This flavorful and highly nutritious national dish of India is especially popular in southern parts of the country, but it can also be found in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Dal is a stew with the main ingredient of black or yellow lentils—the most consumed ingredients in India—but it can also be prepared with peas, chickpeas, or mung beans.

Inexpensive and easy to make, dal was an ideal food for the working class as it provided lots of energy for a full day of labor. While yellow lentils are most commonly used, black lentils are the most prized variety when making dal. Hulled and split, the slightly nutty lentils are slowly simmered with a variety of spices such as caraway, coriander, onions, garlic, chiles, and ginger until they break apart, and are then mashed into a smooth purée.

In the northern Punjab region, black mung beans are among the most popular choices for dal and they are typically cooked with ghee (clarified butter), yogurt, onions, tomatoes, and a variety of spices until the dish develops its distinctive aroma and reaches the desired thickness.

There are numerous types of dal, each with a different spice combination and flavors. The dish can be served either as a main meal or as a side, and it is traditionally served over rice, accompanied by naan or other Indian breads.

Servings: 5 Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

Ingredients

• 200 gm Pigeon pea (toor dal)
• ½ tea spoon Salt
• 350 ml water
• ¼ tea spoon turmeric
• ½ tea spoon cumin seed
• ½ tea spoon mustard seed
• 2 tea spoon garlic finely chopped
• 3 Nos. red chilli dry
• 1 Nos. onion small thinly sliced
• 20 gm coriander leaf finely chopped
• ¼ tea spoon asafoetida
• 2 table spoon oil

Method

• Step 1 Soak dal in water for 20 minutes then, wash dal 2-3 times under running water until water becomes clear.
• Step 2 In a pressure cooker add dal with water, cumin and turmeric close the lid and let it cook for 15 minutes or two whistles first in high flame and turn down the flame sec on medium flame.
• Step 3 let pressure of cooker relies then open it and keep aside.
• Step 4 For tadka in a pan heat up oil add mustard seed wait for it to pop properly then add red chilli sauté for 10 sec.
• Step5 Add garlic sauté it also for 10 15 sec then add onions turn of the flame add asafoetida pour the tadka over daal cover lid instantly to trap the smoke inside this will give unique flavor. Garnish with coriander and serve.

Nutrition Facts (Amount Per 100 grams)