Daal is a dried lentil, pea or various types of bean which has been split. The word daal is also used to name the thick stew prepared from these pulses, an important part of South Asian cuisine. It is staple food eaten with rice and roti (wheat-based flat bread) for much of the population through that geographic area. It is also a ready source of proteins for a balanced diet containing no meat.
(Types of daal, from VeganRicha)
As Medha extensively outlined in this post, there are a variety of spices that you can easily get from Santiago’s, Big Y or any South Asian store in Shrewsbury. This is going to be an easy-to-make recipe for masoor daal (a type of red lentils; available at Indian/Bengali/sometimes Nepali stores).
Ingredients:
Split Masoor Daal - 2 cups
Cooking oil - a few spoons
Cumin seeds and Mustard seeds - two pinches (both available at Big Y)
Garam Masala/Curry Powder - 1 tablespoon
Red Chili Powder - 1 tablespoon
Coriander Powder - 1 tablespoon
Onion - 1 whole, medium sized, chopped
Tomatoes – 1 whole, medium sized, chopped
Ginger - 1 tablespoon
Garlic - 2 cloves, finely chopped (you can use ginger-garlic paste as a substitute)
Salt - to taste
Lemon juice -1 tablespoon
Prep: 20 minutes
Boil two cups of masoor dal in a pot, until the lentils are translucent and soft (Tip: Add salt in the boiling water to make the daal boil faster)
Chop the onion, tomatoes and ginger/garlic if you are not using the paste
Cooking: 20 minutes
Heat oil in a pan, add cumin and mustard seeds. Wait until they start to crackle.
Add onions and cook until they shrink and become translucent.
Add ginger and garlic and fry for a minute.
Throw in all the dry spice powers (red chili, garam masala/curry powder, coriander powder). Stir well.
Add chopped tomatoes and fry for a few minutes.
To this mix, add the boiled masoor daal and half a cup of water.
Add salt, and let it simmer for a few minutes on medium flame.
Stir occasionally and serve hot (you can squeeze a bit of lemon juice on top) with cooked rice, roti or even bread!
Enjoy!
