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Recipes: Masoor Dal Fry

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Masoor or split red lentils are a powerhouse of nutrients. A mere cup of masoor dal has 230 calories, about 15 grams of dietary fibre and about 17 grams of proteins. It also has various positive impacts on one’s health and body.

This inexpensive dal does not need much time to soak or cook as it is a soft dal and cooks quickly. When cooked, masoor dal turns a soft golden colour and has a pleasant earthy flavour. With 26 per cent protein, these lentils have the third-highest level of protein, by weight, of any plant-based food after soybeans and hemp.

These lentils help stabilise blood sugar levels as it is low in glycemic index and slows the the rate of digestion and prevents sudden or unexpected raises in the blood sugar level. It also keeps the heart healthy by lowering cholesterol levels due to the large propotion of dietary fibre and is an effective weight loss remedy because it has the perfect amount of carbs, yet is low in fat content. Because it is a powerhouse of antioxidents, it has anti-ageing properties and being a rich source of vitamins and minerals like calcium and magnesium, Masoor dal nourishes your teeth and bones. For skincare junkies, if you are looking for a healthy, spotless, glowing and raditing skin, make and apply a face mask of ground masoor dal, turmeric and rose water and apply on your skin. Wash off when the mask dries up. You can also add some milk to this mask for hydrating benefits.

Growing up, my mum never made this dal because my father used to say it was not good for us. When I researched, I found that sometimes, this dal can be adultrated by missing it with another, similar looking dal called kesari or kultha dal which can cause nervous problems and issues with your limbs, especially for pregnant women if eaten in excess. Of course eating anything excess is bad for you and excessive consumption of masoor dal may lead to adverse effects such as kidney ailments, gas from potassium toxicity and side effects of large proportions of amino acids. It may also cause an allergic reaction in some people.

This simple dal fry is very easy to prepare and start to finish, takes around 20-30 minutes (including cooking the dal in a pressure cooker) and is very tasty to have for a homely lunch with rice.

Masoor Dal Fry

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup masoor dal or split red lentils, washed and cooked with turmeric powder till it is soft and completely broken down
  • 1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
  • 1 medium sized tomato, finely chopped
  • 3-4 garlic pods, finely chopped or grated
  • 1 inch piece of ginger, finely chopped
  • 1 green chilli, slit lengthwise
  • 1 tbsp ghee or oil
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • ¼ tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp (more or less) red chilli powder
  • ½ tsp cumin powder
  • ½ tsp coriander powder
  • 1 tsp kasuri methi
  • 1 tbsp (or more) lemon juice
  • Salt to taste
  • Coriander leaves, finely chopped to garnish

Method:

  • Cook the masoor dal in the stove top or pressure cooker with the turmeric powder. Once the dal is cooked, whisk it with a wire whisk till smooth and keep aside.
  • In a pan, heat the ghee or oil and when it warms, add the cumin seeds and let the seeds splutter. Then add the garlic and stir for a couple of seconds. After this add the ginger and stir for a few seconds.
  • Now add the finely chopped onion and stir well and let the onions become translucent. Then add the chopped tomatoes and let the tomatoes soften and become mushy. Add a pinch of salt to help the softening process.
  • When the tomatoes are soft and mushy and oil starts to leave the sides of the pan, pour the cooked dal into this mixture. Add another cup of water and thin it to the consistency you want.
  • Let the dal boil in medium heat for about 5 minutes. Check for seasoning and then crush the kasuri methi in the palms of your hands and sprinkle it over the dal.
  • Switch off the flame and add the lemon juice as well as the finely chopped coriander leaves to garnish.
  • Serve hot with any kind of rice with a stir fried vegetable of your choice.

Recipes: Rustic Moth or Matki Dal

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Commonly grown in the arid and semi-arid regions of India, Vigna aconitifolia is a drought-resistant legume, commonly called mat bean, moth bean, matki, Turkish gram or dew bean. The pods, sprouts and protein-rich seeds of this crop are commonly consumed in India. Due to its drought-resistant qualities, its ability to combat soil erosion and its high protein content, moth bean has been identified as possibly a more significant food source in the future. This legume is native to the Indian subcontinent.

Moth beans contain calcium which is the mineral vital for maintaining stronger bones and prevent the risk of osteoporosis. It also contains phosphorus which helps to strengthen bones according to experts. Moth beans are loaded with remarkable nutrients. So its consumption defends the body against bacteria, fungi and viruses. The presence of zinc in Moth beans strengthens immune system which helps to prevent various sorts of health problems. Zinc acts as antioxidant which helps to control oxidative stress. It means daily intake of moth beans is effective for those people having busy lives. An intake of moth beans and other food containing zinc helps to lower the impact of stress in the body. Like other pulses, moth beans are a great source of protein which is essential to build as well as repair muscles. It is a great source of protein for vegetarians who have to obtain protein from food products. With high presence of protein, Moth beans are useful for those who are trying to lose weight. It increases muscle mass that causes burning of calories. Moth beans have vitamin B which is essential to convert food into fuel. Moth beans also have zinc which provides stress-reducing properties. As with most legumes, Moth beans prevents constipation as it contains fiber. It promotes regularity and eradicate toxins present in gut.

