced meal which takes very little time to create, and this is just that. The Thaalis in this series will range from simple to complex, and festive to on the go thaali's. 

The below Thaali took me under 60 mins to create. All the recipes mentioned here are also available separately. But here I am giving the whole process of how I went about creating it, and also giving the recipes side by side.

Do let me know in the comment section if I should create more Thaalis like this for you to try. This current one is a simple working day thaali, which one can create before leaving for work(can pack this as lunch as well), or once back home, or any day.

Before I delve into the recipe I would like to give you a small introduction to Palakkad also called Palghat, which is a city in the state of Kerala. It shares its border with Tamilnadu and has a cuisine of its own. Many people are not aware of the amazing dishes this small district in Kerala has and so I am taking it on me to bring you all a few varieties from this cuisine.

This is a cuisine I was born into. Yes, on my paternal and maternal sides I am a Palakkad Iyer. We are a different breed by ourselves, and our cuisine is very unique.

Palakkad people are mostly vegetarians. The dishes are mostly cooked with coconut and usually tempered in coconut oil.

In the blog, I have recipes of Sukhiyan, Adai, etc, which belong to that cuisine.

Like all cuisines, Palakkad cuisine also has some unique combinations. For example, this dish of Keerai Molagootal, meaning a spinach/palak based dal with spiced coconut gravy, tempered in coconut oil, and the Mathan Puli Pachchadi, which is a pumpkin chutney simmered in a tangy tamarind sauce with a small bit of jaggery is a unique combination. Here the dal is mildly spiced and flavoured and the chutney or pachchadi, as it is called is a sweet and sour one that perfectly balances the mildness of the Molagootal.

Molagootal is a dish that can be made with many varieties of vegetables like- Snake gourd, Ash gourd, or a combination of vegetables like yam, ash gourd and drumsticks etc;

Similarly Puli Pachadi is a dish can can be made with a variety of vegetables like Ladiesfinger, Brinjal, and  Ripe mangoes.

  Planning goes a long way in creating a wholesome, and delicious meal. Please go though all recipes to check if you have all ingredients mentioned.

PREP TIME: 30 Mins(previous day)                       COOK TIME: 55 Mins

 TOTAL TIME:85 Mins                                              COURSE:  MAIN/ THAALI

 CUISINE:  NORTH INDIAN                                    SERVINGS: 5

 AUTHOR: Rajni Ram

 

Elements of this Thaali:

*Carrot Salad, *White Rice, *Keerai Molagootal(spinach dal),  *Mathan Puli Pachadi, *Lotus stem crisps, and *Poppadum *Curd(not in picture)

Pre prep: All Vegetables were cut the previous day ( Julienne or Grate the carrot for salad. Chop the spinach finely, wash and drain, chop Pumpkin to cubes, and store in fridge.)

Preperation and cooking:

STEP 1: Wash the rice and Tuvar dal and put them in individual vessels and cook in the pressure cooker upto 5 whistles. (alternatively use the method you regularly use to cook rice and dal).

    STEP 2: Start cooking the Palak/spinach as per recipe

    STEP 3: Start cooking the Pumpkin as per recipe

    STEP 4: While the palak and Pumpkin are cooking, grate the carrot and finish the salad.

    STEP 5: Temper both the Molagootal and Mathan Pachadi at the same time.

    STEP 6: Fry the Poppadums incase using.

    RECIPES FOLLOW:

1. Keerai Molagootal:

    Ingredients:

    Spinach/Palak 1 bunch chopped finely

    Tuvar dal/Toor dal 1/2 cup cooked soft in a pressure cooker

    Grated coconut 2 tbsp

    Cumin seeds 1tsp

    Dry red chillies 1 or 2 depending on spice preference

    Peppercorns 4 to 5

    Salt as required 

    Turmeric powder 1 tsp

     For tempering

    Coconut oil ( or refined oil) 2 tsp

    Mustard seeds 1 tsp

    Chana dal 2 tsp

    Urad dal 2 tsp

    Dry red chilli 1 broken to bits

STEPWISE RECIPE:

1. Chop the Palak finely, wash, drain the water and cook the palak with a small amount of water, salt and turmeric powder. Cook the Tuvar dal in a pressure cooker until soft and keep aside.

 

2. Grind the coconut, cumin seeds, peppercorns, and dry red chillies to a fine paste and keep aside.

3. Once the palak is cooked, add the ground coconut paste and allow it to boil for a few minutes( around 2 to 3 minutes will do).

