DAL
Lentils or pulses have an important role in Indian cuisine and are an important part of our daily meals. Daal made of different kinds of lentils. Any Indian meal, be it lunch or dinner, is considered incomplete without daal. These lentils are the comfort food for every household in India. These is a wide variety of Lentils available in India.
The color varies from yellow, green, brown, orange and red to deep black, these tiny disc-shaped members of the legume family are eaten in some form at least twice a day . India is one of the biggest producer as well as consumer of lentils. These lentils have a high nutritional value, which is very healthy for all age groups. The lentils include some essential proteins like amino acids isoleucine and lysine and sprouted lentils contain sufficient levels of all essential amino acids, including methionine and cystine. They also contain nutrients, fiber, complex carbohydrates, and folic acld. It is a low calorie, low fat and cholesterol free food.
Lentils or Dal form an important part of any Indian meal. Usually served as a side dish, they are a tasty way to get your protein for the day. Across the country, different types of dals are available and people prepare it in different ways. It is regularly eaten with rice and vegetables in Southern India, and with both rice and roti in Northern India. Dal is a ready source of proteins for a balanced diet containing little or no meat. In South India, dal is primarily used to make the dish called sambar. Sambar is a spicy soup of toor dal and vegetables and is cooked with tamarind , asafoetida and some vegetables. The choice of vegetables affects the taste of the dal. It is eaten with rice or rice dishes. Find below some important Dal recipes for you to give a try.
DAL WITH FENUGREEK LEAVES RECIPE 
Ingredients
Fenugreek leaves
1/2 bunch
Toor dal
1 cup
Peanuts
2 tbsp
Dry chilies crushed into piece
4
Onion
1
Garlic cloves
5 small
Chopped corainder leaves
Turmeric powder
2 tbsp
Asafoetida
1/2 tbsp
Salt and sugar to taste
Oil
1 tbsp
Method
- Wash dal. Wash fenugreek leaves in salt water. Chop them finely.
- Mix together dal, leaves, 1 tsp oil, turmeric powder and 1 cup water. Boil them till soft. Mash dal and fenugreek leaves. Keep aside.
- Chop onion. Crush garlic cloves. Wash peanuts.Heat a pan. Put 1 tbsp oil into it. Once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds. When mustard seeds crackle, add asafoetida, red chilies and garlic cloves.
- Add peanuts and fry. Add chopped onions and fry them till translucent.
- Pour dal and fenugreek leaves mixture into the pan.
- Add water for desired thickness. Bring it to a boil. Add salt, sugar and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Garnish with coriander leaves while serving.
- Serve hot with chapati or rice
DAL WITH FENUGREEK SEEDS RECIPE
Ingredients
Toor dal
1 cup
Fennugreek seeds
1 cup
Garlic cloves
2-3 small
Green chilies
4
Tamarind paste
1/2 tbsp
Dry shredded coconut
2 tbsp
Cumin seeds
2 tbsp
Chopped corainder leaves
Turmeric powder
1 tbsp
Asafoetida
1/2 tbsp
Salt and jaggery and sugar to taste
Oil
1 tbsp
Method
- Wash dal and fenugreek seeds.
- Add fenugreek seeds, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, asafoetida, 1/2 tsp oil and water to the dal. Pressure cook until soft.Mash dal. Keep aside Heat a pan.
- Add coconut and toast it over medium heat until light brown. Then add cumin seeds and toss the mixture once. Remove and grind into a paste.
- Chop chilies and crush the garlic cloves. Heat oil in the pan.
- Once the oil is hot, let the mustard seeds sizzle.
- Add asafoetida, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and crushed garlic cloves and chilies.
- Fry and add dal and water for desired thickness. Bring it to a boil.
- Once bubbles float on top, turn the heat to medium.
- Add ground coconut masala and tamarind paste or kokum and stir well.
- Add salt and jaggary or sugar. Let simmer for another 10 minutes.
- Top with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice or chapati.
LANGHAR DAL RECIPE
Ingredients
Whole black gram
2 cups
Cummin seeds
2 tbsp
Turmeric powder
2 tbso
Garam masala
2 tbsp
Chopped onions
4
Ginger garlic paste
2 tbsp
Ghee
1 cup
Salt to taste
Method
- Put all the ingredients (with 5 cups water) except ghee in a pressure cooker or in a slow cooker and cook till soft and blended.
- Pour hot ghee and serve with hot tandoori rotis or chapattis.
MASOOR DAL RECIPE
Ingredients
Masoor dal
1 cup
Onion cut into rings
1
Carrot cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1
Cauliflower cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/4
Cloves
2-3
Pinch of haldi
Oil
2 tbsp
Cumin
1 tbsp
Dhania powder
1 tbsp
Amchoor
1/2 tbsp
Garam masala
1/4 tbsp
Chili powder
1/4 tbsp
Method
- Heat oil add onions and fry till brown.
