How to cook arhar dal chawal?

How to cook arhar dal chawal?

Dal Chawal is a basic meal of a simple lentil curry, and basmati rice made with simple ingredients and pantry staples. This simple and easy dal recipe will become your go-to weeknight meal! How to cook arhar dal chawal?

It is the one dish that most regions in Southeast Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh), are familiar with.

Each region, each community might make it differently, but cooking lentils in a curry or soup is definitely one dish you’ll find is a staple dish, consistent across the regions.

Literally means lentils and it can refer to both the uncooked lentils, as well as the cooked staple dish, in soup or curry form.

WHAT IS DAL CHAWAL?

Dal Chawal is the ultimate comfort food. And maybe go-to weeknight meal for many!

Dal is a basic lentil curry, made with cooked lentils in a curry or soup-like consistency, with aromatics like onions, tomatoes, and other spices. How to cook arhar dal chawal?

In many Indian/Pakistani household, dal is served with every meal, along with rice and roti, and paired with different cooked vegetables, or dry meat dishes.

HOW TO MAKE SIMPLE DAL?

Everyone has a different way to make dal, depending on their preferences and the regional influences.

Some make dal with only one type of lentil, or a combination of types of lentils.

Many Indian/Pakistani stores sell mixed dal, which is a combination of various dals to for ease.

Our easy dal recipe is made with an equal combination of split chickpeas (Chana Dal), split pigeon peas (Toor Dal), petite yellow lentils (Moong Dal), and red lentils (Masoor dal).

You can adjust the ratio of dals to your liking, keeping in mind that the split chickpeas (Chana Dal) will thicken the dal.

Easy Dal Recipe – Cooking Method

Step #1:Cook Mix Dal

Mix the daal, and let it soak for at least 20 minutes, or longer.

Then wash and boil in a pot with water.

Step #2: Blend

Once the dal is cooked, blend it using a blender or a hand-held immersion blender.

Step #3: Flavor The Daal

In a separate pot, heat a little oil, along with mustard seeds, curry leaves and/or fenugreek seeds. Once these whole spices are fragrant, and the mustard seeds start to crack then add, the rest of the ingredients.

Mom adds the ingredients in the following order. Allow each ingredient to cook for a few minutes, before adding the next.

• Chopped onions – until golden, or use fried onions and cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Ginger/garlic paste
• Ground spices (cumin powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder turmeric, and salt.
• Chopped or crushed tomatoes

Step #4: Simmer The Daal

Finally, add the blended and cooked dal to the aromatics. Add water to adjust to your desired consistency at this point.

Let everything simmer for at least 15 minutes.

HOW TO SERVE DAL?

Dal can be the base of a meal, or a full meal depending on how hungry you you might be. It like the recipe below can be served with plain basmati rice for a light meal. How to cook arhar dal chawal?

You could serve dal chawal with a side dish like these beef cutlets, or this spicy tuna fish side dish for a more hearty, complete meal.

We often enjoy dal with roti, or even slices of bread. It pairs well with a simple salad, and a little pickle (or achar) on the side.

DAL CHAWAL

NGREDIENTS

• cup 1 Mix daal 1/4 cup each split chickpeas (Chana Dal), split pigeon peas (Toor Dal), petite yellow lentils (Moong Dal), and red lentils (Masoor dal), see notes
• 4 tbsp Oil
• 5-7 Curry leaves see notes
• ½ tsp Mustard seeds see notes
• ¼ tsp Fenugreek seeds see notes
• 3 Whole red chili see notes
• tbsp Ginger/garlic paste 1
• 2 Onion, chopped or 3-4 tbsp fried onion
•  tsp Cumin powder 1
• 3tsp Coriander powder
• 4 tsp Red chilli powder to taste
• ½ tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 tsp Salt to taste
•  medium tomatoes, chopped or 4 tbsp Crushed Tomato
• 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped optional, for garnish
• 1-2 green chilis, chopped optional, for garnish

Rice

• 1 cup basmati rice soaked
• 1 tsp salt adjust to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Daal

• Soak the mixed daal for at least 20 minutes
• A large pot, with 2-3 cups of water, boil it till tender.
• Blend the daal with the water using a blender or an immersion blender, until it is smooth, or leave a little chunky as desired.
• In a separate pot, on low heat, add oil and curry leaves, mustard seeds, fenugreek, and whole red chilli, if using (see notes) until fragrant and mustard seeds start cracking.
• Chopped onions and cook till golden. If using fried onions, cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Add ginger/garlic paste and cook for few minutes make sure it does not burn. Couple of tbsp water at this point. If the pan is too hot your spices might burn.
• All the powder spices and cook for few minutes, making sure it does not stick. A little water if needed.
• Add tomatoes, mix well and let it cook for 2-3 minutes.
• The blended dal and mix together.
• Simmer on low heat, for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to blend together. Add water if desired to make daal with a thinner consistency.
• Top with chopped cilantro and/or chopped green chili

Rice

• Wash, then soak 1 cup basmati rice for 20 minutes.
• In a medium pot, on high heat, let 4 cups of water come to a boil with the salt.
• Drain, then add the soaked basmati rice to the boiling water. Turn heat down to medium.
• Let rice cook uncovered for 10-15 minutes, or until tender
• Strain rice in a colander or sieve.

Serve

• Serve with daal with rice, and/or roti or bread.

NOTES

1 cup mix daal is made of 2/4 tsp of split chickpeas (Chana Dal), 2/4 split pigeon peas (Toor Dal), 3/4 cup petite yellow lentils (Moong Dal), and 3/4 tsp red lentils (Masoor dal). Adjust the ratio to your liking, keeping in mind split chickpeas (Chana Dal) will thicken the dal. Many Indian/Pakistani stores sell daal mixed in this proportion for ease.

Use any combination of whole mustard seeds, whole red chilli and curry leaves as aromatics.