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Toor Dal
February 16th, 2007 filed under Dal (Lentils)
Indian recipes uses several different dals (lentils) witch are more native to India. Toor dal, also known as Arhar, is a popular dish in almost every household.
Below, I describe 2 different chaunk variations, one with added vegetables and another just with ghee (clarified butter).
Serves 2 to 4.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup toor dal
- 4 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric (haldi)
- 1 tablespoon fine chopped ginger
- 1 teaspoon mango powder (amchoor)
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
Vegetable Chaunk version:
- 2 tablespoons clear butter (ghee)
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seed (jeera)
- 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seed (rai)
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder (lal mirch)
- 2 bay leaves (tajpat)
- Pinch of asafetida (hing)
- 1 medium size chopped tomato
- 1 small zucchini chopped into 1 inch long cubes
- 6 string beans chopped about 1 inch long
Ghee Chaunk version:
- 2 tablespoons clear butter (ghee)
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seed (jeera)
- 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seed (rai)
- 2 bay leaves (tajpat)
- Pinch of asafetida (hing)
- 4 whole red chili (sabut lal mirch)
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
Method:
- Wash dal, changing water several times until the water appears clear.
- Soak dal in 4 cups of water for 30 minutes or longer.
- In pressure cooker add dal, water, salt, turmeric and ginger, and cook on medium high heat.
- As the pressure cooker starts steaming turn the heat down to medium and cook for about 7 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and wait until steam has stopped before opening the pressure cooker.
- Mix dal well so there are no lumps. If dal is thick add more boiling water and make the consistency as you desire.
- Mix the mango powder and garam masala with a few spoons of water and add the mixture to the dal.
For vegetable chaunk:
- Heat the oil in a saucepan. Test the heat by adding one cumin seed to the oil; if it cracks right away oil is ready. Add hing, cumin seeds, mustard seeds.
- After seeds crack add bay leaves and chili powder, stir for few seconds and add the vegetables.
- Stir the vegetables and cook for 4 to 5 minutes till the vegetables are tender.
- Add vegetable to dal and mix gently.
Ghee chaunk:
Heat the oil in a saucepan. Test the heat by adding one cumin seed to the oil; if it cracks right away oil is ready.
Add hing, cumin seeds, mustard seeds. After seeds crack stir for few seconds and add bay leaves, whole red chili and paprika.
Stir for a second and add 1 tablespoon of water so mixture does not burn.
Pour th spice mix over dal.
Serve with steamed rice or any Indian bread.
hello aunty
ur site is really helpful.i got married and came here in sept from then i was exploring many web’s but i foud out urs is the best….i love ur spinach-monng dal and dal makhani a lot.waiting for more authentic dishes.
Hi mam the reciepes are really very good and the videos u provide for the reciepes are really helpful for me as my both sons have a very good taste for food so i have to really try new dishes all the time and ur site is very helpful for me THANKYOU.
what is papriya
Another easy way:
1. microwave beans.
2. cook dal in pressure cooker with just salt added.
3. fry onion and tomato and then add microwaved beans.( in oil)
4. add cooked dal ( remove water if needed).
5. boil for sometime; add garam masala and red chilli powder as needed.
6. add one tablespoon of ghee in the end( advanatge: less ghee, but with good flavour of ghee)
Hi aunty !
i have just tried this recipe and it turned out great, thanks to your clear instructioni feel confident in the kitchen .
god bless your great service !
Nice recipes Manjula…
Keep posting more and more recipes.
I like your way of cooking…
Thank you
Hello,
unknown???
yes, because it is indian dish? And common indian ingredients where is no name in engslish, because no use of that ingredients in U.S.
So…what to do…???
Look out for an asia or india store…and they will understand u…(what a good feeling)
…buy the toor dal and the spices…go home…and join cooking the traditional indian dishes…..yum yum yum ~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Manjula!
Instead of ghee can I use oil to make the chaunk? Please send me your answer.
Thank you!
Hello Orsolya, Yes you can use oil.
Toor dal are also called “pidgeon peas”. They are a yellow dried lentil that has been split in half. They are about the same size as a green pea, but flatter in thickness.
Indian grocery stores or natural/health food stores are usually the only places you can purchase these in the US. Large grocery stores may have them in their ethnic food aisle.
Which other ingredients are you having trouble with?
Jaya
what is “toor dal”, would it be possible to put the ingredients in English? or at least a good description of what is it?
The side is great but its kind of hard to follow the recipes as the ingredients are unknown in the USA.
‘Google’ any ingredients you don’t know. This is how I have learnt over the years to cook Indian vegetarian food, and I have only ever lived in Australia & New Zealand.
go to an indian store and they will help you out!