Tomatillo (Green Tomato) Dal

The weather is looking up these days and the sunshine and warmth are most welcome. It had been a while since my last visit to the Farmers Market and this time around I bought some Green Tomatoes or Tomatillos. I've used them before to make Salsa Verde for Enchiladas. I usually make Daal with ripe tomatoes and I was out of them so used the Tomatillos.

The tomatillos lend a natural tartness to the daal which is needless to say, flavorful.

You will need:

¼ cup Tuar Dal

¼ cup Yellow Moong Dal

½ tsp Turmeric powder

1 tbsp Oil

1 tsp Cumin seeds

6 Green chillies, cut lengthwise

¼ tsp Asafetida

1 onion, chopped

3-4 medium green tomatoes (tomatillos), husked and rinsed

A few sprigs cilantro, chopped

Salt to taste

Pressure cook the Tuar and Moong daal together with the turmeric powder. Heat oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds and sauté for a few seconds, then add the cut green chillies and asafetida. Add the chopped onions and cook on medium heat till the onions are done. Cut the tomatillos into bite size pieces and add them to the pan. Cook till the tomatillos are soft and well done. Now add the cooked daal and a cup of water. Season with salt and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, turn off heat and garnish with chopped cilantro.

Taste the daal and if you feel its too tart,add a small piece of jaggery when bringing the daal to a boil. This will cut back the tartness a bit and balance out the flavors.

We had this daal with rice as well as chapathis and it tasted good with both.

Bell Pepper Upma

This is one of the quick go-to meals on any given evening to serve unexpected guests or to simply satisfy early evening hunger. The heavenly aroma of this upma made us drool when mom made it and now when I make it here, the wait seems endless before I can grab a bite!



This upma is flavoured with Bisibelebath powder, not usually used in a dish like Upma. Bisibelebath powder is easy to make and has more uses than just one. So make a batch.

You will need:

1 cup Upma Sooji (Semolina), dry roasted till fragrant
2 ¼ cups Water
¼ cup Oil
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Urad Dal
½ tsp Chana Dal
Few curry leaves
1 cup chopped Green bell pepper
2 ½ tsp Bisibelebath powder
2 tsp fresh Lemon juice
Salt to taste
Chopped cilantro

Heat the oil in a non stick pan. Add the mustard seeds, and when it begins to splutter, add the urad and chana dals. Saute on medium heat for a few seconds and then add the curry leaves. Now add the chopped green bell pepper. Cook until soft and done about 7-8 minutes. Add the water, cover and bring to a boil on high heat.


When the water begins to boil, remove lid, add salt, lemon juice and Bisibelebath powder. Stir and then reduce heat to low. Slowly add the roasted sooji while stirring continuously to prevent lumps. The mixture will quickly thicken, stir and cover. Cook for 3-4 minutes and then stir again. Check for seasoning. Add the chopped cilantro and combine. Serve hot.


A variation to this recipe is to add Eggplant , 1 inch pieces instead of the Green bell pepper. It tastes just as good.