Toor Dal (Pigeon Pea Lentil Soup)

What is dal? Wikipedia: Indian Lentil Soup (for my friends outside India)

This is a basic dal (lentil soup) cooked in every household of India. Mainly used for making a dish called Sambar in Southern India,  I have cooked this lentil in Gujarati way which is different from sambar. 

This dal (soup) is made from toor dal ( Pigeon pea- Split toor lentil ).

Ingredients:

• 150 grams of Toor dal 
• 2 Onions
• 1 big tomato
• 5-6 cloves of garlic 
• 1 Tsp of mustard seeds
• Curry leaves 
• Pinch of asafoetida
• 1 Tsp of Sugar
• 1 tsp of turmeric powder
• Salt according to your taste
• 2 tsp of sunflower oilv
• 1 tsp of ghee (to be given from top)
• Green (or) red dry chilly -3-4

Procedure:

• First soak the lentil in bowl of water for half an hour.
• Now add 2 tsp of oil in pressure cooker add add the mustard seeds.

Once it starts spluttering add d pinch go hing( asafoetida) , green chilli and curry leaves.fry it for 1 min .Now add the onions, and garlic

                   

•  After 1 min add the tomato pieces along with turmeric powder.

• Mix all properly and and add the soaked dal 

• Add salt and sugar and mix evenly.
• Now add 1 litre of water, stir.
• Close the pressure cooker and wait for 3 whistles.
• Switch off the gas and let it cool.
• Open the cooker, mix properly and add a spoon of ghee from the top. 

  Garnish with coriander leaves (optional)

Those who want their dal (lentil soup) to be spicy can take a separate frying pan & add a spoonful of ghee (clarified butter) into it, and give tarka (tempering of spices) with 1 tsp of cumin seeds and 1 tsp of chilli powder and then spread the tempered spices (tarka) on top of the lentil soup and stir.

Cauliflower & Potato Stir fry

As an accompaniment with dal, I made this dry potato and cauliflower curry.

• Cut the potatoes and cauliflower into small pieces.
• Take a frying pan & add 1 tsp of cumin seeds & 1/2 tsp of asafoetida in 2 tsp of oil.
• After a minute add the chopped veggies and cook in a low flame
• Just add some salt and 3 tsp of homemade pepper powder. 
• To enhance the taste add a tsp of sugar. Then place the lid on the pan. It takes around half an hour to cook
• If required you can sprinkle some water from the top if you feel the vegetables are not releasing enough water.
• Open the lid, add some chopped coriander leaves from top along with a dash of lemon juice & Toss it well 

Serve hot with rice and dal ! ~Enjoy~

Note: If you feel the vegetables are not getting boiled in the stipulated time which I gave above, please add half cup of water and boil beforehand but make sure the veggies don't get smashed in the process.