Indian Dahl with Prema (Love)

Step 1: Introduction and Ingredients Overview

Dr. Maya Bose introduces her mother, Prema, who will demonstrate making Indian dal. Prema explains that she's using red lentils, which are quick-cooking and widely available. She mentions the basic ingredients for dal are lentils, water, and turmeric, and that other ingredients like onion, ginger, green chili, and coriander are for garnishing.

Step 2: Wash the Lentils

Place 1 cup of red lentils in a pot. Run water over the lentils and use your hand to gently wash them. Drain the water. Repeat this process a couple of times until the water runs clear.

Step 3: Add Water and Turmeric

Add 2.5 cups of water to the washed lentils. Add 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder.

Step 4: Add Oil to Prevent Boil Over

Pour about 1 teaspoon of cooking oil (vegetable oil or any neutral oil) on top of the lentils. Do not stir it. This helps prevent the dal from boiling over.

Step 5: Cook the Lentils

Place the pot of lentils on the stove over low to medium-low heat. Let it cook uncovered until thoroughly cooked. The aroma of the cooking dal will fill the kitchen.

Step 6: Prepare Garnish: Chop Onion

Peel and chop 1 medium onion into small, fine pieces. Gather the chopped onion onto a plate.

Step 7: Prepare Garnish: Peel and Chop Ginger

Cut about a 1-inch piece of ginger. Peel the skin off the ginger. Slice the ginger very thinly, then chop it finely into small pieces.

Step 8: Prepare Garnish: Deseed and Chop Green Chili

Take 1 green chili. Cut it lengthwise and remove the seeds to reduce its hotness. Chop half of the deseeded green chili finely.

Step 9: Prepare Garnish: Wash and Chop Coriander

Take a bunch of coriander. Remove the leaves from the stems and wash them thoroughly in water. Squeeze out excess water and chop the coriander leaves.

Step 10: Check Dal Consistency

Occasionally stir the cooking dal to ensure the water hasn't dried out. If needed, add more water. The dal should be almost cooked but still slightly separate, indicating it needs another 5-10 minutes to become fully homogeneous.

Step 11: Cook Garnish: Heat Ghee and Cumin Seeds

Place a small pan on the stove over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of ghee to the pan. Once the ghee is hot and starts to foam, add 1.5 teaspoons of whole cumin seeds. Stir the cumin seeds until they start to sizzle and you can smell their aroma.

Step 12: Add Ginger and Green Chili to Ghee

Once the cumin seeds are aromatic, add the finely chopped ginger and green chili to the pan. Sauté for a couple of seconds.

Step 13: Add Onion and Sauté

Add the chopped onion to the pan with the ginger and green chili. Sauté the onions until they are slightly brown.

Step 14: Add Garnish to Cooked Dal

The dal is now fully cooked and homogeneous. Pour the sautéed onion, ginger, green chili, and cumin garnish into the pot of dal. Stir well to combine.

Step 15: Add Salt and Coriander

Add 1.5 teaspoons of salt (or to taste) to the dal and stir. Add most of the chopped coriander to the dal, reserving a small amount for final garnishing. Stir again.

Step 16: Serve the Dal

Serve the hot dal over a bed of cooked rice. Garnish with the remaining fresh coriander.

• Add a drop of oil to lentils while cooking to prevent boiling over.

• Do not cover the dal while cooking to prevent boiling over and allow the aroma to fill the kitchen.

• Remove seeds from green chilies to reduce hotness while retaining flavor.

• Grate ginger if preferred, but slicing thinly avoids waste.

• Adjust salt to taste.

• Dal is traditionally served with rice, vegetables, and salad.

• Simple garnish: only ghee and cumin.

• Elaborate garnish: add tomatoes, red peppers, or other vegetables.