A simple yet incredibly aromatic rice dish, where fluffy basmati grains are tempered with cumin seeds. This restaurant favorite is the perfect side for any Indian curry and comes together in minutes.
Prep25 min
Cook15 min
Soak20 min
Servings4
Serving size: 1 cup
321cal
5gprotein
57gcarbs
Ingredients
1.5 cup Basmati Rice (Long-grain is preferred)
3 cup Water (For cooking the rice)
2 tbsp Ghee (Can be substituted with a neutral oil)
1.5 tsp Cumin Seeds (Also known as Jeera)
1 Bay Leaf (Medium-sized)
1 inch Cinnamon Stick
3 Cloves
2 Green Cardamom Pods (Lightly crushed to release flavor)
A comforting and protein-packed twist on the classic dal tadka. Creamy lentils are simmered with perfectly boiled eggs and finished with a fragrant tempering of spices, creating a wholesome and satisfying meal.
A rustic and smoky mashed eggplant dish from Bihar, made by roasting eggplant and tomatoes over an open flame and mixing with pungent mustard oil, onions, and spices. A classic side for litti or roti.
About Jeera Rice, Egg Dal Tadka and Baingan Chokha
Aromatic jeera rice with protein-packed dal & egg tadka, plus smoky baingan chokha. So good!
This bihari dish is perfect for dinner. With 854.0200000000001 calories and 25.71g of protein per serving, it's a muscle-gain option for your meal plan.
7gfat
2 tbsp Coriander Leaves (Finely chopped, for garnish)
Instructions
1
Prepare the Rice
Place the basmati rice in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear. This removes excess starch and prevents stickiness.
Transfer the rinsed rice to a bowl and cover with fresh water. Let it soak for 20-30 minutes.
After soaking, drain the rice completely using the sieve and set it aside.
2
Temper the Spices (Tadka)
Heat ghee in a medium-sized pot or a deep pan with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat.
Once the ghee is hot, add the cumin seeds. Allow them to sizzle and become fragrant, which should take about 30-45 seconds. Do not let them burn.
Add the bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves, and lightly crushed green cardamom pods. Sauté for another 30 seconds until the spices release their aroma.
3
Sauté and Cook the Rice
Add the drained rice to the pot with the tempered spices. Gently sauté for 1-2 minutes, stirring carefully to coat each grain with ghee without breaking them.
Pour in 3 cups of water and add the salt. Give it one gentle stir to combine everything.
Increase the heat to high and bring the water to a rolling boil.
Once boiling, immediately reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Cover the pot with the lid and let it simmer for 10-12 minutes, or until all the water has been absorbed.
Turn off the heat and let the rice rest, covered and undisturbed, for at least 5-10 minutes. This step is crucial for fluffy rice.
4
Garnish and Serve
After the resting period, open the lid. Use a fork to gently fluff the rice grains.
Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves.
Serve hot as a side dish with your favorite dal, curry, or raita.
4
Serving size: 1 cup
348cal
17gprotein
36gcarbs
16gfat
Ingredients
1 cup Toor Dal (Also known as Arhar Dal or split pigeon peas)
5 cup Water (2 cups for soaking and 3 cups for cooking)
4 large Eggs
3 tbsp Ghee (Divided, 2 tbsp for base and 1 tbsp for final tadka)
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
0.5 tsp Mustard Seeds
0.25 tsp Hing (Asafoetida)
2 whole Dried Red Chillies (Broken in half)
1 medium Onion (Finely chopped)
1 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste
1 large Tomato (Finely chopped)
2 whole Green Chillies (Slit lengthwise)
0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder (Divided, for color)
2 tbsp Coriander Leaves (Freshly chopped, for garnish)
Instructions
1
Preparation
Rinse the toor dal thoroughly until the water runs clear. Soak it in 2 cups of water for at least 30 minutes.
While the dal soaks, place the eggs in a saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Cook for 10-12 minutes to hard-boil them.
Once boiled, transfer the eggs to cold water, peel them, and make 2-3 shallow diagonal slits on each egg. This helps them absorb the dal's flavors. Set aside.
2
Pressure Cook the Dal
Drain the soaked dal and transfer it to a pressure cooker.