The recipe I am sharing today was actually made by our helper R. This is how it is made in homes in the Northern part of India. It’s a fairly simple recipe, one that is loaded with taste. It goes very well with brown or basmati rice as well as Indian flatbreads or any kind of rotis or parathas.

Rustic Moth Dal

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup moth/matki dal, washed and soaked in hot water for 20-30 minutes.
  • 2 onions, 1 finely chopped and 1 finely sliced
  • 1 tomato, finely chopped
  • 2 bulb garlic, finely chopped or ground into a paste
  • 1 inch piece of ginger, finely chopped or ground into a paste
  • 2 green chillies, chopped
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1-2 tsp garam masala powder
  • 1/8 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tbsp ghee
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 tsp lemon juice (optional)
  • 1 tsp kasuri methi (optional)
  • Coriander leaves to garnish

Method:

  • Pressure cook the dal for 3-4 whistles with the turmeric powder until it is very soft. If you are cooking over the stovetop, cook with sufficient water until the dal loses its shape and becomes soft and mushy. In both cases, after the dal is cooked, whisk it well and keep aside.
  • In a pan, heat the ghee and when the ghee becomes warm, add the cumin seeds and let them splutter.
  • When the cumin seeds start to splutter, add the garlic, ginger and green chilli pieces and stir for a few minutes.
  • Now add the finely chopped onions and stir well. Let the onions become translucent.
  • Then add the finely chopped tomatoes and a pinch of salt and let the tomatoes cook till they are mushy and lose their shape.
  • Now pour in the cooked dal and continue cooking and stirring the masala into the dal till the dal starts to bubble.
  • Add the garam masala powder and season with salt. Crush the kasuri methi in the palms of your hands and sprinkle it on the dal.
  • Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.
  • While serving, if you want to serve it like they do in Punjabi households, then pour some dal in a cup and top it with some sliced onions, a dash of lemon juice and a bit of ghee and serve. You mix this well before eating it with rice or rotis.

Recipes: No Onion, No Garlic Vegetable Makhani

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On the day that Navratri ended, S started his 41 day vow in preparation to his trip to the Sabarimalai temple in Kerala.This meant a continuation of the no onion, no garlic routine we had while Navratri was going on. Although it was not mandatory for us to do the same food regime, I didn’t want to make multiple dishes for the same meal, hence we also ate the same food as S. I adapted this recipe from a Paneer Makhni recipe from My Food Lab on Facebook.

No Onion, No Garlic Vegetable Makhani

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups chopped mixed vegetables (I used a combination of carrots, cauliflower, potatoes and green peas)
  • 1 cup frozen paneer, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes, drained and kept aside. Keep the water you soaked the paneer in
  • 7-8 tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3-4 green cardamoms
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 4-6 kashmiri red chillies (if you don’t have Kashmiri red chillies, just use ordinary dried red chillies)
  • 10-15 cashewnuts
  • 2 tbsp raisins
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1/4 tsp asafoetida powder
  • 1 tbsp red chilli powder
  • 1 tbsp coriander powder
  • 1 tbsp garam masala powder
  • 1 tsp kasuri methi
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup skimmed milk
  • 3 tbsp oil
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • Salt to taste
  • Coriander leaves to garnish

Method:

  • Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and when the oil warms up, add the cumin seeds, green cardamom, bay leaf and kashmiri red chillies, stirring for a couple of seconds between each ingredient.
  • Then add the cashew nuts and raisins and stir for a couple of seconds.
  • Next add the chopped tomatoes and stir well. Add some salt and water to cover the tomatoes and cook covered till the tomatoes are completely cooked and mushy.
  • Remove from the flame and cool down completely. Once cool, grind it into a very fine paste with the skimmed milk and the water from soaking the paneer. Then strain the paste into another container so it is lump-free. You may need to do the grind and strain a couple of times. Use the milk and water as required to grind the whole tomato mixture into as fine paste as possible and keep aside.
  • In a seperate pan, heat 1 tbsp oil and when the oil heats up, add 1 tbsp butter. Then add the turmeric powder and 1/8 tsp asafoetida. Then add the vegetables plus some salt and cook covered till the vegetables are about 80% cooked. Remove from the flame and keep aside.
  • In the same pan as you cooked the tomato paste, heat the pan and add the balance oil. Add the balance butter when the oil starts to heat up. Then add the remaining asafoetida powder and stir for a couple of seconds. Then add in the strained tomato gravy and let it come to a rolling boil. Now add the red chilli powder and coriander powder and stir.
  • Then add in the half cooked vegetables and let it boil in the gravy for 5 minutes. Next add the drained paneer and stir well.
  • Add the garam masala powder, kasuri methi and let it boil. Check for seasoning and add what is missing.
  • Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with any Indian flatbread or rice.

