Sindhi Dal

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups yellow lentils (Tur dal), cleaned, washed and drained
• 4 tablespoons oil 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi)
• 1 teaspoon cumin seed 15 fresh curry leaves, washed and torn
• 3 inches fresh ginger, peeled, washed and finely chopped
• 2 pinches asafetida powder (commonly called 'hing' in Hindi)
• 2 medium green chilies, washed and chopped
• 2 medium fresh tomatoes, washed, peeled and chopped
• 2/3 cup tamarind pulp
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
• 2 teaspoons turmeric powder 4 teaspoons salt
• Water

Procedure

1. Pressure cook the lentils (toor dal) in a pressure cooker alongwith 6 cups of water until the lentils are tender.
2. Heat oil in a pot on medium-high flame.
3. Once its hot, add mustard seeds, methi seeds and cumin seeds. Allow to splutter and crackle. Once they stop doing so, add in the curry leaves and ginger. Stir-fry for 5 minutes until the raw smell of ginger is gone.
4. Add asafoetida powder and continue to stir-fry for another 5-7 minutes.
5. Toss in the green chillies, mix well and continue to stir-fry for another 2-3 minutes.
6. Then add in the tomatoes and 1/4 cup of water to cook the tomatoes.
7. Mix well and cook on high flame until the tomatoes are softened.
8. Add salt, red chilli powder and turmeric powder. Mix well.
9. Measure out 2/3 cup of tamarind water in a cup and add this tamarind water to the tomato mixture. Mix well and allow it to cook on medium-high flame for 5 minutes.
10. In the meantime, open the pressure cooker (by this time the lentils will be tender and the whistle would have blown), drain the water, and with the help of a beater/mashing tool (we use what we call a'mandira' in Hindi. This is a long wooden spoon with a round base that we use for mashing lentils, bananas, etc), in round circular motions, mash the lentils completely, until they mix with the water in which they were being cooked.
11. Now add 5 cups of water alongwith the lentil and water mixture that was used to cook the lentils. Add the tamarind-tomato mixture, mixing gracefully, till it comes to a boil.
12. Lower flame and cook for 10 more minutes on a simmer. Remove from flame and serve immediately with cooked long-grain white Basmati rice.