score potatoes (for easy-peel) and set to boil in salted water
OR set on trivet in Instant Pot with a cup of water for (8-10 minutes)
can also cover with water in Instant Pot (without trivet)
OR pierce with a knife and microwave until cooked through (5-10 minutes)
mix the yogurt with milk to thin out until desired consistency is reached (keep it thinner than you want the final dish to be since the pallay will soak up the liquid and thicken the overall mixture, as will refrigeration)
add spices, chickpeas; whisk and set aside in fridge
prepare the pallay batter by adding all the ingredients to a bowl and mixing until there are no lumps; you may need to scrape some lumps against the bottom and sides of the bowl to crush them. use as much water as needed to get a runny consistency, something like crepe batter.
heat frying oil in wok, sauce pot, or something deeper than a frying pan, preferably
drain potatoes, peel, and refrigerate until they’re easy to handle; cubing hot potatoes is a hassle and causes crumbling/smushing
when the oil is ready, dollop blobs and strings of batter in and fry in batches until light or golden brown. vary the shapes so you have some dumpling shapes and some thinner strings or dots. dump fried pallay into large mixing bowl. repeat until all batter is used up.
cover fried pallay in water for 1-2 minutes; check to see that even the hard pieces have softened up, then drain completely and add to yogurt mixture
cube chilled potatoes, add to yogurt mixture
mix until everything is thoroughly coated; refrigerate and serve once fully chilled
Notes
recipe as written is a bare-bones base to build off of; but I often like it just like this
mix-ins & toppings
tomatoes
thin-sliced onions
some like to sweeten this dish with a little sugar (to taste)
a drizzle of tamarind chutney adds sour / tangy notes
dahi palla are often served with chaat masala sprinkled on top as a garnish and to add color
Thoroughly wash rice until water runs clear, about 3-4 times
In heavy-bottomed pot or saucepan, set a gallon of whole milk on to boil; add rice and cardamom
Cook down until milk and rice thicken into rice-pudding consistency
Be sure to scrape bottom of pot to avoid scorching milk
Press the rice against the sides of the pot to mush and thicken; you can use a stick blender or hand mixer to speed up the process and for more even consistency
Once desired consistency is reached, add sugar, raisins and almonds; cook until sugar is thoroughly dissolved and evenly distributed
Notes
Kheer may be served warm (if fresh made), but is most often chilled and served cold
Some prefer not to stir the raisins and almonds throughout the dish, instead reserving them for garnish on top of the finished kheer; you can also do both
If slicing almonds, microwave in some water in order to soften the nut and loosen the skin for easy removal
Chilled kheer may form a skin on top; this is completely normal and nothing to worry about. To avoid this over with plastic wrap and push it down so that it touches the surface of the kheer
Both the dal and the rice were made in the Instant Pot at the same time using the pot-in-pot method. You can choose to make them separately if that’s what you prefer.
Ingredients
For the Rice
Amount
Ingredient
1 cup
rice, basmati
1 cup
water
to taste
salt
You can also add some oil or spices to the rice, I prefer to leave them totally neutral when pairing with dals.
For the Dal
Amount
Ingredient
½ cup
dal, masoor
1½ cups
water
1
onion, small, sliced
½
tomato, roma
½
serrano, slit
½ tsp
cumin seeds
½ tsp
cumin powder
½ tsp
salt
¼ tsp
turmeric
⅛ tsp
cayenne pepper
¼ cup
cilantro, chopped
Process
Rinse rice until water runs clear, cover with water to soak; set aside.
Rinse dal, drain, set aside.
Slice onions to your preference, slice tomatoes into quarters (this makes it easier to remove the skins) and slit the pepper lengthwise once or twice.
Dump all ingredients except rice and cilantro into pressure cooker.
Place trivet inside the cooker, drain rice and add it + all the ingredients listed under “For the Rice” into an oven-safe container that will fit on the trivet and inside the pot.
Pressure: High
Time: 7 minutes
Release: Natural
When it’s safe to open, fluff rice with a fork and dish out. Smush tomatoes, peppers, and onions into the dal to homogenize; remove skins if desired.
Add cilantro, stir, and serve.
Notes
You can make any amount of rice, as long as the volume of cooked rice will not overflow the pot-in-pot container. Cook time remains the same.
Cut potatoes into thin slices, soak in water (optional); set aside.
Sauté chilies, potatoes, tomato (if using), and 1 cup of onions in oil.
Add spices (including cumin + coriander seeds) and roast for a few seconds; add water throughout the process as needed to deglaze the pan and prevent burning.
Add the rest of the onions and cook for a few minutes.
Add eggs, mix thoroughly to create scramble. It will look like a gooey mess, don’t worry. It will come together. :)
Turn off heat, add cilantro, mint, chili flakes; mix to incorporate.
Serve hot with roti / paratha / naan.
Notes
In step 2, I like to add a cup of the sliced onions right at the beginning so they cook down all the way, then add the rest of the onions later in step 4. This gives two tiers of onion flavor: the sweeter, more caramelized one from step 2 and the still crunchy, stir fried ones that are added later. The latter also adds a good texture to the softer eggs and potatoes.
The potatoes take the longest time to cook here, so in order to get them nice and tender, a medium dice of about a half inch or so will work best. If need be, add some water to the pan and cover to steam / help move things along. Once the potatoes are cooked, you can add the eggs and the dish is done in about a minute.
Feel things out—I ended up using a full cup of water and an extra tablespoon of oil (for a total of 3 T) because I felt it needed it. A bit more salt would have been perfect, as well. Your dish may vary a little depending on the size of your eggs and vegetables.
