Tadka Dal Fry and Peas Pulao

Dal tadka /Tadka dal fry/Dal fry, this dish has plethora of names and yet not one name mentions which dal/lentil is used to make this dal. While the guests are wondering about the dal, my mom always had this "clever-smarty pants" expression on her face that said,"Keep guessing people. You will be surprised at the end". Everytime the guests did get surprised. This dal is made up of 3 dals- Toor Dal (red gram), Chana Dal (Bengal Gram) and Dhuli Moong Dal (husked Green Gram).

This lovely kotta bowl (in which the dal is served) was gifted by my friend Anu when I visited her home in Baltimore last week. We had loads of fun together and I am terribly missing her.

You may serve this dal either with jeera rice/ghee rice/saffron rice/ peas pulao or any of the Indian breads like roti or paratha. I love this heavy dal with jeera rice or peas pulao.

Tadka Dal Fry:-

Ingredients:-
1/3 cup Toor dal
1/3 cup Dhuli Moong dal
1/4 cup Chana dal
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 medium sized tomato chopped in small pieces
1 tsp of grated ginger
2 pods of garlic grated
3 cups of water
salt to taste
1 to 2 tbl spns lime juice
5-6 coriander leaves

Tadka/Temperings:-
2 tsp of ghee/oil
1 tsp of jeera
1/2 to 3/4 medium sized onion sliced thin
3-4 slit green chillies
pinch of asafoetida/hing

Method:-
Wash the dals and soak in warm water for half hour.
In a pressure cooker, heat 1 tbl spn of ghee. Add ginger and garlic and fry well.
Add the tomatoes and the masalas. Fry well for 5 minutes till the tomatoes get soft.
Add the dal, salt and water. Cook for 3 whistles.
After the 3 whistles, check the consistency of the dal. If you want it thicker, let it boil for a few minutes.
Meanwhile for the tadka, heat ghee/oil in a pan and add the jeera and hing/asafoetida.
Add onions and fry well until golden brown.
Add green chillies and fry for a minute.
Pour the dal in a serving bowl and add the lime juice and stir well.
Add the tadka and coriander leaves on top of the dal and serve hot.

Peas Pulao:-

Ingredients:-
2-3 tbl spn of ghee/butter
1 tbl spn of shah jeera,
2 star anise,
4 cloves,
4-5 peppercons,
3-4 crushed cardamom
1 bay leaf
8 broken cashews fried in ghee/butter to golden brown
1 inch of cinnamon stick
3 cups of basmati rice (washed and cleaned).
1 1/2 cups of fresh green peas
1 large thinly sliced onions
4-5 slit green chillies
5-6 coriander leaves
5-6 mint leaves

Method:-
Clean the fresh peas with warm water and set aside.
Heat 2 tbl spn of ghee in a pan.
Add 2 tbl spn of shah jeera, 2 star anise, 4 cloves, 4-5 peppercons, 3-4 crushed cardamom and cinnamon stick
Add 1 large thinly sliced onions and fry till transparent.
Add 4-5 slit green chillies.
Add 1 1/2 cups of fresh green peas and fry well.
Add the above mixture to 3 cups of basmati rice (washed and cleaned).
Add 3 1/2 cups of water (each glass of rice must have one glass of water...then 1/2 a glass extra at the end).
Add salt to taste
Cook in the pressure cooker for one whistle or keep it in the electric cooker(do not let it go in the warm mode after cooking because the rice at the bottom might start to burn).
Mix one tbl spn of ghee, mint leaves, cashews and chopped coriander before serving.

Sending these two entries to MLLA-18 event, which is hosted by Srivalli for this month and is Susan's brainchild.