- Add the vegs and cloves and cook for 2-3 mins.
- Add this to the washed dal and cook with turmeric & four cups water until dal is soft and texture is like porridge.
- In another pan heat oil add cumin, coriander, mango powder and garam masala.
- Remove from heat add red chilli powder..
- Add this to the dal. Add lemon juice and serve with hot rice.
BLACK EYED BEANS RECIPE
Ingredients
Black eyes beans
2 cups
Grounded corainder
1 1/2 tbsp
Grounded cumin
3/4 tbsp
Turmeric powder
1/2 tbsp
Oil
2 tbsp
Chopped onion
1 small
Cloves chopped garlic
2 large
Chopped ginger
1 tbsp
Cumin seeds
1/2 tbsp
Medium chopped tomato
1
Salt according to taste
Method
- In pot soak beans overnight in water to cover generously. Next day, drain beans, put water in it and bring to boil.
- Add salt, coriander, cumin and turmeric.
- Simmer until beans are just tender, about 30 to 45 minutes.
- Heat oil in deep pan. Add onion, garlic, ginger and cumin. Fry for 10 minutes and add tomato.
- Cook for another 5 minutes and add beans and the water in which it was boiled.
- Continue to simmer, uncovered, until beans are soft but not completely dissolved.
PINDI CHANA RECIPE
Ingredients
Kabul chana
14 oz/400 g
A pinch of soda bicarb
Oil
5 tbsp
Cumin seeds
1/2 tbsp
GMS gram flour
2 tbsp
Anardana powder
1/2 tbsp
Amchur powder
2 tbsp
Chili powder
1 tbsp
Black salt powder
1 tbsp
Kastoori methi powder
1/2 tbsp
Cumin powder
1 tbsp
Salt according to taste
For the small bag
Black cardamom
6
Cinanamon powdered
1 stick
Cloves
4
Ginger crushed
2 tbsp
Tea leaves
1/2 tbsp
Method
- Put all the ingredients for the bag in a small piece of muslin cloth and tie it with a string to make a pouch.
- Soak the Kabuli (chickpeas) chana in one liter of water , add soda bi- carb to it and leave it overnight.
- Next day boil in a cooker for half an hour. Remove, drain and keep aside.
- Now heat the oil in a kadhai, add cumin seeds, stir over medium heat until it begins to crackle.
- Add gram flour and stir-fry until it emits its unique aroma. Then add the remaining ingredients.
- Stir for a minute.Add the cooked chana and stir until well mixed.
- Remove to a serving dish, garnish with tomato slices, onion rings, green chilies, lemon and ginger.
CHOLE FROM PUNJAB RECIPE
Ingredients
Chole or garbanzo beans
2 cups
Chopped onion large
1
Chopped tomato
1
Chopped green chillies
2
Chopped ginger
1 tbsp
Lemon juice
4 tbsp
A pinch of black pepper
Crushed black cardamom
1
Crushed stick cinnamom
1
Crushed cloves
2
Pomegranate seed powder
1 tbsp
Mango powder
1/2 tbsp
Ground roasted cumin
1 tbsp
Chopped cilantro
1 tbsp
Oil
4 tbsp
Salt & chili powder according to taste
1/2 tbsp
Method
- Soak chole (chickpeas) overnight.
- Add water, salt, chili powder and pressure cook on medium heat. In a separate pan, heat oil and add all the dry ingredients.
- Allow it to sputter.Now add onion and cook until it turns brown now add tomatoes to it & make a thick paste.
- Pour this seasoning/masala on boiled chana, add lemon juice & stir.
- Garnish the chana with sliced onions, tomatoes, ginger, green chilies and cilantro.
CHANA DALI OR CHANNA LENTIL RECIPE
Ingredients
Split bengal gram
1 cup
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder
1/4 tbsp
Sugar
1/4 tbsp
Coconut
2 tbsp
Black cardamom
1
Cinnamom
1 inch stick
Cloves
2
Cunin seeds
1/4 tbsp
Corainder seeds
1/4 tbsp
Black pepper powder
1/4 tbsp
Ghee
1 tbsp
Paanch phoron
1 tbsp
Fresh cilantro leaves
1 tbsp
Lemon juice to taste
Method
- Boil the dal with salt, turmeric powder and sugar till it is completely cooked.
- Grind coconut, black cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, cumin seeds, coriander seeds to a fine paste.
- Add this paste into the dal with very little water and black pepper powder.
- Cover and simmer for twenty to twenty five minutes.In a small pan, heat ghee and add paanch phoron.
- Fry till the seeds start crackling and then pour into the dal. Add lime juice to taste.
- Simmer for two minutes.
- Garnish with cilantro leaves.
- Serve hot with rice or Indian flat bread.