simple dal

                                         Take 1 cup of toor dal and pressure cook it.
                                         Transfer the boiled dal to another vessel and add 
                                         4-5 green chillis finely chopped, 2 med sized 
                                         tomatos, salt, 1/2tsp turmeric powder and a pinch
                                         of asafoetida and allow it to simmer. Heat oil in a
                                         wok and add 1/2tsp mustard seeds, 5-6 cloves of 
                                         finely copped garlic and few curry leaves. 
                                         Add this garnish to the boiled dal and cook
                                         allow the whole mix to boil for about 5 minutes.
                             

                                          serve it with rice, chapati, tandoori roti or poori.
                                          


 I like toor dal because the taste of spices, tomatos etc that is added, blends in very well. In my opinion, this dal mimics the taste of its taste enhancers. Mung masoor (red lentils) dals have their own distinct personalities. 
Another thing about dal is, no matter what food you taste, this comfort food, evergreen side dish never goes out of style.


PS: Try dal and rice with spicy lemon or mango pickle. And what if you have run out of pickle? well, you will alway have some onion in your kitchen, slice it, or simply crush it with your palm and add raw green chilli and enjoy your meal.


Ranga Rajah