Red Lentil Soup / Masoor Dal

This year mother nature seems to have forgotten that spring is around the corner. Most days are still cold and chilly. The cat loves to cuddle and is usually waiting for us to finish up in the kitchen and snuggle up with her. I have a little table by the window in the breakfast nook that I use to click pictures for this blog. The cat is not allowed on the dining table. She sits at the very edge of the little table and stares at us, waiting for us to be done eating so we can move to the family room. Back to the recipe.

A warm bowl of Red lentil soup or a bowl of this masoor dal with rice is perfect for a cold evening. Red lentils are very flavorful and a few vegetables and spices are enough to make a flavorful soup. I like to add a lot of vegetables as everyone in my family loves vegetables. Masoor dal turns mushy when cooked. Sometimes I let it cook until mushy and mash it with the back of the spoon. Sometimes like today I let it cook but turn off heat before it gets mushy. You can add any combination of vegetables and spices to make this dal.

You will need
1/2 cup red masoor dal
1/2 tomato
1/8th red bell pepper
1/2 cup baby kale
1/2 cup baby arugula
1 tsp. garam masala (or you favorite dal masala)
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chili pepper powder
1/2 tsp amchur powder
salt and pepper to taste

Soak the dal for about 15-20 minutes. Meantime, dice the vegetables.

Heat 1/2 a cup of water in a pan. Add the diced vegetables and let them cook until the water is almost evaporated and the greens are wilted.

Drain the soaking water and add the dal to the pan. Add the remaining ingredients and saute for 2-3 minutes on medium low heat.

Heat 2 cups water in the microwave and add it to the pan. Bring it to a boil and lower the heat to simmer. Cover and let the dal cook for about 5 minutes, checking every couple minutes to ensure there is enough water.

Turn off the heat when the soup/dal is at the desired consistency.

Enjoy!

Spicy Tomato Dal

I was trying to do something a little different and came up with this recipe. There is nothing unique about this Spicy Tomato Dal, just added things I normally would not add to dal. The end result was really tasty and everyone loved it. Now this is part of my dal rotation.

Ginger garlic is not part of my everyday cooking. Dal with cumin seeds tadka usually does not have ginger garlic paste added to it. I added it as an experiment that turned out great. Onion is not part of my everyday cooking either. In fact we prefer food without onions. If you like onion, you could add it before the ginger garlic and saute until transparent.

You will need
1 cup toor dal
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 dried red chili pepper
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
2 tomatoes, diced
1/2 tsp asafoetida
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp garam masala, I use rasam masala
1 tsp cayenne pepper, optional
salt to taste

Pressure the toor dal with 2 cups water. Keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds to the heated oil and let them sizzle for a couple seconds. Turn the heat down to low and add the the red chili pepper and ginger garlic paste. Saute for a couple seconds taking care it does not burn. Now add the diced tomatoes and the remaining ingredients except the dal. Add a little water if the tomatoes are not juicy. Let it cook for 4-5 minutes.

Now add the cooked dal and about 1 - 1 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil.

Simmer for a 4-5 minutes on medium-low heat. Turn off heat and serve hot with rice or poli.

Enjoy!

Mixed Dal Ambti

I usually cook for the day early in the morning. One morning a couple of weeks back I walked into the pantry for dal to get the pressure cooker going. I realized I did not have enough toor dal. So I got together a bunch of different dals and made a family favorite, Mixed Dal Ambti.

I used a little of a whole lot of different dals - toor, channa, urad, mung and masoor. Each dal on its own is very flavorful. But together it tastes really great. If you have not tried using multiple dals in one dish yet, you are missing out.

You will need
2 cups combination of dals, I used toor, channa, urad, mung and masoor
1 tomato, diced
1 handful baby kale leaves, diced
1 tbsp oil, I used olive oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp asafeotida
1 tbsp rasam powder or garam masala
salt to taste
Paprika or cayenne pepper to taste

Pressure the dals in a pressure cooker. Keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds. When they sizzle add the asafoetida and turmeric powder. Next add the tomato, kale and the masala powder. Add 1/2 cup of water. Let it cook for about 5 minutes.

Next add the cooked dal and more water if needed. Bring to a boil and let it simmer for 4-5 minutes. Add salt and paprika and let it simmer for another minute. Turn off the heat and serve with rice or poli.

Enjoy!

Mixed Vegetables Dal

Two weeks back my daughter had to come home in the middle of the week for an interview for a summer class. I asked her what she would like to dinner and she said comfort food - dal and rice. I made her this Mixed Vegetable Dal with rice. She was very happy. It is so easy to please college kids.

My family is loves vegetables so I used a lot of them. You can any combination of vegetables. We like it when they hold their shape so I used zucchini, carrots and beans. If you like it you can use eggplant.

