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The Hindu
17-06-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Recipe for sukhi moong dal by Sapna Punjabi
We begin the journey into the world of dal with my mom's recipe for sukhi (dry) moong dal. This was my dad's favourite moong dal dish and mom cooked it almost every single week, serving it with warm rotis; and leftovers would end up in our school lunch boxes, rolled inside the roti along with a smear of chutney or achaar (pickle). It can also be served with tortillas, smeared on toasted sourdough bread, or nestled atop a bed of greens for a fun twist on a salad. Sukhi means 'dry', and this recipe uses the yellow split moong dal, which is the split and peeled form of whole moong beans. This variety is one of the easiest dals to cook and also to digest. It is also a zero-waste recipe — even the water in which the dal is cooked is put to good use Ingredients 1 cup (200 g) dhuli moong dal/yellow split moong dal 5 cups (1.2 L) water 1 teaspoon fine sea salt ½ teaspoon ground turmeric 2 tablespoons (30 g) ghee or oil ⅛ teaspoon hing/asafoetida powder 1 teaspoon cumin seeds For the garnish Ingredients ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder ½ teaspoon toasted ground cumin ½ teaspoon ground coriander ½ teaspoon amchur/dried mango powder ½ cup (30 g) finely chopped cilantro (leaves and tender stems) the yellow split moong dal in a fine-mesh sieve under cold running water until the water runs clear, about a minute. Transfer to a medium bowl, add water to cover by 2 inches (5 cm), and soak for 10 to 15 minutes. Drain. a 3-quart (3 L) pot, combine the soaked dal, water, salt, and turmeric. Bring to a boil for 10 to 12 minutes, skimming off any foam. Reduce the heat to medium, partially cover, and cook until the dal softens when pressed between the fingers but still holds its shape and is not mushy off the cooking liquid and save (see Tips). Transfer the dal to a serving bowl. In a medium skillet, heat the ghee, add the asafoetida followed by cumin seeds, and let sizzle. for a few seconds. Pour this hot mixture over the bowl of cooked yellow moong dal. Garnish with Kashmiri chili powder, ground cumin, ground coriander, mango powder, and cilantro leaves. 1. Tips drained dal cooking liquid makes a lovely broth. Garnish with chopped cilantro and a dash of lime juice, making this a zerowaste dish. you overcook the dal (unintentionally or intentionally), you can retain the liquid in the dal and cook to soup consistency and proceed with the tempering as directed. 1. Ayurvedic notes moong dal is sweet and astringent in taste and cooling in potency. It is tridoshic in nature but mainly calms vata and pitta dosha. It can be enjoyed all year long and should be a staple in our pantries. Add extra ground coriander. Favour ghee or peanut oil. Add extra cilantro; avoid Kashmiri powder. Favour ghee or olive oil. Replace Kashmiri chili powder with ground black pepper. Favour sunflower oil or ghee. with permission from Dal Chawal by Sapna Punjabi, Hardie Grant Books
The Hindu
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Sapna Punjabi on her debut cookcook Dal Chawal
I speak to Sapna Punjabi as the clock ticks way past midnight in her Texas home. After donning the hats of a dietitian, Ayurvedic practitioner, and founder of culinary wellness-spice brand beSPICED, Sapna wears a new one, that of a cookbook author. As we sit down to chat about the recently-launched Dal Chawal (published by Hardie Grant Books), Sapna says the idea to pen a cookbook was brewing for a while. 'I wanted to create something that I can share with others in a tangible form. A project that brought together my vegetarian lifestyle, Ayurvedic learnings, and my experience as a neo-natal dietician,' she says. With Dal Chawal, the author has put together 85 vegetarian recipes blending two simple ingredients: dal (lentils) and chawal (rice). With chapters dedicated to dals such as moong, masoor, chana, toor, urad, rice preparations, and another with classic combinations such as handvo and chakkara pongal, Sapna also highlights each dish's Ayurvedic properties. 'The book is a homage to all Indian mothers. The dishes are prepared in Indian homes every day, and my aim was to celebrate these simple recipes,' she says. 'I am a first-generation immigrant whereas my children are American so I wanted these dishes to be cool for my Gen Z kids. For example, I grew up eating sookha moong dal with rotis but I use the recipe as a taco filling for my children. Similarly besan chillas turn into burger patties.' 'The book was not written to impress the Western audience, but to celebrate ghar ka khaana,' says Sapna, who worked as a dietician in Mumbai before moving to the US in the late 1990s. 'I started cooking for myself after moving here, and when I worked as a neonatal dietician, my co-workers were always curious about what I ate and where I got my protein from!,' she says, adding that dal and rice are a complete protein meal in themselves. 'This is also the root of Ayurveda, and something our grandmothers and mothers knew all along,' says Sapna. 'Be it adding hing (asafoetida) to a dal's tadka (tempering), drizzling ghee on hot rice, or having a ginger-turmeric pickle always in our fridge growing up, these techniques aid digestion,' says Sapna, adding that the two additional chapters on pickles and digestive drinks stemmed from this perspective. Which is why, she says, the title Dal Chawal fit the bill for the book's title and theme. 'It brings about an instant connection with readers, and we all have our core memories with these ingredients. Be it a khichdi (porridge) when one is sick, or a sweet preparation for a festival.' Her mother's cooking had a huge influence on Sapna's choice of dishes for the book. 