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.

Mirchi Waale Kala aur Kabuli Chana (Black and Yellow Chickpeas with Red Chilies)

I forgot that the grocery stores would be closed on Easter Sunday and thus couldn't get the bits I needed to make the chicken and potato curries I had planned. So I had to do a swift search of the curry book for an emergency back-up plan. I ended up setting on a potato-paneer curry and this mixed legume dal.

Mirchi Waale Kala aur Kabuli Chana

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 1/4 c. dried chickpeas
• 1/4 c. dried black chickpeas
• 1/4 c. dried kidney beans
• 1/4 c. whole black lentils (mapte beans/sabud urad)
• 3 1/2 c. water, divided
• 1 onion, chopped
• 10 whole cloves
• 3-8 dried red Thai, cayenne, or arbol chilies, stems removed
• 4 green cardamom pods
• 2 (7-8cm) cinnamon sticks, crushed/broken
• 2 Tbsp. ginger paste
• 1 Tbsp. garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 2 Tbsp. ghee
• 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1/2 Tbsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/4 c. heavy (35%) cream
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Rinse the dried legumes, drain, cover with hot water and let stand for 8-24 hours. For a quick-soak, place in pressure cooker, pressure cook for 1 minute, then let stand for 1 hour.
2. Drain the legumes, add 3 c. of fresh water, and pressure cook for 1 hour, followed by a 15-minute natural release.
3. Meanwhile, add 1/4 c. of the remaining water to a blender along with onion, cloves, chilies, cardamom pods, and crushed cinnamon sticks and purée.
4. Transfer onion paste to a bowl and stir in the ginger paste, garlic paste, and turmeric.
5. Melt ghee over medium heat.
6. Add the onion paste and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
7. Stir in the tomato paste and salt and set aside.
8. Once the legumes are done, open the pressure cooker and add the sauce.
9. Pour the remaining 1/4 c. of water into the pan that the sauce was cooked in to deglaze it and add this liquid to the legumes as well.
10. Simmer the dal over medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. For thinner dal, keep it covered while simmering. For thicker dal, simmer it uncovered.
11. Stir in the cream.
12. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Kala aur Kabuli Chana (Black and Yellow Chickpeas)

I really enjoyed the variety of legumes in this dal. Given that only chickpeas are mentioned in the title, I wasn't expecting to see kidney beans and black lentils (mapte beans) on the ingredient list. It made for a lovely combination!

Kala aur Kabuli Chana

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 1/4 c. dried black chickpeas
• 1/4 c. dried (yellow) chickpeas
• 1/4 c. dried red kidney beans
• 1/4 c. whole black lentils (mapte beans/sabud urad)
• 3 c. water
• 2 Tbsp. ghee
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 2 tsp. cumin seeds, 1 tsp. ground, 1 tsp. whole
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1 tsp. coriander seeds, ground
• 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp. ground asafetida
• 2 dried red Thai, cayenne, or arbol chilies
• 1 large tomato, cored and chopped
• 2-4 fresh green Thai or cayenne chilies, stemmed and halved lengthwise
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Combine dried legumes and rinse thoroughly.
2. Cover with hot water and let sit, covered, for at least 8 hours.
3. Drain legume mixture and place in pressure cooker with water.
4. Cook on high pressure for ~1 hour. Allow for a 15 minute natural release (75 minutes total).
5. Meanwhile, heat ghee over medium-high heat.
6. Add mustard seeds and cook, covered, for 30-60 seconds. (Mustard seeds will pop like popcorn.)
7. Remove from heat and add both whole and ground cumin seeds, sugar, salt, coriander, turmeric, asafetida, and dried chilies.
8. Add tomato and fresh chilies and return to medium heat.
9. Cook for ~2 minutes, then remove from heat and set aside until legumes are done.
10. Stir tomato mixture into cooked legumes.
11. Simmer over medium heat, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for ~15 minutes.
12. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Makhani Dal (Whole Black Lentils in a Creamy Sauce)

It's been quite a while since we made this one, but apparently I failed to write it up when we originally cooked it. As far as I recall, it comes together very easily and was delicious. It's worth noting that what Iyer refers to as "black lentils" are sold as "mapte beans" here. There is another variety of black lentil that can occasionally be found. They are usually sold as "black lentils" or "beluga lentils", but are NOT the variety required for this recipe. Beluga lentils are lenticular in shape. Mapte beans are more-or-less cylindrical.

Makhani Dal

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 1 c. whole black lentils (mapte beans/sabud urad)
• 3 c. water
• 1/4 c. ginger paste
• 2 Tbsp. garlic paste
• 1/2 c. plain yogurt
• 1/2 c. khoya (milk solids) or heavy (35%) cream
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1 tsp. Punjabi garam masala
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne powder
• 2-3 Tbsp. unsalted butter or ghee
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Rinse the lentils thoroughly.
2. Add lentils to pressure cooker with water, ginger paste, and garlic pasted.
3. Cook on high pressure for 45 minutes then allow for a 15 minute natural release.
4. Meanwhile, combine yogurt, khoya/cream, salt, garam masala, and cayenne and mix well. If you're using khoya, you'll need a blender to get it smooth and properly mixed.
5. Once lentils are cooked, stir in butter/ghee and yogurt mixture.
6. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Teen Taal Dal (Three Tune Dal)

I needed something quick and easy for dinner last night and this fit the bill. The added bonus was supposed to be that it'd use up some cream and yogurt that needed to be eaten but, sadly, the yogurt had already gone off. Oh well, at least it used up most of the cream!

Teen Taal Dal

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 1/2 c. whole black lentils (mapte beans/sabud urad)
• 1/4 c. dried chickpeas
• 1/4 c. dried red kidney beans
• 3 water, divided
• 2 bay leaves¹
• 2 black or green cardamom pods²
• 1 (3") cinnamon stick
• 2 Tbsp. ghee
• 1 red onion, minced
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp. ginger paste
• 1-3 fresh green Thai chiles³, minced
• 1/4 tsp. ground turmeric
• 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/2 c. plain yogurt
• 1/4 c. heavy (35%) cream
• 1 tsp. Dhania-Jeera Masala
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Pick the legumes over for stones and rinse well.
2. Place legumes in pressure cooker/InstantPot with 2 2/3 c. water as well as bay leaves, cardamom pods, and the cinnamon stick.
3. Cook on high pressure for 45 minutes and allow a 15-minute natural release at the end of cooking.
4. Meanwhile, melt the ghee over medium heat.
5. Add onion, garlic, ginger, and chilies and cook, stirring occasionally, for ~10 minutes.
6. Add the turmeric and 1/3 c. water and deglaze the pan.
7. Remove from heat and stir in tomato paste and salt.
8. Once the legumes are cooked, stir in the tomato-onion mixture.
9. Cook, uncovered, on medium heat for ~5 minutes.
10. Stir in the yogurt, cream, and jeera masala and cook for another minute or so.
11. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with rice and/or roti.

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¹ I chose to use "Indian bay leaves" (which I believe are actually cassia leaves), but regular (bay laurel) leaves work fine here too. ^Back
2 I opted to use one of each. ^Back
3 I used only one chili as I wanted it to be mild enough for the Kidlet to enjoy, but I think this made it a little too mild. Next time I'd go with two chilies. I think that'd make the flavour a little more interesting while still being plenty mild enough for the Kidlet. ^Back