Category: Variety Of Dals / Pulsating Pulses

 Panchmel dal, also known as Rajasthani Panchratna Dal is a traditional dal prepared with five varieties of lentils and pulses and is a great accompaniment for baati, rice or Roti. Panch means five and Mel is to mix… So this translates to a mixture of five dals.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup whole Masoor

1/4 cup Chana dal

1/4 cup Arhar dal

1/4 cup whole Black Urad

1/4 cup Moong

2 tablespoons Ghee

1 tsp Cumin seeds

1 Onion chopped fine

4 cloves Garlic chopped fine

1 inch Ginger grated

2 Green Chillies slit

1 Bay leaves

1 Tomato chopped fine

1 inch piece of Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Red Chilli powder

1/4 tsp Asafoetida

Juice of one lemon

Salt

For seasoning:

1 tbsp Ghee

1 tsp Cumin seeds

2 Dry Red Chillies broken

Method:

Wash and soak all the dals in water for about three hours.

Heat ghee in a pressure cooker add the cumin seeds and allow it to crackle.

Add the onion, green chillies, ginger and garlic and saute until the onion turns translucent.

Add the bay leaf and cinnamon and saute for a few seconds.
Add the tomatoes, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, hing and saute for about a minute until the tomatoes turn mushy.

Add the soaked dals, salt and add enough water to pressure cook the dal. Pressure cook to one whistle, lower hear and cook for fifteen minutes.

Allow the pressure to release naturally. Once the pressure has released, check if the dals are cooked . When pressed between fingers it should mash easily.

Add the lemon juice and the coriander leaves and transfer the Rajasthani Panchmel Dal to a bowl.

Heat ghee in a pan . Add the cumin seeds and red chillies and toss it for a few seconds. Season the Rajasthani Panchmel Dal and serve along with rice, roti or baati.

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Copyright © 2023 by Vinaya Prabhu. All rights reserved.

An absolutely delicious mixer for rice which can be served as an appetizer as well is the tender mango Rasam. Tender mangoes which are slightly sweet as they are in the process of ripening are the best for this preparation. The texture of this Rasam is simply divine!

Ingredients:

One large tender mango washed, peeled and pressure cooked to three whistles.

100 gms Arhar dal pressure cooked and churned well.

3 green chillies

3 tbsps powdered jaggery

Salt

A large pinch of turmeric

1 tbsp Ghee/ clarified butter

1 tsp oil

1/2 tsp mustard

1 tsp cumin seeds

A large pinch of Hing/ asafoetida

1 dry red chilly

1 sprig curry leaves

Coriander leaves to garnish.

Method:

Pass the cooked mango through a sieve and collect the pulp in a vessel. Drop in the churned dal, salt, jaggery and green chillies into it. Add enough water and adjust consistency as per preference. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer on a gentle flame for five minutes. Heat the ghee and oil mixture in a pan. Drop in the mustard and cumin seeds and as they splutter drop in the asafoetida and dry red chilly. Toss and add the curry leaves and turmeric powder. Drop in the seasoning into the boiling Rasam and simmer for a minute. Switch off and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves. Keep aside for the flavours to infuse for about fifteen minutes.

Copyright © 2022 by Vinaya Prabhu. All rights reserved.

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This is the third variety of mixed vegetable Sambhar that I am posting in this website. As we all know, every household has their own way of making Sambhar . Some use ready made powder, others roast the spices afresh and some make the powder to last for a couple of months. Today, I am posting the recipe shared by my friend Sheena Narkar which uses a bit of jaggery to enhance the taste. Recipe link to the Sambhar powder is given below.

https://vinayasculinarydelights.com/sambhar-powder/

Ingredients:

1 cup boiled and mashed Toovar Dal/split pigeon peas

1 carrot chopped into one inch sized pieces

1 cup shallots ( Sambhar onions)

2 Drumsticks chopped into two inch sized pieces

1 tiny brinjal sliced into half vertically

1 tomato chopped into eight pieces

2 tbsps Sambhar powder

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp jaggery

3 tbsps Tamarind paste

1 sprig curry leaves

Salt

1tsp Ghee

5 tbsps finely chopped coriander leaves

For the tempering:

2 tbsps Ghee or oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

A large pinch of Hing/ asafoetida

2 sprigs curry leaves

1 dry red chilly broken into two

Method:

Cook the chopped vegetables in two glasses of water along with salt, turmeric powder, Sambhar powder, curry leaves and a tsp of Ghee. When half done add the tamarind paste, jaggery and boiled Dal. Bring to a boil and keep simmering for a couple of minutes. Heat oil or ghee in a pan. Add the mustard seeds. After they splutter add the Hing , broken red chilly and the curry leaves. Drop the seasoning into the boiling Sambhar. Give one boil, switch off and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.

Serves three.

Copyright © 2021 by Vinaya Prabhu. All rights reserved.

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There are Sambhars and Sambhars, but no two are alike. Each household has their own recipe of making it. An ingredient here or there totally changes the taste of the Sambhar. I simply loved this Sambhar which my dear friend Anita Nair had made and asked her for the recipe which she generously shared.

