1,000 Indian Recipes (202 page)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon garam masala

1.
Soak the dals and beans overnight, in water to cover by at least 2 inches. Drain and place in a large cast-iron or other heavy saucepan. Add 6 cups water and all the remaining ingredients (except the mint, butter, and garam masala), cover the pan and boil over high heat, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour.

2.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook until the dal is very soft, thick, and creamy, about 3 to 4 hours, adding 2 cups or more water as needed. Add the mint leaves and the butter and cook another 30 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle the garam masala on top, and serve.

Smoked Black Urad Beans

Dhuandar Urad Saabut

Makes 4 to 6 servings

When I was growing up in New Delhi, this
dal
was cooked over a pail-shaped coal-burning stove, called
angeethi
or
sigri
, for hours and hours until it became soft and creamy. As it simmered, sometimes covered and other times uncovered, the smoke from the coals lent a lovely aroma to it. This aroma was further enhanced by the addition of fragrant herbs and spices.

In America, I cook this
dal
in a pressure cooker for convenience, and although it doesn't provide the same flavor as the smoky coals, I add a few drops of liquid smoke (found in supermarkets and in specialty food stores).

1 cup black urad beans (saabut urad dal), sorted and washed in 3 to 4 changes of water

¹
⁄
₄
cup yellow split chickpeas (channa dal), sorted and washed in 3 to 4 changes of water

2 tablespoons kidney beans, sorted and washed in 3 to 4 changes of water

1 tablespoon peanut oil

4 to 6 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, skin punctured to prevent bursting

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

1 tablespoon peeled minced fresh ginger

1 large clove fresh garlic, minced

1 tablespoon ground coriander

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon ground cumin

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon ground oregano leaves

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground fenugreek seeds

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground turmeric

¹
⁄
₈
teaspoon ground asafoetida

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon liquid hickory smoke

7 to 8 cups water

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

¹
⁄
₂
cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves

¹
⁄
₄
cup nonfat plain yogurt, whisked with
¹
⁄
₂
cup water

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon garam masala

1.
In a bowl, mix together the dals and the kidney beans. Then heat the oil in a medium cast-iron or nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the green and red chile peppers, stirring, until golden, about 1 minute. (Stand back from the pan in case they burst.) Add the ginger and garlic, then the coriander, cumin, oregano, fenugreek seeds, turmeric, asafoetida, salt, and liquid smoke. Stir about 30 seconds.

2.
Add the dals and beans and stir constantly over medium-low heat until fragrant and well roasted, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a pressure cooker, add 6 cups water, secure the lid and cook over high heat until the regulator indicates high pressure, then cook 1 minute more. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook another 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the pot to depressurize on its own, 12 to 15 minutes. Carefully open the lid and check to see if the beans are very soft with some of them broken; if not, add remaining 2 cups water, cover, bring back up to high pressure, and cook under pressure another 1 minute. Or cover and boil until soft, about 30 minutes.

3.
Mix in the tomato sauce, cilantro, fenugreek leaves, and yogurt-water, and cook, stirring occasionally, over low heat until the dal is thick and creamy, 45 to 60 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle the garam masala on top, and serve.

Black Urad Beans in a Slow Cooker

Slow-Cooker Mein Saabut Urad Dal

Makes 4 to 6 servings

On the other end of the spectrum of convenience products from speedy pressure cookers are the slow cookers that cook dried beans long and slow, but with little effort.

Here is my recipe for black urad beans from my daughter, Sumi. Sumi gives the process a jump-start by boiling the
dal
in a pan before placing it in the cooker. Then, once the
dal
is cooked, she adds a
tarka
(sizzling seasoning topping) that dramatically perks up its flavor and aroma.

1
¹
⁄
₄
cups black urad beans (saabut urad dal), sorted and washed in 3 to 4 changes of water

¹
⁄
₄
cup red or kidney beans, sorted and washed in 3 to 4 changes of water

1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, minced with seeds

1 tablespoon peeled minced fresh ginger

1 large clove fresh garlic, minced

1 medium onion, finely chopped

5 black cardamom pods, crushed lightly to break the skin

2 (1-inch) sticks cinnamon, broken

2 bay leaves

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

7 to 8 cups water

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

¹
⁄
₄
cup nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

1
¹
⁄
₂
tablespoons olive oil, melted butter, or ghee

1 (1
¹
⁄
₂
-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks

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

1
¹
⁄
₂
teaspoons cumin seeds

1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground paprika

¹
⁄
₈
teaspoon ground asafoetida

1.
Place the dal, beans, green chile peppers, minced ginger, garlic, onion, cardamom pods, cinnamon, bay leaves, turmeric, salt, and 5 cups water in a large saucepan and boil over high heat about 5 minutes.

2.
Transfer to a slow cooker. Choose the highest setting and cook the dal until soft and creamy, 10 to 12 hours. Stir every once in awhile. Once most of the water has been absorbed by the dal, boil the remaining water and add it to the pot. Mix in the tomato sauce during the last hour of cooking. Transfer to a serving dish, swirl in the yogurt, and keep warm.

3.
Heat the oil in a small nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the ginger matchsticks and red chile peppers until golden, about 1 minute. (Stand back from the pan just in case the peppers burst.) Add the cumin seeds; they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the fenugreek leaves, then remove from the heat, add the paprika and asafoetida, and immediately add the tarka to the dal. Swirl lightly to mix, with parts of it visible as a garnish. Serve.

Split Chickpeas and Split Peas (
Channa Dal
and
Muttar Dal
)

Yellow Split Chickpeas with Spinach