TiffinCarrier Menu: Lunch

Today's TiffinCarrier Lunch Menu: Rice, Phulkas, Mild Tomato Dal, Baingan Fry, Fried Green Chillies with Asafoetida.
Am sending it to the Show Me your Lunchbox event.

Roja Aunty's Baingan Fry , Mild Tomato Dal, Fried Green Chilies with asafoetida for Heat&Spice, Rice and Phulkas.

Mild Tomato Dal

1 Cup of Toor/tuvar/Toovar Dal

1/4 cup finely chopped onions

1/4 cup of chopped tomato

2-Garlic cloves minced

1-chopped green chilli

1/4 tsp- Cumin Seeds

1/4 tsp Garam Masala [ I used a masala powder which included coriander, cumin, cloves, cinnamon, aniseed, cardamom and star anise]

1-dried red chilli

1tbsp-butter/ghee

Salt, Turmeric Powder, Curry Leaves.

Method

Heat the Butter/ghee,

Temper the Cumin, Aniseed, Red Chillies.

Add more oil if needed and saute the green chillies, minced garlic and the chopped onions.

Add the chopped tomatoes and saute/fry until the water evaporates.

Add the turmeric powder and the garam masala  and fry for  few minutes.

Add the washed Toor Dal  and fry for a few minutes, adding about 1/2 tsp of ghee.

Add 1 and half cups of water and pressure cook the Dal.

Mash the dal and add water according to your preference for consistency. I add less water if it is to be packed into a tiffincarrier.

Simmer for a few minutes and do the tempering or garnish.

Garnish/Tempering

You can do an additional tempering with cumin, red chillies, curry leaves and finely chopped onions or just garnish with fried onions.

The fried green chillies  kept alongwith the Baingan Fry can be used to spice up the dal.

Notes

Fried Green Chillies: Since the Tomato Dal is mild,  I have added fried green chillies which are sprinkled with a pinch of asafoetida just before they are are taken from the oil. Alternatley one can immediately sprinkle asafoetida after deep frying them and taking them out of the oil. These green chillies are usually of the mild variety with just a sharp bite towards the end of the stem. One can crush it into the Dal or eat it with the Baingan Fry.

Phulkas: Phulkas are thin chappathi's/roti's made without oil. There is enough oil in the Baingan Fry to keep it soft until lunch time.