1,000 Indian Recipes (206 page)

1.
Prepare the tamarind paste. Then, place all the dals in a pressure cooker along with the potato, tomato, pumpkin, eggplant, chopped onion, fenugreek leaves, cilantro, mint, green chile peppers, turmeric, salt, and water. Secure the lid and cook over high heat until the regulator indicates high pressure, then cook 30 seconds more. Remove from the heat and allow the pot to depressurize on its own, 12 to 15 minutes. Carefully open the lid, let cool, then blend in the pot with a hand-held immersion mixer or transfer to a food processor or blender, process to make a thick and smooth purée, then return to the pot.

2.
Meanwhile, prepare the ginger-garlic paste and lentil masala. Then, in a small bowl mix together the ginger-garlic paste, coriander, cumin, cayenne pepper and garam masala with 1 to 2 tablespoons water to make a thick paste.

3.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the sliced onions, stirring, until golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the spice paste and Gujarati masala and stir until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Mix into the dal along with the tamarind and jaggery, and simmer over low heat, 5 to 7 minutes. (Add some water if the dal seems too thick.) Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with the cilantro, and serve.

Split Urad Beans and Yellow Split Chickpeas with Spinach

Urad Channae ki Dal aur Palak

Makes 4 to 6 servings

This is another
dal
(legume) dish close to my heart, one that I cook and write about frequently. Laden with tomatoes, spinach, many herbs and spices, you could eat it on its own or thin it down with some water or yogurt and serve it as a chunky soup with a sandwich. As an entrée I love this pressure-cooked
dal
with a side of
Baked Bitter Melon with Baby Red Potatoes
or
Traditional Grilled Eggplant Raita
, and whole-wheat
chapati
flatbreads.

³⁄
₄cup split urad beans (chilkae vaali urad dal), sorted and washed in 3 to 4 changes of water

¹⁄
₂cup yellow split chickpeas (channa dal), sorted and washed in 3 to 4 changes of water

4 to 5 cups water

¹⁄
₄teaspoon ground turmeric

¹⁄
₄teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 large bunch fresh spinach (about 1 pound), trimmed of roots only, washed, and finely chopped

1 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

2 tablespoons peeled minced fresh ginger

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1
¹⁄
₂teaspoons cumin seeds

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 large clove fresh garlic, minced

1 large tomato, finely chopped

1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, minced with seeds

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground dried fenugreek seeds

¹⁄
₂teaspoon ground paprika

¹⁄
₂teaspoon garam masala

1.
Place the dals, 4 cups water, turmeric, cayenne pepper, and salt in a pressure cooker. Secure the lid and cook over high heat until the regulator indicates high pressure, then cook 1 minute more. Remove from the heat and allow the pot to depressurize on its own, 12 to 15 minutes. Carefully open the lid, stir the dal, and simmer over medium-low heat, about 10 minutes, adding more water, if needed.

2.
Add the spinach, cilantro, and ginger and continue to simmer until the spinach is wilted and the dal is creamy, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, cover, and keep warm.

3.
Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and add the cumin seeds; they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the onion and cook, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato, and green chile peppers, stir 1 minute, then add the coriander, cumin, fenugreek, and paprika. Transfer to the dal and swirl lightly to mix, with parts of it visible as a garnish. Sprinkle the garam masala on top and serve.

Whole Dried Bean Dishes

Spicy Adzuki Beans

Laal Chori Dal

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Called adzuki beans, these deep red-brown oval beans are a little larger than green mung beans. They are quite easy to cook, and when cooked in a pressure cooker they don't require endless time in the kitchen.

Start with 5 cups of water and add more if you prefer a thinner dish. And keep in mind that all
dals
(legumes) thicken as they cool, so if you cook this ahead of time, keep it somewhat thin, or simply add some water and bring to a boil again before serving.