Easy Dal
This recipe by madhur jaffrey from her cookbook 'an invitation to indian cooking' is north india's most popular dal, and it's eaten with equal relish by toothless toddlers, husky farmers, and effete urban snobs. You can use white urad dal, the salmnon-colored masoor dal, and the large arhar or tovar dal as well. The roasted whole cumin seeds added at the end gives this dish a nice touch. Serve with plain rice and a vegetable for a simple meal. Most meat and chicken dishes go well with this dal.
Steps
Clean and wash the lentils thoroughly.
Put them in heavy-bottomed 3-4 quart pot , add 5 cups water , and bring to a boil.
Remove the froth and scum that collects at the top.
Now add the garlic , ginger , fresh coriander , turmeric , and cayenne pepper.
Cover , leaving the lid very slightly ajar , lower heat , and simmer gently for about 1 1 / 2 hours.
Stir occasionaly.
When dal is cooked , add the salt and lemon juice (it should be thicker than pea soup , but thinner than cooked cereal.
In a 4-6-inch skillet or small pot , heat the vegetable oil or ghee over a medium-high flame.
When hot , add the asafetida and cumin seeds.
As soon as the asafetida sizzles and expands and the cumin seeds turn dark , pour the oil and spices over the dal and serve.
To serve: serve with plain rice and a vegetable for a simple meal.
Most meat and chicken dishes go well with this dal.
Since some people like to squeeze extra lemon or lime juice on their dal , serve some wedges separately.
Ingredients
red lentils, garlic cloves, fresh ginger, fresh coriander, ground turmeric, cayenne pepper, salt, lemon juice, vegetable oil, asafoetida powder, whole cumin seed, lemons