sunday dal

In my search for the perfect Dhal recipe, I have been asking people about their favourite recipes. Today I tried a new one from someone who kindly shared a few with me.. Many thanks to Raji for this one.

The technique is similar to other dhals but there is a distinct flavour to this - perhaps due to the tamarind and lemon juice. It would be a good one to accompany other dishes.

Raji’s GUJARATI DAL
Ingredients
2 cups toovar dal
1 cup yam ,
chopped2 tablespoons peanuts

Other ingredients
marble sized ball of tamarind, soaked or 1 tbsp tamarind paste
1 tomato,
chopped50 grams jaggery
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 piece ginger, diced
4 green chillies, slit
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

For the tempering
1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seed
10 to 12 curry leaves
2 cloves
2 sticks cinnamon
1 bay leaf
2 small round red chillies
1/2 teaspoon asafoetida
2 tablespoons ghee
1 tablespoon oil
salt ot taste

For the garnish
4 tablespoons chopped coriander

Method
1. Wash and pressure cook the dal in 4 cups of water.
2. In another vessel, pressure cook the yam, peanuts
3. When the dal is cooked, cool slightly and blend till it is smooth.
4. Prepare the tempering by heating the ghee and oil and adding the mustardseeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, cloves, cinnamon, bayleaf, red chillies and asafoetida.
5. Add 3 cups of water, the tamarind, tomato, jaggery, lemon juice, ginger,green chilli, chilli powder and turmeric powder and simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Add the dal, yam pieces, peanuts and salt and simmer for 10 to15 minutes.7. Serve hot garnished with coriander.