Dal Fry

Get into any Indian restaurant, and probably one of the most common dish accompanying rice and phulkas will be the Dal Fry. As the name suggests, it's main ingredients include lentils with a dash of spices.

Usually made with a ghee tempering, the dry spices are first lightly fried resulting in a heavenly aroma. This follows the onion-ginger garlic-tomato sauteing, which further enhances the plain lentils. Have it with plain rice or phulkas, either ways it leaves any Dal-lover refreshed.

A humble yet heavenly soul-food !

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 Cup Toor Dal/ Arhar Dal
• 1/2 Cup Chana Dal
• 1 Large Tomato, chopped
• 1 Large Onion, chopped
• 4-5 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 1 Tspn Ginger, crushed
• 1-2 Green Chilly, slit length-wise
• 1 Tspn Kasuri Methi, crushed
• A pinch of Asafoetida
• 1-2 Dry Red Chilly
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1/2 Tspn Cinnamon Powder
• 1Tspn Sugar
• 1Tspn Turmeric Powder
• 2-3 Sprigs of Coriander Leaves
• 1 Tspn Cumin Seeds
• 1 Tspn Mustard Seeds
• Ghee or Oil, for tempering
• Red Chilly Powder, as per taste
• Salt, as per taste

METHOD

• Soak the lentils in water for about an hour. Rinse well and pressure cook with salt and turmeric till soft.
• Heat ghee/ oil in a pan. Add dry red chilly, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, bay leaf and asafoetida. As they begin to crackle, add the chopped onions and saute till translucent.
• Add the garlic and ginger. Saute.
• Add chopped tomato and saute till soft and pulpy. Add sugar, chilly powder, cinnamon powder and crushed kasuri methi. Mix well.
• Add the boiled lentils. Add appropriate quantity of water if a thinner consistency is desired. Let it come to a boil, after which let it simmer for about 5 minutes, before switching off flame.
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with rice or phulkas. 
• Happy gobbling :P !