Indian food and the slow cooker
I bought a slow cooker with a removable pot, on a thanksgiving sale for $5. That has been one of my favorite helpers in the kitchen. Cooking dal, chole, beans, sambar, etc is a breeze. I don't need to soak the lentils or beans ahead of time.
One of my favorite items is the mixed dal. I add all kinds of whole lentils (with skin) and beans, onions, tomatoes and water and switch it on. In about 5-6 hours, the dal is ready and all I have to do now is add the tarka (mustard seeds, jeera, red chillies, curry leaves and hing) and salt.
I noticed that the salt should be added only at the end as it seems to absorb the salt if I add it early on. There are days when I do this on my way to work, turn the heat to low and add some extra water. As soon as I come home, I switch it off and it is usually hot and ready.
Of course, there have been days when I have come home to a pot full of black and burnt yuck. My hubby has always done a commendable job getting it back to its original white.
Another favorite is vengaya sambar. I buy the frozen small onions in the Indian store and add that to toor dal and (lots of) water. Add tamarind and sambar powder. At the end, season with salt and tarka. You can also add a paste of roasted coriander seeds, roasted coconut and roasted red chillies at the end for some extra taste.
While cooking lentils/beans, I can switch it off whenever they get to the required mush level. That is a big advantage over regular pressure cookers since I can see through the glass lid.
Now, it is a must in my kitchen.
One of my favorite items is the mixed dal. I add all kinds of whole lentils (with skin) and beans, onions, tomatoes and water and switch it on. In about 5-6 hours, the dal is ready and all I have to do now is add the tarka (mustard seeds, jeera, red chillies, curry leaves and hing) and salt.
I noticed that the salt should be added only at the end as it seems to absorb the salt if I add it early on. There are days when I do this on my way to work, turn the heat to low and add some extra water. As soon as I come home, I switch it off and it is usually hot and ready.
Of course, there have been days when I have come home to a pot full of black and burnt yuck. My hubby has always done a commendable job getting it back to its original white.
Another favorite is vengaya sambar. I buy the frozen small onions in the Indian store and add that to toor dal and (lots of) water. Add tamarind and sambar powder. At the end, season with salt and tarka. You can also add a paste of roasted coriander seeds, roasted coconut and roasted red chillies at the end for some extra taste.
While cooking lentils/beans, I can switch it off whenever they get to the required mush level. That is a big advantage over regular pressure cookers since I can see through the glass lid.
Now, it is a must in my kitchen.
posted by Munimma | 6:50 AM
2 Comments:
where did u get kutti vengayam.. i been looking for it since i came here 2 years abck.. and a cooker i need one too.. u knwo any store that sells one... anywhere in US is fine with me
frozen kutti vengayam is available at most Indian groceries nowadays. In a pinch, shallots at regular groceries can do too.
This is about a slow cooker, not a pressure cooker. You do get both nowadays. I have pressure cookers in departmental stores in the mall. In fact there is one by braun, which has both cookers in one. Amazon.com has some too.
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