A glorious spread to warm your dining table this winter, try this combination of delectable dishes from The Indian Vegetarian Cookbook by Pushpesh Pant. Includes dry black lentils, fenugreek seeds with raisins, sweet and tangy yellow dal, and yellow pea curry.
Dry Black Lentils
SUKHI URAD KI DAL
Preparation Time
10 minutes, plus soaking time
Cooking Time
25–30 minutes
Serves
4
Ingredients
½ cup (4 oz/120 g) urad dal lentils (black gram), rinsed and drained
2 teaspoons ghee
1 teaspoon chopped fresh root ginger
1 fresh green chile, de-seeded, and chopped
½ teaspoon ground turmeric pinch of asafoetida
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
2 dried red chiles
salt, to taste
Urad dal lentils are arguably the most famous Indian lentil. Mash or black beans are also known as kali dal and makhani dal due to its color and satin-like smooth buttery texture, obtained by very slow cooking.
Preparation
Soak the lentils in a bowl of water for 1 hour, then drain and set aside.
Heat 1 teaspoon ghee in a large, heavy-based pan over medium heat, add the ginger and chili and fry for about 1 minute. Add the drained lentils and turmeric and season with salt. Pour in 2¼ cups (18 fl oz/ 550 ml) water to cover, then bring to the boil, reduce the heat and cook, without stirring, for 25 minutes, or until the water is absorbed and the lentils are soft.
Just before serving, heat 1 teaspoon ghee in a small skillet (frying pan) over medium heat, add the asafoetida, cumin seeds, and dried red chiles and stir-fry for 1–2 minutes, or until the chiles turn a shade darker. Pour over the dal and gently stir to heat through.
Fenugreek Seeds with Raisins
METHI-KISHMISH
Preparation Time
Overnight soaking
Cooking Time
10–15 minutes
Serves
4
Ingredients
1 cup (7 oz/200 g) fenugreek seeds, soaked overnight in 2 cups (16 fl oz/475 ml) milk
1 ½ oz/45 g unripe mango
5 teaspoons ground coriander 2 teaspoons hot chili powder 2 teaspoons ground turmeric ½ cup (4 fl oz/120 ml)
vegetable oil
pinch of asafoetida
¾ cup (3½ oz/100 g) raisins, soaked overnight in 1 cup (8 fl oz/250 ml) water 4 tablespoons amchoor (mango powder)
salt, to taste
Fenugreek is enjoyed as a green leafy vegetable in winter by itself or combined with potatoes and carrots. Fenugreek seeds are indispensible in pickling spices and in tempering. Dried leaves are crumbled in sauces to aromatize them. In arid Rajasthan where fresh vegetables are scarce, the seeds are also relished as a salad-like preparation.
Preparation
Put the fenugreek seeds in a bowl, add the milk, and soak overnight.
Put the unripe mango in a bowl of water and set aside for 30 minutes or until soft, then drain.
Put the fenugreek seeds and the milk into a pan with ¾ cup (7 fl oz/ 200 ml) boiling water, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is fully absorbed. Drain and rinse the boiled fenugreek under cold running water, then drain and set aside.
Put the ground coriander, chili powder, and turmeric in a small bowl, add 5 tablespoons water and stir together.
Heat the oil in a deep, heavy-based pan over medium heat, add the asafoetida and stir-fry for about 30 seconds. Add the ground spice mixture and stir-fry for 1–2 minutes, or until the moisture has evaporated. Add the fenugreek seeds and soaked mango and stir-fry for about 4–5 minutes. Add the raisins and amchoor and season with salt, then stir-fry for about 1–2 minutes, before removing from the heat and adjusting the seasoning, if necessary.
Sweet & Tangy Yellow Dal
AAMATI
Preparation Time
15 minutes
Cooking Time
20 minutes
Serves
4
Ingredients
generous ½ cup (3½ oz/100 g) toor dal (yellow split pigeon peas), rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds small pinch of asafoetida
1 teaspoon ground turmeric 1 onion, chopped
4 fresh green chiles, de-seeded and chopped 2 tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon granulated sugar 2 teaspoons Garam Masala (see p. 22) chopped cilantro (coriander) leaves, to garnish
salt, to taste
Yellow dal has become synonymous with toor dal and is cooked in many different ways. This sweet and sour recipe originated in the rural areas of Awadh and found it’s way to the royal dining table.
Preparation
Soak the dal in a bowl of water for 1 hour, then drain.
Put the dal into a medium-size, heavy-based pan, pour in enough water to cover and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 25 minutes, or until the dal is soft. Drain, return to the pan and mash with a wooden spatula.
Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan over medium heat, add the mustard seeds and stir-fry for 1 minute, or until they start to sputter, then add the asafoetida, turmeric, onion, and chiles and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Add tomatoes, sugar, and salt and stir-fry for one minute. Pour this over the cooked and mashed lentils. Add ½ cup (4 fl oz/120 ml) of boiling water to make the dal your preferred consistency. Sprinkle over the garam masala and garnish with cilantro (coriander).
Yellow Pea Curry
GHUGNI
Preparation Time
15 minutes, plus soaking time
Cooking Time
1 hour 10 minutes – 1 hour 20 minutes
Serves
4
Ingredients
2 cups (12 oz/350 g) dried yellow peas, washed and soaked in salted water overnight
2 tablespoons ghee
1 cup (8 oz/225 g) onion, sliced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh root ginger
1 teaspoon chopped garlic 2 teaspoons chopped fresh green chiles
½ cup (3 oz/80 g) chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander 1 tablespoon flaked coconut 1 tablespoon Garam Masala
1 tablespoon cilantro (coriander) leaves, freshly chopped
salt, to taste
Dried yellow peas are used to prepare ghugni, this thick lentil soup, that is often eaten with Poori (see p. 194) for a quick, nourishing meal that isn’t too expensive or challenging to cook and can be enjoyed thoughout the year. Unlike other lentils, it is rarely eaten with rice.
Preparation
Put the soaked yellow peas into a large pan with just enough water to cover, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 45 minutes–1 hour or until soft.
Meanwhile, in another large, heavy-based pan, heat the ghee over medium heat, add the onion, and sauté for about 10 minutes until golden. Remove 2 tablespoons of the fried onions and set aside for garnish. To the same pan, add the chopped ginger and garlic and sauté for 1–2 minutes until golden. Add the green chiles and tomatoes, stir and sauté for 2–3 minutes until the tomatoes are soft. Add a little water to loosen the mix, if required.
Add the vegetable mix to the pan with the cooked yellow peas, then mix in the ground cumin and coriander and cook over medium heat for 8–10 minutes. Add the flaked coconut and garam masala and mix well. Season to taste.
Serve, garnished with cilantro (coriander) and the reserved golden fried onions.
