Dal

Serves 1
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Directions

  1. 1Wash your lentils thoroughly to remove excess starch.
  2. 2For larger lentils, soak them overnight in water to give them a head start and help remove toxins.
  3. 3For red masoor dal or yellow moong, you can cook them straight after washing without soaking.
  4. 4Add the washed lentils to a pot or pressure cooker.
  5. 5Add green chillies to the lentils.
  6. 6Add salt to the lentils.
  7. 7Cover the lentils with fresh water.
  8. 8Add turmeric to the pot.
  9. 9Cook the lentils until they reach the desired consistency, either on the stove or using a pressure cooker.
  10. 10Once cooked, mash the lentils lightly and adjust the water as needed to achieve the right consistency.
  11. 11For the tadka, start by heating ghee or a regionally appropriate oil in a small frying pan.
  12. 12Add cumin to the ghee/oil.
  13. 13Add a pinch of hing for digestion and savoury depth, then build from there with other spices.
  14. 14Add the tadka to the cooked dal and stir to combine.

Ingredients

  • Lentils
  • Water
  • Turmeric
  • Green chillies
  • Salt
  • Ghee
  • Cumin
  • Hing
  • Ginger
  • Curry leaves
  • Mustard seeds

Equipment

BowlStrainerPotPressure cookerWhiskLadleSmall frying panSpoon

Tips

  • Always wash your lentils to remove excess starch.
  • The larger the lentil, the more important it is to soak them overnight to give a head start and remove toxins.
  • If using red masoor dal or yellow moong, you can skip soaking and cook straight after washing.
  • Pressure cooking is a faster and more convenient way to cook lentils, but the stove is fine, especially for smaller lentils.
  • The goal of the first cooking is to get the consistency right while keeping the spices minimal.
  • Build flavour for the tadka using ghee or a regionally appropriate oil, a pinch of hing for digestion and savoury depth, then build from there.
  • Ginger, chillies, and cumin make a tasty Jain dal fry with no onion or garlic.
  • Black urid with a rich temper gives you makhani dal from Punjab.
  • Pappu from Andhra or Telangana uses garlic, curry leaves, and mustard seeds for a delicious flavour.