Daal Food

DAAL

Steps:

• Recipe kindly shared by the Tesco Community Cookery School with Jamie Oliver. The recipe has been written to be flexible and scalable up to 50 portions. Note: all veg weights are for trimmed, prepped vegetables.
• Peel (or trim) and roughly chop the alliums. Peel the garlic and finely chop.
• Scrub or peel the veg, then chop into 2cm chunks.
• Place a pan large enough to hold all the ingredients on a medium heat with the oil.
• Add the alliums, cook for 4 to 5 minutes until they start to soften, then add the garlic and cook for a further 4 minutes, or until golden, stirring frequently.
• Tip in the hard and root veg (if using), cook for 15 minutes or until golden and softened, then add the Mediterranean veg (if using) and cook for 10 minutes more.
• Rinse the lentils, then add to the pan along with the curry base sauce and 600ml water. Cover, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the lentils are soft and creamy.
• Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper.

DAAL CURRY

Steps:

• Wash lentils. Bring plenty of water (six cups) with turmeric to a boil in a large saucepan and cook lentils until overdone and mushy, approximately 15 minutes.
• In a different saucepan, heat oil on medium heat. Add mustard seeds and curry leaves until seeds start to pop (no more than 30 seconds). Add tomatoes and fry for about three minutes. Add onions, garlic, methi leaves, curry powder, salt, chili powder and sugar. Add mashed lentils and boil for five minutes. Add one cup of water to dilute to curry consistency.
• Remove from heat and add garam masala. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro before serving. Serve with chapatis, roti or rice.

DAL

Steps:

• In a large pot, heat the ghee and stir-fry the onions just until wilted, do not brown. Add the garlic, jalapeno, cumin, lentils, ginger, curry powder, salt, pepper, sugar and bay leaf. Saute for 1 to 2 minutes, until the herbs and spices bloom (aromatic). Add the tomatoes and deglaze with the vinegar. Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer and cook until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning with cumin, salt, pepper and sugar.
• In a large saute pan, combine the black peppercorns, cloves, cardamom seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cinnamon sticks, and dried red chiles. Over medium heat, cook just until slightly toasted, stirring constantly. Turn off heat and stir in the grated nutmeg.
• Transfer to a food processor and grind to a fine powder. Pass through a fine strainer. Allow to cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight jar. Use as needed.

MOONG DAL

Steps:

• Rinse the dal, checking for any debris; add to saucepan with 2 1/2 cups water. Allow to soak for 30 minutes.
• Bring dal, water, and salt to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until beans are very tender and mixture has thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. Add more water, if necessary, to prevent drying out. Stir in ginger, jalapeno pepper, tomato, lemon juice, and turmeric.
• Heat oil in a small saucepan and add cumin seed and red chile pepper. When pepper is heated, add Asafoetida powder and garlic. Stir mixture into split peas and add cilantro; mix well.

SPICY INDIAN DAHL

Steps:

• Cook the lentils by boiling or pressure cooking until lentils are soft. (Pressure cooking is faster.)
• In a skillet heat the oil and add mustard seeds. When mustard seeds begin to flutter, add onions, ginger, jalapeno peppers, and garlic. Saute until the onions and garlic are golden brown. Add coriander and cumin. Add chopped tomatoes. Saute the mixture well until tomatoes are well cooked.
• Add water. Boil 6 minutes. Add cooked lentils, stirring well. Add salt to taste, stirring well. Add finely chopped cilantro and remove from heat. Serve hot.

DAAL

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon oil, fry onions for 5 minutes, add garlic fry for 1 minutes and all the spices, and seasoning.
• Placed washed red lentils and water bring to boil and then simmer for 30 minutes, stirring constantly . Add purée .
• Last add coriander leaves cook for 5 more minutes.

