Creamy Tadka Dal with Roti

I loved the combination of textures and colors from the mix of beans in this creamy dal. The recipe was a “staff favorite” in Food and Wine, contributed by Antara Sinha. It was included an article titled “Good to the Last Sop: Cozy Dinners That Deliver Endless Comfort.” The original recipe includes instructions to make homemade roti to serve with the dal to sop it up. 🙂

We ate this dish with store-bought roti but I included the roti recipe from the original article below. I wish I had made the homemade roti because we tragically did not enjoy the store-bought version. (Homemade is always better!) I served the dal over brown Basmati rice with steamed spinach on the side. Hearty and delicious vegetarian comfort food.

For the Dal:

• 3/4 cup dried moong dal (split yellow mung beans) (about 5½ ounces) 
• 3/4 cup dried masoor dal (split red lentils) (about 5 ounces) 
• 3/4 cup dried chana dal (split bengal gram) or dried toor dal (split pigeon peas) (about 5¾ ounces) 
• 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric 
• 6 to 7 cups water, divided 
• 1 ½ tablespoons canola oil 
• 4 green cardamom pods, crushed, shells discarded 
• 4 whole cloves 
• 1 ¼ teaspoons cumin seeds  
• 1 medium-size yellow onion, finely chopped (about 2 cups)  
• 2 medium-size fresh serrano or jalapeño chiles, stemmed, seeded if desired, and finely chopped (about 2 1/2 tablespoons) 
• 1 medium tomato, chopped (about 1 cup) 
• ¼ cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish 

For the Roti:

• 2 cups atta (Indian whole-wheat flour) (about 8 5/8 ounces), plus more for dusting 
• 3/4 to 1 cup water, divided 
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt 
• melted ghee, for brushing 

For the Tadka:

• 3 tablespoons ghee 
• 3 small dried chiles (such as Diaspora Co. Whole Sannam Chillies), or more to taste (I used Bird’s Eye)
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

To Serve:

• brown Basmati rice, optional
• steamed spinach, optional

To Start the Dal:

1. Stir together moong dal, masoor dal, chana (or toor) dal, salt, turmeric, and 6 cups water in a large saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high. (I used a medium enameled cast iron Dutch oven.)
2. Reduce heat to medium-low; partially cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until dal is soft and tender, 35 to 40 minutes. Add up to remaining 1 cup water, 1/4 cup at a time, until desired thickness and consistency is reached.

To Make the Roti Dough:

1. Stir together atta, 3/4 cup water, and salt in a medium bowl. Knead mixture in bowl until all dry flour is incorporated, adding remaining 1/4 cup water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed to incorporate flour.
2. Transfer dough to a clean work surface; knead until stretchy and slightly sticky, 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Shape dough into a ball, and return to bowl. Cover with a clean towel; let stand at room temperature until dough is smooth and matte, about 30 minutes.

To Season the Dal:

1. Heat oil in a medium-size heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium.
2. Add cardamom, cloves, and cumin; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 30 to 45 seconds.
3. Add onion and chopped fresh chiles; cook, stirring often, until onion is lightly browned around edges, 5 to 8 minutes.
4. Add tomato; cook, stirring often, until tomato begins to break down, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
5. Add tomato mixture and cilantro to dal mixture; stir to combine. Season to taste with salt.
6. Cover and keep warm over low.

To Cook the Roti:

1. Once roti dough has rested, turn out onto a work surface lightly dusted with atta.
2. Divide dough evenly into 16 pieces (about 1 ounce each).
3. Working with 1 dough piece at a time and keeping remaining pieces covered with a towel, shape dough into a ball. Dust ball thoroughly with atta, and flatten slightly. Using a rolling pin, roll dough into a circle until uniformly thin and about 6 inches in diameter. Rotate the disk 90 degrees after each roll, flipping and dusting with atta occasionally to make a perfect circle. Repeat with remaining dough pieces.
4. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high. Place 1 roti round in skillet; cook until bubbles start to form and bottom is speckled with brown spots, 30 to 45 seconds. Flip roti using tongs; cook until it puffs up completely and is evenly cooked on both sides, 30 to 45 seconds. (Small charred spots are delicious and totally OK.) If roti doesn’t completely puff up, pat the top using a clean towel to encourage it to inflate.
5. Remove roti from skillet, and brush both sides lightly with melted ghee; transfer to a serving plate. Repeat process with remaining roti rounds and ghee.