Add 3 cups of fresh water, turmeric powder, and 1 tsp of salt. Stir well.
Secure the lid and pressure cook on medium heat for 4-5 whistles (about 15 minutes) until the dal is completely soft and mushy.
Allow the pressure to release naturally. Open the cooker and whisk the dal gently to achieve a smooth, creamy consistency.
3
Prepare the Base Masala
Heat 2 tbsp of ghee in a kadai or deep pan over medium heat.
1 large Eggplant (about 450g, round variety preferred)
2 medium Tomato (ripe and firm)
1 medium Onion (finely chopped)
5 cloves Garlic (3 whole for roasting, 2 finely chopped)
3 pcs Green Chili (finely chopped, adjust to taste)
1 inch Ginger (finely grated)
3 tbsp Mustard Oil (raw, for authentic pungent flavor)
1 tbsp Lemon Juice (freshly squeezed)
2 tbsp Coriander Leaves (freshly chopped)
1 tsp Salt (or to taste)
1 tsp Vegetable Oil (for greasing vegetables)
Instructions
1
Prepare and Roast Vegetables
Wash the eggplant and tomatoes thoroughly. Pat them dry.
Using a knife, make 3-4 deep slits across the eggplant. Peel 3 cloves of garlic and insert one into each slit. This infuses the eggplant with a roasted garlic flavor.
Grease the eggplant and tomatoes with 1 tsp of vegetable oil. This helps the skin char and peel easily.
Place the eggplant and tomatoes directly on a medium flame on a gas stove, using a wire rack if you have one. Roast for 15-20 minutes, turning them every few minutes with tongs, until the eggplant is completely soft and its skin is charred and blistered. The tomatoes will cook faster (about 7-10 minutes).
Once roasted, transfer the vegetables to a plate and let them cool for 10 minutes until they are safe to handle.
2
Peel and Mash
Once cooled, gently peel off the charred skin from the eggplant and tomatoes. The skin should come off easily. You can dip your fingers in a bowl of water to help remove any stubborn bits of skin.
Discard the stem of the eggplant. Place the roasted eggplant pulp, tomatoes, and the roasted garlic cloves from inside the eggplant into a large mixing bowl.
Using a fork or a potato masher, mash the vegetables together. Aim for a coarse, rustic texture, not a smooth puree.
Add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Once they start to splutter, add the hing and dried red chillies. Sauté for 30 seconds.
Add the finely chopped onion and sauté for 5-7 minutes until it turns light golden brown.
Stir in the ginger-garlic paste and cook for another minute until the raw aroma disappears.
Add the chopped tomatoes, green chillies, and the remaining 0.5 tsp of salt. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the tomatoes are soft and pulpy.
Add 0.5 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder and coriander powder. Sauté for a minute until the oil begins to separate from the masala.
4
Combine and Simmer
Pour the cooked dal into the kadai with the masala. Mix everything together thoroughly.
If the dal seems too thick, add up to 1 cup of hot water to reach your desired consistency.
Gently slide the slit boiled eggs into the dal.
Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook for 5-7 minutes, allowing the eggs to absorb the flavors.
Stir in the garam masala and crushed kasuri methi. Cook for one more minute and then turn off the heat.
5
Prepare Final Tadka and Serve
For the final tempering (tadka), heat the remaining 1 tbsp of ghee in a small tadka pan.
Once hot, turn off the heat and add the remaining 0.5 tsp of Kashmiri red chilli powder. Swirl the pan to mix.
Immediately pour this sizzling tadka over the dal in the serving bowl.
Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with steamed rice, jeera rice, or roti.
3
Combine and Flavor
To the mashed vegetables, add the finely chopped onion, the remaining 2 cloves of finely chopped raw garlic, green chilies, and grated ginger.
Pour in the raw mustard oil, fresh lemon juice, and salt to taste.
Mix everything together thoroughly with a spoon until all the ingredients are well combined.
4
Garnish and Serve
Garnish the Baingan Chokha with freshly chopped coriander leaves.
Let the chokha rest at room temperature for at least 15 minutes. This allows the pungent flavors of the raw onion, garlic, and mustard oil to meld beautifully with the smoky vegetables.
Serve at room temperature with litti, sattu paratha, or plain roti.
