Dhokar Dalna

Ingredients:
Preparation:
For the Dhoka: 1/2 lb Chana Daal
2 tbsps ghee
1 tsp cumin seeds
A pinch asafetida/ hing
1 tsp ginger paste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 cup vegetable/ canola/
sunflower cooking oil to pan fry
the Dhoka
For the gravy: 2 large tomatoes
chopped
1 tsp ginger paste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 green chillies
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander powder
2 tbsps vegetable/ canola/
sunflower cooking oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
Salt to taste
Put the Chana Daal in a sieve and
wash thoroughly under running
water until the water runs clear.
Put the washed daal into a bowl
and add enough warm water to
cover the daal by at least 2" over
its surface. Soak overnight.
After soaking overnight, drain the
soaking water, wash the daal
again and discard all the water.
Drain well.
Now grind the daal to a smooth
paste in a food processor.
Take a deep, heavy bottomed pan
and set it up on medium heat.
When the pan is hot, add the ghee
and heat. Now add the cumin
seeds, asafetida, ginger paste and
turmeric powder. Add salt to taste.
Stir and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
Now add the dal paste and mix
well.
Sauté until the daal begins to
come together and get sticky and
thick. Do not dry the daal out too
much.
Grease a flat dish with a little
cooking oil and pour the cooked
dal mixture into it. Use a spatula
to flatten well so that it is evenly
spread in the dish and has a
smooth surface. Allow to rest for
20-30 minutes. The mixture will
firm up by this time.
Cut it into square/ diamond
shapes.
Heat a frying pan on medium and
add enough cooking oil to pan fry
the Dhokas you just made (as
above). Pan fry a few at a time,
until they each turn golden in
color. Drain on paper towels and
keep aside for later.
To prepare the gravy for Dhoka
Daalna, first pureé the tomatoes,
ginger paste, turmeric, green
chillies, red chilli powder,
coriander powder and cumin
powder together in a food
processor to a smooth consistency.
Now heat 2 tablespoons of
vegetable/ canola/ sunflower
cooking oil (on medium heat) in a
pan. When hot, add the cumin
seeds and fry till the spluttering/
sizzling stops. Now add the
tomato-spice pureé you just
prepared to it and mix well. Also
add a cup of hot water.
Bring the mixture to a boil, add
salt to taste and reduce heat to a
simmer. Cook for 10 minutes. Now
add the previously fried Dhokas to
the gravy and cook for 5-7
minutes.
Turn off heat. Serve Dhoka Daalna
with hot Chapatis, Parathas or
plain rice

Short Cut Muri Ghonto

Ingredients : 
1) 1 medium sized Rohu Fish Head (fried till golden brown) 
2) Two medium sized potatoes (diced and fried till golden brown)
3) 2 medium sized onions, 4 cloves of garlic and ½ inch ginger (all of it into a paste)
4) Cumin seed powder 1 tsp
5) Coriander seed powder ½ tsp
6) Turmeric powder ½ tsp
7) Garam masala powder ½ tsp
8) Red chilly powder / green chillies (as per taste)
9) Salt to taste
10) 1 bay leaf and 1 dried red chilly.
11) Oil
12) Ghee
13) Rice (soak ¼ cup of dehradun / basmati/ atap rice in water for 1 hour)

Procedure :

Take a pressure cooker and heat it . Put some oil in it and a tsp of ghee too (being health conscious, we need the flavour of the ghee). Put in a bay leaf and a dried red chilly. Once they are tempered, add the onion-ginger-grarlic paste and fry till the oil separates. Now add the fried diced potatoes. Then add coriander powder, cumin seed powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, and red chilly powder. Mix for sometime.

Strain the soaked rice and add it in the pressure cooker with the masala . Break the fried rohu fish head into small pieces and put them in the pressure cooker. Now add the salt as per your taste. Mix all of these well and add about 1 ½ cup of warm water. Now put the lid on and wait for a whistle.

Generally the muri ghonto is ready in 1 whistle in my pressure cooker . but you may have to check whether it needs another whistle or not.

The muri ghonto is ready to serve. If you miss the smell of the ghee that lingered when your mother or granny cooked, put in some ghee at the top before serving.