Masoor Dahl Soup (Lentil Soup)

Ingredients	Quantity
Turmeric	¼ tsp
Garlic cloves – chopped	5
Pepper corns – black	10
Onion – small and chopped	1
Lentils	¾ cup
Salt	1 tsp
Lemon juice	2 tbsp

Boil 2 ½ cups water in a saucepan. Add turmeric, garlic, peppercorns, onion, lentils and 1 tsp salt. Bring to a boil again. Turn heat to medium-low and simmer until lentils are cooked and most of the water had dried up (about 20 minutes).

Mash or grind lentils completely using a little water if necessary.

Return lentils to saucepan. Pour in 6 cups water and bring to a boil. Turn heat on to medium low and simmer 10 to 15 minutes.

Add lemon juice and salt to taste.

This soup can be eaten as is or with boiled rice.

Masoor Biryani

Ingredients	Quantity
Whole masoor	¾ cup
Uncooked rice	2 cups
Onion slices	3
Chopped onion	1
Chopped tomatoes	2
Saffron	¼ tsp
Ghee	5 tbsp
Ghee	for deep frying
Salt	to taste
Paste:
Garlic cloves	4
Red chillies	7
Coriander seeds	3 tsp
Cumin seeds	½  tsp
Khas-khas	4 tsp
Ginger	1 small piece

Soak the masoor in water for at least 6 hours. Boil the rice, each grain of the cooked rice should be separate. Deep fry the slice onion in ghee to a golden brown colour. Heat three tablespoon of ghee in a vessel and fry the chopped onion for a little time. Add the paste and fry for a few minutes. Add the tomatoes and fry again for two minutes. Warm the saffron in a small vessel. Add one teaspoon of milk and rub in until the saffron dissolves. To the cooked rice, add the saffron, fried onions, salt and mix well. In a large baking bowl put two tablespoon of ghee at the bottom. Make four layers by spreading one third of the rice and then spreading half of the masoor. Next spreading a further 1/3 of the rice and finally spreading the remaining masoor and rice. Cover and bake it in hot oven at 450 degree F for 20 minutes. Empty the bowl upside down on a big serving plate just before serving. Serve hot.

Mashli Ghashi

Ingredients	Quantity
Steaks of salmon – monk fish or shark	1 ½ pounds
Salt	1tsp
Floz coconut, vegetable or corn oil	2
Onion – finely chopped	6 ounces
Garlic cloves – peeled and crushed	5 large or 8 small
Ground coriander	4 tsp
Chilli powder	½ tsp to 1
Ground turmeric	1 tsp
Coconut milk powder	2 ounces
Floz hot water	8
Tamarind concentrate	1 tsp
Or
Lime juice	1  ½ tbsp

Remove the scales from the fish, but leave the skin on. Halve the steaks lengthways and lay them on a large plate in a single layer. Sprinkle half the salt on the steaks and set aside for 20 minutes.

Heat the oil over a medium heat in a wide, shallow pan large enough to hold the fish in a single layer. Add the onions and fry until they are a pale golden colour, 8-9 minutes. Stir frequently.

Add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds. Add the coriander and fry for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in the chilli powder and turmeric. Blend the coconut milk powder with the hot water and add it to the spices. Add the tamarind or lime juice, and remaining salt and simmer gently for 2-3 minutes or until tamarind has dissolved.

Arrange the fish in the pan in a single layer. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Turn the fish over, re-cover and simmer for a further 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve with plain boiled rice, mung bean usal and a carrot salad.