Punjabi Dal Tadka is yellow dal that goes well with pulao, jeera rice and also steamed rice. For Indians, it has the magic to spice up even the normal food!
Ingredients (serves 2-3 people):

1. Toor dal: 1/3 cup
2. Chana dal: 1/4 cup
3. Tomato: 1/2 cup
4. Onion: 1/2 cup
5. Ghee: 3 tbsp
6. Redchilli (dry): 2 pieces
7. Cumin: 2 tsp
8. Ginger: 1 tsp
9. Garlic: 1 tsp
10. Red chilli powder: 1 tsp
11. Coriander powder: 1/2 tsp
12. Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
13. Salt: According to taste
14. Fresh coriander leaves

• Rinse the toor and chana dal meticulously and then soak in water for 2-3 hours.
• Chop the onions, tomatoes, ginger and garlic.
• Put the soaked dal mixture in a pressure cooker, add turmeric powder and salt.
• Cook the dals for 4 whistles.
• Meltthe ghee in a pan and once add ginger and garlic. Sauté for a minute.
• Now add chopped onions and sauté till the onion becomes golden.
• Add chopped tomatoes and cook till the tomatoes become mushy.
• Add red chilli powder and coriander powder in it and cook for a minute.
• Add required salt.
• Now transfer the boiled daalfrom thekadhai and mix well with onion tomato mixture.
• Let the dal come to a boil, the simmer for 2 minutes. Add water if required.
• Add freshly chopped coriander leaves.
• Before serving the dal, heat Ghee in a small pan and add dry red chilli and cumin.
• Pour the tadka on the dal and cover it for 1 minute.

Serve it hot with an accompaniment of your choice. Make sure you switch on the automatic chimney before you start cooking. Let the aroma fill your soul and not your house!

10 HACKS FOR A NEAT KITCHEN Now that you have installed a new, ultra-stylish modular kitchen at your house, are you wondering how to keep it clean and maintained? Worry not, here are some tips to help you sail through the daily kitchen mess easily. These super fantastic kitchen hacks will help you keep your kitchen spotless!

1. Clean the steel sink with salt and lemon – The best way to clean the kitchen sink, if it is made from stainless steel, is a mixture of salt and lemon. Apart from being easy, it is organic and leaves it shiny and fresh.
2. Use a pastry brush to clean the toaster –Daily toasting of bread makes the toaster accumulate a lot of crumbs. There’s no option to wash a toaster, hence you can use a small pastry brush to dust off the bread crumbs from the toaster.
3. Clean the blender in style – This is perhaps the easiest. Pour some liquid soap and water in the jar and turn it on. Rinse it off with water, afterwards.
4. Label the jars and place themin a corner – Trust me, this will make it a whole lot easier for anyone to find the spices. Also, your kitchen will always look organised if you keep all the containers in one corner.
5. Keep your wash sponges dry – Keep the wash sponges dry and free from moulds by using a binder clip. This will drain out all the extra water and make it look organised and clean.
6. Keep the kitchen fragrant– A kitchen free from the food smell is the best. Keep some flowers in one corner and spray some aromatic essential oil, few hours post cooking.
7. Sanitise the waste bin – It is undoubtedly the dirtiest thing in the kitchen. Sanitise the waste bin once every day to decrease the risk of germs spreading in your house.
8. Disinfect the fridge – Use hot water and a mild soap to clean the fridge. Do it after every 15 days and post that place a cut lemon in it to keep it smelling fresh.
9. Microwave the kitchen towel – Wash your kitchen towels once a day with soap water and then microwave them. They will be clean and germ-free.
10. Keep your wooden cutting boards and butcher blocks clean – Use a lemon and kosher salt to scrub the wooden boards and butcher blocks. Wipe it off with a wet towel.