NORTH INDIAN STYLE DAL

Dal
(North Indian Style)

Ingredients

Toor Dal -1 cup
Green chillies - 5-6 nos
Garlic -2 cloves(minced)
Cumin seeds – ¼ tsp
Onion - 1 (small)
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Tomato -1(chopped)
Vegetable oil - 2 tbsp
Asafetida powder -a pinch
Mustard seeds- ½ tsp
Dry Red chillies – 2, broken into 4 pieces
Curry leaves-1 sprig

Directions

1.Pressure cook dal with half tsp of turmeric powder, salt and 4 cups of water till ¾ th done according to your pressure cooker methods.
2.Heat a small frying pan, add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil add mustard seeds and curry leaves and allow the mustard seeds to splutter.
3.Add cumin seeds, dry red chilly, asafetida powder, half of the chopped onions and minced garlic and sauté them on medium flame for 5 to 6 minutes or until onions become light brown by frequently stirring them. Keep aside.
4.Heat 1tbsp of oil in a pan and add chopped tomatoes, chopped green chilies and half of the chopped onions and sauté till the tomatoes are mashed and it blends with the onion.
5. Add the mixture to the cooked dal and mix it well.  Add more water if needed and  let the dal cook for 5 minutes.
6.Add the garnishing that was kept aside and serve hotwith rice or chappatis.

Parippu Curry

Ingredients

Toor Dal/Thomara Parippu-1 cup
Green Chillies-5-6 nos
Garlic-2 cloves
Cumin seeds – ¼ tsp
Shallots - 6 nos
Turmeric powder- ¼ tsp
Grated coconut- ¾ cup
Coconut Oil-1 tbsp
Mustard seeds- ½ tsp
Red chillies – 2 broken into 4 pieces
Curry leaves-1 sprig

Directions

1.Pressure cook dal till ¾ th done according to your pressure cooker methods.
2.Add the cut green chillies and boil.
3. Grind the garlic, shallots (half),grated coconut, cumin seeds and add that mixture to the dal, bring again to a boil to get rid of all the raw smell. Add salt to taste. Switch off the stove.
4.Heat coconut oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds and fry the remaining cut shallots till it becomes golden brown. Throw in the curry leaves and the red chillies. Add this to the dal.

PALAK DAL

Spinach Dal/Palak Dal

Ingredients

Toor dal – 1 cup
Tomato – 1 (medium, chopped)
Onion -1 (medium, chopped)
Spinach – 1 bunch
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Chopped ginger – 1tbsp
Green chillies – 2(slit)
Garlic cloves – 2 (chopped)
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Fenugreek powder - a pinch
Red chilly powder to taste
Salt to taste
Cooking oil
Coriander leaves – a few

Directions

1.Soak the toor dal in water for about two hours. Grind the garlic, green chillies, ginger and onion to a fine paste. Add the turmeric and red chilly powder to the paste and mix. Heat oil in a pan and fry the cumin seeds till they splutter. Add the paste and fry for a few minutes. Now add tomato and salt. Cook on medium flame for about 3 minutes.
2.Add the soaked dal and double the water. Cover and boil on medium / low flame till the dal is tender.
3.Add the spinach leaves and simmer for about 3 minutes or till the spinach is cooked.Add a pinch of fenugreek powder and asafoetida.
4.Garnish with coriander leaves.