Maa di Dal (Mother's Dal)

Iyer notes that there are as many variants of this dal "as there are cooks in northwestern India", so this version is by no means definitive. He opts for a variety of whole spices, cream, and ghee in his version and combines the black lentils (mapte beans) with a few kidney beans near the end of cooking.

Maa di Dal

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 8 cloves garlic
• 2 Tbsp. ginger paste
• 2-4 fresh green Thai, serrano, or finger chilies, stems removed
• 1 c. whole black lentils (mapte beans/sabud urad)
• 1/2 c. yellow split peas
• 6 c. water
• 4 cardamom pods (any colour)
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 (7cm long) cinnamon sticks
• 2-4 Tbsp. ghee
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 c. tomato sauce (or crushed tomatoes)
• 2 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. ground cayenne
• 1 c. cooked kidney beans
• 1/2 c. heavy (35%) cream or half-and-half (10%)
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Mash the garlic, ginger, and chilies in a molcajete (or mince in a food processor) and set aside.
2. Thoroughly rinse the black lentils and split peas.
3. Add the rinsed legumes to a pot with the water and bring to a boil, uncovered, over medium-high heat.
4. Skim and discard any foam from the surface of the water.
5. Add the garlic mixture along with the cardamom pods, bay leaves, and cinnamon sticks and reduce heat to medium.
6. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the split peas are fall-apart tender (~1 hour).
7. Meanwhile, heat 1-2 Tbsp. of the ghee over medium-high heat.
8. Sprinkle the cumin seeds into the ghee and sizzle for 10-20 seconds.
9. Add the onion and stir-fry until light brown on the edges (3-5 minutes).
10. Reduce heat to medium-low and add the tomatoes, salt, and cayenne.
11. Simmer the sauce, partially covered, stirring occasionally, for ~10 minutes.
12. Once the legumes are tender, stir in the sauce, kidney beans, and cream.
13. Adjust consistency with a bit more water if desired (use it to swish out the sauce pan).
14. Cover the pot of curry and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for another 10 minutes.
15. Stir in another 1-2 Tbsp. of ghee and the cilantro and serve.