Indian Dal

Arhar Dal

2008-07-23T16:55:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 cup Split Red Lentil (Masoor Dal)
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder (Haldi)
1 tsp Cumin Seed Powder (Jeera)
2 Green Chilli (Hari mirch)
2 Dry Red Chily (Saboot Lal Mirchi)
1 tsp chopped Ginger (Adrak)
2 Bay Leaf (Tej Patta)
10 gms Mixed Spices (onion seeds,fenugreek seeds,aniseeds,cuminseeds and mustard seeds) 2 tblsp Clarified Butter (Ghee)
1 tsp Sugar
Salt to taste

Preparation:

Wash the dal and cook the dal in a sauteuse with the turmeric, salt and the sugar over a medium flame.
Add half of the ginger to the dal along with the cumin powder.
When the dal is cooked and thick remove from the fire.
Heat the ghee in a pan and add the mixed spices,(a little of onion seeds, fenugreek seeds , aniseeds, cumin seeds and mustard seeds all mixed together).
When the mustard seeds crackle add the bay leaf, remaining chopped ginger , slit green chilliesand the broken red chillies. fry for 2 minutes and pour over the dal.mix thoroughly. serve hot.

Chana Dal

2008-07-23T16:54:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 cup chana daal
7 cup water
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp corriander powder
1 tblsp tamarind pulp
1 tsp sugar
1 tblsp vegetable oil
1/4 tsp black mustard seeds
1 chopped garlic clove

Preparation:

Soak the chana daal in 4 cup water for 2-3 hours then wash and drain.
Boil 3 cups water and the salt in a pan.
Add the chana dal, cover the pan and cook over medium flame for 30 min.
Stir the dal when cooked.
Add cayenne, turmeric, cumin, coriander, sugar the tamarind pulp (skin & seeds removed).
Stir well and allow to simmer uncovered.
In a separate frying pan, heat the vegetble oil over low heat and add the mustard seeds and chopped garlic to it.
When the oil gets hot, add the oil mixture to the simmering pot of dal.
Immediately cover the pot and keep covered for 2 min. while the dal continues to simmer.
Cook chana daal uncovered for another 5 min. and the dal is ready to be served with rice or bread.

Dal Maharani

2008-07-23T16:53:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Rajma
1/4 cup Whole Urad dal
1/4 cup Chana dal
1 Onions, chopped
2 Tomatoes, chopped
3 Green chillies, sliced
1/2 inch Ginger, Grated
Salt To taste
1 Pinch Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Red chilli powder
Corainder leaves
1 tbsp Handful Butter
1/4 cup Cream
1/4 tsp Cumin seeds
1/4 tsp Mustard seeds

Preparation:

Soak rajma, urad daal and chana dal overnight.
Pressure cook the urad dal, chana dal and rajma. Mash them a little. Keep aside.
Heat butter in a pan, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds and fry until they splutter. Add ginger and chillies.
Fry for few minutes. Add chopped onions and tomatoes. Cook until done.
Add salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and stir well.
Add the mashed dals and boil for few minutes.
Add cream, corainder leaves and mix well. Serve the dal maharani hot with roti.

Moong Dal with Palak

2008-07-23T16:52:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 cup split Green Gram Lentil (Moong Dal)
3 cup chopped Spinach (Palak)
a pinch of Turmeric Powder (Haldi)
1 tsp Red Chili Powder (Lal Mirchi)
1 tsp Asafetida (Hing)
2 tblsp Butter
1 tsp chopped Garlic (Lasun)
1 tsp chopped Ginger (Adrak)
a pinch of Sodium bi carbonate
1 tblsp fresh Cream

Preparation:

Wash and soak the gram for 30 minutes.
Boil some water in a pan.
Add the spinach leaves and the sodium bi carbonate and cook the leaves for a minute over a high flame till the leaves are cooked.
Drain the leaves and when cool grind in a blender. remove and keep aside.
Cook the dal ,turmeric powder, chilly powder and the salt in a pressure cooker.
When the dal is cooked remove from the flame and keep aside.( make sure the dal is dissolved in the water, if the water was not sufficient add some more water and cook the dal again in a pan . use a wooden spoon to mash the dal).
Transfer the dal to a pan and add the spinach paste. mix thoroughly.
Cook over a low flame for 2 minutes.remove from the flame and keep aside.
Melt the butter in a pan . Add the garlic and fry for till the garlic turns light brown in color.
Add the ginger and the asafoetida and fry for a few seconds over a low flame.
Add the dal and mix thoroughly. remove from the flame and serve hot garnished with cream.

