Rajasthani Panchmel Dal Recipe: How to Prepare a Delicious Dish from Five Types of Lentils

The traditional Rajasthani dish, corn flour rab, is very popular as a winter breakfast. This local snack is made from corn flour and yogurt (chaach), and the addition of ghee and spices significantly enhances its flavor. Preparing this dish at home does not require much effort, and it can be served hot.

If you want to eat something tasty but easy on the stomach in the morning, you can try the traditional Rajasthani dish—corn flour rab. In some regions of North India, it is also known as maize mahari. It is made from corn flour and chaach. In the rural areas of Rajasthan, it is especially enjoyed during winter. It is quite simple to prepare, and all the necessary ingredients are easy to find at home.

To prepare rab, take corn flour into a pot and gradually mix in a little chaach, stirring thoroughly so that no lumps form in the mixture. Then, add the remaining chaach and one or two bowls of water, mixing the mixture well.

After this, place the pot on medium heat and stir constantly so that the mixture does not burn to the bottom and lumps do not form. When the mixture starts to boil, reduce the heat. Then, cook the dish for about 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the solution is completely cooked and has become slightly thicker, add salt to taste and roasted cumin powder.

To give rab an aroma, heat ghee in a small pan. Add whole cumin, asafoetida, and the chosen red or green chili. As soon as the cumin starts sizzling, pour this flavored fat into the rab and mix thoroughly. Finally, sprinkle with finely chopped fresh coriander on top. The ready traditional Rajasthani rab is ready to be served hot for breakfast.

During the cold and flu season, it is extremely important to monitor your diet, including dishes that are both healthy and tasty. Amla is a fruit rich in Vitamin C and antioxidants. Although amla is usually used to make pickles, chutneys, jam, or juice, there is an option—a South Indian amla rasam called Nellikai Rasam.

This rasam is a liquid, spicy soup traditionally served with rice. The preparation uses not only amla but also tomatoes, tamarind, curry leaves, and various spices. Below is the recipe for making homemade amla rasam and a list of necessary ingredients.

For preparing amla

To process amla, you will need: 6 amla fruits, one quarter teaspoon of turmeric powder, and salt to taste.

For preparing rasam

To create the rasam, you will need: a quarter cup of cooked arhar dal, 1 tablespoon of ghee, 1 teaspoon of mustard seeds, a pinch of asafoetida, one sprig of curry leaves, 1 inch of grated ginger, 4 crushed cloves of garlic, 1 halved green chili, 4 tomatoes made into puree, half a cup of tamarind water, 1 tablespoon of coriander powder, 1 teaspoon of cumin powder, half a teaspoon of Kashmiri red pepper powder, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and salt to taste. Finely chopped green dill is used as a garnish.

Ghugni, made from black gram, is very popular in Bihar. Its spicy taste significantly enhances the dining experience, and it can be eaten at any time—from breakfast to satisfying evening hunger. This article provides a simple guide on how to prepare this dish at home.

Bihari cuisine is known for its authentic flavors and traditional dishes that residents enjoy throughout the day. One such dish is black gram ghugni. This dish, prepared using spices and mustard oil, is characterized by a bright, spicy flavor while remaining quite easy to make. If you want to diversify your diet, try making black gram ghugni in the Bihari style.

To prepare this dish, you will need black gram, onion, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, and a set of various spices. The flavor of this ghugni is especially enhanced when served with hot puri, paratha, roti, chuda (poha), or muri (murmura). Next is a detailed description of the cooking process.

First, soak the black gram in water overnight. In the morning, drain the water and place the gram in a pressure cooker along with water and a small amount of salt. Cook until it reaches 4–5 whistles, until the gram is completely soft.

After that, heat mustard oil in a pot. Add cumin seeds and let them sizzle. Then fry the ginger, garlic, and green chili for a few seconds. After this, add the finely chopped onion and fry until golden brown.

When the onion is browned, add the tomatoes, turmeric, red chili, coriander powder, and salt to taste. Simmer the mixture until the tomatoes become soft and the entire mixture is well cooked.

Then, add the boiled black gram to the pot and mix with the spices for two to three minutes. After this, add the required amount of water and let the dish simmer for some time so that the gram fully absorbs the spice aromas. If you want a thicker consistency, you should reduce the amount of added water.

Turn off the heat and sprinkle the dish with finely chopped fresh coriander. To enhance the flavor, you can add a little lemon juice. Your Bihari-style ghugni is ready. It can be served hot with puri, paratha, roti, chuda (poha), or muri (murmura). To further improve the taste, you can sprinkle finely chopped onion and chaat masala on top. In winter, a light hint of ginger can also make the dish more piquant.