February 6, 2009

Panchratani Palak Dal, Raw Jackfruit and Chana Ghashi

My Panchratani Palak dal and raw Jackfruit-Chana Ghashi, both go to Susan of "the well seasoned cook" blog who is hosting a wonderful, protein packed event called "My Legume love affair-8th helping".

My raw Jackfruit-Chana Ghashi goes to Lakshmi G of Taste of Mysore" blog who is guest hosting "AFAM-Jackfruit" event this month, which is originally launched by Maheswari.

Thanks to all of you for hosting and taking time to organize these yummy round ups too! :))

Gravy with five gems and Popeye's favorite!! ;D
This protein packed dish comes from Punjab (Punj=five, aab=River), a state with five rivers flowing through it in India, which is well known for it's earthy cuisine, robust people and their generosity to guests. Panch in Hindi is five and Ratan means gems. In this case, it means a dish made of five different dals or legumes, which makes it a nutritional powerhouse. I have posted a Panchmel dal before at my Foodie's Hope blog, which is little different from this dish.
Palak is my addition to this traditional Punjabi dish, which is Spinach providing loads of iron to us. With aromatic ginger, garlic and spices, there is no better way to enjoy this dal with some Cumin flavored rice or with Bajri rotis or soft, layered Parathas!

Panchratani Palak Dal:

You need:
1/4 cup Tuar/Toor dal,

1/4 cup Chana dal,
1/4 cup Moong dal,
1/4 cup Masoor dal,
1/4 cup Urad dal.

or any five of your favorite dal, whole or split will do too! Just five dals remember, for "Panchratan"! You add one more dal to this dish and I will hunt you down! Hahaha!!

Need these too:
1 8 oz frozen Spinach or 2-4 cups of fresh Spinach, finely chopped,
1 tbsp oil,
1/2 large onion, finely chopped,
1 heaped tbsp of Coriander seeds powder,
1/4 tsp Turmeric,
1 large Tomato, chopped or 1/4 cup canned Tomato sauce,
2 tbsp sour cream or cream, beaten well,
enough salt and chilli pd to taste.

For the final seasoning to top the dal:
3 tbsp butter or ghee (to be authentic but can use less oil),
1 tsp regular cumin seeds or shah jeera if you have it,
1/2 onion, sliced finely,(fry until golden, then add ginger-garlic)
2" grated ginger,
2 garlic, minced,
1/2 tsp chilli powder or paprika, just for color.

To garnish:
4 tbsp Cilantro, finely chopped.
1 tsp good quality Garam Masala or homemade Punjabi Garam masala.

Five dals to use:
Click to see the larger photo with names on each dal. It's helpful for somebody who is a novice in Indian cooking and helps to visually see the five dals I have used.

To make the dal:
1. In a pressure cooker, heat the oil and add chopped onion and fry until soft. Add all the dals and saute for a minute. Add Tomato or Tomato sauce, stir for a while until thick.
2. Add turmeric, salt, coriander seeds powder and Chilli powder and add Spinach along with 3 cups of water.
3. Cover the lid and pressure for 1 or 2 whistles with weight on or until dal is cooked well. Open the lid when pressure is gone, stir to mix. Adjust spices, add beaten sour cream or cream to mix and simmer very gently for a while.
Gravy should be thick enough to scoop with a spoon but not too thin like soup or very thick or lumpy. Turn off the heat.
4. Finally, heat butter and add all the seasoning ingredients one by one in that order, fry until oil shows up on top. Do not burn any ingredient.
5. Add this to the dal and mix well. Garnish with Cilantro and garam masala. Mix again.

Dal tastes better the next day, excellent with rice or layered Parathas or Bajri roti.

