Dal is unmissable in any Indian household, especially in a vegetarian family. It is cooked every single day, for both lunch & dinner. The variety of dals and pulses available in India, has been an inspiration for many creative cooks and housewives. Each region and each family has its own style to cook a dal. From a simple one with just turmeric & salt to complex ones for festive days. A memory always haunts me, walking the old city centre of Pune in the late mornings, and the smell of Varan or Aamti (dal) cooking wafting out of the old Wadas. These being traditional solid, black basalt-stone masonry houses, aged to a trustworthy patina. You knew from the fragrance which dal is being cooked! Maharashtrians and Gujaratis excel at sweet & sour dals. With four taste profiles: sweet, sour, lightly spicy and salt, added to which one more layer of flavour infused by adding fresh curry leaves or coriander leaves. This makes it finger-licking delicious to eat with roti and rice or just on itself as a bowl of soul-satisfying soup!
| ¾ cup Tuvar dal/ red lintils- washed & drained. For cooking quick, soak it in hot water for an hour. | |
| 1 green chili chopped fine (2 if you like it spicy) | |
| 2 tsp coriander+cumin powder | |
| ½ tsp each : turmeric powder, garam masala | |
| 3 tbsp tamarind pulp or lemon juice | |
| 4 tbsp jaggery (some families use 1:2 tamarind : jaggery) | |
| 1 tablespoon each of chopped coriander leaves & desiccated coconut | |
| Salt to taste. ( dal needs good proportion, or it tastes insipid) | |
| Tadka /Seasoning: | |
| 1 ½ tbsp peanut or sunflower oil | |
| ½ tsp mustard seeds | |
| ¼ tsp cumin seeds | |
| 1 red chili broken in pieces | |
| ⅛ tsp asafoetida / hing | |
| 8-10 curry leaves (optional) |
Dal is unmissable in any Indian household, especially in a vegetarian family. It is cooked every single day, for both lunch & dinner. The variety of dals and pulses available in India, has been an inspiration for many creative cooks and housewives. Each region and each family has its own style to cook a dal....
| 1. | In a saucepan, add dal, and about 4 cups water. |
| 2. | Bring to the boil, skim off foam. Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 mins. till dal is very soft & it is broken down. Soaked dal cooks in 15-20 mins. |
| 3. | If you are cooking the dal in the pressure cooker, add 2 cups of water to the dal, after pressure, lower heat & cook for 10 mins. |
| 4. | Whisk the cooked dal to make it into a smooth soupy consistency. You can also use a staff-mixer to blend it. |
| 5. | Heat a small saucepan for tadka/ seasoning. Add the oil for the seasoning. When hot, add mustard & cumin seeds. |
| 6. | Add the red chilli pieces & curry leaves if using. Fry the chilies & curry leaves for a few seconds, then add the asafoetida and immediately pour into the whisked dal. |
| 7. | Add chopped green chilli, turmeric, garam masala, tamarind, jaggery, coriander & desiccated coconut. ( If you have chosen lemon juice, do not add it now, it needs to be added at the end of cooking) |
| 8. | Add salt to taste ( 3/4 tsp +_) |
| 9. | Bring the Aamti to a boil. Lower heat & simmer for 10 mins. to develop layers of flavour. (The longer you simmer, the better the taste) |
| 10. | Add the lemonjuice ( if you are using this instead of tamarind), and remove pan from heat. Garnish Aamti with some more fresh coconut gratings and coriander leaves / ghee before serving. |
| 11. | Serve with roti/ naan or rice. Or just have it as a soup and sop it up with a crusty ciabatta. |