Sunday 7 June 2015

Yum

5 Lentil Dumplings in Spicy Curry Sauce - Karail

We usually see this kind of Curry/Sabzi every now and then in other blogs or websites. But nobody really knows the origin or the authentic name of it. In villages of UP we have a Dish called "Karail" (Ka-Ra-Yal). This is Authentically made with Urad/Moong Dal. Soaked and Grinded to paste, mixed with some spices and fried to the form of Pakodas. Then dunked into a spicy gravy of Gram Flour/Leftover Lentil Paste. This dish can be enjoyed with any type of Roti/Chapati or Rice.

This dish used to made on some special occasions, when there is any happy moments in the house like births, marriages or engagements in the family. This dish is also made in the sad moments in the house like once after any death , the first cooking would be with "Karail" with rice.  How strange, when I see thats how food can be associated with big moments in your life.

I always loved eating authentic food from my native place and this one dish is my favourite dish. I used to eat it with Rice. Once I get to know that my mum is going to make this, I was like "Make in Plenty pls". I keep on eating 4-5 times in a day and even in mid night . I used to be on mission to finish it as soon as possible, to get my mum to make it again. As I always said , My mum is the best cook in this whole world. She cooks everything to perfection.

So we were talking about this dish. It has goodness of lentils and gramflour. You can also avoid deep frying the Pakoras and make them in a healthy fryer. I'm in process of choosing one for me. Spice levels can be adjusted according to taste. This can be accompanied by your choice of Chapati and rice. We ate this with gobhi musallam, Rice, Raita and Aloo ki Roti (Potato Roti). This dish always takes me to the golden days of my childhood. My Kids also love to eat this, as I make it mild spicy for them.  Try this dish and let me by dropping comment to the post. Until next time.......Happy Cooking Friends, Saumya

Ingredients:

For Pakoda/Dumplings:

5 Lentils / panchmel Daal     - 1 cup soaked overnight
Salt                                        - To taste
Amchoor                               - 1/2 tspoon
Garam Masala                       - 1/2 tspoon + 1/4 tspoon
Red Chilli Powder                 - 1/4 tspoon
Asafetida                                - 1 pinch
Oil                                          - to deep fry
















For The Gravy:

Cumin Seeds                        - 1/4 tspoon
Asafetida/Hing                     - 1 pinch
Onions                                  - 2 finely chopped
Garlic                                   - 4 finely chopped
Ginger                                  - 1 inch chopped
Tomatoes                             - 3 large finely chopped
Gram Flour                          - 1 tblspoon
Kasoori Methi                      - 2 tblspoon
Turmeric powder                 - 1/4 teaspoon
Amchoor powder                 - 1/4 teaspoon
coriander powder                 - 1/2 teaspoon
Garam masala                      - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt                                       - to taste
Oil                                        - 1 tblspoon for tempering
Water                                    - 2 cup or as per your choice of thickness
Fresh Coriander                    - 2 tblspoon finely chopped



















Method:

For Kofta balls:

Wash and Soak the 5 mixed lentils (Panchmel Dal) , I used, Urid, Mung, Toor, Masoor and Chana Dal for this, Overnight or at-least 5 hours.
Grind the lentils to smooth paste in a grinder.
Mix , Salt, Amchoor, Garam Masala, Asafetida and red chili powder in it.
Mix it well and keep aside, Mean while heat oil in a Deep Pan/Karahi.
Once it's medium hot, pinch  ping-pong size balls out of the lentil paste and drop carefully in the oil.
Do 5-7 balls at a time depending upon the size. Fry them until golden.
Pinch the balls and fry them until the lentil paste is finished, Keep them aside.
















For The Gravy:

Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and asafetida in it.
Once Cumin start to splutter, add Onion, Garlic and Ginger in it. Cook until onions are translucent.
In a grinder, add fried Onion, Garlic and Ginger along with tomatoes.
Grind all this to a smooth paste.
Now pour this smooth paste into the same Pan.
Add Gram flour, Powdered Spices and Kasoori Methi into it, mix well.
















Lower the flame to slow and fry for 2 minutes.
















Now add the water into the paste to make it thinner gravy.
















Let the gravy boil for atleast 10-15 minutes to get into a bit thicker consistency and also to cook the gram flour well.
















Sprinkle some finely chopped coriander on the gravy.
The gravy is ready. Check the consistency of gravy as per your choice.
I keep this gravy a bit thick else Pakodas go very soft and fall apart in the gravy.
Keep all the fried Pakodas in a deep serving bowl, Just before serving pour out the Gravy on to the Pakoras.
















They will take few minutes to absorb the gravy and get dunked into it.
Garnish with some freshly chopped coriander and enjoy with Chapati, Paratha or Rice.


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