Lentils are as much a part of a poor man’s diet as they are a delectable meal for a rich man. It is to their credit that veteran food expert and author Salma Husain and Vijay Thukral, chef at Delhi’s iconic India International Centre, have tried to do justice to this vast repertoire of preparations across the country that use pulses and beans. In their latest book, they toast the humble lentil by digging up various preparations done in the country and dwelling upon the historical and ritualistic significance of pulses.
Several interesting anecdotes form a part of the book. One such is that when Emperor Shah Jahan was imprisoned, he was given the choice of one lentil which he could consume. He chose the chana dal, as one could cook it in many ways and never tire of it. There are several interesting recipes, including Manali aru dal which uses ripe plums, and a twist to a traditional recipe combining brinjal with Bengal gram, in a salad. The authors have covered the country, picking up some common, some different, and some unique dishes. Excerpts from an interview:
Why dal ? When there is so much being written about rich and royal foods, why the focus on everyday humble lentils and pulses?
SH I have said this in the introduction also, lentils, pulses and dal are so versatile that they can be consumed by everyone across generations and class. Also in my opinion, the biryanis , Hyderabadi and Awadhi cuisines have become repetitive. It is time to move forward and lentils seemed a perfect choice, given the sheer variation. Dal roti is a poor man’s dish, while a dal pulav is a rich man’s delight. It is combined with meat, vegetables, coconut and a host of seasoning. Almost all dals are eaten in the entire country. There is special tempering or tadka , and seasoning for each dal . One uses whole red chilli and garlic with arhar dal and hing or asafoetida for split white lentil.
The sheer variety that can be made using lentils is unimaginable. There is light khichdi , a heavier khichra , sweet dishes, halwa , pulav , starters… Also, we focused on a handful of lentils which are commonly used in India. So from Bengal to Kerala, Bihar to Maharashtra, it covers a lot. What is interesting is that it is cooked with a lot of love, and dal touches the heart of the people. Chefs here tried a lot of recipes and tuned them to perfection, to finally be put into the book form.
VT Also after eating the finest of meals, the heart usually longs for dal and that is the speciality of this comfort food.
During your research, what surprised you the most?
VT In the South, the use of dals in the cuisine is exceptional. Vadas are made in different ways, combining the same dals . Urad dal is used fermented with rice for recipes. Sambar with similar ingredients gives an almost different taste every few kilometres. Some are spicy, some sweet, some sour... the sheer versatility of using dals here was more. The depth of using it was a revelation. Kosambari as a salad, while kootu as curry…
SH What also added to the research was how we managed to get recipes. There is a recipe from Gautam Anand of ITC — a dal with seven tempering. That is unique.
Persian manuscripts of the 15th Century also have a mention of a khichri called lazizaan , a favourite of Emperor Jehangir.
There is a mention of Persian zafrani pulao , which an Iranian chef, Mona Daryapouri, fed me in her home. For me, the dal and lentil culture in this country is the least researched and highlighted. Much is possible with this. We have treated dals lightly in our quest for heavier richer cuisine. The classic ghar ki murgi dal barabar .
How extensive was the research and how much time did it take?
SH Food books usually take two-to-three years to complete. We worked diligently, tested out the recipes and then got it photographed. It has taken a long time and it is just the beginning with dals and lentils.
VT We compiled over 200-300 recipes. We tested them out and kept narrowing them down to this final 60-odd recipes. There is a lot more on dals that one can do.
Which recipes from the book do you like?
SH That is difficult to say; every recipe is nice and tasty in its own right. But for me, qubooli , the Bengal gram pulav cooked in an exotic way, is my favourite. It is rich and uses lentils in combination with dry apricots and dry plums. It is unique for its sweet-and-sour taste. It was a favourite of Emperor Aurangzeb. There is rangeen pulao from the kitchens of the Mughal emperors.
VT One I made using sprouted dals in kebabs, which is very easy to make, yet nutritious and tasty. It is called ankurit dal ke kebab .
Anything that you would have done differently with this?
SH I should have put an ancient recipe — one that was used in ancient time in India. Of course, this is just the beginning with lentils. I would love to have a lentil festival and build it up over the years — similar to what is done in the US. It will showcase recipes, contests on lentils; there can be farmer groups selling lentils. Have contests, food festivals, even a children’s corner.
In this book, we have added some international lentil recipes, but it can also be used to bring to our shores how lentils are used there.
