I
I
INGREDIENTS
For 2 people
3/4 cup toor dal or split pigeon peas
1/8 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp oil or ghee
1/4 tsp black mustard seeds
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1 pinch hing
1/2 tsp salt
pinch of sugar
1 tsp lime/lemon juice
OPTIONAL
1 Thai chili pepper diced into thin, round slices
Cilantro for garnish
TOOLS
Whisk
Knife
(OPTIONAL) Pressure Cooker or Instant Pot
UTENSILS
1 Thick bottomed pan
PREP
Wash Dal
Take a thick bottomed pot and pour 3/4 cup toor dal into it.
Wash it well several times till the drained water runs clear
Ideally, let it soak for 15 minutes
Boil Dal
If using Instant Pot - Add 2.5 cups water to the washed dal and pressure cook on high - set to 20 minutes
If using thick-bottomed pot - Add 2.5 cups water to the washed dal and place it on medium heat, Keep an eye on it and cook for about 30-40 min till the dal becomes soft & mushy.
Whisk the dal. You should not be able to see individual dal after whisking.
Add 1 cup water to the cooked dal, follow with turmeric & mix well. The consistency of the dal should be thicker than that of a broth.
Set aside.
Prep Tadka (Tempering)
If using thai chili pepper dice into thin, round slices
Empty out the dal if you are using the same pot you used to boil the dal for the final step of putting the dish together. Rinse this pot and wipe it with a clean kitchen towel. Heat 1 tbsp ghee or oil in it at medium heat.
After a minute, add one mustard seed. If the seeds starts sizzling as soon as it hits the oil/ghee, the temperature of the oil/ghee is right for the rest of theseeds. If not, wait for another minute or so. Repeat with a single mustard seed.
Follow with the rest of 1/4 tsp mustard seeds & 1/4 tsp cumin seeds. Seeds will start popping, so be careful.
Once the seeds stop popping, add hing & thai chile pepper.
Turn the heat off after peppers change color to charred, pale green.
The Final Ta-da
Add dal to the tadka
Pour the whisked dal into the tadka and turn the heat to medium now
Combine 1/2 tsp salt, pinch of sugar and 1tsp lime juice into the dal.
Let dal come to a rolling boil
Garnish with cilantro
The absolute best way to eat dal is to mix it with white rice. Top with a generous swirl of ghee and serve hot.