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Raw Jackfruit(Halasina kayi) and Brown Chana Ghashi:

My mother always called this Ghasi rather than Ghashi, don't know why but I want to play safe here and call it Ghashi too as Konkanis call it, as this is originally a Konkan dish (coastal people of Karnataka and from few other states in India).
Here is my..err..my mom's version of Ghasi/Ghashi with canned raw Jackfruit (I know, I know! But hey, don't blame me! I live in US of A! Don't have any Jackfruit tree in my backyard here like my grandparents have in India! :D) and brown Chana, both my favorites. Enjoy! :))

You need:
2 cans of raw Jackfruit pieces,drained and cut into smaller pieces,
1 cup red/brown Chana, soaked overnight and pressure cooked until soft with 2-3 cups of water,
enough salt.
Masala to be ground: (roast these spices first, without oil)
1 tbsp Coriander seeds,
few peppercorns,
1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds,
2-4 dry red chillies,
1 tsp Cumin seeds.
Grind the above spices with these with some water:
1/4 cup fresh coconut,
few curry leaves,
1/2 tsp thick paste of Tamarind,
1/4 tsp Turmeric.
until very smooth and keep aside.

For seasoning:
2 tbsp oil+ghee,
1/2 tsp mustard seeds,
few curry leaves,
1 small onion, chopped finely,
2-3 garlic, chopped, (optional but for a pakka Lingayat, it's a must! :P).

To make Ghashi:
1. Heat oil+ghee in a deep dish, add mustard, curry leaves and onion. When the onion is reddish, add garlic and stir for a minute.
2. Add cooked chana with it's water (don't make it too thin), and drained Jackfruit. Cook on medium heat for 6-10 mins. Canned Jackfruit is already soft, so it just have cook a little to make the raw taste go away. Adjust the salt.
3. After cooking for a while, turn down the heat to simmer, let the gravy cool a bit so when ground coconut is added, it doesn't split to make the gravy thin.
4. When it's cooler, add ground masala to this gravy, stir well to mix it all and let it simmer for 10 mons or so or until raw coconut smell goes and you see the it 's bubbling slowly.

That's it, beautiful tasting Ghasi/Ghashi is ready. As usual, it always tastes better the next day!

PS: What I do with the everyday gravy or Sambhar normally is after it's cooked completely on the stove top, I will let it cool down. Then, I will transfer the gravy to a microwaveable dish and reheat the gravy for 10 mins or more on high or 100% power. That makes the gravy thicker and the oil shows on top quicker than the stove top cooking for hrs and also I don't have to fear that ground masala with coconut or yogurt is going to split if it gets too hot. Somehow it works for me this way!

Have a great weekend! :))

59 comments:

Finla said...

The dal with 5 differents dal looks so yumm.
I love dished mde with jackfruit. This one is new to me, it looks yummy.
You know it is almost 19 years ago i had anydish with raw jackfruit.

Adlak's tiny world said...

Nice recipes and perfect to events...

Get something and enjoy reading in mine dear.

Raaga said...

both dishes look great :-)

I made kadgi-chana ghasshi too: http://chefatwork.blogspot.com/2008/06/kadgi-chana-ghasshi.html

Sunshinemom said...

Generally when I add greens I use only tuvar dal, and my panchmel dal is only dal and no greens. This is a new variation for me. Good that your tried and recommend it too:). I have tasted this jackfruit - MIL makes it like this. I like this for a change but prefer the upperi type Kerala style:) Isn't it a pain to clean it? I find that part tedious so hardly ever make this!!

ranji said...

My all time fav. - CHANA GHASI..We konkani's call it chonya ghasi :)...Its simply incredible especially with kanji.Its one of our traditional dishes and we make it on all occasions...delicious asha :)....
Panchrathani palak dal looks divine..beautiful presentation...Good one!!!:)

FH said...

I understand, F! I had never eaten that either and one day Bee chose the Jackfruit for an event. I searched the whole 2 cities before I found loads cans of ripe and raw JF in Vietnamese store!:D
Try in Asian stores, they keep them usually.

Thanks Adlak. I am a little behind blog hopping today, just had breakfast.Will be there soon!:)

You did!! Raaga, how did I ever miss that. I don't get Jackfruit usually but I love to have different recipes, will look for it! :))

Vani said...

