There are many different lentils eaten in India. Each takes a different time to cook, from minutes to up to an hour. If you eat lentils regularly, I would recommend buying a pressure cooker. It makes cooking much quicker and easier.
Do remember that there are many variants in the cooking of a dal. For example, quality of the lentils, softness of water, whether the dal was soaked or not (soaked dals take a little less time), the intensity of heat and the efficiency of your pressure cooker, will all make a difference. It will get easier as you cook more dals. Remember that if undercooked, you can cook a dal some more but you can't do much with overcooked dal*.
The amount of dal required per person depends on whether you are serving the dal with roti or with rice. Roughly 1 cupped hand per person is usually enough. Rice requires more dal. If you cook dal regularly, I would recommend that you get a pressure cooker. It saves on time and fuel. Also, get a large one, because you can cook small amount in it, but not the other way around (large amount in a small cooker). Remember, cooker must not be filled more than about 1/3rd, it needs room for pressure to build. If you follow instructions, pressure cooker is quite safe to cook in. After all, every Indian uses it almost every day! Serves 4
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Ingredients
| • | 200 gm. dal of choice |
| • | Salt to taste |
| • | 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder |
| • | Water to boil the dal. See each dal for amount |
| • | Other additions to dals can be |
| • | Finely chopped coriander leaves, added after cooking is finished |
| • | 1/2 to 1 tsp. garam masala |
| • | 2-3 khatai slices (dry, raw mango slices) or a chunky slice of lemon, added during cooking |
| • | Ingredients for basic tarka: |
| • | 2-3 tbsp. ghee or oil. Ghee tastes better but oil is healthier. |
| • | 1 tsp. cumin seeds |
| • | A large pinch of asafoetida powder |
| • | 2-3 whole red chillies broken up |
| • | 1/2 tsp. chilli powder |
| • | For other types of tarka, see notes below |
Instructions
| 1. | General Instructions for all dals: |
| 2. | Wash dal well before cooking. |
| 3. | If cooking whole dals, soak in water for a couple of hours or overnight. |
| 4. | The amounts of water to cook a dal is less for pressure cooker. Add extra water when cooking without a pressure cooker, as it has to boil longer. DALS SHOULD BE SOFT, BUT NOT MUSHY WHEN READY. |
| 5. | Add salt and turmeric during the boiling stage. |
| 6. | Cooking Different dals: |
| 7. | Arhar or Tuvar/Toor Dal/Pigeon Peas /Red Gram Dal |
| 8. | Butter Dal Makhani - 1 (Kidney Beans & Black Gram) |
| 9. | Butter Dal Makhani - 2 (Kidney Beans & Black Gram) |
| 10. | Chana Dal or Skinless Split Bengal Gram |
| 11. | Chana dal with Lauki/Bottle Gourd |
| 12. | Chana dal with Palak/Spinach |
| 13. | Chana Dal with Snake Gourd (Chachinda) |
| 14. | Chana Dal and Urid/Urad Dal Mixed 50/50 |
| 15. | Dal Bati (Dumplings in Mixed Dal |
| 16. | Dhansak or Parsee Dal with Chicken |
| 17. | Dhansak or Parsee Dal with Chicken - A Quick Version |
| 18. | Dhansak or Parsee Dal with Lamb (A Quick Version) |
| 19. | Dhansak or Parsee Dal, with Vegetables 1 |
| 20. | Dhansak or Parsee Dal with Vegetables 2 |
| 21. | Khitcheri, A Rice and Lentil Mix |
| 22. | Masoor dal Dhuli or Common Red lentil |
| 23. | Masoor Whole or Brown/Green/Puy Lentil |
| 24. | Mung Dal Split, with Skin |
| 25. | Mung/Moong Dal Split, Skinless |
| 26. | Mung/Moong Dal Khitcheri, Bengali |
| 27. | Mung/Moong Dal Khitcheri, North Indian |
| 28. | Mung/Moong Dal Skinless Dry, as a Snack |
| 29. | Mung/Moong Dal with Spinach |
| 30. | Mung/Moong Dal Whole |
| 31. | Panch Ratan - Five Jewels Dal (Mixed Lentils) |
| 32. | Rasam South Indian Lentil Soup |
| 33. | Red lentil or Masoor dal Dhuli |
| 34. | Sambhar |
| 35. | Tarka dal 1 |
| 36. | Tarka dal 2 |
| 37. | Urad/Urid Dal Mixed with Chana Dal |
| 38. | Urad/Urid Dal with Methi (Fenugreek) Leaves |
| 39. | Urad/Urid Whole (Black Gram) |
| 40. | Urad/Urid Dal (Split Black Gram), with Skin |
| 41. | Urad Dal (Split Black Gram), Skinless |
| 42. | Urad Dal Skinless (Split Black Gram), Cooked with Whole Spices |
| 43. | Basic tarka or tempering: |
| 44. | Heat ghee or oil in a tarka ladle (from Indian store) or a small pan, until smoking hot. Cast iron Indian ladle gives a nicer flavour. Ghee tastes better but oil is fine too. |
| 45. | Add cumin and asafoetida powder and let the seeds start to splutter. If the oil/ghee is properly heated, this happens within seconds. Add whole chillies and chilli powder, stir with a small spoon, add to the cooked dal and cover with a lid immedialtely. This infuses the flours and gives a nice, 'smoky' aroma to the dal. Leave the lid one. |
| 46. | Other variations of tarkas or tempering: |
| 47. | 1. Heat oil. Add 1 tsp. mustard. Add a 10-12 curry leaves, 1 broken up dry red chillie and 1/4 tsp. chilli powder. Pour over dal and close the lid. Or 2. Curry sauce type tempering/tarka; Heat oil, add 1 tsp. cumin seeds, add 1 chopped onion and fry until golden brown. Add 2-3 chopped tomatoes and 2 tsp. Curry Powder or Sambhar Powder. Fry until oil separates. Add to dal. Or 3. Heat oil. Add a little grated ginger and/or garlic, fry until beginning to turn golden brown and then add 1 tsp. cumin/mustard seeds. When seeds splutter/crackle, add 2-3 dry whole chillies and 1 tsp. chilli powder. Pour over the dal. Close the lid, to infuse flavors. Or 4. After spluttering the cumin/mustard seeds, add 1 tsp. each of grated ginger and garlic, fry until browned, add to dal. No chillies in this version. |
Notes
| • | *Overcooked or left over dal can be added to roti or chapatti flour when making a dough. They makes delicious roti and paratha. For parathas, you have to add a little more salt and spices, and perhaps a teasppon of carom or ajwain seeds. |
| • | You can add chopped coriander leaves to all dals as a garnish. |
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