Daal Tadka In Microwave- Red Split Lentils In Microwave

Daal Tadka In Microwave-Believe me is very simple and quick . No need to wait for pressure cooker to release whistles or have another pan for tempering. Cook daal in microwave its awesome. Do try!!

Ingredients:

2 cups masoor dal /split red lentil)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds /rai / sarson
1/2 tsp cumin seeds /jeera
a pinch of asafoetida /hing
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
2 tsp chopped green chillies
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp turmeric powder /haldi
1 tsp coriander/ dhania powder
salt to taste

Red Chiili powder- ½ tbsp

Lemon juice -1 tbsp
oil -8 tbsp

Method

Clean, wash and soak the dal in enough water for 10 minutes. Drain and keep aside.

Put the 4tbsp of oil in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 15 seconds.

Add the onions and green chillies and microwave on high for 2 minutes.

Add the ginger and garlic paste and microwave on high for 2-3 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and microwave on high for 1 minute.

Add the soaked dal, turmeric powder, coriander powder and salt along with 4 cups water, cover and microwave on high for 20-25 minutes, while stirring every 3 minutes in between.Mix in it lime juice.

Take another small microwave safe bowl and add remaining 4 tbsp of oil and heat for 2 minute. In the hot oil add the asafoetida, cumin, red chilli powder and saute for 2 seconds

Pour this tempering on the cooked dal and mix well.

Eat piping hot with bread or rice.

Spinach Yellow Daal/ Palak Daal

Little could be faster and simpler than this tasty, filling and easily digestible Toor Dal and Spinach, an elegantly flavoured thick paste of protein-rich pulses and mineral-rich greens that makes a complete light meal when served on a bed of hot rice. 

Ingredients:

2/3 cup toar dal/yellow lentils
2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon turmeric/haldi
1 pound spinach/palak chopped
1 tablespoon ghee/oil
1 1/2 inch piece fresh ginger/adrak, minced
3 dried whole red chilies
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon asafoetida/hing
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste

Method:

1. Thoroughly rinse the toar dal under running water.
2. Place in a pan and soak for 2-3 hours in 2 cups of water. Later add turmeric and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium and cook, partially covered, until the dal is tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. Stir in the spinach, replace the lid to partially covered, and continue to cook until the spinach is cooked and most of the liquid is gone. Turn off the heat and let the dal and spinach sit.
3. Heat the ghee oil over medium heat in a frying pan. Toss in the chillies and ginger and fry, stirring frequently, until the ginger just begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garam masala, then add the asafoetida, stir once, and pour the seasonings into the dal and spinach. Stir in the lemon juice and salt.

Serve hot with bread or rice. 

Daal Masala

Surprisingly, I never tasted or had Dal Masala in India; I had it last Sunday in London and I loved it because it was very different from all the dals that I had till date. Dals cooked in most of the houses is of liquid consistency but Dal Masala is a thick dal with different flavours.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup yellow moong dal (split yellow gram)
• 1/3 cup masoor dal (split red lentil)
• 1/3 cup urad dal (split black lentils)
• 1/3 cup toovar (arhar) dal
• 3 onions, grated
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 3 tbsp ghee
• salt to taste
• chopped coriander (dhania)
• 5 cloves of garlic (lehsun)
• 2 tsp coriander (dhania) seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
• 1 tbsp chopped coriander (dhania)
• 8 whole dry kashmiri red chillies
• 25 mm. piece ginger (adrak)
• 3 sticks cinnamon (dalchini)
• 3 black peppercorns
• 3 cloves (laung / lavang)

Method

1.   Wash all the dals together and soak for an hour

2.   Then boil dal in a deep pan with 4 cups of water till is done.

3.   Take garlic,coriander seeds, cumin, turmeric, dry red chilli, ginger, cinnamon, peppercorns and laung and make a fine paste in the blender.

4.   Heat the ghee and fry the onions till it becomes light pink in colour.

5.   Add the paste(made in step 3) and fry for 3 to 4 minutes.

6.   Slowly add the tomatoes and fry again till it leaves oil.

7.   Then Add the cooked dals and salt.

8.   Cook it covered till it boils.

9.    Garnish with coriander.

Serve hot with Rice or Bread.

Simplest Dal

Nutritious and flavorful, Dal is the quick choice for any meal. Dal is one of the principal foods of the India which is used for soup, starters to dessert. All states have their own way of making dal, what I have made here is simplest form of  Dal (Tuar Dal). I will be soon  posting various forms of daal.Check my snack time daal.

http://merrytummy.blogspot.co.uk/

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Yellow Lentils (Tuar Dal)
• 4 cups water
• 2 tablespoons oil (Any)
• 2 whole red chilli
• 1 tsp cumin (Jeera) 
• 1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro/coriander
• 1 tsp turmeric (Haldi)
• ½ tsp asafoetida (hing)
• 1 tsp Red chilli powder (Lal Mirch)
• Salt to taste 

Method:

1. Wash lentils and drain well. 
2. In a pressure cook, cook rice with 4 cups of water, salt and turmeric till 4 whistles.
3. Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Add cumin, asafoetida and whole red chilli.
4. Then add chopped tomatoes with red chilli powder and keep stiring. Cook till tomatoes are soft.
5. Lastly add cooked lenthils and bring to boil.
6. Garnish with chopped cilantro/coriander.

Serve hot with Rice or bread.