Loved the look of the panchratan dal, Ash! Haven't had a raw jackfruit dish in ages! The ghashi looks delicious.

Raks said...

using five dals with popye's fav,sounds good :D
I would love to try it!
Nice entry for AFAM too!

FH said...

Harini, I made Panchmel dal just with just 5 dals too, thought I add more nutrition with palak, works well. I bought canned Jackfruit, just have to chop a bit, that's all. In India, we smear our hands with oil and then touch the Jackfruit to clean it. It is a mess but nothing better than fresh JF! :)

Ranji, you call them Ghasi too.Why do I see so many "Ghashi" in other blogs. My mother calls it Ghasi, I thought it was wrong! :D
Don't you love the JF and Chana combo, so tasty. Chana tastes great with any other vegetable too, specially with Brinjals!
Post your's if you get JF there!:)

FH said...

Hi Vani, so good to see you girl. Hope you are doing well, must be very busy. Yeah, me too. But you do get the cans in Asian stores, do look for it. It's not as good as fresh, but not bad at all! Hugs to M!:))

Thanks Rak. Both my kids love Spinach, so I try and add it to all the dishes. So nutritious too with dal! :)

Pavani said...

Panchratnai dal looks delicious. My son would probably like it.. Will try it.. Have a great weekend Asha.

AnuSriram said...

Both the dishes looks yum yum! They are new to me.... Especially, making dhal with 5 types of dal is delicious and would surely give the proteins required in our daily diet! Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe.

Cham said...

Both of them are new to me, The super protein packed dhal and Ghasi sounds very tasty. In summer I found some fresh jackfruit but dam expensive! Once in a while I buy it!

Laavanya said...

The dhal looks awesome and is a nutrition powerhouse I see. I've not cooked with canned jackfruit before but found some amazingly sweet frozen (ripe) jackfruit once. That with the brown channa must be awesome. Hope to try that someday... bookmarked.

Anonymous said...

Hi Asha,
pancharatni palak dal looks delicious.a good accompaniment for chapatis and rice.

shalini

Deepthi Shankar said...

add urad dal along with others is soo new to me. I shall try it next time. I have never made ghashi, I love Raw jackfruit, we make sambar with it & we make huli with the seeds too

Pavithra Kodical said...

Both the dishes looks great!! I love jackfruit ghasi..Where did you get raw jackfruit? My mom makes ghasi and also palya..

FH said...

Pavani, make it mild and thicker dal for your son, it's very nutritious!:)

Anu, it's very Punjabi dish, do try! :)

Cham, ghasi is very south Indian dish, try it! Canned JF is not that expensive, look for it in Asian stores! :)

FH said...

Laavanya, ripe JF in cans are pretty tasty. I have bought some too, make JF dosa with it, so yummy! :)

Shalini, hope you try, dal is really tasty! :)

Deesha, urad dal gives a unique taste with other dals, you won't realize the addition, no smell or anything. Try it! :)
My mom used to cook with JF seeds, I don't get those here at all.

Usha said...

The dhal with five different lentils looks delicious,loved the idea of adding spinach to it making this super healthy...the jackfruit curry looks yum !

FH said...

Usha, dal is very tasty too, it brings all the flavors out of each dal. Try it! :)

Ashwini said...

I do the 5 dhal with spinach or methi..Looks yumm.Jackfruit dish looks tempting..It is new..will try that..

Vibaas said...

Hmm...sour cream in daal..yum!
Like sunshine mom, i do it sameway minus the greens. i'm gonna try it with palak next time (and sourcream too :))
Never heard of/ had jackfruit chana ghashi. Looks yum too.

Preety said...

i always find something amazing whenever i visit your blog..you really think out of the box gal..gr8 recipe

FH said...

