Let’s Cook: Baati’s Daal

Ingredients:

§ Green Moong Daal: 1 cup

§ Chana Daal: 0.5 cups

§ Urad Daal: 0.5 cups

§ Toovar Daal: 0.5 cups

§ Black-eyed Beans: 0.5 cups

§ Cumin seeds: 1 Tsp

§ Mustard seeds: 1 Tsp

§ Cloves: 5 pieces

§ Cinnamon: 1 stick

§ Cardamom: 6 pieces

§ Asafoetida: 0.5 Tsp

§ Bay leaf: 2 pieces

§ Dry red chilies: 3 pieces

§ Red chili powder: 1 Tsp

§ Turmeric powder: 1 Tsp

§ Salt to taste: advised 2 Tsp

§ Ginger: 1 Tbsp

§ Green Chilies: 2 pieces

§ Finely chopped Coriander leaves: 2 Tbsp

§ Tomatoes: 2 lbs

§ Lemon juice: 2 Tbsp

§ Clarified butter (or Ghee): 0.75 cups

§ Water: approx. 2 cups (adjust to get appropriate consistency)

Preparation 1: Lentils

§ Soak all four daals (lentils) together in water for 2 hours

§ Pressure cook soaked lentils up to 3 whistles

o If you do not have pressure cooker, boil till they soft

§ Stir and mix boiled daals using a ladle or spoon

Preparation II: Tomoto Puree

§ Place tomatoes, ginger and green chilies in a blender

§ Blend to make puree

Preparation III: Making Daal

§ Heat ghee in a pot

§ When heated, add almost everything remaining except water, salt, red chili powder, lemon juice and coriander leaves

§ Once seeds splutter (should take < 1 min), add chili power first, and then tomato puree

§ Cook till oil can be seen surfacing on the sides of the pot

o This is likely to take 10–15mins

§ Add water, salt and cooked daal

§ Let it simmer for 30–40mins

§ Add lemon juice and coriander leaves before serving