You will need
1 cup toor dal or split pigeon peas
Mixed vegetables of your choice. I used
1 zucchini, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 handful bean, diced
1 tomato, diced
1 tomato, pureed
1 tbsp garam masala (I use rasam masala)
salt to taste

Tempering
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp urad dal
1/2 tsp asafoetida
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 dried red chilli

1 tbsp oil (I use olive oil)

Wash and rinse the dal. Cook in a pressure cooker. I heat the pressure cooker and let it steam. I then add the whistle and pressure cook for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and let the pressure subside. Keep aside.

Add all the vegetables to a pan along with the pureed tomato and bring to a boil. Let the vegetables cook for a couple of minutes.

Next add the cooked dal and bring it to a boil. Add water if the consistency is too thick. At this stage consistency should be runny. Let it simmer on medium heat for a good 3-5 minutes.

During the last couple of minutes heat oil in a separate pan. Add the mustard seeds. When they sizzle add the other ingredients and turn off the heat.

Add the tempered oil to the dal and let it simmer for a couple more minutes.

The dal is ready. Serve with rice or poli.

Enjoy!

Dal and Rice in Instant Pot

How is Dal rice in the instant pot any different from the stove top version? There is not a lot of difference in taste. It is the method that is simplified. You start in the saute mode with phodni/tempering. Next you add chopped vegetables, spices etc. Finally the dal and water. You can put a pot in the pot (PIP) to cook the rice. Close the lid and let it cook for 15-8 minutes. You don't have to watch it. When it is done the pressure comes down and you can switch it off. This freedom makes the instant pot perfect for weekday morning.

When my daughter came home for summer she wanted Indian food. That was a surprise because when she was home she craved all types of food. She prefers rice to poli so I made dal rice more often than I normally would.

Dal rice combination is one of the most popular combinations in Indian cuisine. Together it is a complete protein and there is an endless variety of dal preparations.

You will need
1 cup toor dal
1 tsp oil (I use olive oil)
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp asafoetida
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp rasam powder
1/2 onion optional
1 carrot diced
1 green bell pepper diced
1 tomato

For the rice
1 cup rice
1 1/4 cup water

Wash and soak the toor dal and keep aside for at least 15 minutes. In a utensil that will fir into your IP, wash and soak the rice. Keep aside.

Add oil to the IP inner pot and power it up on saute mode. Add the mustard seeds. When they sizzle add the asafoetida and turmeric powder. Next add the onion and saute for a minute or two. Add the rest of the vegetables and the rasam powder. Saute for a minute.

Drain the toor dal and add it to pot.

Add 2 1/2 cups of water. Insert the IP stand and place the rice container on it.

Switch off the IP and restart in manual mode. Put on the lid and ensure the pressure valve is closed. Set for 16 minutes. When done let the pressure come down naturally. Dal rice is done.

Enjoy!

Methi Gola Bhaji / Methi Dal

Waking up at 5 in the morning to cook is hard in winter but waking up to cook in a cold kitchen is way worse. So why is my kitchen so cold? Let me start at the beginning. This winter so far has been cold or wet but not both at the same time. Two weeks back everything changed. We got our first winter storm with ice, freezing rain and thunder sleet (yes there is such a thing). A day after the ice melted we had another winter storm with more sleet. And a day later a third one brought 3 inches of snow over 6 hours. It was like mother nature was trying to catch up for lost time. And right in the middle of the snow storm out furnace blew. To  add to our woes that day my daughter forgot to close the garage door on the way home. That helped the temperature on the first floor to drop overnight to the low 50s. That was of course on a Friday with the weekend ahead of us. Luckily the second floor furnace is working so we can all huddle upstairs. But the kitchen is on the first floor and hence cooking has been a challenge.

I have found that once the food is on the stove the kitchen does warm up. And this recipe is perfect to heat up the kitchen. It takes a little time to get to the right consistency. Methi gola bhaji is a pithala like dish made with toor dal. It can be made with any green leaves, I used methi. It has simple ingredients and makes a nice variation for dal and is a handy side dish. Given my cold kitchen, my family got this bhaji and poli (chapati) for dinner. And in case you are wondering today we are heading for warmer temperatures. We will be in the 60s. Tomorrow there will be sleet but we all enjoyed the moderately warm, very gloomy, cloudy and foggy day that was today.

