INDIAN DISH!

TODAY'S POST!

                                 
                                                   MOST SOUGHT AFTER DISH!!
MAAH KI DAAL (PUNJABI STYLE)

Whole black pulse (urd sabut) 100gm

Salt to taste

Bay leaf 1nos

Water as required

Cinnamon 1”pc

Black cardamom 1pc

Dry ginger powder 1tspn

Green cardamom 2nos

TEMPERING I-

Clarified butter (desi ghee) 50gm

Finely chopped onions 25gms

Fresh garlic paste 1tbspn

Finely chopped green chilies 2nos

Finely chopped tomatoes 50gms

Coriander powder 1tspn

Black pepper powder ½ tspn

TEMPERING II-

Clarified butter (desi ghee) 30gms

Cumin 1tspn

Asafetida (hing) a pinch

Red chilli powder 14tspn

Dry fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi) a pinch

GARNISH-

Julienne of ginger, coriander leaves, green chili and a dollop of white   butter 

PREPARATION-

Pick, wash and soak the pulses overnight. In a pressure cooker, fill water, sufficient to cover the dal. Bring to boil, discard the scum. Add ginger powder, bay leaf, cardamoms and cinnamon. Add 200 ml more water, pressure cook for 20 minutes. Remove the lid, mash the dal with a wooden spoon or a madhoni. Add in 50 ml more water. Transfer back on fire (preferably over charcoal) and cook for about 90 minute .More, stirring and mashing with spoon occasionally. Add in more hot water as and when the dal gets thickened. Add salt to taste. Discard the spices.

FOR FIRST TEMPERING: Heat butter, add in onions, stir for 30 seconds, and add garlic paste, green chillies. Stir for another minute, add in tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes or so. When the oil leaves the masala, sprinkle coriander powder and pepper powder. Stir for a minute and add to the dal.

FOR SECOND TEMPERING: Heat butter, crackle cumin. Add asafoetida dissolved in a tablespoon of water. Now add in red chilli powder and fenugreek. Immediately add into the dal. Cook the dal for another two minutes. Garnish and serve hot.

NOTE:

•        This is a popular dish of north India particularly Punjab with many variations. The problem in standardizing the dish is that the recipe changes, say after every 50 kms.
•       If consumed after 4-5 hours, the dal seems much better as the flavor of the spices get infused into the cooked pulses slowly.