Uttar Pradesh
Arhar Dal
- Duration: 25 minutes
- Serves: 4 people
-
Spice Level: Low
Authenticity Slice
The purely vegetarian Brahmin community uses hing and jeera instead of the customary onion and garlic for a flavourful tadka.
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Trivia Tadka
According to folklore, one of the Nawabs of Lucknow happened to taste Arhar Dal, a staple of the Brahmin community. He took such a liking to this dish, which was laced with a flavourful tadka of pure ghee made from buffalo milk, that he had it introduced to the royal menu. Also known as Toor Dal, Thuvaramparuppu, Kandhipappu, and Split Pigeon Pea, the yellow-hued Arhar Dal is a staple in most Indian households.
Ingredients
- Split pigeon peas (Arhar dal) (½ cup)
- Water (2 cups)
- Salt (to taste)
- MTR Haldi Turmeric Powder (¼ tsp)
- Ghee (4 tsp )
- Asafoetida (Hing) (A pinch)
- Cumin seeds (Jeera) (½ tsp)
- MTR Lal Mirch Chilli Powder (½ tsp)
- MTR Dhaniya Coriander Powder (½ tsp)
Method
- Wash the dal thoroughly and transfer to a pressure cooker.
- Add water, salt, and haldi and cook on high flame through 3 whistles.
- Lower the flame and simmer the dal for 4-5 minutes more.
- Take it off the flame and let it cool.
- Once the pressure has released naturally, open the lid and stir. If required, add hot water for a thinner consistency. Taste to check seasoning.
- To prepare the tadka, heat ghee in a deep metal ladle.
- Add hing and then jeera to the hot ghee and let it sizzle till the seeds turn dark brown and give off a sharp aroma. In this dish, the hing and jeera replace onion and garlic for flavour.
- Take it off the flame and add lal mirch and dhaniya powder for that extra zing. Pour this fragrant tadka over the dal.
- Cover the cooker immediately to prevent the flavours from escaping.
- Serve this simple yet delicious dal with freshly steamed rice, papad, and mango pickle.
