Dal
From Freepedia
- For other uses, see Dal (disambiguation).
Dal (also spelt dhal or dahl) is a Sanskrit term common to many South Asian languages referring to pulses which have been stripped of their outer hulls and split, as well as to the thick, spicy stew prepared therefrom, a mainstay of Indian cuisine. The latter can be seen as a milder cousin of the South Indian sambar. The hulling of a pulse is intended to improve digestibility and palatability, but carries some cost in nutrition by reducing fiber content, not unlike that suffered in the milling of whole grains into refined grains.
Over 50 different varieties of pulses are known in India. The most popular dals include:
- Toor dal (tuvar Gujarat or arhar Bengal or kandi pappu Telugu)
- Made from pigeon peas.
- Chana dal (chholar dal Bengal or sanaga pappu Telugu)
- Made from chickpeas.
- Mung dal (minapa or uddhi pappu Telugu)
- Made from mung beans.
- Urad dal (kolai dal Bengal or pesala pappu Telugu)
- Made from urad, sometimes referred to in English as black gram.
- Masoor dal
- Made from red lentils.
A dal recipe
An easy recipe for making most any dal is:
Boil the above in a pressure cooker (five minutes) or pot until cooked.
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 curry leaves
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- red chili powder
In a frying pan fry the garlic until light brown, add remaining ingredients, fry until mustard seeds pop (few seconds). Add to cooked dal. Add salt to taste.
Just as a warning, it could be a little spicey.
