In my ‘Bengali Style Masoor Dal or Red Lentil Soup’ post, I mentioned how this dal takes a backseat and allows the accompaniments to shine. Though owing to my familiarity I relate this condition more with masoor dal or red lentil, but this fact holds true for any kind of dal. The versatile dal can take different roles depending on the form we choose to give, through different tadkas or tempering. An indispensable item in rich and poor’s kitchen, the same dal can be cooked as bland as possible to save the tiring stomach, or it can be made as rich as possible to dignify a royal dinner. Thus, although sounds like a very simple & effortless dish, but this forever comfort food Dal Chawal can have its own secret mysticism and richness.
And why not! Based on studies and research, historians say we human kind have been cultivating and consuming dals from the earliest days of civilization, and over the time with experiments and curiosity have learnt to give different forms and tastes to this versatile dal. Thus, whether it is the buttery smooth Dal Makhani, or the spicy Dal Tadka or the delectable Dal Fry, our beloved dal is always there to mesmerise our taste buds in some way or the other, and soothing our soul after a long tiring day.
My today’s recipe post is the comforting ‘Arhar Dal Fry’ or ‘Dal Fry as it is commonly called. This healthy ‘Arhar dal fry’ combined with Jeera Rice is my go-to dish, when in need to have something good without upsetting my stomach, time and pocket😊. I never got the opportunity to admit this before, but I love this dal so much that this is a must have dish cooked in my kitchen atleast once in a week.
So, here I am sharing my love along with my recipe for ‘Arhar Dal Fry’.
Recipe: Arhar Dal Fry
Preparation Time: Around 15 minutes Pressure Cooking Time: Around 10 minutes Cooking Dal: 50 minutes Equipment Used: Bowl, pressure cooker, knife, peeler, grater, wok, small pan or small copper bowl for tempering
Ingredients:
- Around 2 cups yellow split pigeon peas/ arhar dal/ toor dal
- 7 cups water
- 3 and ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon mustard oil (or any other oil of your choice)
- 10-12 garlic cloves
- 1 medium sized onion
- 1 tomato
- 3 tablespoon refined oil
- 1 red chilli broken into halves
- Ginger (0.75 inch X 1 inch X 0.75 inch)
- 1 green chilli
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds or jeera
- ¼ teaspoon fennel seeds
Method:
- Take 2 cups arhar dal in a bowl
- Wash and rinse the dal 3-4 times under running water
- Transfer the washed dal in a pressure cooker
- Pressure cook the dal till 2 whistles after adding 4 cups water, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder and ½ teaspoon mustard oil (or any oil)
- By the time pressure releases from pressure cooker, chop the garlic cloves, slice the onion and tomato
- Heat a pan or wok and heat 3 tablespoons refined oil once the wok is hot
- Lower the flame and temper the oil with red chilli and chopped garlic
- Add sliced onion once the garlic pieces are sauteed and fry them till they turn translucent or slight brown
- Add the sliced tomato and fry till they are completely cooked and can be pressed easily with a spoon or turner
- Add the pressure-cooked dal. Add water as per the desired consistency if the water in pressure cooker gets completely absorbed by dal. I have added 4 cups water into the dal after transferring the dal from pressure cooker to wok
- Cook the dal on low flame till bubbles form
- Grate ginger and slit green chilli into the dal
- Taste and adjust salt and sugar. I have added 3 teaspoons more salt and 1 teaspoon sugar.
- Let the dal simmer
- While the dal is simmering in the wok, take a small copper bowl or any vessel that can take direct fire. Switch on another burner and heat the vessel. Add ghee once the vessel is hot and temper the ghee with cumin seeds and fennel seeds
- Switch off the flame and pour the contents of the vessel on the simmering dal
- Switch off the flame where dal is getting cooked and keep the dal covered for 5 minutes before serving
Wash and rinse the dal under running water.
Pressure cook the dal till after adding 4 cups water, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder and ½ teaspoon mustard oil (or any oil).
Chop garlic.
Slice onion and tomato.
Heat 3 tablespoons refined oil.
Temper the oil with red chilli and chopped garlic.
Add sliced onion and fry them till they turn translucent or slight brown.
Fry the sliced tomato till they are completely cooked and can be pressed easily with a spoon or turner.
Add the pressure-cooked dal into the pan.
Add water as per the desired consistency.
Cook the dal on till bubbles form.
Grate ginger into the dal.
Slit green chilli.
Taste and adjust salt and sugar. Let the dal simmer.
Heat ghee in another vessel.
Temper the ghee with cumin seeds and fennel seeds.
Switch off the flame and pour the contents of the vessel on the simmering dal. Switch off the flame where dal is getting cooked and keep the dal covered for 5 minutes before serving.
Tips:
- Pressure cook the dal on full flame till first whistle. Lower the flame to minimum for second whistle
- The process of tempering towards the end is little fast and demands focus to avoid any accident. Be careful and carry out the entire steps keeping the flame low. Also, it is advisable to use the vessel you are most comfortable with for tempering
