Simple Dal, Rice and Prawn and Okra Bhaji

I rustled this up for lunch today, took me one hour and five minutes from start to finish, this is because I was cooking all three simultaneously.

Ingredients

For Prawn and Okra Bhaji:

• 165 gms Prawn (I used M&S Honduran Prawn, the one you find in the stir-fry meal deal section)
• 140 gms Okra (The odd measure measurements is because I used the M&S Okra and it comes in this size)
• 1/2 Onions (chopped finely)
• 1 medium Tomato (diced)
• 1 tsp Garlic powder
• 1 tsp Coriander powder
• 1 tsp Cumin powder
• 1 tsp chilly powder
• 1 tsp Fennel seeds (crushed)
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1/2 cup Dessicated Coconut (dry roasted)
• 1 tsp Ghee
• 1/2 tsp Pepper powder
• Oil
• Salt
• Coriander Leaves (chopped)

For Dal:

• 1/2 cup toor dal
• 2 tomato (chopped)
• 1/2 onion
• 1 tsp garlic
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• a little Asafoetida
• 1 tsp chilly powder
• 1 tsp garlic
• 1 tbsp Oil
• 1 tsp Ghee
• Tempering – 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, 1/4 tsp nigella seeds, a few fenugreek seeds.

For Rice:

• 1 cup Basmati Rice (soaked for about two hours)
• Little less than 2 cups of boiling water
• Salt

Method:

For Rice:

Wash the rice, till the water runs clear. Add to boiling water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on the lowest flame for seven minutes. Turn the gas off and let the rice rest for a minimum of 15 minutes. After 15 minutes fluff the rice.

For Dal:

Add the dal, one chopped tomato, turmeric and asafoetida to a pressure cooker and cook it. I find every cooker is different, mine is a tiny Prestige one and it takes about 7-8 whistles for the dal to be cooked to mushy consistency. Turn off the flame.

Heat the oil in the pan and add the onion and fry till translucent.

Add the garlic paste and cook for one minute

Add the remaining tomatoes and fry till they turn soft

Add the chilly powder and salt and mix well.

Add the cooked dal, 1 cup hot water and adjust seasoning and bring to a boil

We will now prepare the tempering. In a small pan heat the ghee and add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, nigella seeds and fennel seeds, cook for 15-30 secs. Add this to the dal and mix well.

For Bhaji:

Wash and dry the Okra on a tea towel (this is essential as the okra will turn slimy when you cook if its isn’t dry). Chop the okra into 1/2 inch pieces.

Heat a little oil in a pan, add onion and fry till translucent.

Add the chopped Okra and fry for one minute, then cover and cook for a couple of minutes.

Add turmeric powder, chilly powder, garlic powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, crushed fennel seeds and pepper powder and fry. If at any time it feels like the spices will burn add a little water, this will stop the spices from burning and help with cooking the spices.

Next add the chopped tomatoes and salt and cook till the tomatoes are mushy.

Add the prawn and cook for a couple of minutes, add 1/4 cup water.

Next add the dry roasted coconut and simmer till the prawn, okra and coconut are well cooked.

Lastly add ghee and fry for one minute.