Punj Rattani Dal

I don’t think I need to convince anyone of my love of Dals. Every single day there is a bowl of dal that adorns my table. Today I am sharing a recipe of ‘Punj Rattani Dal’ which is a mix of 5 different lentils that are cooked in a tomato & yoghurt gravy.

The addition of 2 souring agents in the dal, gives it a delightful tang and it tastes delicious with rice and a big helping of Ghee, sprinkled liberally over it.

Ingredients:

¼ cup Masoor Dal

¼ cup Urad Dal

¼ cup Chana Dal

¼ cup Toor Dal

¼ cup Moong Dal

1 tsp Black Cumin seeds

1 large Onion finely chopped

1 tsp Katoomba Ginger & garlic paste

2 Tomatoes finely chopped

1/2 cup Yogurt at room temperature

2 tsp Coriander powder

2 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Red chili powder

1 tsp Cumin powder

1 tsp Fennel powder

2 tbsp Ghee

1 tsp Garam Masala

Salt to taste

1 tbsp Mustard oil (optional)

Method:

1) Empty all the lentils in a bowl, wash & soak in fresh water for 1 hour.

2) Heat 1tbsp Ghee or vegetable oil in a saucepan and add the cumin seeds, once they start to crackle, add the ginger garlic paste & onions and sauté till translucent.

3) Add the Tomatoes and ½ tsp of salt and cook till the tomatoes have become pasty.

4) Add the red chili powder, turmeric, coriander powder and salt and mix well. Then add the yogurt, mixed with a little water and let the dal just cook in the spice mix.

5) Add 3 cups of water and 1 tbsp Mustard oil if using. Cover and pressure cook for twelve minutes.

6) Serve hot garnished with fennel powder, garam masala, ghee & coriander.

Enjoy