Cousin Helens Dal Recipes

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, heat oil, and sauté onion until softened. Add sweet potato, and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add minced ginger and garlic; stir, and reduce heat to low.
• Finely dice chili, keeping seeds if you wish to add more heat. Add chili, lentils, coriander, cumin, turmeric and ground ginger to pan. Stir until lentils are well coated with oil. Add tomatoes and 4 cups water. Raise heat to bring to a boil, then reduce heat until mixture is at a fast simmer. Cook uncovered until lentils and potatoes are soft, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes.
• Season to taste with salt, and continue to simmer until mixture has thickened, about 10 minutes. Whisk dal to amalgamate lentils and sweet potatoes. If dal is too soupy, increase heat and cook for a little longer.
• To serve, place dal in a serving bowl and sprinkle with chopped cilantro. If desired, shave thin strips of fresh coconut on top. Serve hot.

Steps:

• Wash dal thoroughly.
• Boil the dal (lentils).
• Set aside.
• In a separate frying pan, heat oil.
• Add mustard,cummin seeds,dry red chillies and curry leaves when the oil is hot.
• Lower the heat and put in the cayenne pepper, turmeric,coriander powder (according to your taste) Add chopped tomatoes (no skins) and cook this on slightly higher heat adding a little water as necessary.
• Add tamarind juice and add this mixture to the boiled dal.
• Bring it all to a boil.

Steps:

• Cook dal in water until very soft.
• Mix thoroughly to a smooth consistancy.
• Add 6 cups of water.
• Cut the green chilies lengthwise and the tomatoes into medium size squares.
• Add to dal.
• Heat the ghee and put in the mustard seed and when they splutter, add the asafoetida and curry leaves.
• Add the dal, turmeric powder, salt and pepper.
• Cook for 15-20 minutes on medium heat.
• Squeeze in the juice of a lime if you'd like.
• For Dal-Rasam, the method is absolutely the same, only aedd 6 cups of tamarind water to the cooked dal.
• This tastes better than ordinary rasam.

Steps:

• Rinse dals. Bring water to boil in large pot. Add dals, stir, and bring back to boil. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit 2 hours.
• Add turmeric and cayenne to dal and bring water to boil. Reduce heat slightly and simmer until dal is tender, approximately 35 minutes.
• 10-15 minutes before dal is ready, begin cooking spice mixture. Heat oil in heavy skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, add onion and garlic and fry 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add cumin and garam masala and cook another minute. Add tomatoes and salt and cook until tomatoes have been reduced, approximately 10 minutes.
• Add onion mixture to dal and stir well. Cook 2-3 minutes more to blend flavors. Taste for salt and adjust seasoning.
• Serve hot in one large bowl or in individual-sized bowls with chapati or naan.