Bengali Dal
Author: 
Cuisine: Bengali
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4
 
In Bengal (Eastern part of Indian), Panch Poran (five spices) is widely used in recipes.The combination of five spices gives unique flavor.
Ingredients
Panch Poran: (five spice mixture)
  • ½ teaspoon brown mustard seeds
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
  • ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
  • ½ teaspoon nigella seeds
Dal:
  • ¾ cup uncooked masoor dal (split red lentils)
  • 1 medium size tomato or ¼ cup tomato puree
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • ½ medium size yellow or red onion, sliced
  • 1 garlic clove, finely minced
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1 ½ cups of water
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro, for garnish
For Tarka (tempering):
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 clove garlic, finely minced
Directions
  1. Rinse dal and add 1 ½ cups of water and let dal soak for 30 to 40 minutes in a mixing bowl. (Soaking is optional but it will speed up cooking).
  2. Combine spices of panch poran in a small bowl and set aside.
  3. Roughly cut tomato and make a puree either in food processor or with hand blender with ½ a cup of water. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Omit this step if you are using tomato puree.
  4. Heat oil in a medium size soup pot until shimmering. Add panch poran and let seeds sizzle. Add onion and sauté until light golden brown. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Add dal with water, season with salt and turmeric. Stir dal to combine with spices. Cover the pot with a lid, and cook for about 45 minutes or until dal is cooked. Stir dal occasionally so it does not boil over.
  5. After dal is cooked, start heating dal on a medium heat. Pass fresh tomato puree through a sieve. Add fresh puree or puree to dal. Let dal simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  6. Make tarka: In a separate small sauce or frying pan, heat oil on a medium heat until shimmering. Add cumin seeds and let them sizzle. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Pour tarka on top of the dal. Stir the dal and let it simmer for one minute. Garnish with cilantro and serve over rice or as a soup.
  7. To cook dal in instant pot: Follow step one to three. Set instant pot on sauté setting for 20 minutes. Heat oil until shimmering. Add panch poran and let all seeds sizzle. Add onion and sauté until onion is light golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and sauté it for 30 seconds. Add dal along with water, season with salt and turmeric. Pass fresh tomato puree through a sieve. Add fresh puree or puree to dal. Set instant pot to pressure cooker setting and cook dal for 20 minutes. (for unsoaked dal increase time to 30 minutes). Release steam and again set instant pot to sauté setting. While dal is simmering to prepare tarka, follow step 6.
Recipe by Lovely Masala at http://www.lovelymasala.com/recipe-gujarati-dhali-dal/