Punjabi Black Urad Beans Recipes

Steps:

• Soak whole black urad and rajma overnight in 3-4 cups of water.
• Cook the soaked dal and rajma in the same water with salt, red chili powder and half the chopped ginger till dal and rajma are cooked and soft.
• Peel and chop the onion, ginger and garlic finely. Also chop the tomatoes.
• Heat oil and butter in a thick-bottomed pan. Add cumin seeds, when it crackles add chopped onions and fry till golden brown.
• Add chopped ginger, garlic and chopped tomatoes. Sauté till tomatoes are well mashed and fat starts to leave the masala. Add boiled dal and rajma to this.Do not add the liquid at first.Crush(mash) the dals with the back of the ladle while stirring continuously, this gives that creamy texture to the dal .
• Add the liquid and some water if required and simmer on very low heat for fifteen minutes.
• Add fresh cream and garam masala powder let it simmer for another five minutes. Finish off with a couple of pinch of Kasoori methi powdered.
• Serve hot with Naan or Paraatha.
• Tip: Replacing the tomatoes with 4 tablespoons of thick tomato paste will enhance the taste and colour of the dish manifold.

Steps:

• Drain dal; rinse; combine dal with the 3 cups water, turmeric and oil in a medium saucepan; heat to boiling, cover and cook until dal are cooked through but not mushy, about 30 minutes- the dal should absorb most of the water.
• Stir in garlic, ginger, cumin, garam masala, salt, red pepper, butter and half-and-half; heat to boiling over medium heat; cook, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens and flavors blend, about 10 minutes.
• Serve over cooked rice; garnish with cilantro and ginger.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Quarter the onion, then thinly slice one portion. Set aside sliced onion. Add the remaining onion to a food processor, along with the garlic, chile and ginger. Purée until fairly smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• In a large, deep ovenproof skillet, heat the oil over medium. Add the cumin seeds and cook until lightly toasted, about 30 seconds. Add the onion mixture and salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the excess liquid has evaporated and the mixture is just starting to take on a golden color, 8 to 10 minutes.
• While the mixture cooks, purée the canned tomatoes and their juices, if using diced, chopped or whole tomatoes.
• Add the beans and chile powder to the onion mixture, and mix well. Use a fork to mash a tablespoon or so of the beans against the side of the skillet to help thicken the sauce.
• Add the crushed or puréed tomatoes and garam masala to the beans, and mix well. Drizzle the top with cream or scatter with cheese, then slide into the oven and bake, uncovered, until the sauce has thickened and the top is lightly browned, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Prepare the pickle: While the beans are baking, bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Transfer 1/4 cup hot water to a small bowl. Stir in the sugar and salt until dissolved. Add the reserved onion slices to the boiling water in the saucepan, turn off the heat and, after 1 minute, drain the onion. Transfer the softened onion to the small bowl and stir in the vinegar.
• When the beans are ready, fish out the pickled onion slices and arrange on top, letting a few drops of the pickling liquid flick over the beans to season them. Garnish with cilantro and serve with hot rice, buttered toast or flour tortillas.

Steps:

• Place the lentils into a large container and cover with several inches of cool water; let soak 4 hours to overnight. Drain and rinse.
• Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed sauce pan over medium heat; cook the onion, green chile peppers, garlic, and ginger in the hot oil until the onions are golden brown, about 5 minutes. Stir the lentils into the onion mixture with 1 cup water; season with salt. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. Stir the tomato, garam masala, and turmeric into the mixture. Cook until the lentils are cooked through, about 10 minutes more. Garnish with the cilantro to serve.

Steps:

• 1. Soak the dals and beans overnight, in water to cover by at least 2 inches. Drain and place in a large cast-iron or other heavy saucepan. Add 6 cups water and all the remaining ingredients (except the mint, butter, and garam masala), cover the pan and boil over high heat, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour.2. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook until the dal is very soft, thick, and creamy, about 3 to 4 hours, adding 2 cups or more water as needed. Add the mint leaves and the butter and cook another 30 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle the garam masala on top, and serve.From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.