Note: You can also add fresh cream if you are planning on making this for a party or dinner. If adding fresh cream, then add it after adding the vegetables and paneer, but before the garam masala and kasuri methi. You can add about 1/2 cup of cream to the recipe.

Recipes: Hyderabadi Khatti Dal

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Dal, in most Indian households is ubequetiois and gets prepared almost every day. For those who are vegetarian, this is the main source of protein in their diet. What this means is that there are probably as many variations of dals as there are households in the country!

I came across this recipe for Khatti Dal which literally means ‘Sour Dal’ in my Facebook feed. I really don’t know which website this was from, so I can’t credit them here. I also slightly changed the recipe because I only saw it once and it may not be the most authentic recipe around.

The recipe was this slightly garlicky dal with the children saying it reminded them of a garlic sambar or rasam. I thought though it reminded me of a puli kozhambu. Irrespective of what this dal reminded us of, it was delicious and is a definite keeper in our home.

Here’s the recipe I made so I can refer to it the next time I make it.

Hyderabadi Khatti Dal

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup toovar dal, washed and soaked for 15 mins in warm water
  • 1 small lime sized ball of tamarind (or 1-2 tbsp tamarind paste)
  • 1 medium sized tomato
  • 2 tbsp grated garlic
  • 1.5 tbsp grated ginger
  • 2 medium sized green chillies
  • 1/2 tsp asafoetida powder
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • 1 tsp red chilli powder
  • 1 tbsp ghee or oil
  • 2-3 dried red chillies
  • 8-10 curry leaves
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • Salt to taste
  • Coriander leaves to garnish

Method:

  • Soak the tamarind in warm water for 15 minutes, squeeze and mash it and strain the water. Keep aside
  • In a pressure cooker, add the toovar dal and 1.5 cups water with the turmeric powder, 1 tbsp each of grated ginger and garlic and half the asafoetida.
  • Make an x slit in the stem of the tomato and add it to the soaked dal and then pressure cook it for 3-4 whistles. Switch off the flame and let the pressure reduce.
  • When the pressure reduces, open the cooker and remove the tomato gently. Remove the skin which should have started peeling and put it back with the dal. Using a hand-held blender or whisk, whisk the dal till it becomes a smooth paste.
  • Switch on the gas again. Chop the green chilli into 2-3 pieces and add it to the dal along with the tamarind water. Add the tamarind water slowly till it reaches the sourness you like. When it comes to a boil, add the salt, red chilli powder and coriander powder and let it come to a nice rolling boil. Boil on a medium heat for around 10 minutes till the raw smell of the tamarind goes away. Check for seasoning and add what extra is needed. Keep aside.
  • In a smaller skillet, add the ghee or oil and when it warms up, add the cumin seeds and let the seeds crackle. Then add the curry leaves, the balance of garlic and ginger and the red chillies. Let the grated ginger, garlic and red chillies start to brown switch off the flame and pour this tempering directly into the dal.
  • Garnish with coiander leaves and cover for 10 minutes till the flavours blend well. Serve hot with plain rice.

Recipes: Tangy and Sweet Chana Dal

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Monday was Ganesh Chaturthi and as usual I made traditional modak or the sweet dumplings filled with coconut and jaggery as an offering or neividhyam to the Lord. I had about 2 tbsp of the filling left over and was wondering what I should do with it when I thought of incorporating it into a dal. I know Maharastrians do something similar with the filling of puran poli, so I took a leaf out of their book.

Fret not if you haven’t made modak the day you want to make this dal, all you need to do is just add coconut and jaggery to the dal and you get a lipsmacking tangy, yet sweet dal to eat with your rice and rotis.

Tangy and Sweet Chana Dal

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup chana dal
  • 1 small piece of tamarind, soaked in hot water for 20-30 minutes
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1/8 tsp asafoetida
  • 4-5 curry leaves
  • 1 tsp crushed green chillies or geeen chilli paste
  • 1-2 tbsp modak filling
  • I tbsp grated coconut, roasted (if not using the stuffing)
  • 1 tbsp grated jaggery (if not using the stuffing)
  • Salt to taste
  • Coriander leaves to garnish

Method:

  • Wash the chana dal and cook it either in the pressure cooker or on the stovetop till it is completely cooked and starts to lose its shape. Remove when cool and whisk it to a fine paste. Keep aside.
  • Mix and strain the tamarind pulp and get the juice. Keep aside.
  • Heat oil in a largish pan and when it starts to warm up, add the mustard seeds and let them pop. Then add the cumin seeds, curry leaves and asafoetida and stir for a couple of seconds.
  • Then add the green chilli paste and stir for a few seconds. Now add the whisked chana dal and stir well. Add the tamarind juice slowly and taste test for the level of sourness you want. Season with salt.
  • Thin the dal with water to your preference and let it come to a boil. When the dal comes to a rolling boil, add the modak filling and stir well.
  • If you don’t have the modak filling, just add 2 tbsp roasted coconut plus the jaggery and continue boiling the dal.
  • Finely chop the coriander leaves and garnish the dal. Serve hot with any Indian bread or rice.