To Make the Tadka & to Serve:

1. In a small skillet, heat ghee over medium-high. Add dried chiles and cumin to pan; cook, stirring occasionally, until cumin is toasted and fragrant, about 30 seconds.
2. Divide dal mixture among bowls, and drizzle each portion with desired amount of warm tadka. (I served it over brown Basmati rice.)
3. Sprinkle with additional cilantro, and serve alongside hot roti and steamed spinach, as desired.

Note: Dal can be prepared (without the tadka) 2 days ahead and stored in an airtight container in refrigerator.

Lalla Mussa Dal

This dish was so creamy and delicious I could barely stand it. The spicy kick made it absolute perfection.

This recipe was adapted from The Yellow Chilli Cookbook by Indian celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor, via The New York Times. This creamy lentil stew is his signature dish. I reduced the butter (by HALF), doubled the recipe, increased the garlic, used jalapeños, and used a pressure cooker to expedite the cooking process.

I served it over brown Basmati rice with sautéed spinach with garlic and cumin on the side. Wonderful!

• 1 cup whole black gram lentils (sabut urad)
• 1/4 cup whole green gram lentils (split mung beans or abut moong)
• 2 green chiles (such as Indian harimirch or serrano), cut into thin strips (I used jalapeños, cut into rounds)
• 1 2-inch piece ginger, cut into thin strips
• ½ cup melted unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups tomato purée
• 2 teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder, or cayenne
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi)
• 16 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 cup heavy cream
• coarse salt, to taste
• 1-inch piece ginger, cut into thin strips, for garnish, as desired
• brown Basmati rice, for serving

1. Mix together both types of lentils and rinse thoroughly in salted water. Drain. If using a pressure cooker, cover with 2-inches of water; cook on low for 10 minutes. (Alternatively, add 1 cup water and soak for 1 hour.)
2. Drain lentils again, add to a small pot with 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Skim the scum and dirt off the top and discard.
3. Strain the lentils and return them to the pot. Add 1 cup water, the green chiles and ginger and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.
4. Add 1/4 cup of the butter and simmer on low heat, uncovered, for 45 minutes, stirring often and mashing with the back of a big spoon as the lentils soften.
5. After about 35 minutes, melt the remaining 1/4 cup butter in a deep nonstick pan; add the tomato purée and sauté on low heat until fat rises to the surface. (I used a 4-quart enameled cast iron pot.)
6. Add the red chili powder (or cayenne), ground coriander, fenugreek leaves and garlic to the tomatoes and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture begins to dry out and stick to the pan.
7. Add the lentils and mix well. Add the cream and mix well. Add 1 to 2 cups water (for desired texture) and salt to taste, and bring to a boil.
8. Serve hot, over rice and garnished with ginger strips, as desired.

One Year Ago: Shrimp in Green Mole

Two Years Ago: Stuffed Poblano Casserole

Three Years Ago: Sautéed Haricots Verts with Mushrooms & Shallots

Four Years Ago: Chana Dal and Spinach cooked with Onions (Mughlai Saag)

Five Years Ago:  Sri Lankan Coconut Chicken Curry with Cashews

Pressure Cooker Masoor Dal (Split Red Lentils) with Spinach

Every time I have made an Indian dal, I tell myself that I really need to make it in a pressure cooker to save time. Spotting several dal recipes in a pressure cooker cookbook made me take the plunge. Such a time saver! This dish cooks on high pressure for only ONE minute… What have I (or you!) been waiting for? 🙂

This dal is super creamy and thick. I loved that it was loaded with fresh spinach. We ate it served over brown Basmati rice, but because we love scooping it up with naan or roti, bread was an essential add-on to this meal as well. This recipe was adapted from Hip Pressure Cooking: Fast, Fresh, and Flavorful by Laura D.A. Pazzaglia. I think this will wrap up my recent pressure cooker frenzy- for now, at least! 🙂

For the Dal Base:

• 4 cups dried masoor (red split lentils)
• 8 cups water
• 4 T vegetable oil
• 4 to 6 cups chopped fresh spinach
• 2 T peeled and finely chopped fresh ginger root
• 2 T pressed garlic
• 4 tsp garam masala
• 2 tsp ground turmeric
• 2 tsp amchoor (mango powder) (I omitted this)
• 2 to 4 tsp coarse salt, to taste
• boiling water, to adjust texture to taste

For the Tadka:

• 6 T ghee or vegetable oil
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tsp paprika
• 2 strips of lemon zest

