Masar Dal|Lentils

Masar Dal|Lentils

Masar Dal|Lentils

Stuck on something to make in October? Have you forgotten by now how to make lentils? For some reason, this simple side has become so popular at my house. May be it is the great value of lentils in store? Either way, try one.

Masar Dal|Lentils

Do not be discouraged, lentils can be very hard work. If you are having trouble finding them in the stores, then buy a can or two on the second-hand market. Even if you make them at home, You can also buy the Italian version, minestrone, but that’s another story.

Here’s the recipe. Or think of it as a quick soup to go along with the meat and shrimp you may have on hand. The main thing is increase the cooking time to two hours for lentils and roast for that long. If your tomatoes or peppers are going to have a chance to finish ripening before you take them out of the oven, then time them slightly. I usually add some chopped onion or garlic in around an hour or so.

I usually make my soup in the Dutch oven. I happen to love a porcelain Ditch oven. It looks more like the kind you might make coffee and sausages in than a soup pot. My bigger skillet that I cooked fish in is too big to make a bg pot of lentils in,
so this works for me.

The most difficult part is throwing the lentils out when you take them out. Especially now that I’m on a flour diet. But since I already have a can of diced onions, that is not a big deal anymore.

Note: In case you didn’t see this already, one of the best reasons for using lentils is to be able to prepare the whole meal in a very few minutes. This tends to make your night night going from 1 to 3 and makes everything a lot more interesting. I don’t cook until late at night because I have small kids. For my own fun I have started working that hours. I could certainly get more work done if I were doing this.

Dal/Lentils is always a good source of protein, as well as fiber, and contains Vitamin C. Despite it’s hearty fiber content, Dal is not high in calories as you might think; in fact, you don’t even need to count the food’s nutrients for it to be a good source of those, such as Vitamin B, Vitamin c, copper and zinc.

However, Dal/Lentils or curry (boiled) can be a bit dense in calories–it can be over 6 grams per serving–although 1 cup cooked low-sodium cooked lentils can be less than 1 gram per serving. Make sure to eat a little bit of raw Dal/Lentils or curry every time you eat a meal to burn off it’s calories.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Masar Dal/Lentils
  • 1/4 cup oil
  • 1 onion
  • 1 tsp red chili powder
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 3 cloves of garlic, sliced
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 2 green chilies
  • 1 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
  • 1 tsp salt

Directions

For Dal Masar

STEP 1
Soak dal masar overnight or for two hours at least before cooking.

STEP 2
Combine the Dal/Lentils and water in a large pan (or pressure cooker).

STEP 3
Now add onion, red chili powder and turmeric and pressure cook for 13 minutes.

STEP 4
Remove from heat and wait till the whistle stops and open the pressure cooker carefully and add salt.

For Tarka/Tempering

STEP 1
In the mean while, add oil in another pan and add sliced cloves of garlic and green chilies and cook until soft and garlic changes its color.

STEP 2
In the end, add cumin seeds and count till 5 and stir to combine and turn off the heat.

STEP 3
Now, add this tarka into the cooked dal and add salt and mix and simmer over a low heat it for 3 minutes.

STEP 4
Garnish with fresh coriander and ginger and serve hot with white rice, flat bread or nan.

Notes

  • Dal can be cooked in a pan and adjust the quantity of water as required.

 

 

 

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