Anytime Dal recipe

Couldn’t think of a more innovative name.

Mom wanted me to make some quick dal yesterday, and I came up with a concoction that quite pleased here. It is simple fast, and goes pretty well with both rice and rotis. It is also ideal for the time when we have our vrat (don’t know how to define this) when we are off garlic and onions.

Ingredients:

Lentils
Tur dal – 1 cup (cooked and mashed well)

Veggies
Tomato – 2 to 3
Ginger: 1 inch approx
Coriander (Cilantro) – A few sprigs
Chillies (capsicum) – to taste
Shimla mirch/Bell pepper: 1-2 cut fine

Spices
Salt –to taste
Amchur powder (dry mango powder) – 1 tsp. You can add a dash of lemon juice in the end if you don’t have this. We need something for the sourness.
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Jeera (Cumin) powder – 1 tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tsp
Jeera seeds – 1 tsp
Mustard seeds (optional) – 1 tsp
Hing/Asafoetida (optional) – 1 pinch
Methi/Fenugreek seeds (optional) – 1 pinch

Vegetable oil – 1 – 2 tbsp

Procedure

Cut the bell pepper into fine pieces.
Grind tomatoes, coriander, ginger, and chillies in a blender to a fine paste.

Heat oil on a low to medium flame in a wok (kadai). Add the mustard and jeera seeds. After they stop spluttering, add the fenugreek seeds and asafetida. After ten seconds, add the capsicum and fry till they are done. Add a little salt to make the capsicum cook faster. Add the tomato paste and cook for around a minute. Add the dal, powders, and salt and cook for around three to five minutes stirring well. Add extra water if necessary. Top it off with a tablespoon of ghee (clarified butter) or just plain butter.