Dubke

Dubke

This dish is made in the Kumaon region of Himachal. It is a very simple to make using Yellow pigeon peas made into paste and made into pakoras using 1/2 the paste and the rest of the remaining paste is used to make the gravy. The type of lentils can vary. Green grams or Red lentils can be used.

Ingredients

1/2 cup Tur dal / Yellow Pigeon Peas washed and soaked for 2 hours 

1 Tomatoes chopped 

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds 

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds 

1 Red Chilli broken 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

1/2 tsp Chilli powder 

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Ghee 

Oil to fry the pakoras 

2 tbsp Coriander leaves chopped for garnishing 

For the final Seasoning 

1 tsp Ghee 

1/4 Cumin seeds 

1/4 tsp Mustard seeds 

1 Red Dry Chilli broken

Method 

Add the dal, 1/4 tsp cumin seeds and salt in a grinder and make it into a paste. To make the pakoras, take 1/2 the dal paste.  Heat oil in a wok. Add the 1/2 tsp dal paste in oil and make small pakoras. Keep it aside.

To make the dubke, heat oil in a wok. Add the remaining cumin seeds, mustard seeds and red chilli. Let it crackle. Add the remaining dal paste. Stir fry it continuously for 2 minutes. Add 4 cups of water little at a time, stirring it continuously. Add salt, turmeric powder and tomato. Boil and then simmer the dal on low flame for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mean while soak the pakoras in water. After 20 minutes add the pakoras and simmer for few minutes. For the final seasoning take a pan, add the ghee. Let it heat. Add the chill,  cumin seeds and mustard seeds. Let it crackle. Add the seasoning from top.

Garnish it with coriander leaves.

Palak Ka Kapa

Palak Ka Kapa

It is a Kumauni style spinach preparation. It is easy to cook and in through sense a soul food.  It is eaten with hot steamed Rice.

Ingredients
1 Bunch Palak (Spinach) chopped
2 tbsp  Rice flour
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Red chili powder
2  Whole Dry Red chillies broken into pieces
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
Pinch of Asafoetida
Salt to taste
2 tbsp Mustard oil

Method
Take oil in a wok and heat it on high flame till smoking hot. Lower the flame. Add cumin seeds and whole red chillies. As the cumin seeds crackles, add the rice flour and asafoetida. Sauté  it  until the color of rice flour becomes light brown in colour. Add the spinach, salt, chilli powder and turmeric powder. Mix the spinach well. Add 1 cup of water and cook approximately for 10 minutes on high flame or until done, stirring and mashing it occasionally with a ladle. Switch of the flame.  Cover and let it stand for 10 minutes. Serve with hot steamed rice.