As vegetarian cooking increases in popularity, so will the use of dals , since they are cheap and high in protein. As people begin to explore the world of dals , they will find that each variety has its own taste, texture and appearance, creating a tremendous range of culinary possibilities. This variety can be increased by combining different dals in the same dish. In this recipe, moong, urad and toovar dals share the cooking pot and when finished are crowned with a fried seasoning of cumin, coriander and fennel seeds. It takes some time to cook but needs hardly any attention. For a special lunch, try it with Deep-Fried Fenugreek Whole Wheat Bread, Baked Eggplant Purée with Seasoned Yogurt , a green salad and Maple Cream Simply Wonderfuls .
Dal soaking time: 3–5 hours
Preparation time (after assembling ingredients): 10 minutes
Cooking time: 1½ hours
Serves: 6 to 8
• ⅓ cup (75 g) split moong dal , without skins
• ⅓ cup (70 g) split urad dal , without skins
• ⅓ cup (70 g) split toovar dal or yellow split peas
• 7 cups (1.75 liters) water
• ¾ teaspoon (3.5 ml) turmeric
• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) ghee or vegetable oil
• 1½ teaspoons (7 ml) salt
• 1¼ teaspoons (6 ml) cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) coriander seeds
• ½ teaspoon (2 ml) fennel seeds
• 1–2 whole dried red chilies, broken into small bits
• ¼–½ teaspoon (1–2 ml) yellow asafetida powder ( hing) *
• 1 cassia or bay leaf
• 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, wash and drain the moong and urad dals as explained on this blog . Then soak all three dals in 3 cups (710 ml) of hot water for 3–5 hours. Rinse well and drain.
2. Place the dals , water, turmeric and a dab of the ghee or oil in a heavy 3-quart/liter nonstick saucepan. Stirring occasionally, bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to moderately low, cover with a tight-fitting lid and boil gently, stirring occasionally, for 1½ hours or until the dals are soft and fully cooked. Remove from the heat and uncover. Add the salt and beat with a wire whisk or rotary beater until the dal soup is creamy smooth.
3. Combine the cumin, coriander and fennel seeds and red chilies in a small bowl. Heat the remaining ghee or oil in a small saucepan over moderately high heat. When it is hot, toss the seasonings in and stir-fry until the seeds are brown. Add the asafetida powder and the cassia or bay leaf and quickly pour the fried seasonings into the cooked dal . Cover immediately and let the seasonings soak into the hot dal for 1–2 minutes. Uncover and garnish with minced herb. Stir and serve.
