1,000 Indian Recipes (197 page)

Punjabi Toor Dal

Makes 4 to 6 servings

The Punjabis make their
toor dal
just as they would their yellow
mung dal
, with a
tarka
(a sizzling flavor topping) of cumin and coriander. The curry leaves, though not a common addition in the north, do add a lot of flavor, and nowadays more and more Punjabi families use them.

1
¹
⁄
₂
cups split pigeon peas (toor dal), sorted and washed in 3 to 4 changes of water

4 to 4
¹
⁄
₂
cups water

1 teaspoon salt

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground turmeric

1 to 2 tablespoon fresh lime or lemon juice, or to taste

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1small onion, finely chopped

1 to 2 tablespoons minced fresh curry leaves

1 fresh green chile pepper, such as serrano, minced with seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 tablespoon peeled minced fresh ginger

1 tablespoon ground coriander

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon ground cumin

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon ground paprika

Finely chopped fresh cilantro

1.
Place the dal in a large saucepan and add water, salt, and turmeric. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover the saucepan (partially at first, then completely), and cook, stirring occasionally, until the dal is creamy, 35 to 40 minutes. As the dal cooks, some of it may foam and rise to the top. Stir the foam back into the dal. Mix in the lime juice and transfer to a serving dish. Cover and keep warm.

2.
Heat the oil in a small saucepan and cook the onion, curry leaves and green chile pepper, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the cumin seeds and ginger and stir about 1 minute. Add the coriander, ground cumin, and paprika and stir about 1 minute, then transfer to the dal and swirl lightly to mix, with parts of it visible as a garnish. Top with the cilantro and serve.

Falguni's Gujarati Split Pigeon Peas

Falguni Ki Toor Dal

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Rarely is a Gujarati wedding or formal occasion complete without this traditional thin and soupy, yet captivating
dal
. It is flavored with sweet jaggery, known as
gur
(thickened sugar cane juice), tangy
kokum
(dried sour fruit of the magosteen-oil tree), and dried red chile peppers.

Jaggery and
kokum
, are available in Indian markets. My friend Falguni Jalota, who gave me this recipe, adds the asafoetida at 2 separate stages of cooking: first raw into the
dal
, and then after sizzling it in hot oil. Serve this dish with steamed rice or drink it as a soup.

1 cup split pigeon peas (toor dal), sorted and washed in 3 to 4 changes of water

6 cups water

4 pieces dried kokum halves, washed

2 tablespoons ground jaggery

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon ground turmeric

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground asafoetida

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

3 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, stemmed

6 to 8 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger

10 to 15 fresh curry leaves

¹
⁄
₄
cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 (1-inch) stick cinnamon

4 whole cloves

5 to 7 whole dried red chile peppers, such as chile de arbol

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1.
Place the dal with 3 cups water in a large saucepan (not nonstick) and boil over high heat about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan, and cook until the dal is very soft and broken, about 30 minutes. Let cool, then with an electric hand-held mixer, beat it on medium speed to make a smooth purée, about 1 minute. Mix in the remaining 3 cups water, kokum, jaggery, coriander, cumin, turmeric, cayenne pepper, half the asafetida, and salt.

2.
In a food processor, process together the tomatoes, green chile peppers, ginger, and curry leaves to make a smooth purée, about 30 seconds, and add it to the dal.

3.
Boil the soupy dal over high heat about 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer the dal about 20 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, mix in the cilantro, cover, and keep warm.

4.
Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the cinnamon, cloves, and red chile peppers about 30 seconds. Then add the mustard and cumin seeds, and the remaining
¹
⁄
₈
teaspoon asafoetida; they should splutter upon contact with the hot oil, so lower the heat and cover the pan until the spluttering subsides. Transfer to the dal and swirl lightly to mix, with parts of it visible as a garnish. Serve.

Crispy Split Pigeon Pea Cake

Sookhi Toor Dal

Makes 4 to 6 servings

This
toor dal
dish, in the form of a savory upside down cake, is a specialty of my friend Sohini's family in south India. This dish uses very little water—just enough to cook the
dal
and then disappear—forming a thin crust at the bottom. Garnished with the southern Indian seasonings of mustard seeds, curry leaves, and asafoetida, this is a spectacular variation from an everyday
dal
dish.

1 cup split pigeon peas (toor dal), sorted and washed in 3 to 4 changes of water

1
³
⁄
₄
cups water

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground turmeric

3 tablespoons peanut oil

2 dried red chile peppers, such as chile de arbol, broken

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

¹
⁄
₈
teaspoon ground asafoetida

1 tablespoon dried curry leaves

1.
Soak the dal in the water about 1 hour or longer. Transfer the dal and water to a small, nonstick saucepan, add the salt and turmeric, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer until all water is absorbed.

2.
Reduce the heat further and drizzle 2 tablespoons oil into the dal along the circumference of the pan. Cover and allow the dal to develop a thin crust at the bottom (do not stir), 30 to 40 minutes. With a rubber spatula lightly dislodge the edges, then invert the cake onto a serving platter.

3.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a small nonstick saucepan. Add the red chile peppers and mustard seeds; they should splutter upon contact with the hot oil, so cover the pan and reduce the heat until the spluttering subsides. Add the asafoetida and curry leaves, stir a few seconds, then pour everything over the dal as a garnish. Serve.

Variation:
For added flavor, mix finely chopped ginger, garlic, or cilantro into the dal in Step 1, while it cooks.

Basic South Indian Soupy Split Pigeon Peas