EVERYDAY YELLOW DAL

Steps:

• To make the dal, in a medium heavy saucepan, cover the dal with water. Swish the lentils around with your hand, then drain the water through a fine-mesh sieve. Return any dal from the sieve to the saucepan and repeat, washing, agitating, and draining, until the water runs absolutely clear. It will probably take 7 to 10 changes of water. Pour the 3 cups (710 ml) of water into the pot to cover the lentils. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, skim any scum that rises to the surface, then lower the heat to maintain a simmer. Add the turmeric and cook until the dal is quite creamy, 45 to 60 minutes. Stir the dal regularly as it simmers or it can catch at the bottom of the pan and burn. If the dal starts to look dry before the lentils are cooked, add hot water (from the tap is fine). Season well with salt.
• About 20 minutes before the dal is done, make the tarka. Melt the ghee over low heat. Fry the cumin seeds for maybe 1 minute, until sizzling and fragrant. Add the onion and chile and cook, stirring, until the onion is very soft and translucent, 15 minutes. When the dal is ready, tip the tarka over the dal, stir to partially combine, then sprinkle the cilantro on top. Serve right away with lime wedges and naan or over rice.
• For the Tomato Tarka Variation:
• Melt 3 tablespoons ghee over low heat, then add 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds and 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds. Fry for 1 minute. Add 1 minced onion and 3 minced garlic cloves and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often. Scrape in 1 teaspoon grated ginger and cook to take away some of its rawness, about 1 minute. Stir in 2 small tomatoes that have been diced, 1 or 2 green chiles split lengthwise, and 2 curry leaves (optional). Fry until the tomato starts to break up, 5 to 7 minutes more. Stir most of the mixture into the cooked dal and let simmer for 5 minutes. Check for seasoning, then tip the remaining tarka over the dal. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

MASOOR DAAL - INDIAN RED LENTILS

Steps:

• Wash the lentils well, and then put them into a sauce pan. Add 4 - 6 cups of salted water to cover the lentils.
• Bring lentils to a boil then reduce heat, cover and allow to simmer until they are soft. Keep the water level above the lentils.
• While the lentils are simmering, grind the spices together then toast them over low heat in a dry sauté pan until you have released their aromas. Set spices aside.
• Using the same sauté pan, heat ghee or oil over low to medium heat. Add onions and sauté until they are soft. Add garlic, sauté another 3-4 minutes. Do not burn the onions or garlic. Add spice mixture; continue to cook for 2 minutes.
• Once the lentils have become soft, add them and their cooking liquid to the onion and spice mixture (add more water or broth if lentil are too thick). Stir and scrape up any bit from the bottom. Stir in lemon juice, adjust salt and continue to cook for 5 minutes.
• Just before serving add yogurt and heat through. Serve with a wheat flat bread such as roti.

CHICKPEA DAAL (INDIAN)

Steps:

• Wash chickpeas in water.
• Put chickpeas in fresh water with salt, two parts water to one part chickpeas.
• Leave overnight to soak.
• Put chickpeas (with water they were soaked in) into a large pot. Top up water to maintain 2 parts water to 1 part chickpea ratio if necessary. Bring water to a boil.
• Cover and turn down to medium (level 5) heat, skim off any white foam.
• Leave to simmer until chickpeas are tender, usually 2 or 3 hours.
• Take off heat.
• In a large pot, sauté onions and garlic on high heat, then turn down to (medium-high) level 8.
• When onions are thoroughly transparent put in ginger.
• Continue to sauté until mixture is sticking to bottom and brown bits are evident.
• Put onion mixture in a food processor and mix (not steadily) until smooth.
• Process tomato, 1/2 tomato portions at a time.
• Put mixture back into large pot.
• Add green onion.
• Heat should be at (medium-high) level 8.
• When mixture starts to bubble add tomato paste.
• Stir for 1 to 2 minutes until butter is released and mixture does not stick to pot.
• Add in potatoes.
• Add in chana masala.
• Reduce heat to level 7.
• Put in chickpeas with a slotted spoon.
• Water is NOT put in, but put aside for later.
• Mix for about 2 minutes Add in red pepper, masala.
• Mix for a further 2 minutes.
• Add water from chickpeas, additional water can be added to give mixture a watery consistency (mixture should not be too thick looking initially, as mixture will reduce, usually you can add in another cup of water).
• Add turmeric.
• Bring mixture to a boiling point on max heat, then reduce heat to level 7. Cover partially and mix infrequently.
• Once potatoes are tender, the daal is done.
• This daal is typically eaten with Indian bread- naan or chapati.
• As with most Indian cooking there is no"true" recipe, the cook decides what the recipe needs (somewhat of a hit and miss strategy, but it works).
• If you are unable to find garam masala the following can be used: 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, 1/4 teaspoon cracked dried bay leaves, and 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves.