The roasted toor dal in this dish gives it a distinct flavour and a unique taste. This nutritious dish, can be called the South Indian counterpart of the dal makhni. It is easy to make and tastes good when served with steaming rice and a drop of ghee. I learnt this recipe from my grandmother.
What you need
Pigeon pea (Toor dal) – 1 cup
Green gram (Moong dal) – 1 tsp
Fenugreek – 1 tsp
Mustard – 2 tsp
Tamarind –Small lemon size
Red chillies – 4
Salt – To taste
Oil – 3 tsp
Curry leaves – a few
Asafoetida powder – 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Cooking instructions
Heat two tsp of oil and add mustard, fenugreek, asafoetida, red chillies, toor dal, moong dal and sauté until the toor dal gives off an aroma.
Add two cups of water and turmeric powder. Pressure cook the dal mixture on a low flame and allow the cooker to emit 5 to 6 whistles.
Squeeze out the juice from the tamarind and boil it in a pan for three minutes.
Add the cooked dal mixture and salt to the tamarind juice and allow it to boil for five minutes.
Season with mustard and curry leaves.
Vedavalli Srinivasan treasures traditional recipes for their nutritious and therapeutic value.