Ashwini, methi sounds good to me, must try in Summer. I guess you can add greens to this dal! :)

Vibaas, I like sour cream than the heavy cream, you get fat free sour crame too, so fits nicely and get slightly tangy dal! :)

Thanks Preety. Sometimes or most of the time, I get tired of doing the same old thing, so I try and twist things up!Works most of the time! :D

Meera said...

Loved that palak daal. That final seasoning looks awesome.

Jackfruit Chanya Ghashi looks fabulous. I feel like having it with plain rice. I like raw jackfruit but not the ripe one. Wierd, isn't it? came to know about AFAM-jackfruit too. Will try to make something.

FH said...

Yes Meera, seasoning makes this dish delicious with all the flavors fried and added to dal.
For me, just the aroma of ripe JF sends me straight back to my grandparents' home and start drooling! :D

Mahimaa's kitchen said...

yummy dishes.. what a great way to get protein from this dal !
Channa and jackfruit.. lovely lovely combo.

Jayashree said...

I've heard of ghasi but for some strange reason, I always had the feeling that it was something sweet.
I like your addition of palak to the dal.

FH said...

Mahimma, if all vegetarians eat that kind of dal everyday, there is nothing to worry about lack of protein, right? :)

Jayashree, Ghasi is always savory, do try it once. Combo with JF and chana is yummy! :)

Unknown said...

have seen in the raw jackfruit curry in so many blogs..it looks so delicious each time..i do want to try it..dal looks so yumm..

Raaga said...

I didn't realize that it was ghasshi on my scheduler today as well :)

Raaga said...

Also, wanted to tell you... I'm also born in the year of the dragon :)

sra said...

That seasoning in the centre of the dal looks great, all crisp and fried, and so does the jackfruit ghashi.

FH said...

True Sowmya, I love JF too, can't wait for the AFAM round up! :))

Raaga, we Dragons are cool! :D

sra, fried seasoning gives it a smoky taste and nice texture, was yummy! :)

KonkaniBlogger said...

Asha, lovely dal and that ghashi is making my mouth water. Its a common dish for us on special occassions and so when served on plaintain leaves, its just awesome!! Your picture is just too good.

sunita said...

I love raw jackfruit, haven't had it for ages...love your recipe.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend:-)

Purnima said...

Tks for posting tonight's menu :D the daal ..super delicious ! Wd make for dinner tonight. Ghashi..my place - Udipi,Mangalore.:) Hey have u tried Kadgi- Chakko? A dry subji involves steaming of kadgi and thrashing it wt a pestle, n simple masalas which lend a unique flavor to this dish! Tastes best next day ;) :D Tks Asha!!

krystyna said...

Hi Asha,
I learned from you much. Now, I like to go to Indian store and I understand much more what it is. I like buy in Indian store./it is near from me/
Today's recipes are too difficult for me, but I learned something new too.

Thanks for great job!

My best wishes to you!

DK said...

are we cool or what! I made a similar dal myself 3 days ago - its scheduled to appear in 2-3 days or something. By the way this was my reply to ur comment:

@Asha - hahaha! U r talking about Musy and shn while u are not supposed to come out here on a weekend ! Commenting under Anonymous does not justify ur Blog o sphere presence sweetie - Gotcha! :) hehehe

New grinder - U got it???? Already ur pictures do me no good and now u get more and more appliances to do me in!!!! Not fair at all! But I hope u work wonders out of that one..Under ur creative fingers, we are gng to be drooling soon!(ahem! so whats new about that!)

And thanks for the comment dearie - and yes..have to tell you - I dint eat all of it myself. I was an excellent neighbor and host - a tad too generous ppl might say if you know what I mean :) :)

Hugs

FH said...

Krystyna, thank you so much, This dal is so easy, do try and make some.It's nutritious too! :)

DK, I googled your blog to just show your wet grinder you posted to Arvind y'day before I ordered it without logging on, that's why I was anonymous and did leave my name underneath my comment! :D
Yes, Ultra Grind is 2L capacity, $300,coming from Atlanta, so let's see how much it helps me getting me the softest idlis. Sowbhagya is available in US but out of stock. Can't wait to see your dal too, more the merrier! :)

Andhra Flavors said...

nice healthy recipe. i have similar recipe in my blog but that is with beetroot.

