Gujarati Dinner Menu

Introduction

Ingredients

For the Main Course

• 1 cup basmati rice
• 1 cup toor dal (split pigeon peas)
• 1 cup moong dal (split green gram)
• 1 cup chana dal (split chickpeas)
• 1 cup mixed vegetables (carrots, potatoes, peas, beans)
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 tablespoon ginger paste
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 2-3 green chilies, chopped
• 2-3 tablespoons oil
• Salt to taste

For the Side Dishes

• 1 cup tomato-cucumber salad
• 1 cup raita (yogurt mixed with vegetables and spices)
• 1 cup papadum (thin, crispy Indian crackers)

For the Dessert

• 1 cup shrikhand (sweetened yogurt flavored with saffron and cardamom)
• 1 cup ras malai (soft, spongy balls of cheese in a creamy milk syrup)

Instructions

For the Main Course

1. Wash the rice and soak it in water for 30 minutes. Drain the water and keep aside.
2. Wash all the dals and soak them in water for 30 minutes. Drain the water and keep aside.
3. Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add cumin seeds and let them splutter.
4. Add onion, garlic, and ginger paste. Sauté until the onion turns translucent.
5. Add chopped tomato and cook until it turns mushy.
6. Add mixed vegetables, turmeric powder, and salt. Sauté for a minute.
7. Add soaked dals and rice. Add 4 cups of water and mix well.
8. Cover the pressure cooker and cook for 3-4 whistles.
9. Let the pressure release naturally. Open the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.
10. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

For the Side Dishes

1. For the tomato-cucumber salad, chop equal parts of tomato and cucumber. Add salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste.
2. For the raita, whisk yogurt until smooth. Add chopped vegetables (cucumber, onion, tomato) and spices (roasted cumin powder, salt, pepper) to taste.
3. For the papadum, roast the thin crackers over an open flame until crisp.

For the Dessert

1. For the shrikhand, whisk sweetened yogurt with saffron and cardamom powder until smooth. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving.
2. For the ras malai, boil milk in a pan. Add lemon juice to curdle the milk. Strain the curdled milk and knead it into soft balls. Boil the balls in a syrup of milk, sugar, and cardamom powder until they absorb the flavors.

Nutrition