Arhar Dal Recipe
Dal Tadka is one of the most popular Indian dishes and was made in houses everyday. Dal Tadka on the other hand uses a lot of ingredients and spices, making it a special dish. So even thought the lentil was same, the overall taste was very different. It mostly involves adding spices like cumin seeds, mustard seeds, garlic, chilies, curry leaves etc. to hot oil or ghee.
Serving : 3-4 People
Cooking time : 35 Minutes
Ingredients:
- ½ cup arhar dal (tuvar dal or toor dal or pigeon pea lentils)
- ½ inch ginger – finely chopped or grated
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ cup chopped onions
- 1.5 to 1.75 cups water
- 2 tablespoons butter or ghee or oil – for the tempering
- ½ to 1 tablespoon butter or ghee to be added later – optional
- 1 medium tej patta (indian bay leaf) – optional
- 2 cloves
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 medium size tomato – chopped
- 1 green chili
- 3 to 4 small to medium sized garlic cloves – crushed
- ¼ cup chopped onions
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder or deghi mirch or kashmiri lal mirch powder
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder – optional
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
- ½ to 1 teaspoon kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves) – crushed
- ½ teaspoon amchur powder (dry mango powder) or ¼ teaspoon lemon juice – optional
- few chopped coriander leaves for garnishing
- salt as required
Method :
Cooking Arhar Dal
- Pick and rinse the lentils very well. Add the lentils along with water in the pressure cooker.
- Add finely chopped onion, ginger and turmeric powder.
- Stir and pressure cook for 8 to 9 whistles till the dal has become completely cooked and is of consistency which can be mashed easily.
- Mash the dal with a spoon or wired whisk.
- Keep the cooked dal aside.
- If the dal appears thick, then add some hot water and keep aside.
Making Arhar Dal
- Heat oil in another pan. Add the tej patta, cloves and cumin seeds.
- First fry the cumin till browned. Then add the garlic and saute for 10 to 12 seconds.
- Add the chopped onion and fry till transparent or light brown.
- Add the green chilies and saute for some seconds.
- Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, garam masala powder and asafoetida.
- Stir and then add the tomatoes. Saute till the tomatoes become softened and you see oil leaving the sides of this base onion-tomato masala mixture.
- Lastly add the crushed kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves) and saute for a few seconds.
- Pour this tempering in the cooked dal.
- Add 1 tbsp butter or ghee (optional) and salt. You can add some water here if required.
- Stir and simmer the arhar dal for 5 to 6 minutes or more till it reaches a slightly thick consistency. You can even keep medium consistency of the dal if you prefer.
- If you want a slight sour taste in the dal, then add a few drops of lemon juice or ½ tsp of amchur powder (dry mango powder) towards the end. If adding dry mango powder, then stir well and allow the arhar dal to simmer for 1 to 2 mins after adding it.
- Garnish with coriander leaves and serve the arhar dal hot with steamed basmati rice or jeera rice or naan or rotis accompanied with roasted papad and a pickle or salad by side.
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