YELLOW SPLIT PEA CURRY (DAL FRY)

SERVES 4

This probably is my favorite lentil curry. I can eat this every day if it came to that. There are many variations of this curry cooked all over India. While other types of lentils can be used, this preparation works best with yellow split peas. I prefer to serve it over plain basmati rice and consider it my comfort food.

For cooking the lentils

1 cup yellow split peas (toor dal)

2 ¼ cups water

Salt as needed

For tempering the lentils

1 ½ tbsp clarified butter (ghee) or oil

½ to ¾ tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp mustard seeds

¼ tsp asafoetida

1 red chilli broken

1 to 2 green chilies slit

1 medium onion chopped finely

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

1 large tomato chopped

¼ tsp turmeric

¼ to ½ tsp red chili powder

¼ tsp garam masala

½ tsp crushed dried fenugreek leaves (Kasuri methi)

For garnish

½ tsp dried fenugreek leaves or handful of finely chopped cilantro leaves

½ tbsp ghee

1 Wash the lentils under cold water. Put the lentils in instant pot with the water and cook it on high pressure for 15 mins. Let the steam release naturally. Alternately, you can cook the lentils in a pressure cooker for 15 mins.

2 Heat the ghee or oil in the saucepan. When the ghee or oil is hot, add mustard, cumin and red chili. When they begin to splutter, add the asafetida.

3 Add the onions and green chilies. Saute until the onions turn golden.

4 Add ginger garlic paste and fry until the raw smell goes off.

5 Add tomatoes and salt. Saute on a medium flame until tomatoes turn soft.

6 Add red chili powder, garam masala and turmeric.

7 Saute for 2 mins till the masala begins to smell good & leaves the pan.

8 Add the cooked and mashed lentils. If the lentils are too thick, add water to bring it to the desired consistencdily.

9 Stir well and allow to cook until the dal begins to boil. This may take about 3 to 5 mins.

10 When dal reaches the desired consistency, stir in crushed dry fenugreek leaves and more salt if needed and cook for a minute.

11 Just prior to serving garnish with crushed dry fenugreek leaves or finely chopped cilantro and drizzle the ghee over the dal.

Serve over plain basmati rice or with rotis