As opposed to thinnish dal soup, this dish is “dry” and “textured”: each bit of dal stands tender yet plump, separate from the others. To achieve this, the dal is cooked in a small quantity of water until it is soft but not broken down. This dish contains fresh spinach or Swiss chard, giving a beautiful marbled effect. You can also use other types of green vegetables: peas, sliced green beans or sliced broccoli, for example. If toovar or moong dal is not available, use yellow split peas. They will give an equally delicious result. You will have to soak the split dal or legumes for 3–5 hours in hot water before cooking them and perhaps increase the cooking time for split peas to achieve the desired results. For a full Vedic menu, try Rice and Cauliflower Pilaf, Spicy Potato-Stuffed Green Peppers, Spicy Okra with Coconut, Sweet ‘n’ Sour Broth with Cabbage and Carrots and Deep-Fried Whole Wheat Bread . For a sweet, try quick and easy Pistachio Milk Fudge .
Dal soaking time: 3–5 hours
Preparation time (after assembling ingredients): 10 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Serves: 4
• 1 cup (200 g) split toovar dal or moong dal
• 1½ cups (360 ml) water
• 5 tablespoons (75 ml) ghee or a mixture of vegetable oil and unsalted butter
• 1½ teaspoons (7 ml) cumin seeds
• ¼ teaspoon (1 ml) yellow asafetida powder ( hing) *
• 1 large firm ripe tomato, cut into 8 pieces
• 1½ teaspoons (7 ml) ground coriander
• ⅛ teaspoon (0.5 ml) cayenne powder or paprika (or as desired)
• ½ teaspoon (2 ml) turmeric
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt
• ½ pound (230 g) spinach or Swiss chard, washed, dried, stemmed and coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) minced fresh parsley or coarsely chopped coriander
• ⅛ teaspoon (0.5 ml) freshly ground nutmeg
* This amount applies only to yellow Cobra brand. Reduce any other asafetida by three-fourths .
1. Sort, wash and drain the dal as explained on our blog .
2. Place the dal , water and a tablespoon (15 ml) of the ghee or oil-butter mixture in a heavy 3-quart/liter nonstick saucepan over high heat. Stirring occasionally, bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to moderately low and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Boil gently for 30 minutes or until the dal is tender and plump. When finished, each bit of dal should be soft and separate; do not allow it to cook so long that they begin to fall apart. Remove from the heat and drain.
3. Heat the remaining ghee or oil-butter mixture in a large frying pan over moderate to moderately high heat. When it is hot, toss in the cumin seeds and fry until they turn brown. Add the asafetida powder and then immediately add the tomato, ground coriander, cayenne or paprika, turmeric and salt. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the spinach or Swiss chard, cover and cook for another 5 minutes. If you are using another vegetable, add it now and cook until it is tender.
4. Pour in the dal , lower the heat slightly and add the lemon juice. Cook briefly until dry and richly textured. Garnish with minced herb and a sprinkle of nutmeg just before serving.
