Dhansak Masala Dal

March 16th 2010

I never thought the day would come when I would learn a recipe from my friend Sau. Especially when his cooking skills involved putting the dal to cook in the cooker and the frozen vegetable packet into the pan and then walking across to our house to spend the next 20 min. He would go back to check when I reminded him that he actually had something cooking in there, sigh..I do miss those days. He is known to make a mean mutton biriyani, and his famous paneer..we'll I'll save that for another post. Anyway, it was from him that I learn that there is a masala called Dhansak Masala. It is used a lot for marinating meat and such but can be used with vegetables too. Quite an easy recipe and a different dal for those evenings when you are looking for something simple yet new to the palate.

Difficulty level : Easy

Time: 20 min ( Prep Time), 15 min ( Cooking Time)

Ingredients

• Toor dhal ( 1/2 cup) cooked in the pressure cooker with water in the ratio 1:3
• Ginger ( 1 inch long)
• Garlic ( few pods)
• green chillies ( slit in halves) - 3 nos
• Mustard - 2 tsps
• Jeera - 2 tsps
• turmeric powder - a pinch
• Oil
• Salt to taste
• Onion chopped finely - 1 nos
• Tomatoes chopped finely - 2 small nos
• Dhansak masala ( freshly prepared or store bought) 1 tbsp approx. [ I used the store bought one and it was quite good]
• Cilantro ( for garnishing)
• Lime squeeze ( optional)

Method de Preparation

1. Cook toor dal well in pressure cooker, and keep aside.
2. Take oil in a pan, when heated, add mustard and allow to splutter.
3. Add jeera and the ginger, garlic (finely chopped or grated) and green chilly.
4. When fried, add the onions and saute.
5. When it turns soft, add the tomatoes and cook.
6. Add turmeric, salt and dhansak masala.
7. Saute for a couple of min, and add the cooked dal.
8. Before mixing dal, mix it well by stirring with a ladle.
9. Allow everything to come together and boil.
10. Turn off and then season with chopped cilantro.
11. Can squeeze a bit of lime after it cools some (optional).
12. Serve with rice or rotis.

Chef's Tip:  It is good to add the required quantity of water when you cook the dal in the pressure cooker and not adding it outside. The consistency is much different. If you find the 1:3 is thick for you, add how much ever you require while you cook it and not after. 

Variations:  You could add chopped capsicum and/or potatoes as other veggies. Also you could make this a sabzi without the dhal, just adding any other veggies/meat you like.