Tomato Masoor Dal (Red Lentils & Tomato Curry - Bong style)

 

           Here is a simple and a nutritious Tomato Masoor Dal cooked in a Bengali style. It includes in the everyday menu of any Bengali household. I love to have it along with some aloo bhaja (fried potato strips) or some fried papad for a comfort meal. 

          Very few basic ingredients are needed to dish out this yummy lentil curry. The addition of ghee as a garnish gives this lentil curry a very good flavor. If had with a dash of lime, gives a very refreshing touch to this dish. You can also make this dal with or without tomatoes. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this regional dish.

• 1/3 cup masoor dal (Red Lentils), soaked for 30 minutes
• 2 tbsp. mustard oil
• 2 dry red chilies
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 2 green chilies 
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. ghee
• 2 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped

          Pressure cook the dal in 1 & 1/2 cups water for 4-5 whistles. Add salt and turmeric and give it a whisk.

          Heat oil in a pan and temper with mustard seeds and dry red chilies. Allow it to splutter.

          Add the onion and sauté till light brown.

          Now add the chopped tomatoes and sauté till it is mashed up. 

          Add the boiled dal and green chilies. Simmer on a low flame for 2-3 minutes. 

          When done, add coriander leaves and ghee. Mix well. 

          Serve with hot steamed rice and papad / fried potato strips as an accompaniment for a great comfort meal. 

  Pressure cook the dal in 1 & 1/2 cups water for 4-5 whistles. 

               Add salt and turmeric and give it a whisk.

Heat oil in a pan & temper with mustard seeds & dry red chilies. Allow it to splutter.

                  Add the onion and sauté till light brown.

      Now add the chopped tomatoes & sauté till it is mashed up. 

   

Add the boiled dal & green chilies. Simmer on a low flame for 2-3 minutes. 

                 When done, add coriander leaves 

                     and ghee. Mix well. 

 

               Serve with hot steamed rice & papad / fried potato strips as an                                           accompaniment for a great comfort meal. 

Amloki Dal (Amla / Gooseberry Lentil Curry - Bong style)

 

           Here is a simple no-frills dal cooked in a Bengali style. It has a tempering of just some mustard seeds and dry red chilies for a smoky flavor. Add a tsp. of ghee to the end product to enhance the taste. It is a great comfort food and tastes absolutely great with hot steamed rice, papad or some aloo bhaja (fried potatoes) as an accompaniment. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this amazing regional recipe.

           

          It is no secret that Amloki (Gooseberries / Amla) has a very wide range of benefits. To name a few, they are a very rich source of vitamin C, fibre, iron and zinc. They are equally good for our hair / scalp, heart, controls blood sugar and is also good for our stomach. 

• 1/3 cup masoor dal (red lentil), soaked for 30 minutes
• 3-4 amlas (gooseberries), chopped
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp. mustard oil
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
• 2 dry red chilies, broken
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp. ghee

          

           Pressure cook the dal in 1 & 1/2 cups water for 3-4 whistles. Give it a whisk.

           Add turmeric powder and the chopped amlas and again pressure cook for a further 2 whistles. Mix everything well.

          Heat oil in a pan and temper with the red chilies and mustard seeds. Allow it to splutter. 

          Now add the boiled dal, 1/2 cup water and salt. Simmer for 3-4 minutes on a low to medium flame. 

          When done, add the ghee and serve with hot steamed rice and some papad / fried potatoes for a great comfort meal. 

Pressure cook the dal in 1 & 1/2 cups water for 3-4 whistles. Give it a whisk.

Add turmeric powder and the chopped amlas and again pressure cook for a further 2 whistles. 

                   Mix everything well.

Heat oil in a pan & temper with the red chilies & mustard seeds. Allow it to splutter. 

Add the boiled dal, 1/2 cup & salt. Simmer for 3-4 minutes on a low to medium flame. 

                   When done, add the ghee and give it a stir. 

Serve with hot steamed rice & some papad / fried potatoes for a great comfort meal. 

Thankuni Pata diye Musurir Dal (Centella Leaves cooked with Red Lentils - Bong style)

      

           This is an extremely simple and a nutritious Bong style dal cooked along with Thankuni Pata (Centella Leaves). So if you happen to come across this plant, which has small round shaped leaves, then pluck out the leaves and prepare this traditional & a healthy Bong recipe which is typically served with hot steamed rice. Masoor Dal or Red lentils are used for this recipe. However, you may substitute it with split moong dal too. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this amazing regional lentil recipe.

         

              Thankuni Pata, as it is known in the Bengali lingo or Centella leaves have some medicinal properties that are very healthy for us. It is not much popular though it is quite relished in the North Eastern regions, especially West Bengal and countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia to name a few. 

