This creamy smooth pumpkin and dal soup of the Gujarati cuisine has a rich reddish-gold color, and a distinctive flavor. The lemon juice and bay leaves introduce a tart, pleasantly bitter element in contrast to the mildly sweet burst of flavor from the warm chaunk added at the end. If you are substituting yellow split peas for the toovar dal , allow a little extra cooking time. This golden dal goes well with either a simple or an elaborate menu, but for a special main meal, try it with Stuffed Eggplant Supreme with Panir Cheese and Chickpeas, Deep-Fried Baby Potatoes in Seasoned Yogurt Broth and Cucumber and White Radish Salad . For a sweet as beautiful as it is delicious, try the Grand Caramel Milk Fudge Cake .Dal soaking time: 3 hours for toovar dal , 5 hours for yellow split peas
Preparation time (after assembling ingredients): 10 minutes
Cooking time: 1½ hours .
Serves: 5 or 6
• ⅔ cup (135 g) split toovar dal or yellow split peas
• 6½ cups (1.5 liters) water
• 1 cup (240 ml) peeled pumpkin or other winter squash cut into ½-inch (1.5 cm) cubes
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) scraped, minced fresh ginger root
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) minced hot green chili (or as desired)
• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) fresh lemon or lime juice
• 1 cassia or bay leaf
• ½ teaspoon (2 ml) turmeric
• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) ghee or vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) cumin seeds
• ¼ teaspoon (1 ml) fenugreek seeds
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) black mustard seeds
• 1 whole dried red chili (or as desired)
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) sugar or equivalent sweetener
• ¼ teaspoon (1 ml) yellow asafetida powder ( hing) *
• 6–8 small curry leaves, preferably fresh
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) minced fresh parsley or coarsely chopped coriander
* This amount applies only to yellow Cobra brand. Reduce any other asafetida by three-fourths .
1. Sort and wash the toovar dal as explained on this blog . Soak in 3 cups (710 ml) of hot water for 3 hours. If using yellow split peas, soak in 3 cups (710 ml) of hot water for 5 hours. Drain well.
2. Place the dal , water, pumpkin, ginger root, green chili, lemon juice, cassia or bay leaf, turmeric and ½ tablespoon (7 ml) of the ghee or oil in a heavy 3-quart/liter nonstick saucepan. Stirring frequently, bring to a full boil over high heat. Reduce heat to moderately low, cover with a tight-fitting lid and boil gently for 1 hour or until the dal is soft and fully cooked. Remove from the heat, pick out the cassia or bay leaf and add the salt. Beat with a wire whisk or rotary beater until the dal is creamy smooth.
3. Heat the remaining ghee or oil in a small pan over moderate to moderately high heat. When it is hot, stir in the cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, black mustard seeds, dried red chili and sweetener in rapid succession. Stir-fry until the sweetener caramelizes and turns a rich reddish-brown. Remove the pan from the heat, drop in the asafetida powder and curry leaves and after just 1–2 seconds quickly pour the fried seasonings into the cooked dal . Cover immediately and allow the spices to soak into the hot dal for 1–2 minutes. Add the minced herb, stir and serve.
