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One of my big projects at the moment is compiling recipes in an effort to make a proper recipe book. So I finally typed up my Dal recipe for that (and also so I won't lose it) and I thought I'd just share it here for any of you curious cooks.
Dal
1 cup dal (lentils)
1 litre water (about 4 cups?)
2 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp turmeric (haldi)
1 ½ tsp coriander powder (daniya)
1 tsp garam masala (perhaps this is like curry powder?)
½ tsp chicken masala
1 onion chopped fine
6 cloves garlic chopped
3 Tbsp oil
1. Put dal in a pressure cooker and wash dirt off well by running it through fingers, pouring off dirty water and rinsing again with fresh water. Do this several times until the water is pretty clean. Then pour off the water and put 1 litre of clean water into the pressure cooker.
2. Add salt, turmeric, coriander, garam masala and chicken masala to the dal and water.
3. Put lid on pressure cooker making sure seal is tight and cook over a high stove flame. Note the first time that it whistles and then let it continue cooking for about 15 more minutes.
4. Turn off flame and let pressure cooker sit for at least 5 minutes before letting out the steam.
5. Let all the steam out of the pressure cooker so that you can add the last ingredients as soon as they're ready.
6. Heat oil in a pan and fry garlic and onion until well-browned. Add them immediately to the dal in the pressure cooker and mix well.
7. Serve with rice and roti as desired.
Serving size: 4-6 servings
Cook time: ~20 minutes
Options: This recipe is not at all spicy, so you can add ¼ tsp red chili powder along with the other spices if you wish. Otherwise, we enjoy this dal with a spoon of lime pickle on the side.
4 comments:
Hey Joie, thanks for sharing your recipe. Here's our Dal recipe that we enjoy a few times a month at least! Curry is very popular here in Scotland and very inexpensive to make! Would they eat it like this in India or is this "westernized"? (I'm always fascinated by the way food morphs as it makes its way into other cultures) Also, have any good naan recipes to share?
1 cup dry red lentils
4 onions, diced
8 cloves of garlic, minced
1 inch fresh ginger (or 1 1/2 teaspoons ground)
1 Tablespoon ground coriander seed
2 teaspoons turmeric
2 teaspoons cumin
1 Tablespoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
28 oz diced or crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup double (or heavy) cream
1 Tablespoon sugar
Soak and cook lentils according to package directions. Heat oil in heavy pan and saute onion over medium heat until deep brown for 25 to 30 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, coriander, turmeric, cumin, garam masala and cayenne. Saute additional 2 minutes. Add lentils and 1 cup of water and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in tomato and cook 5 more minutes. Add cream.
Serve over rice and garnish with cilantro if desired.
This is how we do it:
Put in a 2-quart saucepan
1 cup brown rice
1 cup lentils (rinsed)
3 1/2 cups water
1-2 tsp salt
Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 15-20 minutes... Meanwhile, chop 2-3 onions and cook in a little olive oil until soft and nicely golden brown. Stir into the lentils and rice, cover and let cook another 10minutes or so, until all the water is absorbed and the lentils and rice are done. Serve with a dollop of plain yogurt. Not spicy, but this is a nice savory meal. Even Danny will eat it.
Those recipes sound great too! Thanks for sharing them. Steph, I remember how much the Brits love their curries from when Nate was in England! :) I would probably have to taste your recipe to be able to tell if it was 'westernized' or 'westernised' if you will-smile. The ingredients look like what they use here.
Mom, glad you found a good recipe that even Danny likes! :) my Will is a hearty eater except for Rice and Dal- I usually offer him "plain rice" instead, which he is thankful for.
Thanks, Joie! I will make it and imagine what you've been surviving on! I make a lot of rice and beans so I love variety in spicing, etc.
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