1. Rinse and drain the red split lentils. Pour into a medium bowl, cover with water and let soak for about 20 to 30 minutes. Rinse, drain, and then add to the base of the pressure cooker.
2. Add the water, oil, spinach, ginger, garlic, garam masala, turmeric, and amchoor (if using).
3. Close and lock the lid of the pressure cooker; cook at high pressure for 1 minute.
4. Turn off the heat and allow the pressure to release naturally as the pot lowers in temperature, about 15 to 20 minutes. (The dal will continue to cook.)
5. Meanwhile, prepare the tadka: Heat the ghee in a small saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the cumin and mustard seeds. When the seeds begin to crackle, stir in the bay leaves, red pepper flakes, and the paprika.
6. Remove from the heat and add the lemon zest. Stir well.
7. When the cooker is open, mix the dal well and add the salt. Adjust the consistency with boiling water as you desire.
8. Pour the tadka over the dal just before serving. Stir to incorporate, if desired.

Note: Leftover dal can be made into fritters, pan-fried, and served with tzatziki or tahini sauce. Great!!

One Year Ago:

• Chilkewali Mung Dal (Split Green Mung Beans), Mumbai-Style
• Spinach with Garlic and Cumin

Two Years Ago:

• Khatti Dal (Sour Lentils), Hyderabad-Style

Khatti Dal (Sour Lentils), Hyderabad-Style

I have finally completed my mission to make all four types of dal described in the New York Times article “New York Dals.” This last one, Khatti Dal, may have been the fastest to make. I did not have the toor dal (yellow lentils) called for in the recipe and substituted chana dal (split chickpeas).  Once again, I used a balloon whisk as a stand-in for an Indian mathani to puree the dal; the resulting dish had a little more texture than the others. The “sour” comes from the addition of lime juice or tamarind concentrate- nice! This recipe is from the New York Times, contributed by Mark Bittman. I doubled the recipe (to ensure plenty of leftovers), and served it over brown basmati rice with green salad (instead of sautéed spinach) and naan on the side. Delicious vegetarian comfort food- I am ready to start the rotation over again!  🙂

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: about 4 servings

• 1 cup yellow lentils (toor dal) or chana dal
• 1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
• 1 teaspoon green chili or jalapeño, seeded and minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup tamarind concentrate or 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons sunflower or safflower oil, or other neutral oil such as grape seed
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic (1-2 cloves)
• 12 curry leaves (optional)
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1. Combine the dal, turmeric, chili, salt and 4 cups water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the mixture bubbles aggressively and steadily and cook, uncovered, for 25 minutes.
2. Add the tamarind concentrate and 1/2 cup additional water, and let bubble for another minute. Turn off the heat. Use an Indian mathani (or whisk) to purée the dal for about 1 minute; the dal should be saucy but not soupy. 
3. To make the tadka, heat the oil in a small saucepan over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and cover the pan; let the seeds pop and sizzle. When the popping begins to subside, add the garlic and cook until lightly browned, about 15 seconds. Add the curry leaves, if you’re using them. Cover the pan (to prevent spattering) and cook for about 10 seconds, allowing flavors to meld.
4. Pour the tadka into the dal; stir gently to combine. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

One Year Ago:

• Chilkewali Mung Dal (Split Green Mung Beans), Mumbai-Style
• Spinach with Garlic and Cumin

If you like this you may also like:

• Chana Dal (Split Chickpeas), New Delhi-Style
• Makhani Dal (Butter Dal), Mogul-Style
• Spinach cooked with Onions (Mughlai Saag)

Makhani Dal (Butter Dal), Mogul-Style

This was not the most seasonal dish to make in 90 degree heat! BUT- I LOVE dals– so healthy and flavorful, and I have been wanting to try this recipe. This popular Indian dal is rich and super creamy because it has whole milk plain yogurt incorporated in the dal and used again as a topping. This is the third dal that I have made from a New York Times Article written by Mark Bittman called “New York Dals”; I previously made Chilkewali Mung Dal (Split Green Mung Beans), Mumbai-Style and Chana Dal (Split Chickpeas), New Delhi-Style. We ate this with brown Basmati rice and sautéed Spinach with Garlic and Cumin. It was a “four-burner” meal- dal, tadka, rice, and spinach- but worth it. This was my husband’s favorite dal (so far…). I also doubled the recipe, anything that cooks for 3 1/2 hours needs to be doubled! GREAT!

