SERVES 4
Also known as maa ki dal (mother’s lentil), this is a hearty dish from the Indian state of Punjab. Urad dal is simmered slowly with onions, ginger, garlic, chilies, and is then tempered with tomatoes, cream and numerous spices to make it a comfort food that is devoured with warm naan or rotis, or even some steamed rice.
1 cup whole urad lentils/ maa ki dal soaked overnight in enough water
5-6 cups water
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
2 tbsp pure organic ghee
1 tsp mustard oil
2 small onions chopped
2 inch slice ginger thinly sliced
4-5 cloves garlic chopped
2-3 green chilies chopped
2 small tomatoes pureed
salt to taste
1 tsp red chili powder (deghi mirchi powder)
a pinch asafoetida powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp malai double heavy cream
2 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
1 Soak the urad dal for at least 8 hours, preferably 12 hours.
2 Thoroughly wash and rinse the soaked dal. Add it to instant pot along with a little salt and ½ tsp of fenugreek seeds and boil on high pressure for 18 minutes. Let the pressure reduce naturally. Alternately, instead of the instant pot, you can also use a pressure cooker.
3 Heat a teaspoon of mustard oil. Once the oil is hot add asafetida powder, chopped onions, garlic, green chilies and thinly sliced ginger. Once the onions are translucent add the mixture to the dal in the instant pot and cook it for another 12 minutes at high pressure. Let the pressure reduce naturally. If the dal is too thick, you can dilute it by adding water to bring it to your desired consistency. As above, instead of the instant pot, you can also use a pressure cooker in this step.
4 In another pan. Heat ghee, add cumin seeds. Once they splutter, add rest of the chopped onions, sauté, till the onions are a turn golden.
5 Add rest of the ginger slices, and sauté. Once ginger is golden, add green chillies and the tomato puree.
6 Once the tomato puree is cooked, and the tempering starts leaving ghee at sides, add double heavy cream.
7 After adding cream, sauté everything well for 3-4 minutes till the cream is incorporated in the tempering. Add deghi mirchi powder, mix well and add the cooked dal to this tempering. Check seasoning and adjust as per your taste.
8 Cover and cook on slow heat, for another 10-15 minutes. You will know the dal is ready, when it is all creamy, and not runny.
9 To serve, top it with a drizzle of ghee or salted butter. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander.
Serve with fresh naan or rotis.
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