Delicious drumstick bhaji cooked with Chana Dal
Guess what I found yesterday!
My fav Drumstick Bhaji….so rare to find, so nutritious and so delicious!
An extremely seasonal treat, that our cook back home made for us…when the leaves on the drumstick tree were really small and tender.
Ingredients:
4 cups young tender drumstick leaves (washed and drained)
2 small tomatoes
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
3-4 cloves of garlic.
1/4 cup Chana dal
2 whole dry chillies
1/2 tsp red chilli pwdr
1 tsp coriander powder
Salt to taste
1 tbsp oil
Method:
Soak Chana dal in warm water for an hour. Drain and pressure cook in 1/2 cup water with some salt and turmeric till just cooked through but not soft and mushy. Keep aside.
Heat oil, add mustard seeds followed by cumin seeds. Add chopped garlic and whole red chillies.
Cook for 2 minutes, till slightly overdone.
This imparts a unique smoky taste to the bhaji.
Add chopped tomatoes along with salt, red chilli pwdr and coriander pwdr.
Follow with drumstick leaves and cook on medium low heat…
till the drumstick leaves wilt and the tomatoes melt.
Add the boiled Chana dal along with it’s cooking water.
Cover and simmer bhaji for 10 minutes to let flavors meld. Do not over mix or the Chana dal will break and get mushy.
Serve warm with roti/rice and dal.