               This is an age old grandmothers recipe and almost a forgotten one. One does not get to see such homemade recipes these days. It is purely a homemade recipe, not found in any restaurants. These leaves can also be made into delectable pakoras or can be enjoyed as salads, stir fries, juice or chutneys.

• 1/2 cup masoor dal, soaked for 2-3 hours, washed well & rinsed 
• handful of Thankuni pata (centella leaves), chopped
• 1 tsp. salt or to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 2-3 green chilies, slit
• 1 tbsp. mustard oil
• 1 tsp. panch phoron
• 1 dry red chili
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2-3 garlic cloves, chopped

          Pressure cook the soaked dal along with 1 cup water for 2-3 whistles. Give it a whisk.

         Transfer it to a pan along with the chopped greens, salt, turmeric powder, slit green chilies and required quantity of water. Simmer on a low flame for 4-5 minutes. 

         Heat oil in a pan and temper with panch phoron, dry red chili and bay leaf. 

         After it stops spluttering, add the onion and garlic. Sauté till light brown. 

         Now add the cooked dal and simmer for 1-2 minutes. When done, drizzle some raw mustard oil if you wish.            

         Enjoy this healthy & nutritious dal with hot steamed rice. Accompany it with aloo fry or papad for a comforting meal.  

                         Take a handful of Thankuni Pata.

                          Chop them finely.

 Pressure cook the soaked dal & 1 cup water for 2-3 whistles. Give it a whisk.

Transfer it to a pan along with the chopped greens, salt, turmeric powder, slit green chilies & required quantity of water. Simmer on a low flame for 4-5 minutes. 

 Heat oil in a pan & temper with panch phoron, dry red chili & bay leaf. 

 After it stops spluttering, add the onion  garlic. Sauté till light brown. 

Now add the cooked dal & simmer for 1-2 minutes. When done, drizzle some raw mustard oil if you wish.

                 Enjoy this healthy & nutritious dal with hot steamed rice. 

Khatti Dal (Tangy Lentil Curry - Hyderabadi style)

 

             This is a traditional Hyderabadi style Khatti Dal (tangy lentil preparation). It is cooked with either tuvar dal (split pigeon pea), masoor dal (red lentil) or both combined. This is a very simple, yet a delicious dal recipe which is best enjoyed with hot steamed rice, jeera rice, plain Biryani or pulao. It can also be had with any Indian bread if the consistency is adjusted and made it a little thicker.

          

          This recipe is prepared with a combination of both the lentils mentioned above. The tanginess comes from the addition of both tomatoes and tamarind water. 

          A tempering of mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dry red chilly, garlic and curry leaves is then poured over the end product. 

          You can also temper it in ghee to enhance the flavour. So go ahead and prepare it by checking out the step by step pictorial recipe.

• 1/4 cup tuvar dal (pigeon pea lentil), soaked for 30 minutes
• 1/4 cup masoor dal (red lentils), soaked for 30 minutes
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tbsp. ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp. roasted coriander-cumin powder
• 1 tbsp. red chili powder
• 1 tsp. tamarind paste mixed with 1 cup water
• 2 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped
• 2 green chilies, split
• salt to taste
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1 whole dry red chili
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 heaped tbsp. garlic, chopped
• 2 sprigs curry leaves

          Wash the lentils and drain well. Pressure cook along with tomatoes, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder, coriander-cumin powder, red chili powder and 2 cups water for 5-6 whistles. When cool, mash it well. 

          Bring it back on the flame and add tamarind water, salt to taste, green chilies, 1 sprig curry leaves and coriander leaves. Simmer on a medium flame for 5 minutes. Keep aside.

          Heat oil in a pan and temper with the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and dry red chilies. 

          After it stops crackling, add the garlic and curry leaves. Sauté till the garlic turns pink. Switch off the flame. 

          Pour this tempering over the prepared dal. Serve hot with hot steamed rice, jeera rice, khushka or any Indian bread.

 Pressure cook the soaked lentils with tomatoes, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder, coriander-cumin powder, red chili powder & 2 cups water for 5-6 whistles. 

                     When cool, mash it well.

                Bring it back on the flame and add tamarind water, 

salt to taste, green chilies, 1 sprig curry leaves & coriander leaves. Simmer on a medium flame for 5 minutes. Keep aside.

 Heat oil & temper with the mustard seeds, cumin seeds & dry red chilies.

After it stops crackling, add the garlic & curry leaves. Sauté till the garlic turns pink. 

 

                    Pour this tempering over the prepared dal. 

Serve hot with hot steamed rice, jeera rice, plain biryani or any Indian bread.