Yellow Dal Recipes

Steps:

• To make the dal, in a medium heavy saucepan, cover the dal with water. Swish the lentils around with your hand, then drain the water through a fine-mesh sieve. Return any dal from the sieve to the saucepan and repeat, washing, agitating, and draining, until the water runs absolutely clear. It will probably take 7 to 10 changes of water. Pour the 3 cups (710 ml) of water into the pot to cover the lentils. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, skim any scum that rises to the surface, then lower the heat to maintain a simmer. Add the turmeric and cook until the dal is quite creamy, 45 to 60 minutes. Stir the dal regularly as it simmers or it can catch at the bottom of the pan and burn. If the dal starts to look dry before the lentils are cooked, add hot water (from the tap is fine). Season well with salt.
• About 20 minutes before the dal is done, make the tarka. Melt the ghee over low heat. Fry the cumin seeds for maybe 1 minute, until sizzling and fragrant. Add the onion and chile and cook, stirring, until the onion is very soft and translucent, 15 minutes. When the dal is ready, tip the tarka over the dal, stir to partially combine, then sprinkle the cilantro on top. Serve right away with lime wedges and naan or over rice.
• For the Tomato Tarka Variation:
• Melt 3 tablespoons ghee over low heat, then add 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds and 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds. Fry for 1 minute. Add 1 minced onion and 3 minced garlic cloves and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often. Scrape in 1 teaspoon grated ginger and cook to take away some of its rawness, about 1 minute. Stir in 2 small tomatoes that have been diced, 1 or 2 green chiles split lengthwise, and 2 curry leaves (optional). Fry until the tomato starts to break up, 5 to 7 minutes more. Stir most of the mixture into the cooked dal and let simmer for 5 minutes. Check for seasoning, then tip the remaining tarka over the dal. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Steps:

• Rince split pea until water runs clear.
• Boil 1 litre of water, add cinnamon stick, turmeric, chilli pieces and 2 slices of ginger. Simmer for 30-45 minutes (check packaging of split pea for recommended cooking lengths.)
• Heat oil in frying pan and add cumin seed. Fry for 30 seconds and add onion, chilli (add aditional chilli here if required), ginger. Fry until onion is soft. Add garlic, coriander, garam masala and salt and fry for further two minutes. Add tomato plus 100ml water and allow to cook for 20-30 minutes.
• Add spice mix to split pea and stir though. Squeeze in lemon juice and serve topped with coriander leaf.
• Eat as a main with roti or as a side.

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Add chopped onion and salt. Saute until soft, about five minutes. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Add remaining spices and stir. Saute for about 1 minute, cooking spices. If spices start to stick to pan, add some water - 1/4 cup should do. Add peas and stir to coat with butter, onion, and spice mixture. Add broth, 1/2 cup water and bring to boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer.
• Simmer for 40-50 minutes or until peas are tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed. (Check peas periodically - you may need to add more water during cooking if peas are absorbing the liquid too quickly). Garnish with chopped cilantro/coriander leaves before serving.
• Options: Serve with hot basmati or brown rice for a filling one-dish meal. Or, double the broth/water to make a curried pea soup. To turn this into a spicy curry, add some finely chopped jalapeno, serrano, or chile pepper at the same time as the garlic.
• Update 1/6/2010: Some people have reported issues with the peas taking longer to soften. I have never had an issue but try cooking the onions without salt and waiting until the last 10 minutes or so of cooking time to add the salt. I have heard salt interfers with lentils softening perhaps it is the same for split peas. Curry powder - I usually use a mild Indian yellow variety, the all-purpose kind found in most US supermarkets. But I have also made this with a hot Madras and it was also delicious (but spicy!).

Steps:

• Note: I used 1/2 tsp of dried thyme and just crumbled it between my fingers. (That's before I realized the recipe actually called for turmeric, not thyme). If you don't like things too hot, slice the pepper in half and seed it and toss in the halves - retrieve them before pureeing/serving. The recipe called for water, but I used vegetable broth, which I think added to the flavor of the soup.
• Wash and rinse the mung dal. The first package I bought was artificially colored - I washed it repeatedly until the water was quite clear, so check your package before buying!
• Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the onion, sauteing until it becomes translucent. Add the garlic and ginger, stirring, and cook briefly.
• Add the turmeric.
• Add the mung dal and 4 cups of broth or water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer. If you are using water, add salt at this point. Also add the chili peppers. Stir from time to time and skim off any foam. Add additional water, as needed. Simmer until the mung dal are quite soft, 30-45 minutes.
• Puree at this point, if desired. If you are using chili halves, remove before pureeing. (The last time I made this I used a ripe jalapeno, and left it in . I did not puree it to the very end, leaving some texture and very pretty red chili flecks in the soup).
• In a small skillet heat the butter until it foams. Add the cumin and stir it in for just a few seconds, then scrape it all into the saucepan. (The last few times I made this, I just sprinkled a little cumin on top, and that worked just as well, less work and fewer dishes to wash!).
• Add the lemon or lime juice and ladle into bowls. Garnish with chopped cilantro.
• This made two servings for me, but will probably make 3 to 4 for others.

Steps:

• In a saucepan add lentils and chicken stock, ginger and turmeric.
• Bring to boil cover partially and cook for 20 minutes on medium heat until lentils are tender.
• Puree 1 c of lentils in a blender, add back to pan and cook 15 minutes more.
• In a skillet heat oil.
• Add mustard seed and shake pan until they start to pop, 20 seconds.
• Add the onion and cook until softened, 5- minutes.
• Add serrano chile, and garlic, cook 1 minute.
• Add cumin and bay leaves, and tomato, cook minutes more.
• Stir this mixture into the lentils, add lemon juice and salt to taste, simmer for 5 minutes.
• Serve over basmati rice.