FH said...

Hi AF, you have beetroot and dal in your blog? That sounds so good, I will look for it, love beets in any dish. Thanks! :))

suvi said...

love the dal, asha! an absolute must try, coz though i have made the other 4 dals together, have never added urad to them...nice one :)

Purnima said...

Hi Asha, not sure if my comments have been read by you..left here as well as in FH!
Am here to say..u can hunt me down..transformed it to 'Dwaratan' using toor+moong only...masalas n final tadka was making it so worthy! Totally tasty..a trupt feeling after having this daal!! Just loved loved loved it! Its going in the frequent-to-make-folder..Thanks so much for sharing!
PS: Hub not such a fan of daals..finished off half the measure!:D

Daily Meals said...

The dal looks inviting...ghashi sounds new to me...looks yummy...

FH said...

A, Punjabis use Urad dal to make a Sookha dal, it tastes so good mixed with other dals, do try! :)

Purni, I read all the comments you left and answered your q's at FH too. Sometimes, I go to your blog to answer and sometimes I answer at FH itself if I didn't have much time. Check the FH, you will find my reply! :)
Hubby doesn't like dal? Glad he loved tadka and your "Dwaratan" (:D), it's really simple and tasty, enjoy. Hugs to you, have a good Monday! :)

Thanks Vijaya, I made your yummy Muruku, will post at FH next week!Thanks foir the recipe :)

Uj said...

Yummy spread.. Chana Ghashi and that to with Raw Jackfruit.. Its torture for me.. missing all the yummy food. Was able to find Jackfruit only once it was too expensive but we could not resist it! Wish I could have some :(

FH said...

Uj, I don't get fresh JF either, but Vietnamese stores here have canned ones, so I am happy with that. Try there, might get in cans! :))

Archy said...

Palak dal with 5 diff dal.. hmm, must try !!
I Love kadale gujje ghashi!! Its my all time fav, spl in my place jackfruit season u have this ghashi for all occasion :) !! Looks so gud.. !!

Namrata Kini said...

Lovely Chane Ghashi Asha. I too love Kadgi(raw Jackfruit).

FH said...

Archy, Jeegujje reminds me of Bantwal, love it so much! :D

Namu, Me too. Drove around the city half a day to find canned JF, in a Vietnamese store! Arvind thought I went crazy! :D

Savi-Ruchi said...

Ashakka, idannu munche nodidre, nenne ide madabahudittu.., better late than never.., next time khanditha madthene:)
I love dal with palak & garlic. I die for raw jackfruit. Both are really worth a try. Will let you know after I try :)

FH said...

Sushma, try it, I have 2 Palak dal like this, I love the taste so much. Very nutritious too, enjoy. I love raw JF too, I only get canned, not great but it's not bad! :)

Suganya said...

I made this for lunch y'day, Asha. I used exactly five dals (don't have to hunt me on that), but used chard instead of spinach. The addition of cream was a superb idea. It even worked with half and half that I had on hand. I didn't care for rice or roti. We had it with lemon pickle and pepper pappad. 'Twas delicious. Thank you for yet another winning recipe, Asha.

FH said...

YAY! Suganya, it does make a great meal on itself, great to hear about the feedback girl. Tadka itself gives this dish a great flavor, glad you made it. Hugs, enjoy Sunday! :)

Rajee said...

So colorful and yummy dal. Did u find jackfruit in US?

Aparna S Mallya said...

Liked yr dal recipe. I tried a similar one few days ago, but used only toor, masoor and moong dal.
Is that ok, or r u looking out fr me?!

FH said...

Rajee, raw and ripe jackfruit cans are available in Asian stores (Vietnamese etc), see if you can find a store near you! :)

Hahaha! No Aparna, I will let you live!!! Any combo of dals will do, enjoy! :))