Vegetable Crock pot

Ingredients

    * 2 cups coconut milk (homemade or canned)
    * 1/2 cup water
    * 2 lbs mixed vegetables, chopped
    * 2 potatoes, boiled and finely chopped
    * 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
    * 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
    * 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
    * 2 teaspoons chili powder
    * 3 small cinnamon sticks
    * 5 peppercorns
    * 1/2 teaspoon ground fenugreek, powder
    * 2 onions, chopped
    * 4 curry leaves
    * 2 green chilies, slit
    * 2 potatoes, boiled and finely chopped
    * 3 large tomatoes, finely chopped
    * salt

 In a non-stick frying pan, take a tablespoon of oil and brown all mix veggies by stir frying for 2-3 minutes on high heat. Transfer all the veggies, spices, tomatoes and coconut milk with salt to the pot and cook covered for about 1 hour.
Check in between to see if the vegetables are done and absolutely soft.Add water as per your preference for consistency.

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Dal Dhokli - Lentil Stew with Dumplings

Ingredients

    For dal:
    1/2 cup Tuvar Dal
    1/4 cup Mung dal (whole, soaked for an hour)
    1/4 cup split mung dal
    1/2 cup cauliflower, finely grated
    1/2 cup mixed vegetables (green peas, French beans), boiled
    2 tablespoons peanuts, boiled
    1-2 tomatoes, chopped
    3-4 kokam/ soaked in water or 1/2 teaspoon tamarind pulp
    1 1/2 teaspoon raw or brown sugar
    2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
    1/2 red onion, chopped
    salt as required

    For Dhokli:
    1 cup whole-wheat flour
    1/4 cup methi (fenugreek) or spinach leaves, finely chopped (optional)
    1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
    1/2 teaspoon red-chili powder
    3/4 teaspoon coriander-cumin powder
    salt as required
    2 teaspoons oil
    water, as required.

    For Tempering:
    2–3 tablespoon oil
    A pinch asafoetida (hing)
    1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds, cumin seeds
    2 kashmiri red dried chilies
    3 green chilies/jalapenos, slit
    1" piece of ginger, grated
    few curry leaves

Dhoklis:
Sieve the flour. Add all the spices, methi leaves, oil and water to form semi-soft dough. Cover and keep it aside for 30 minutes. Knead well and divide the dough into about 7-8 portions. Roll out each portion into thin rounds, use a little flour to make sure it does not stick. Cut each with a pizza cutter into big bite-size squares. Cover the dhoklis with a piece of paper, don’t let them dry or overlap too much, lest they get stuck.

Dal:
In a deep, heavy bottomed pan or pot , heat oil. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds; as they splutter, add dried red chilies, green chilies, curry leaves and ginger to it. Fry a little and add the grated cauliflower, peanuts and the remaining boiled vegetables. Throw in the tomatoes and  dal and 1/2 cup of water or as required. Add the rest of spices, salt, jaggery, kokam. Mash lightly with the ladle and let it all blend with the dal until it comes to a boil. Let this mixture be fairly watery. It'll thicken up considerably once the dhoklis are thrown in.

Slowly, add the dhoklis batch by batch, a few at a time to the boiling dal.  Repeat until all 5-6 chappatis are done.  Let this boil until all the dhoklis are cooked through, but not overcooked. Like fresh pasta, the dhoklis are cooked when the rise to the top, takes barely a couple of minutes. Garnish with fresh cilantro and chopped red onions. Serve hot with some spicy pickle, if desired.

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