TOTAL TIME: About 3 1/2 hours, largely unattended

• 3/4 cup whole black gram beans (sabat urad)
• 2 tablespoons adzuki beans or pink beans (choti rajma) or red kidney beans
• 2 tablespoons split chickpeas (chana dal)
• 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt, whisked
• 2 cups finely chopped onions
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped tomatoes (canned is fine)
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground-red-chili powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 3 tablespoons sunflower or safflower oil, or other neutral oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt

1.

Combine the legumes with 4 cups water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil; cook, uncovered, for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and cover the pot; let the legumes soak for 2 hours.

2.

Add the whole-milk yogurt, 1 cup onions, tomatoes, ginger, turmeric, cardamom, paprika, chili and salt to the pot and bring to a boil once more. Cook, partly covered, over low heat for 90 minutes, or until the dal is very soft. Turn off the heat and use an Indian mathani (or balloon whisk) to purée the dal for about 1 minute; it should be saucy but not soupy.

3.

To make the tadka, heat the oil in a small saucepan over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the remaining cup of onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until medium brown. Turn off the heat and stir in the cumin and garam masala.

4.

Transfer the dal to a large bowl and cover with the low-fat yogurt (we used whole-milk!); top with tadka, stir gently and serve.

YIELD: About 4-6 servings

Chana Dal (Split Chickpeas), New Delhi-Style

Garlic! Spicy! My favorite combination! I doubled this recipe. The resulting dish is well seasoned and creamy with crispy browned garlic slivers providing pockets of contrasting texture- yum. We ate it over rice, with whole-wheat naan and sauteed spinach (Mughlai Saag) on the side. This is my second dish from the New York Times article about New York Dals by Mark Bittman. The cooking time is about one hour (most of it unattended)- but I may try to cook the beans in a pressure cooker next time to expedite the process.

• 1 cup split chickpeas (chana dal)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 bay leaf, preferably Indian
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons sunflower or safflower oil (I used canola)
• 6 whole cloves
• 4-5 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon crushed-red-chili flakes (optional)
• 3 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro

1.

Combine the chana dal, turmeric, cardamom, bay leaf, salt and 4 cups water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the mixture bubbles gently, cover partly and cook for 40 minutes. At that point, the mixture should still be quite moist; if it is not, add 1 cup additional water and continue cooking, covered, until the dal is tender, about 20 minutes; turn off the heat. Remove the bay leaf. Use an Indian mathani (or whisk) to purée the dal for about 1 minute; the dal should be saucy but not soupy.

2.

To make the tadka, put the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the cloves; let sizzle for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until medium brown. Stir in the chili flakes if you’re using them, and turn off the heat.

3.

Pour the tadka into the dal; stir gently to combine. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

YIELD:

About 4 servings

Chilkewali Mung Dal (Split Green Mung Beans), Mumbai-Style

When I knew that we might be near this wonderful Indian grocery, Apna Bazar in Hicksville, New York, I grabbed an article about “New York Dals” written by Mark Bittman for the New York Times and made my ingredient list. I bought fresh curry leaves for the first time, so I made the dish that used them first- Chilkewali Mung Dal.  I served it with sautéed spinach with garlic and cumin, brown rice, and two types of Indian bread.  I had to substitute a balloon whisk for an Indian mathani to try and achieve the right consistency.  I didn’t know anything about which type of bread to serve, so we tried 2 types– next time I go to Apna Bazar I will try one of the many other types available! This is a wonderful dish- I LOVED IT!  I am looking forward to trying the other dal recipes from the same New York Times article.

• 1 cup split green mung beans (chilkewali mung dal)
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon minced and seeded hot green chili
• 3/4 cup chopped onions
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes (canned is fine)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons sunflower or safflower oil, or other neutral oil
• 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
• 2 tablespoons julienned fresh ginger
• 12 curry leaves (optional)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1. Combine the dal, turmeric, garlic, chili, onions, tomatoes, brown sugar, salt and 4 cups water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the mixture bubbles gently, and cook, covered, for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Partly uncover and continue cooking for another 15 minutes, until the dal is tender; turn off the heat. Use an Indian mathani (or balloon whisk) to purée the dal for about 1 minute; the dal should be saucy but not soupy.
2. To make the tadka, heat the oil in a small saucepan over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and cover the pan; let the seeds pop and sizzle. When the popping begins to subside, add the ginger and cook until lightly browned, about 15 seconds, and add the curry leaves, if you’re using them. Turn off the heat and stir in the cumin.
3. Pour the tadka (pictured below) into the dal; stir gently to combine. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

YIELD: About 4 servings