MASALA DAL ( SPICED LENTIL )

This is a Parsi cuisine favorite. It is not as complicated to make as dhansak, but tastes just as great! It tastes great!

You can add chicken to it too. Just marinate chicken in ginger garlic paste and pressure cook along with the dal.

Serves 4-5

1 cup toor dal. ( yellow lentil. Arhar Dal) (Indian store )

1/2 cup channa dal ( Indian store)

1 big onion finely chopped

4 tbs mint leaves chopped

4 tbs coriander leaves chopped

Salt

3 tbs ghee

1/2 lemon juice

1 ts haldi ( turmeric powder )

2 tbs dhansak masala ( Indian store sells this now ) if not then 2 tbs dhanna jeera.

1 tbs parsi sambhar

or

1 ts red chili powder (1/2 if you want it less spicy )

1/4 tsp crushed mustard seeds. Rai.

1/2 tsp crushed fenugreek seeds. Methi.

A pinch of hing. Asafetida

1/2 ts ground cinnamon

1/4 ts garam masala.

METHOD

Pressure cook the Dals with half of the onion, mint and coriander leaves, haldi and salt  and enough water to cover the dal and then an inch more. (Up to the middle cut of the middle finger when your hand is dipped in the dal horizontally.) Pressure cook for 15 minutes. I use the cuisine art electric pressure cooker. If using a stove top cooker then two whistles and 15 minutes on simmer.

In the mean time, fry the rest of the onions in the ghee.

When brown, add all the rest of the spices and fry for a minute. Turn heat off.

When the dal is ready, add to onion paste. Use a hand blender and blend till it is a smooth texture.

Taste for salt.

Add lemon juice.

Serve with biriyani or pulao. Or then just plain white rice!

MASOOR ( LENTILS )

One of the tastiest ways to cook lentils. Simple, quick and tasty.

Tastes great with a Tamota per edu (egg on tomatoes) on the side. My husband loves this dish. It tastes great even without the meat added in it! Eat with roti or bread.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup masoor dal ( whole  masoor )

1 big onion chopped up fine.

1/2 ts chicken powder or 1 chicken cube ( if you are using chicken or meat, no need for this) add salt to taste instead

1/2 ts haldi ( turmeric powder )

chicken legs or chicken pieces, bone in marinated with ginger garlic paste.

Or

Lamb pieces, bone in marinated with the same.

VAGAR (Tempering)

1 ts green masala ( 2 green chilies ground with 1/2 ts jeera seeds and 1 garlic clove

1 tbs dhanna jeera ( coriander and cumin powder )

1/2 ts red chili powder ( add more if you like it spicer)

1/2 ts curry powder

1/2 ts garam masala

2 tbs Ghee to fry onions ( clarified butter )

METHOD

Pressure cook the masoor dal with half of the chopped onion and haldi and chicken cube or powder.

 If using meat, add it in pressure cooker.

Add haldi powder.

Pressure cook 30 minutes for chicken or 40 minutes for meat.

If only lentils, then pressure cook for 15 minutes.

( I use the cuisine art electric pressure cooker)

Vagar

Heat the ghee in a pot. Add onions and brown.

Now add green masala and fry for two minutes.

Add rest of the spices and fry for two to three minutes.

Turn off stove.

When masoor is ready, remove from cooker.

( if you have younger children at home, take some of the lentils out with the chicken or meat at this stage for them. It tastes great and is not spicy!)

Add the masoor and meat in the pot with vagar. Mix well and bring to boil. Simmer for five to seven minutes.
Taste for salt.

Serve hot with roti or bread and at tamota per edu. ( recipe for that will follow )

MOONG PALAK DAL ( Lentil with spinach)


 A great and tasty way to get spinach into your diet. Tasty and healthy and quick to make.
My kids love this dal with rice and fried fish.

Ingredients ( for four people)

150 grams of spinach
150 grams of moong dal
1 TBS ginger garlic paste
2 green chilies split
1/2 TS haldi
1/2 TBS aamchur powder
Juice from half a lemon or lime
Fresh coriander to sprinkle on top
Salt to taste.

Vagar or tadka
1 TBS ghee( clarified butter, or use oil)
3 dry red Kashmiri chilies
1/2 Ts rai seeds(mustard)
1/2 ts jeera seeds(cumin)
5 curry leaves
3 cloves of garlic chopped.

Method
Boil or pressure cook the moong dal with haldi and salt.
In a pot, heat some oil or ghee and fry the ginger garlic paste and slit green chilies.
Chop the spinach leaves, wash and add them in. Fry till a little wilted. Turn off stove.
In another pan, heat the ghee, add the rai and jeers seeds. When they crackle, add garlic, red chilies and curry pattas. Fry for a minute and then pour the vagar in the spinach.
When the dal is ready, pour it in the spinach. Add a little water if needed. Add the aamchur. Simmer for ten minutes. Taste for salt. Add lemon juice and sprinkle coriander.
Eat with roti or rice.

DAL (LENTILS)

This is a typical Parsi way of making a simple easy but tasty dal to serve with rice. It can be accompanied with any pickle or meat or vegetable. It is very healthy and my babies love it as it is not spicy.




 
Ingredients

1/2 cup toor dal (Arhar dal)
1 1/2 cups water (use same measure cup as the dal)
1/2 a small onion chopped really fine
4 pieces of garlic chopped really fine
2 TBS butter
1 TSP haldi (Turmeric powder)
salt to taste

Method

- Soak the daal in warm water for half an hour. Rinse well.
-Add the 1 1/2 cups water in dal
-Add haldi and salt
-Pressure cook for 3 whistles and then simmer for 15 minutes more
-If using stove top, keep checking dal to make sure it is soft and add more water as required. The dal should not be too thick or too watery.
-Heat the butter in a pot. Add 1 TSP oil so that the butter does not burn. Fry the onions till translucent.
-Add garlic and fry till light brown.
- Add the dal in the onion garlic and butter
-Blend the dal till smooth with a hand blender or mixer.

Serve with boiled rice.