Monsoon recipes: Moong Parathas & Dahi Vada

We invited Get Ahead readers to share rainy-day recipes with us -- pakoras, samosas and every other kind of tasty preparation that has you smacking your lips during the monsoons. We've been flooded with responses and as part of an ongoing series, present three recipes that you can make the most of this season.

Anagha Gade sent in three scrumptious rainy-day recipes. First up is a recipe for Moong Parathas:

Ingredients:

• 3 cups wheat flour
• 1 cup moong dal (split green gram)
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chilly powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp Garam Masala powder
• 1/2 cup water
• Salt to taste

Method of preparation:

• Boil the moong dal in a little water and let it cool.
• Mix all the ingredients including moong dal and keep aside for one hour.
• Make parathas and serve with curds.

Note: You can also make this like you would an aloo paratha (potato paratha), with moong dal paste and all masalas as stuffing.

Next is her recipe for Dahi Vada:

Ingredients:

For the Vada:

• 1 cup urad dal (black gram)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds 
• Salt to taste
• Oil

For the Dahi:

• 3 cups curds
• 1/2 tsp grated ginger
• 1 green chilly
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp red chilly powder
• Coriander leaves
• Salt to taste

For the Tamarind Chutney:

• 1 cup tamarind juice
• 1/2 cup jaggery
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp red chilly powder
• 1/2 tsp Garam Masala powder
• Salt to taste

Method of preparation:

• Soak the urad dal for five hours.
• Grind into a smooth paste and add cumin seeds and salt to taste.
• Make vadas (small balls) of the paste and drop them in a pan of hot oil.
• Take the hot vadas and put in cold water for 2-3 minutes.
• Now take them out of water, squeeze out the water and keep aside.
• Blend the curds until it is smooth and keep in refrigerator for an hour.
• Add salt, ginger, green chilly, red chilly powder and cumin powder. Mix well before serving.
• For the chutney, mix all the ingredients and cook on medium flame till the chutney gets thick.
• In a deep bowl arrange vadas, pour dahi and tamarind chutney over them.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

The third is a recipe for Adai (Mixed Dal Dosa):

Ingredients:

• 3 cups rice
• 1/4 cup channa dal (Bengal gram)
• 1/4 cup moong dal (split green gram)
• 1/4 cup toor dal (split pigeon peas)
• 1/4 cup urad dal (black gram)
• 1/4 cup rice flakes
• 5 red chillies
• Water
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 cup grated coconut
• 2 chopped onions
• Coriander leaves
• Salt to taste

Method of preparation:

• Soak the rice and all the dals together for five hours.
• Mix the rice, dals, red chillies together in a blender. Blend into a smooth paste with a little water.
• Keep the batter overnight for fermentation.
• Mix grated coconut, onion, coriander leaves, salt, cumin seeds and turmeric powder to the batter.
• Make dosas (crepes) and serve hot with green/ red chutney.