'I'm Sindhi by lineage, my parents were born in Mumbai but had Gujarati influence as they stayed in Ghatkopar, and growing up in Maharashtra gave me exposure to Marathi cuisine,' says Sapna, who wanted to honour India's many regions through the dishes. For instance, the shalgam wali dal (spiced turnips with moong dal) is from Kashmir, chaunsa dal from Uttarakhand, Kumbakonam kadappa (moong dal stew with potatoes) is from Tamil Nadu. These recipes were tested by her several times, and Sapna also roped in friends and colleagues from different ethnicities to test them. 'I wanted to make sure they can be replicated easily. I had them share their feedback and images of the dish they made. A few did not make the cut as they were too extensive and advanced,' she shares, adding that her long-term goal is to incorporate dal-chawal in American food services such as educational institutions, hospitals, etc. 'Tofu and hummus are recognised as go-to protein sources, and I hope to make dal-chawal as mainstream as them,' she says. As for her favourites, Sapna believes there is a dish for every mood. 'While my children love the Sindhi dish sai bhaaji and bhuga chawar (rice with caramelised onions), I love the Gujarati khatti meethi (sour-sweet) dal, kanda bajjis (onion fritters) on a rainy evening, or khichdi after a long journey,' concludes Sapna. Priced at ₹3,296, Dal Chawal is available on
Sydney Morning Herald
29-04-2025
- General
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘A love letter to your future self': Make-ahead meals you'll be excited to eat
Put the oil in a stockpot and place it over medium heat. Once hot, throw in the onion and cook until soft and translucent. Add the guanciale and garlic and fry until fragrant and the guanciale is crisp. Add the meat in batches and brown thoroughly on all sides. Add the tomato paste and cook until it has darkened and it looks like it is coming away from the edges of the pot, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes along with 250ml (1 cup) of water, the herbs and the parmesan rind. Simmer uncovered for at least 3 hours, but 5 hours is best, giving it an occasional stir. You can add more water if it looks too thick or if you are concerned it has reduced too rapidly. Alternatively, if your sauce doesn't appear to have thickened, turn up the heat slightly and cook a little longer. Remove from the heat and take out the bones. I find it easiest to fish the pork ribs out, pull the meat from the bones and chuck it back into the pot, stirring well. Using a couple of forks, shred all the meat in the sauce – you are looking for a ragu-style consistency. Season with a pinch of caster sugar, salt and pepper. I like to leave the parmesan rind in – it's like a love note to the meal about to be devoured. Serve with pasta. Serves 12 This is an edited extract from Kitchen Keepers by Katrina Meynink. Photographs by Katrina Meynink. Published by Hardie Grant Books. RRP $40.
The Age
29-04-2025
- General
- The Age
‘A love letter to your future self': Make-ahead meals you'll be excited to eat
Put the oil in a stockpot and place it over medium heat. Once hot, throw in the onion and cook until soft and translucent. Add the guanciale and garlic and fry until fragrant and the guanciale is crisp. Add the meat in batches and brown thoroughly on all sides. Add the tomato paste and cook until it has darkened and it looks like it is coming away from the edges of the pot, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes along with 250ml (1 cup) of water, the herbs and the parmesan rind. Simmer uncovered for at least 3 hours, but 5 hours is best, giving it an occasional stir. You can add more water if it looks too thick or if you are concerned it has reduced too rapidly. Alternatively, if your sauce doesn't appear to have thickened, turn up the heat slightly and cook a little longer. Remove from the heat and take out the bones. I find it easiest to fish the pork ribs out, pull the meat from the bones and chuck it back into the pot, stirring well. Using a couple of forks, shred all the meat in the sauce – you are looking for a ragu-style consistency. Season with a pinch of caster sugar, salt and pepper. I like to leave the parmesan rind in – it's like a love note to the meal about to be devoured. Serve with pasta. Serves 12 This is an edited extract from Kitchen Keepers by Katrina Meynink. Photographs by Katrina Meynink. Published by Hardie Grant Books. RRP $40.
Sydney Morning Herald
23-04-2025
- General
- Sydney Morning Herald
They may not be ‘true blue' but these Anzac biscuits are truly delicious
300g (2 cups) plain flour 135g (1½ cups) desiccated coconut 200g (2 cups) rolled oats 80g (½ cup) sesame seeds 2 tsp ground ginger 95g (½ cup) soft brown sugar 95g (½ cup) dark muscovado sugar 250g salted butter, chopped 2 tbsp date syrup ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) 80ml (⅓ cup) boiling water METHOD Preheat the oven to 150C fan-forced (170C conventional). Line a baking tray with baking paper. Put the flour, coconut, oats, sesame seeds, ginger and both sugars in a large bowl and mix with your hands to combine. Heat the butter and date syrup in a small saucepan over a low heat until melted and stir to combine. Put the bicarbonate of soda in a small bowl, add the boiling water and mix well. Add this to the melted butter mixture in the pan, it will fizz up a little, then pour it over the dry ingredients and stir to combine well. Roll the mixture into balls about the size of an egg, then place them on the prepared baking tray. Use the palm of your hand to gently press down on the biscuits to flatten them. Bake the biscuits for 15-20 minutes, or until golden. Allow them to cool on the tray for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. I like a crisp Anzac, but if you prefer a chewy Anzac do not flatten them as much and cook for 12-15 minutes. Makes 20 This is an edited extract from Pranzo by Guy Mirabella (Hardie Grant Books), RRP $60. Available in stores nationally. Photography by Guy Mirabella.
