I've been making a more authentic North Indian dahl recently, which can be made very easily in a larger (10 cup) rice cooker using the "Tarka" method where the lentils / moong dal are boiled separately then the spice and veg mix is fried till well done in a small frying pan, then tipped into the dahl and allowed to finish off.
Two "Western" misconceptions about dahl is that you should start off with the massive frying of onions then later add every spice you can think of.
The traditional Tarka Dahl generally has no onions and sometimes, in the South, no garlic either (using Asafoetida or Hing for that type of flavour) and the spices are kept very simple, often just a bit of cumin.
Far from being bland, Tarka Dahl is the comfort food to end all comfort foods and whacks a huge mellow flavour.
Ingredients serves 4 as side or 2 as a main.
1 cup of moong dal (not the green one, the shelled pale yellow one) or use red lentils.
4 cups of water.
boil in rice cooker till the dal is soft and falling to pieces.
Ghee
Asafoetida (Hing)
grated ginger, garlic, turmeric and chopped chillies.
cumin, yellow mustard seeds, (with some black optional), kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves) - about a dessertspoon of each. If using fresh turmeric, don't use any additional powdered turmeric to avoid bitterness.
salt to taste.
Preparing the Tarka
In the hot ghee, add half a tsp of Asafoetida powder and fry till foam subsides, quickly add the spices and fry for a minute until they crack / pop then add the veggies and fry till well done, but don't burn the garlic.
Tip and scrape the Tarka into the dal in the rice cooker, stir well and cook it on for half an hour, stirring occasionally and adding more water if needed. You'll need to trip the rice cooker back to full now and again.
Two "Western" misconceptions about dahl is that you should start off with the massive frying of onions then later add every spice you can think of.
The traditional Tarka Dahl generally has no onions and sometimes, in the South, no garlic either (using Asafoetida or Hing for that type of flavour) and the spices are kept very simple, often just a bit of cumin.
Far from being bland, Tarka Dahl is the comfort food to end all comfort foods and whacks a huge mellow flavour.
Ingredients serves 4 as side or 2 as a main.
1 cup of moong dal (not the green one, the shelled pale yellow one) or use red lentils.
4 cups of water.
boil in rice cooker till the dal is soft and falling to pieces.
Ghee
Asafoetida (Hing)
grated ginger, garlic, turmeric and chopped chillies.
cumin, yellow mustard seeds, (with some black optional), kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves) - about a dessertspoon of each. If using fresh turmeric, don't use any additional powdered turmeric to avoid bitterness.
salt to taste.
Preparing the Tarka
In the hot ghee, add half a tsp of Asafoetida powder and fry till foam subsides, quickly add the spices and fry for a minute until they crack / pop then add the veggies and fry till well done, but don't burn the garlic.
Tip and scrape the Tarka into the dal in the rice cooker, stir well and cook it on for half an hour, stirring occasionally and adding more water if needed. You'll need to trip the rice cooker back to full now and again.
