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I believe that salt is to food, what food is to life. In right proportions, it can heighten the taste of what you eat..and in the wrong - destroy! Even the most delicious sweets come added with some salt...to taste!

As for me, I've never enjoyed cooking. And as contrary to my owning a food-blog as it may sound, I always think about daily, routine cooking as a chore. But my tryst with the pots and pans began when I got a kitchen all to myself...I began experimenting and exploring new worlds in my own home. Some outcomes were excellent and some plain disasters. Then sprouted the need to keep track of all those good ones...and hence this blog!

Here, I share those experiments that pleased more than one palate!




March 24, 2010

Panchratna Daal

Looking for a way to spruce up your daily daal? Look no further! Eat just one spoonful with a bite of a hot roti and you will find yourself reaching for second and third servings of this slurpy gravy. It is packed with proteins due to the five types of daals (from where it gets its name) and is high on taste. So, what is your excuse? Hit the kitchen now!


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Ingredients
3 tbsp each of Toor, Urad, Moong, Matki Masoor and Split Channa Daal - Washed and soaked in water for about 2 hours
1 Cup Tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup Onions, finely chopped
1/2 Cup Fresh Coriander leaves, chopped
1 tsp Turmeric powder (Haldi)
1 tsp Coriander powder (Dhania powder)
1 tsp Garam Masala
1/2 tsp Sabji Masala (Optional - I used Everest brand)
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Cumin seeds (Jeera)
A pinch of hing/asafoetida
Oil
And, of course, some salt to taste!!

Method
- Pressure cook all the daals with half a teaspoon of turmeric powder, half a cup of tomatoes, cumin seeds, a few drops of oil and the hing/asafoetida
- Once the daals are done, pour any excess water left over the cooked daals in a separate bowl and set aside
- Mash the cooked daals to a thick, paste like consistency
- In a large non-stick saucepan, heat oil
- Add mustard seeds and allow to splutter
- Add the chopped onions and fry until translucent
- Add the chopped coriander leaves and fry until they wilt
- Now toss in the remaining half cup of tomatoes and fry until soft
- Add each dry/powdered ingredient one by one and give a stir after each addition(Turmeric, Coriander, Garam Masala, Sabji Masala)
- Pour the water that was obtained on cooking the daals
- Add salt
- Allow to boil
- Now slowly stir in the cooked daals, cover and simmer
- Garnish with coriander and serve hot with rotis or jeera rice

SERVES 4

4 comments:

  1. Protein packed nutritious daal...welcoming change from the normal daal...

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  2. Sure, Gulmohar! You should try this version. It's scrumptious, to say the least. Thanks for dropping by.

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  3. Appetizing! I too make a similar version, sans the urad dal cos I feel it makes the dal gooey. Though I just had my lunch, Im feeling hungry all over again! :)

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  4. I agree with the urad daal thingie, Madhuri. But do try this sometime, too... Try to get your hands on the Sabji Masala. It lends a unique flavour to this. I am not a fan of store bought powders (we dunno what all goes in, rt?), but after I got here I tried a few just to rev up some dishes, and this particular one stuck with me.

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