The recipe has been published by BostonGlobe. You can find the link here.
Dal! I have no idea why it took me so long to write a post about the most common food in our diet. I make a big pot of it every week to go with my non-veg and veg dishes. My husband said to me jokingly, “You are a typical Bengali who can’t sleep if she does not eat dal, rice and fish for dinner.”
My mum used to make dal almost every day. I cook it less often but make a big batch when I do. There are a couple of varieties that she makes. One is a plain masoor dal with onion and panchforon. Another is with raw mango, sour kind and whole mustard seeds. A third kind is the roasted yellow moong dal. The fourth kind is cholar dal (Split Bengal gram) which she serves with Paratha and Loochi (fried flat bread). The fifth kind is her winter time speciality–moong dal with vegetables. This is not only delicious but quite savory.
Dal is my comfort food. My soul food. I have it every day. A bowl of dal with rice and fried potatoes with poppy seeds (posto diye aloo bhaji) is what satiate me the most. My mom pan fries the potatoes with oil. I bake them at 400F with one tablespoon oil and one teaspoon poppy seeds for about 40-45 minutes until they are little brown around the edges. I will write a detailed post about it later.
If we travel a lot, after coming back home first thing I make is dal, potato and rice. My husband knows about my rice and potato addiction, so he does not tease me anymore.
Roasted yellow lentil (moong dal) with vegetables is my mother’s winter treat. She gets her special little head of cauliflower and fresh peas only during winter months. The combination of cauliflower, peas, carrots and dal is not only delicious but also packed with nutrition. So you can have it guilt free :smirk:
Important tips: (PLEASE READ)
1. When roasting whole moong dal, add a drop of oil. It helps to roast better. Remember: one drop, not teaspoon.
2. Do not multitask while roasting dal. It burns very quickly.
3. Cook cauliflower COVERED in the pan , otherwise it will soak more oil. If you are using Indian cauliflower (like my mum), soak in hot water for 10 minutes.
4. If you have health issues, you can replace the ghee with vegetable oil.
6. I used 2 inches ginger because we love ginger. But you can reduce it if you do not like much.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup yellow moong dal
- Vegetable oil (for sprinkling)
- 4 cups of water
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 green chile, whole
- 1 bayleaf, whole
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1/2 cauliflower head, cut into florets
- salt to taste
- 2 carrots, grated
- 1/4 cup fresh peas
- 1 tablespoon clarified butter
- 1 whole dried red chile
- 1 piece (1/2 inches) cinnamon bark
- 3 whole green cardamom pods, lightly smashed but whole
- 3 whole cloves
- 1 teaspoon cumin seed
- 1 piece (1 1/2 inches) fresh ginger, grated
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
- Potatoes
- 3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
Instructions
Potatoes
1. Set the oven at 400 degrees. Have on hand a 12-inch baking dish.
2. In the dish, combine the potatoes, oil, poppy seeds, turmeric, and salt. Stir well. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until they are starting to brown at the edges
Lentil
1. In a bowl, toss the lentils with a single drop of vegetable oil. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the lentils, and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes. When the lentils turn slightly brown around the edges, tip them into a steel mesh colander. Rinse well.
2. Transfer the lentils to a soup pot. Add the water, turmeric, fresh chile, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and cover the pan. Simmer for 20 minutes. The lentils will not be cooked through.
3. Meanwhile, wipe out the skillet and set it over medium-low heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil and when it is hot, add the cauliflower and salt. Cover the pan and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the cauliflower is not quite tender.
4. Add the cauliflower to the lentils with the carrots and peas. Cover the pan and continue simmering for 10 minutes or until the lentils and cauliflower are cooked through.
5. Meanwhile, rinse and dry the skillet. Set it over medium-high heat. Add the oil and when it is hot, add the red chile, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and cumin seed. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until they sizzle. Add the grated ginger and cook for 3 to 4 to minutes, or until it is no longer raw. Tip the spices into the lentil mixture and stir well. Continue cooking the lentil mixture for 1 to 2 minutes, or until it is hot and the spices are blended
This is real comfort food. Yummy. Even I crave for this kind of simple and nutritious home made dal after travel or party. Love your clicks Dolphia. Tells a beautiful story.
Me to. I always make this after coming from vacation 🙂