You will need
1 cup toor dal
one bunch fresh methi
1 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1/4 tsp. asafoetida
1 tsp. turmeric powder
1/2 tbsp. jaggery
1/2 tbsp. tamarind juice/paste
1 tsp. garam masala
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
salt to taste

Cook the toor dal in a pressure cooker for 10 minutes (or 3 whistles). Let the pressure drop before opening the pressure cooker. Meanwhile separate the methi leaves from the stems and wash thoroughly. Chop the methi leaves and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. When they crackle add the asafeotida and turmeric powder. Then add the methi leaves. Let them cook on low heat until they wilt but are not mushy. Now add the jaggery, tamarind, the coriander cumin powder, garam masala and cayenne powder. Combine well with the cooked methi leaves.

Now add the cooked dal and if need 1/4 cup water. Let it mixture cook on medium heat until it thickens. Continue cooking until the water is all gone and the bhaji can be served with a spoon and not a ladle. Turn off heat.

Enjoy with poli and pickle.

Lahori Dal (Pakistani Red Lentil Dal)

Dal is a staple in Southeast Asia. Whether it is eaten with rice or chapati it is usually a part of the meal. The lentils available are cooked in a whole lot of different ways. This is one such preparation.

This dal preparation is very interesting. Usually dal along with onion and other spices is cooked in a pan. The tempering oil and spices are added to the simmering dal. In this recipe the dal is simmered in a pan with spices. The onion is added to the tempering oil and poured over the top. The addition of cream (I used cashew cream) give the dal a delicious rich flavor.

Recipe adapted from here
You will need
1 cup lal masoor dal (red lentils)
1 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. paprika
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp. oil
3 tbsp. cashew cream (soak 5 cashews in water for 30 minutes and grind to paste)
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1/4 cup onion, diced
salt to taste
lemon juice to garnish

Soak dal for an hour. Drain and discard the water. Add 2 cups water and pressure cook the dal until it is tender. In my pressure cooker that is 5 -7 minutes on high heat with whistle. In pressure cookers that whistle that would be 2 whistles. Let the pressure subside. Mash the cooked dal with the back of a spoon.

Pour the dal in a pan and bring it to a boil stirring frequently to ensure it does not stick to the bottom. Lower heat and let it simmer. Add the turmeric power, paprika, garlic, half the oil and cashew cream. Continue to let it simmer and thicken on low heat.

Meanwhile heat the remaining oil in a separate pan and add the mustard seeds. When they crackle add the onion and saute until tender and begins to turn color. Add the onion mixture to the simmering dal. Season with salt and turn off heat.

Add the juice of half a lemon when you are ready to eat. Tastes best hot.

Nepali Dal Bhaat (Red Lentils and Rice)

Dal bhaat or lentils with rice is a staple in the Nepali diet. In fact dal and rice is included in every meal just as it is in neighboring India. Dal can be made with yellow or red lentils, with water or buttermilk, soured with tomato or kokum, spiced or cooked plain. As with anything that is prepared in every home there are as many variations as there are homes. This is one such variation of the Nepali dal.

Bhaat is usually made with white rice. As I no longer cook with white rice I used what I had on hand, brown basmati rice. Rice is usually made fluffy with every grain visible. In my house the only person who likes rice is my daughter and she likes it soft and a little wet. That is the way I make it.

For the Dal

You will need
Recipe adapted from here
For the dal
1 onion
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. ginger garlic paste
1 tsp. coriander cumin powder
1 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. paprika
1 cup red lentils
3 cups water
salt to taste
cilantro to garnish

For the bhaat
1 cup brown basmati rice
2 cups water

To make the dal
Dice the onion. Heat olive oil in a pan and add the onion. Saute until tender and turns color slightly. Add the ginger garlic paste, coriander cumin powder, turmeric powder and paprika. Saute until well combined and fragrant. Add the lentils and roast together with the spices for a few minutes. Add the water and bring it to a boil. Season with salt and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes on medium to low heat. When the lentils are cooked but are not mushy turn off heat.

Garnish with cilantro. Tastes best when hot.

To make the rice
Soak the rice for about 20 minutes. Drain and discard water. Keep aside for another 10 minutes. Put the rice and water in a pan and bring it to a boil. Lower heat, cover and cook and about 20-25 minutes. Brown rice takes longer to cook. When all the water is gone and rice is tender it is done.

Shewgyacha Shenga Amti / Drumstick Ambti

Drumstick or shewgyacha shenga are pods from the drumstick tree. The skin is not edible but the inner pulp and seeds are delicious. I saw fresh slender drumsticks in the Indian store a couple days ago and had to buy them.

My mother made this ambti. Ambti is dal to which a amsul or sol has been added. Ambti has a lovely tangy, sweet and spicy flavor. The drumstick enhances it.

