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I had prepared this dal a while ago as part of a Bihari meal. This is a very common preparation in the state of Bihar and other surrounding areas. It is cooked using split chickpeas / chana dal and bottle gourd. Yes, you read it right. It is prepared with bottle gourd and not pumpkin. Surprisingly, Biharis call their bottle gourds kaddu while the other Hindi speaking areas call pumpkin as kaddu and bottle gourd as lauki. It is one of those hearty, every day kind dals prepared in Indian kitchens. It is a quick and easy dal with simple flavors.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup Bengal gram / Chana dal / Split Chickpeas
1 cup peeled and cubed bottle gourd
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. cumin seeds
2 - 3 red chillies
Salt to taste
1 tsp. garam masala
Method:
* Soak split chickpeas / chana dal for a couple of hours and drain. Pressure cook split chickpeas / chana dal adding turmeric, a bay leaf and 1.5 cups of water until soft. Don't make it thinner since the dal needs to be on the thicker side. When the valve presssure is gone, remove the lid and mash the dal well or pulse in a food processor. (If the dal was not soaked in advance, pressure cook it longer.)
* Cook the bottle gourd cubes separately with enough water in a microwave.
* Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds, bay leaf and red chillies. Add the cooked dal and bottle gourd cubes, salt and garam masala. Simmer for a few minutes and turn off the stove.
* Serve warm with rotis / rice.
This mah ki dal or mash dal comes from a Himachali dham. A dham in a nutshell would be a traditional midday meal that is specifically reserved for religious and other special occasions in the state of Himachal pradesh. Each region in the state have their own set of specific dham recipes. This mash dal or the black gram gravy is a mandatory part of the dham served in the Mandi region. There are six dishes served with rice in a Mandyali dham and none of the preparations contain onion or garlic. This mah ki dal is the fifth item to be served with rice and is a simple 'satvik' preparation unlike the Punjabi version.
Ingredients:
1 cup black gram / Sabut urad
1 tbsp. coriander seeds
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. fennel seeds
1 inch cinnamon piece
2 green cardamom
2 black cardamom
12 peppercorns
1 tbsp. ghee / oil
2 bay leaves
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
Salt to taste
Directions:
1. Soak black gram overnight in plenty of water and drain.
2. Coarsely grind coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, cinnamon, cardamom and peppercorns.
3. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add bay leaves, the crushed spice powder and saute for few seconds. Add dal, turmeric powder, salt and about 2 cups of water and close the lid. Pressure cook the dal until soft.
4. Remove the lid when the valve pressure is gone and mix well. Mash the dal with the back of the ladle lightly if preferred.
(I separately pressure cooked the dal in advance. I prepared the tadka from step 3 in a pan and added the dal along with 3/4 cup water. I cooked for about 10 minutes and lightly mashed the dal.)
I had come across this dal a while ago and had bookmarked it to try later. This week seemed like a right occasion to try it when I am posting 'pigeon peas' based dishes. I am not sure about the origins of this dal or whether the dal has any connection with the royal kitchens. And if indeed it is the case, this dal seems like a precursor to modern day 'dal fry' recipe. Surprisingly this dal is not a 'rich' kind where any dairy product is used as in the case of Sultani or Nawabi dals. This is more like a simple and flavorful, every day kind of dal cooked in North Indian homes without all the spice powders. The dal goes well with rotis / rice or plain pulaos.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup pigeon peas / toor dal
1/4 cup split chickpeas / chana dal
1 cup peeled and cubed bottle gourd / lauki
1 cup chopped tomato
1/8 tsp. ground turmeric
2 tbsp. ghee / oil
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. garlic paste (I didn't use it.)
1 tsp. finely chopped green chillies
1 tsp. grated ginger
3/4 cup, sliced onions
Salt to taste
2 tbsp. minced cilantro to garnish
Directions:
* Clean, wash and soak dals in enough water for a couple of hours and drain.
* Add the drained dals, tomato, bottle gourd pieces, turmeric and about 2 cups of water to a pressure cooker and cook for three whistles. When the valve pressure is gone, remove the lid and mash the dal well with the back of a ladle and keep aside.
* Meanwhile, heat ghee / oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. When they start to brown, add garlic, chillies, ginger and onion. Saute on low flame until the onion turns light brown.
* Add the mashed dals and salt to the pan and cook on medium flame for 3 or 4 minutes and turn off the stove.
* Garnish with cilantro and serve warm.
This post is an entry for Blogging Marathon #101 under 'Cook 3 Side Dishes with One Ingredient' theme.
