Here is one of my favourite Dal ( Lentil) recipes which is not only delicious but so healthy and easy to prepare. Enjoy this tasty curry with Roti or Rice. If you are vegetarian, this recipe is powerhouse of nutrients so give it a go and enjoy 🙂
Ingredients/Method
1.5 cup Chana Dal ( Split chickpeas lentil, yellow dal)
1 Large Squash
1/4 tsp asafoetida (Hing)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp curry powder
2 tbsp oil
Usually rule of thumb to cook lentils is 1 cup lentils- 4 cups water. For this recipe instead of using 6 cups of water ( for 1.5 cup lentils), we use 5 cups since squash/ghiya has good amount of water content. Also, this dal has a tendency to thicken up upon standing.Â
For Tadka/ Tempering
1 large ( or 2 medium size onions)
2-4 tbsp oil
2 fresh tomatoes ( or can be substituted with tomato paste)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds/ Jeera
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
2 cloves of minced garlic
1 small piece of ginger chopped
1 small green chilli
1 tsp salt ( adjust per taste)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp red chilli flakes (optional)
bunch of spinach leaves
Cilantro for garnish
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
Method:
I didn’t presoak the lentils but soaking them before cooking helps to cook them faster. Also, we used pressure cooker for this recipe which makes Dal faster then a pot or slowcooker. In a pressure cooker, heat some oil and add asafoetida. Add cleaned and washed lentils. Add water, salt , turmeric and curry powder. add chopped squash and let cook for four whistles. Once cooker has cool down, open it. Upon standing the dal thickens up.Â
Prepare tadka in a pan by frying cumin and mustard seeds in hot oil. Add spices along with onions, ginger, garlic and green chili. Once onions start changing color, add tomatoes and spinach and cook further for 3-4 mins. Add garam masala and curry powder. Mix in the cooked dal and garnish with cilantro leaves. Serve hot with your favourite bread.