Punj Rattani Dal - A dish made up of 5 Lentils

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.

Recipe:

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 Yoghurt at room temperature

2 tsp Coriander powder

2 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Red chilli 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:

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

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.

Add the Tomatoes and ½ tsp of salt and cook till the tomatoes have become pasty. Add the red chilli powder, turmeric, coriander powder and salt and mix well. Then add the yoghurt, mixed with a little water and let the dal just cook in the spice mix.

Add 3 cups of water and 1 tbsp Mustard oil if using. Cover and pressure cook for 12 minutes.

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

Enjoy