Here are some easy and healthy daal recipes which you can make at home during lockdown
1) Moong dal fry
Ingredients:-
1 tsp Cumin seeds,1/8 tsp Asafoetida,½ tsp red chili powder, ½ Medium Onion,4 Cloves Garlic, ½ Medium Chopped tomatoes,1 cup split Lentils(yellow), 1 Citron, 1 tsp salt,¼ tsp Ground Turmeric,1 tbsp. ghee or oil,3 cups water.
Method:-
Start with heating ghee/oil in the instant pot. Then add cumin seeds, asafoetida, onions and garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes until the onions are lightly cooked. Then add chopped tomatoes and spices. Add rinsed lentils and water. No need to soak the lentils. Pressure Cook for 4 minutes and then release the pressure 5 minutes after the beep. Garnish with cilantro and add garam masala.
You can add a little ghee tempered with cumin and red chili powder. It just helps to make the dal look gorgeous, and ghee enhances the taste.
2) Chana Dal
Ingredients:-
1 tsp Cumin seeds, ¼ tsp Asafoetida,½ tsp red chili powder, ¾ cup Onion, 3 Cloves Garlic, ½ tbsp. Ginger, ¾ Cup Tomatoes,1 tsp Coriander,1 cup split Chickpeas (Chana dal), 1 Citron,1 tsp Salt, 1 tbsp. Lemon juice, ¼ tsp Ground Turmeric, 1 tbsp. oil, 4 cups water.
Method:-
Soak Chana dal in water for 30 mins. Then drain the water. Start the instant pot in sauté mode and heat oil in it. Add cumin seeds and asafoetida.
Once the color of cumin seeds starts changing, add the onions, garlic, ginger and saute for 2 mins.
Add tomatoes and spices and keep string for a while. Add chana dal and water for cooking. Stir it well. Put in pressure cooker and close the lid with vent in sealing position.
Change the instant pot setting to pressure cook mode at high pressure for 12 mins. If you have forgotten to soak it before, cook for 15 minutes at high pressure.
After the instant pot beeps, let the pressure release naturally. Add lime juice and give a good stir.
Garnish with cilantro and serve chana dal over rice.
3) Rajasthani Panchmel Dal
Ingredients:-
1/4 cup Toor Dal,1/4 cup Moong dal, 1/4 cup Masoor dal, 1/4 cup Chana Dal,1/4 cup Split Green moong, 1 tsp Ground Turmeric, 1 tsp Coriander powder,1 tsp Red Chili powder,1 large small chopped onion,A small piece grated ginger, 2 chopped tomatoes, 3-4 cloves garlic, 1/2 tsp Asafoetida,¼ tsp Cinnamon, 1 tsp Ghee ,1 tsp oil, ½ tsp Mustard seeds, 1 tsp Cumin seeds, 2-3 green chilies, chopped small, 1 tbsp Kasuri Methi
Method:-
Initially wash and soak all the dals together for about 30 min.
In a pressure cooker, heat 1 tsp of oil and hing. Add tomatoes and green chilies and cook for 1 min. Add turmeric, coriander powder, cinnamon and salt mix well. Cover it and let it cook till tomatoes get all mushy and spices get cooked, for around 3-4 min. Add dals and 4 cups of water. Water is required as the dal tends to get thick when cools off. Cook for 2 whistles and open when the pressure ease off.
Keep another pan on heat and add ghee to it. Splutter mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When they crackle, add garlic and ginger and fry for 2 mins on medium flame. Add onions and fry till brown. See to it that Onions is well cooked and light brown in colour else the taste will not be absorbed by the curry. Add red chili powder and kasturi methi, stir it. Pour this tempering over cooked dal and combine. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.
4) Sultani dal
Ingredients:-
1 cup Toor dal, 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder, 300 ml Milk, 2 tbsp Fresh Cream, 2 tbsp Curd, 3 tbsp Ghee, 1 tsp Cumin Seeds, 1 tsp Ginger (Chopped), 2 tsp Garlic (Chopped), 2 tsp Green Chilli (Chopped), 2-3 Dry Red Chillies, 1/2 cup Onion (Chopped), 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
Instructions:-
Wash the lentil and add in a pressure cooker along with salt, turmeric powder and 2 cups of water.
Cook the dal on high heat for 1 whistle and then simmer the heat and cook for another 2 whistles.
Remove the dal from heat. Once the pressure releases, open the lid of the cooker and add milk, yogurt and cream in the dal and mix well.
Cook the dal on low heat till it thickens a bit. Heat ghee in a pan,add cumin seeds. Add ginger, garlic and green chilies and fry for a few secs. Add onion and dry red chilies and fry till onions are slightly browned. Switch off the heat and add red chili powder in the pan. Pour this tadka over the dal and mix well. Heat a piece of cola until it is red hot. Keep an inverted vessel in the dal vessel and keep the coal piece on top of it. Pour some ghee on the red hot coal and immediately close the lid of the dal vessel, let the smoke penetrate the dal. Discard the coal and mix the dal well. Garnish with fresh coriander and green chilies.
Serve hot with rice.
5) Masoor dal
Ingredients:-
200 gms Masoor Dal/red dal, 2 tbsp Oil, 3 medium size Onions finely sliced, 4-5 vertically slit Green chilies, 1 tsp Ginger Garlic paste, 3-4 Curry leaves, 2-3 medium size Tomatoes finely chopped, 3/4 tsp Ground Turmeric, 2-3 tbsp chopped Coriander leaves, water.
Instructions:-
Firstly wash and soak masoor dal for about 30 mins.
In a pressure cooker add oil and heat it.
Add sliced onions and saute till slightly golden brown.
Add slit green chillies, curry leaves and stir for few seconds. Add ginger-garlic paste and stir until raw smell disappears.
Add chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder, mix and cook for a while. Strain and add the soaked masoor dal into the cooker.
Mix it well and cook the whole mixture for 5 mins on low flame and keep stirring. Add water and mix well.
Cover the lid and pressure cook the dal up to 3 whistles on medium flame. Reduce steam.
Add salt as per taste, add freshly chopped coriander leaves, and mix it.
Cook the dal for about 5 mins on low flame.
Serve the dal with roti or paratha!!!