DAL FRY

TADKA DAL - WITH TOOR DAL

       My favourite dish in North Indian cuisine! Whenever I get a chance to go to a North Indian restaurant,my order
will be Dal fry with steamed rice and kadai paneer…. My ever green combo! Today I just felt like making this at home
and here’s the recipe…Thanks to Sangeeta for the recipe!

Ingredients:

Toor dal (thuvaram paruppu)	1/2 cup
Tomato	1 no.
Ginger	1/2 inch piece
Turmeric	1/4 tsp
Asafoetida	A pinch
Green chillies	2 nos.
Kasuri methi	A generous pinch
Salt	As needed

To temper:

Ghee	1 tblsp
Jeera	2 tsp
Red chilli powder	3/4 tsp

Lemon Juice to squeeze on top before serving.

METHOD:

1. Pressure cook dal(add just enough water) with a drop of ghee,ginger,asafoetida and turmeric for 5-6 whistles.( I soak the dal,cook in low flame after first whistle).
2. After done,just mash it little without making too gooey.
3. Heat a kadai with ghee and temper with half of the jeera (I added ginger at this stage)and add the chopped tomato,salt,fry till soft and add little water and let it boil for 2 minutes.
4. Add the cooked dal and boil for two more minutes and add kasuri methi leaves(soak in hot water before adding)at this stage.
5. At last add heat a tsp of ghee and add the remaining jeera and switch off the flame and then add the red chilli powder. Immediately add it to the dal on the top.(you can add little water immediately to prevent it burning).
6. Enjoy with steamed basmati rice preferably with any kind of subzi as accompaniment. Dont forget to squeeze lemon as it gives a nice zing to dal!

NOTES:(Variations)

I have used toor dal,you can also substitute with moong dal(pasi paruppu) or combination of  moong,toor and channa dals. You can replace ginger with garlic or with ginger garlic paste for variation. You can temper coriander powder and garam masala powder along with red chilli powder. I never make dal fry when I am out of lemons,I like the lemon squeeze the best in it ;)