Punjabi Sukhi Chana Dal

2008-07-23T16:51:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 cup - Chana dal
1 Onions, chopped
Salt To taste
1 - Turmeric Powder
Handful - Pinch Corainder leaves
2 - Cinnamon sticks
2 - Cloves
1 - Bayleafs
1/4 tsp - Cumin seeds
1 tsp - Lemon Juice
1 tbsp - Ghee

Preparation:

Clean, wash and soak chana dal for one hour.
Pressure cook the dal with 3 cups of water. Keep aside.
Heat ghee in a pan, add cloves, cinnamon stick, bayleafs, cumin seeds and fry until they pop up.
Add onions and fry till brown. Add salt and turmeric powder. Mix well.
Add dal and let it boil for few minutes.
Garnish with corainder leaves. When the dal will be cool, add lemon juice and stir well.
Serve sukhi chana daal hot with rice or paratha.

Toor Dal

2008-07-23T16:50:00.001-07:00

Ingredients:

1 cup Tuvar (Toor) Daal
1 Pinch Turmeric Powder
Salt To Taste
1 Lemons
1/2 tsp Jaggery
1 Pinch Asafoetida
1 tbsp Ghee
2 Dry Red Chillies
1/4 tsp Cumin Seeds
3 Garlic Cloves

Preparation:

Pressure cook tuvar dal with sufficient water and turmeric powder.
Mash the dal, after it has been cooked.
Chop the garlic cloves finely.
Heat the ghee in a pan, add cumin seeds, dry red chillies and garlic cloves. Fry till they pop up.
Add the dal with 2 cups of water and salt.
Cook until the toor daal boils, then add jaggery. Cook for 4-5 minutes more.
When the tuvar dal is cooled add lemon juice and serve.

Urad Dal

2008-07-23T16:50:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 cup Urad(white) daal
1 Onion sliced
1 Tomato diced(optional)
1tsp Ginger grated
1-2 Green chilies chopped
Coriander leaves finely chopped
1tsp Cumin seeds (jeera)
2 bayleaves 2 cloves
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
Salt to taste
A pinch of Garam masala
Red chili powder to taste
2tbsp oil
1tsp lemon juice

Preparation:

Clean and wash the daal properly. Soak it in water for 10-15 minutes.
Boil it in 5 cups of water. Boil till it becomes soft. It should not become pasty. Remove the water and keep aside.
Heat oil in a kadhai and add cloves, bayleaves and cumin seeds, allow to splutter.
Now add ginger, onion and green chili and stir-fry till golden brown.
Add tomato (if using) and fry till it softens. Add all dry masalas (turmericpowder, chili powder, salt) and fry for a moment.
Now add daal and lemon juice, mix very gently.
Sprinkle garam masala and garnish with coriander.
Serve hot.

Moong Dal

2008-07-23T16:49:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Moong Dal ( Green Gram)
1 small Onion chopped
1/4 tsp Mustard seeds
1/4 tsp Cumin seeds
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
Pinch of Asafoetida
1 long chopped Green Chillies
1 tbsp Oil
2 Curry Leaves
Few Coriander leaves

Preparation:

Pressure cook moong ki dal for 2 whistles.
Mash it and add turmeric powder, hing and salt to it.
Add 1 cup water.
Heat oil in a pan and season it with mustard seed, cumin seeds, green chillies and curry leaves.
Add the chopped onions and fry for a minute.
Add the mashed moong dal to it and let it boil. Keep till 2-3 boils.
Garnish moong daal with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Dal Makhni

2008-07-23T16:48:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 cup whole urad daal (urad sabut)
1tbsp Red kidney beans (Rajma)
1 onion finely chopped
1 tomato finely chopped
1" Ginger piece
2-3 green chilies finely chopped
chopped coriander leaves
4-5 flakes Garlic paste
1/2 cup stirred curd
1/2 cup fresh stirred cream (malai)
2tbsp butter
1tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1/2tsp turmeric powder
1/2tsp Garam masala
Red chili powder to taste
1/2tsp dhania powder
Salt to taste

Preparation

Soak rajma in water overnight.
Add water & little salt and pressure-cook Rajma and urad daal till soft for about 20-25 minutes. Mash and boil again for 15-20 minutes and add curd and cream to the daal.
Now in kadhai heat oil, splutter cumin seeds and add garlic paste, fry till light brown. Add onions and fry till golden brown.
Now add ginger, green chilies and tomatoes and fry till tomatoes soften.
Now add dry masalas (turmeric powder, chili powder, dhania powder & salt) and fry again for a moment.
Add daal and stir on medium flame. As soon as it starts boiling remove from the gas.
Sprinkle garam masala powder and garnish daal makhni with coriander and add butter.
Serve daal makhni hot. Goes well with laccha paratha, naan or rice.