Masala Dal

If you know Indian cuisine at all, you’d know that Dal is one of the staple foods. For its price, it can do a long way, and can be cooked in hundreds of different ways. I, personally, don’t think I know more than 5 to 8 recipes. And every little while I change an ingredient, and the dal gets a completely new flavor.

As I had mentioned in the Patla Masoor post, there are several different types of Dal, and this one is called Toor [pronounced: too-arr] Dal. It’s a yellow dal and the packet I buy says its English name is Split Pigeon Peas. In India, you can buy these dals, dry or in oil. I have never dealt with the oily kind, never seen it at the Indian store here, and have no idea how to clean it etc., so I would suggest sticking to the dry packets. 

Masala Dal

2 cups Toor dal

1 medium onion, chopped

3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp (heaped) garlic paste

1 tsp (heaped) ginger paste

1 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp chili powder

2 tsp cumin powder

2 tsp coriander powder

Salt to taste

3-4 dry red chilies (whole)

½ tsp garam masala

Little oil

In a bowl, soak the dal for about 15-20 minutes. Drain before you put it in the cooker.

In a pressure cooker, heat a little oil and brown the onions. Once they start to brown, add the chopped garlic and the ginger and garlic pastes. Next add the salt, turmeric, chili, coriander, and cumin powders as well as the garam masala. Cook it until the raw smells go, then add in the dry red chilies. Now stir in the dal so that it’s well mixed, and then add water. Put only enough water to just about cover the dal.

Put on the lid and whistle, and cook it on medium-high heat, till the whistle blows. Switch off the stove, let all the steam out and open the cooker carefully. Check to see how much water is in there. Add more water if needed, and then cook again on medium-high heat until the whistle blows. This time, do not open the cooker. Switch off the stove and allow the pressure to go down on its own, as the cooker cools. The dal should be cooked, but still hold its shape. It should not be completely mushy, and paste-like, and at the same time, it should not be crunchy at all. Add more salt, if needed, and serve hot with chapatti or bread.

Toor Dal

Notes:

* IF YOU ARE USING A PRESSURE COOKER, PLEASE FOLLOW ALL INSTRUCTIONS THAT COME WITH THE COOKER. IT CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS IF NOT USED PROPERLY! My recipe instructions are written with the assumption that you know how to use one and this blog is not responsible for your use of a pressure cooker. Every cooker has a slightly different cooking time, and water absorption. If there isn't enough water in the cooker, your dal will burn and cleaning that cooker is a pain in the backside!

*Dry red chilies are available at most Indian stores. They are extremely, extremely spicy. When you handle them, make sure you wash your hands immediately after, and do not rub your eyes without washing your hands. For this recipe, the chilies do not have to be cut, slit, or deseeded. They just go straight from the packet, into the cooker. If the chilies in the packet are broken, just put an estimate of the quantity.