Dal, Rice & Fried Lady Fish

A simple, comforting meal of homemade dal served with rice and crispy fried lady fish. Perfect for a satisfying family lunch

Dal (Lentils)

Ingredients

30 grams tuvar dal

Water for soaking and cooking

Preparation

Soak the tuvar dal for 4 hours.

Wash and drain well.

Add fresh water and bring it to a boil.

Once froth appears, scoop it out.

Cook until the dal is done. Set aside.

Green Masala Paste

Ingredients

1 medium onion

5–6 green chillies

Just enough water to grind

Grind into a smooth paste.

Tempering

¼ tsp mustard seeds

¼ tsp cumin seeds

Few curry leaves

Spice Powders

¼ tsp pepper powder

¼ tsp garam masala powder

¼ tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp curry powder ( consist of coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, pepper corns, Fenugreek seeds

recipe for curry powder mentioned below)

Other Ingredients

½ cup finely chopped coriander leaves

1 stock cube

1 green tomato, sliced

1 tbsp tamarind pulp (or to taste)

Salt as required (adjust since stock cube is added)

Water as needed

Method

Heat oil in a pan.

Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Once they splutter, add curry leaves.

Add sliced green tomato and stir fry.

Add the ground green masala paste and ½ cup water. Stir fry well.

Add curry powder, pepper powder, garam masala powder, turmeric powder, and stock cube. Stir and cook well.

Add the cooked dal, tamarind pulp, and water as required for consistency. Bring to a boil.

Finally, add chopped coriander leaves and cook for 2 minutes.

Serve hot with rice.

Fried Lady Fish

Ingredients

10 lady fish (cleaned and washed)

Make 2–3 slits on both sides of each fish

For the Masala Paste

1 tbsp + 1 tsp chilli powder

1½ tsp cumin powder

¼ tsp pepper powder

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (or any vinegar / juice of ½ lime)

Salt to taste

Mix everything to form a thick paste.

Coating

Wheat flour

Semolina (rava)

Mix wheat flour and semolina together for coating.

Method

Apply the masala paste evenly over the fish, making sure it goes into the slits.

Coat the fish in the wheat flour and semolina mixture.

Shallow fry on medium heat until crisp and golden on both sides.

Serve hot with dal and rice.

Curry powder recipe

This is a simple everyday curry powder that’s extremely versatile and easy to use.

Perfect for quick home cooking, it works beautifully with green pastes, red chilli pastes, coconut milk, or even on its own for mild curries.

Curry Powder Recipe

Ingredients

100 grams coriander seeds

50 grams cumin seeds

40 grams peppercorns

25 grams fennel seeds

15 grams fenugreek seeds

Method

Sun-dry all the spices for 3 days.

Dry roast the spices until slightly aromatic.

Allow them to cool completely.

Dry grind the spices in batches.

Sift after each batch.

For best results, sift twice.

Dry grind the leftover coarse mixture after sifting.

Yield: Approximately 240 grams