Daal

I am a huge believer of the fact that daal defines Indian cooking more than the creamy curries. There is something immensely satisfying about eating daal that is hearty and simple, yet so satisfying. Daal in India is cooked in many different ways and is usually served with chapati or over plain rice, I like to serve it with fish/baked chicken and a side of salad, to make it a complete meal. This is the easiest version of making a light and flavorful daal with spinach. Yellow lentils are simmered with tomatoes and spinach along with mild spices and tempered with fresh garlic, cumin and mustard seeds. Besides the deliciousness, with nearly 16 grams fiber and 18 grams protein per 1 cup of yellow lentils, you can’t go wrong!

As I mentioned in the earlier posts, use this recipe as a template and feel free to adjust the quantity and spices (flavor) to your liking.

Happy November and big hugs to you all. xx

Ingredients
1 Cup Split Yellow Lentils or Toor Daal, washed and rinsed
3 Cups Water or chicken/Vegetable Stock
1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric
1 Teaspoon Cooking Oil
1/2 Teaspoon Black Mustard Seeds
1 Large Tomato, chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, sliced
1 Teaspoon Red Chili Powder
1 Teaspoon Cumin
1 Cup Fresh Spinach, chopped
1/2 Teaspoon Coriander Powder
Salt to Taste
Lemon Juice to Taste
Cilantro for Garnishing

Process

1. Add  the rinsed lentils to the pressure cooker along with the water/broth. Add tomatoes, spinach, salt, turmeric, coriander and chili powders and mix well. Cover the pressure cooker and cook on medium heat for approximately 20 – 25 minutes (5 – 6 whistles).
2. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, I highly recommend soaking the lentils in water for few hours before cooking them over medium – low in a partially covered pot (if you cover the pot completely, water may start coming out, making a mess). You may require additional cooking time (approx 30 – 40 minutes) and more water, if cooking in a pot. Daal is cooked when soft and creamy.
3. Once cooked, mash the daal with a whisk or with a spoon and lemon juice. At this point, you can adjust the spices and consistency if needed . If you add more water or spices to adjust the consistency and flavor, simmer the daal for 2 – 3 minutes.
4. Tempering: Heat oil over medium heat in a small frying pan and add sliced garlic. Let the garlic change color to golden brown and then quickly add cumin and mustard. The whole process of tempering should take less than two minutes. Be careful to not burn the garlic or the cumin.
5. Turn the stove off and pour the tempering over the pot of simmering daal.
6. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve warm as desired.

Enjoy! 🙂