Toor Dal Recipe (Homestyle Arhar Dal)

Ingredients

Main Ingredients

• 1 cup (190 grams) toor dal (tuvar dal, arhar dal or pigeon pea lentils)
• ⅓ heaped cup (50 grams or 1 medium) onion – sliced
• ⅓ to ½ cup (65 grams or 1 medium) tomato – chopped
• 2 green chilies – sliced, slit or chopped
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1 generous pinch asafoetida (hing)
• 2 cups water – for pressure cooking
• 1 cup water – added later, do add as required depending on the consistency you prefer, optional
• salt – add as required
• 2 tablespoons coriander leaves – chopped

For Tempering

• 2 tablespoon ghee or oil
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 4 to 5 medium-sized garlic cloves – sliced or chopped or crushed lightly with their peels on
• 1 sprig or 9 to 10 curry leaves
• 1 to 2 dry red chilies – halved and deseeded

Steps

Pressure Cooking Toor Dal

1. Rinse the toor dal thoroughly. Put it into a 3 litre stovetop pressure cooker with the onions, tomatoes, green chilies, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, asafoetida and water.
2. Cook under pressure over medium heat for 8 to 9 whistles or 14 to 15 minutes.
3. Wait for the pressure to fall naturally before opening the cooker. The lentils must be thoroughly softened and mushy.
4. Lightly mash the lentils using a spoon or a wired whisk.
5. Adjust the consistency with water as needed, or add none if it is already right. Use less water, or none, for thick dal; add more for a medium to thin consistency.
6. Mix thoroughly once the water has been added.
7. Mix in salt to suit your taste.
8. Let the dal simmer until hot throughout and as thick or thin as desired. Switch off the heat and cover it with a lid.

Tempering

1. Heat ghee or oil in a small pan or tadka pan. Once moderately hot, put in the mustard seeds and allow them to crackle.
2. Follow with the cumin seeds, letting them splutter in the oil.
3. Put in the garlic, crushed, sliced or chopped. Fry for about 20 to 30 seconds or until lightly golden.
4. Fry the halved, deseeded dry red chilies and curry leaves until the chilies darken slightly and the leaves look crisp.
5. Switch off the heat before pouring all the tempering over the tur dal. Cover the cooker with its lid so the tempering flavours infuse the lentils.
6. Finish by mixing in the chopped coriander leaves.
7. Stir the dal and serve it homestyle with steamed rice or chapati.