This is the first recipe my husband taught me. We were in Bombay (Mumbai) then, so I’m calling it Bombay Dal.. 🙂 It’s a simple comfort food which is usually eaten all over India with rice. You can cook the dal in pan or pressure cooker and incorporate it in another pan.

Preparation time : 10 mts

Cooking time : 20 mts

Serves : 4 -5

Ingredients :

  • Yellow Pigeon peas/Toor dal – 1 cup
  • Green chilli – 4-5 (slit in the middle)
  • Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
  • Water – 2 cups

Ingredients for Tempering :

  • Onion – 1 (medium, cot length wise)
  • Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
  • Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
  • Curry leaves – 2 stems
  • Coriander leaves – 1 handful
  • Oil – 2 tsp
  • Salt – 1/2 tsp

Method:

  1. Wash and clean the dal and look out for any stones or other things.
  2.  Cook the dal with chillies,turmeric and water in a pan or in a pressure cooker.
  3. In another medium size pan add oil and splutter mustard and cumin seeds.
  4. Add curry leaves to it and mix the cooked dal and allow it to cook for few minutes till the dal thickens slightly.
  5. Add in coriander leaves and switch off the fire.
  6. Serve hot.

Notes :

  • Only important thing to remember in preparing this dish is not to add salt while cooking dal. Salt should be added only after the dal is completely cooked to your preference.
  • If you’re preparing a bigger batch or a beginner you can temper  the mustard and rest of the ingredients  in a small pan and combine it to the cooked dal.
  • You can easily cook the dal if you soak it in water 1 hr minimum or overnight.
  • You can add the chillies while cooking the dal to make it spicy. If you want a milder version add the chillies while tempering.