4. Once the rawness of the coconut paste is gone, mash the cooked tuvar dal with the back of a ladle and add it to the palak and coconut mixture. Let it cook on low flame for 4 to 5 minutes. If it is too thick, add some water and dilute. Check for salt and adjust and put off the flame.

5. In a small tadka Kadai take 2 tsp coconut oil or refined oil and heat. Add the mustard seeds and as they splutter add the chana dal and urad dal followed by dry red chillies and fry until light brown. Drop this into the Palak and dal mixture. The simple and healthy Palak Molagootal is ready.

NOTES:

1. One can use refined oil if they don't prefer coconut oil. Coconut oil enhances the taste of the dish manifold.

2. The consistency of the dish should be like a dal fry and not too thin or too thick.

3. Add more coconut for the gravy if you prefer, but increase the spiciness by adding more chillies in case you are using more coconut.

4. The palak should not be overcooked and must retain its texture.

   2. MATHAN PULI PACHADI:

 

 

   Mathan/pumpkin   200 gms chopped to cubes

    Tamarind pulp   1/2 cup or make pulp from gooseberry sized bit of   tamarind 

     Asafoetida 1/4 tsp

    Grated coconut 2 tbsp

    Mustard seeds 2 tsp 

    Cumin seeds 1 tsp

    Dry red chillies 2

    Jaggery 1 tsp 

   Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp

    Salt as required

    Red chilli powder 1/4 tsp

    For tempering:

    Coconut oil or refined oil 2 tsp

    Curry leaves a few

    Mustard seeds 1 tsp

    Urad dal 1 tsp

    Dry red chilli broken to bits 1 

In this recipe, we will be tempering first and then making the dish.

STEPWISE RECIPE FOLLOWS:

1. Heat Coconut oil/refined oil in a pan for tempering(dish will be made in the same pan so choose appropriately). Now add all the tempering ingredients one by one starting with mustard seeds. Fry for 30 seconds. Add turmeric powder.

2. When the dals in the tempering turn light brown add the cubed pumpkin and saute for a minute or two.

3. Now add the tamarind pulp(should be dilute) and let the pumpkin cook in it. Add required salt while cooking, and 1/4 tsp of red chilli powder. 

4. Grind the coconut, dry red chillies, mustard seeds and cumin seeds to a fine paste by adding little water. Add this paste to the cooked pumpkin and continue to cook for a few minutes, on low flame.

5. Finally, add the jaggery, few more curry leaves and drizzle some coconut oil(optional) stir well to dissolve the jaggery and put off the stove. The sweet and sour Mathan Pachadi is ready to serve.

NOTES:

1. This pachchadi can be made with other vegetables like Lady's finger, Brinjal, Ripe mango etc;

2. Maintaining the balance between the tanginess and sweetness is prime to this dish. so sticking to the quantities given will help.

3. Adding more mustard then required can turn the dish bitter.

If you tried this recipe and liked it please comment below. I would love to hear from you. If you have a query about the recipe email us and ill respond as soon as I can.

If you would like to receive our recipes in your mail please leave your mail id at the homepage. Every time Rajjo's Kitchen has a new post we will mail the recipe to you.

 

3. Carrot Salad:

     Ingredients:

     Carrots 2 meduium grated

     Green chillies chopped finely

     Curry leaves a few, chopped finely

     Salt as required

     Lemon juice 2 tsp approx

     Oil for tempering 2 tsp

     Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp

     Asafoetida 1/4 tsp

     

    Directions: Take the grated carrots in a bowl. Add salt and lemon juice. Now take oil for tempering and heat it. Add the mustard seeds, once they crackle add, green chillies and curry leaves to the oil followed by asafoetida. drop this tempering into the carrot and mix nicely. Healthy and delicious carrot salad is ready.

     NOTES:

     1. This same recipe can be tried with radish too.

     OVERALL NOTES: 

     1. 1. Planning goes a long way in creating a wholesome, and delicious meal. Please go though all recipes to check if you have all ingredients mentioned.

     2. All vegetables can be chopped and washed and stored the previous day itself.

     3. The Poppadum and other fries are completely optional. While at home we prefer eating that way, but while carrying it for work, I exclude the Poppadums.

    4. The carrot for the salad can also be grated and stored the previous day.