You will need
1 1/2 cup dal
3 drumstick pods
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1/2 tsp. asafoetida
4-5 curry leaves
1 tsp. turmeric powder
3-4 amsul/sol
1 tbsp. goda masala
1 tsp. paprika
salt to taste

Wash and cut the drumstick pods to 3-4 inch pieces. Pressure cook the drumstick and dal (with 2 cups water) separately. Keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. When they crackle add the curry leaves and asafeotida followed by the turmeric powder. Add the cooked dal and bring it to a boil. Add the amsul or sol. Let the dal continue to simmer for about 3-5 minutes.

Add the goda masala and paprika. Add salt to taste. Let it simmer for another 2-3 minutes then add the drumsticks.

Bring it to a boil and turn off the heat.

Enjoy with rice or poli.

Dal Bati (Dal Baafla / Dal and Wheat dumpling)

Today I am posting a recipe from Rajastan. Every day this month I will post a recipe from a different state in India.

Dal Bati is a baked wheat dumpling eaten with dal. It is a very popular preparation in Rajastan found at street side food vendors, in restaurants and homes.

The Dal Bati is dunked in ghee before it is served. I do not believe I could ever dunk anything in ghee, not even a modak. I skipped the ghee altogether. I am sure that affected the taste but since we do not know how it tastes with the ghee we did not miss anything.

I do not have a single source for this recipe. I did read up recipes on the web and talked to a friend for this recipe.

You will need
For the Bati
3 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup semolina
3 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. baking powder

For the dal
1 cups toor dal
1/2 cup masoor dal
1 onion
4-5 cloves garlic
1 Serrano pepper
2 tomatoes
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. turmeric powder
1/4 tsp. asafoetida
1 tsp. ginger paste
1 tbsp. coriander cumin powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
salt to taste

For the dal topping
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1/4 tsp. paprika

To make the Bati
Add all the ingredients for the bati in a mixing bowl. Using water mix together to form a dough. Knead with a touch of olive oil on your finger tips until smooth and soft. Keep aside for 30 minutes.
Heat about 6 cups of water in a large pan. Divide the dough into lemon size portions.

Roll each portion into a flattened ball on the palm of your hand and drop it in the heated water.

Let the water come to a boil. As the temperature of the water rises the partially cooked bati will rise to the surface of the water.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes and then take them out of the water. Allow water to drain on a paper towel.

Place a parchment paper on a baking sheet. Transfer the drained bati on to the baking sheet.

Bake for 25 minutes. 15 minutes into baking turn them over and continue to bake.

Remove the fully baked and browned bati from the oven and allow to cool.

To the make the dal
Pressure cook the toor and masur dal. Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard and cumin seeds. When the mustard seeds crackle add the asafoetida and onion. Cook for a couple minutes and add tomato, ginger and all the remaining spices.

Mix well and let it cook until the tomato is soft and mushy. Add the dal and bring it to a boil. Season with salt. and let it cook for a few more minutes. Turn off the heat.

To put it together
In a small pan heat the oil for the dal topping. As soon as the oil is heated turn off heat. Add the cumin seeds and when they turn color add the paprika.

Serve hot dal in a bowl with a little of the topping along with the dal bati.

Daineiiong with Jastem (Dal in Black Sesame Paste with Flavored Rice)

Today I am posting a recipe from Meghalaya. Every day this month I will post a recipe from a different state in India.

Meghalaya which means ('Megha' or cloud and 'alaya' or home) abode in the clouds, It is one of the states in Northeastern India. It is a border state bordering Myanmar.

As with most of the states in the region there was very little exposure in mainstream India until a decade ago. That is changing as different parts of the country organize food and cultural festivals focused on the Northeast. Migration from these states to other states for better jobs has also improved contact among people. Their web presence is growing slowly.

It was hard to find a recipe for Meghalaya not because there are none on the web but because most of them are not vegetarian. I found a description of some of the well known recipes from the Khasi tribe of Maghalaya here. While it is easy to cook rice from a description it can be challenging to cook other dishes. I found references to Daineiiong which is a dal based vegetarian version of a curry cooked in black sesame seed paste. When I found the recipe for the corresponding non-vegetarian dish here I knew I had my dal recipe. Daineiiong with Jastem is a really dal rice Khasi style.

Daineiiong
You will need
1 cup tur dal
3 tbsp. black sesame seeds
1 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. ginger garlic paste

Pressure cook the dal. Roast the black sesame seeds and grind to a paste with water. In a pan heat the oil and add the dal, ginger garlic paste and sesame seed paste. Simmer until all the ingredients are well combined. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

I had to tweak the dal a little. As a Maharashtrian my taste buds are used to a balance of flavors. I added a little sweet, a little heat and some lime juice to balance the taste of the ginger and garlic.

Jastem
Boil a cup of rice (I used brown basmati) with 2 cups of water, a pinch of turmeric and a half teaspoon salt. Cook the rice until the water evaporates completely. Serve with Daineiiong.