Ingredients:

1 cup Toovar Dal/ split pigeon peas pressure cooked and mashed

1 carrot chopped into one inch length pieces

4 small brinjals halved

1 potato quartered

1 drumstick cut into two inch sized pieces

7 tender Okra/ Lady’s finger

10 shallots/ small onions/ Sambhar onions

Salt

1 tbsp oil

1 tbsp tamarind paste

To be roasted:

1 tsp oil

3 tsps coriander seeds

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

10 pepper corns

10 seeds of Fenugreek/ methi

3 tbsps grated coconut

10 Byadgi chillies

2 Guntur chillies

1 sprig curry leaves

2 shallots

A kidney bean sized piece of Hing/ asafoetida

A pinch of turmeric powder

For the tempering:

1 tbsp Ghee or oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

A pinch of Hing

2 sprigs curry leaves

Method:

Heat oil in a pan and roast the okra till it changes colour slightly. Remove and keep aside. Add in the shallots and roast them till they are translucent. Add the remaining vegetables and give a quick stir in the remaining oil. Drop the sauteed vegetables into the mashed Dal . Add two glasses of water, and a little salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook the vegetables till they are cooked but firm. Now heat the oil mentioned for roasting the dry ingredients. Drop in the Byadgi and Guntur chillies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, methi, pepper corns, hing and curry leaves. Roast for a couple of minutes till they change colour. Add the shallots and roast them for a few seconds. Finally add the turmeric powder and immediately switch off the gas. Roast the grated coconut separately till it turns to a nice golden brown. Grind all these roasted ingredients to a fine paste adding a little water. Tip this ground paste into the Dal- vegetable mixture. Check the salt and add the tamarind paste. Adjust consistency by adding water to make the Sambhar of pouring consistency. Bring to a boil and allow it to simmer for a few minutes to allow the flavours to infuse. Prepare the tempering. Heat ghee or oil in a pan. Drop in the mustard seeds and after they splutter add the Hing and curry leaves. Toss and drop the seasoning into the boiling Sambhar. Switch off, stir , cover and keep aside for ten minutes before serving.

Copyright © 2021 by Vinaya Prabhu. All rights reserved.

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Mamidi Kaya Pappu is a popular Dal from Andhra Pradesh which makes use of raw mango as a souring agent instead of the usual lemon, tamarind or Tomato. The addition of the raw mango makes it extremely flavourful. Though raw mango is chopped fine to facilitate cooking, I prefer slicing it as I love the feel of the slices while eating . My heartfelt thanks to my dear friend Manjula Pai who shared this recipe with me.

Ingredients:

1 cup/ 250 gms Toovar Dal/ split pigeon peas pressure cooked with a pinch of turmeric and a spoon of Ghee/ clarified butter.

Half of a small raw mango sliced.

Salt

For the tempering:

1 tbsp Ghee

1 tsp Cumin seeds

5 cloves of garlic finely chopped

1 sprig of curry leaves

Method:

Mash the pressure cooked Dal and tip it into a container. Cook the slices of raw mango separately. Once done tip them into the Dal along with the water in which they are cooked. The Dal should be of pouring consistency. Add salt and allow to simmer on a gentle flame. Heat the Ghee in a pan. Drop in the cumin seeds . After they splutter add the garlic . Once the garlic turns a golden brown add the curry leaves. Toss and pour the seasoning into the simmering Dal. Serve hot over rice with a dollop of Ghee.

Serves four.

Copyright © 2021 by Vinaya Prabhu. All rights reserved.

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This is yet another traditional North Kanara preparation which uses whole dried red chillies and garlic to flavour the Dal. Served hot over rice with a dollop of Ghee, it is usually accompanied by Potato Tallasani and freshly fried Papad. This is again a recipe shared by my friend Sadhana Kiran.

Ingredients:

1 cup/ 200 gms Toovar Dal/ Split pigeon peas

4 dry red chillies each broken into two

A large pinch of turmeric

Salt

1 tsp Ghee

For the tempering:

1 tbsp Ghee

10 cloves of garlic

Method:

Wash and pressure cook the Dal along with the broken red chillies, salt, ghee and turmeric powder to four whistles. Allow the pressure to release naturally. Churn the Dal well. Add water to adjust consistency and keep boiling it on a gentle flame till the seasoning is ready. Normally the Dal in the South of India is of pouring consistency as it is served over rice. Heat Ghee in a pan. Drop in the crushed garlic and roast to a rich brown. Season the Dal and allow it to simmer for a couple of minutes till the flavours are infused. Serve with a wedge of lemon and a teaspoon of Ghee.

Serves three.

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Ambat Varan is a traditional Maharashtrian preparation which is served over rice. Fragrant with the copious amount of garlic with which it is seasoned, this spicy, tangy and sweet Varan will tickle the taste buds and leave you asking for more. Renuka Pradhan generously shared her recipe with me.

Ingredients:

1 cup/ 200 gms of Toovar dal/ Split pigeon peas pressure cooked and mashed well.

2 tbsps Tamarind paste

2 tbsps jaggery syrup

1 tbsp Kashmiri Lal chilly powder

1/4 tsp Turmeric

Salt

3 tbsps finely chopped coriander leaves

For the tempering:

2 tbsps Ghee/ clarified butter

15 cloves of garlic crushed gently

A pinch of Hing/ asafoetida

1/2 tsp mustard

Method:

Pour the mashed dal into a container. Add the tamarind paste, jaggery, salt chilly , turmeric powders and a glass of water. Mix and bring to a boil. Allow it to keep simmering. In the meantime heat the Ghee in a pan. Drop in the mustard seeds and the garlic. Roast the garlic to a nice golden brown. Drop in the Hing, toss and pour the seasoning into the boiling Varan. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot over rice with a dollop of Ghee.

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Toyya comes from the Sanskrit word ‘Toyam” meaning water. Dalithoy as the Konkani community calls it translates to Watered down Dal. Toyya is another version of Dal which is made in Konkani households. I have already posted two variations earlier. There is a fourth variant too which I will post some time later. I simply love the Dal cooked this way. The fragrance is amazing! Serve it with rice or roti!

Ingredients :

250 gms Arhar Dal/Split Pigeon peas

4 green chillies slit

2 sprigs of Curry leaves

A tsp of Hing/Asafoetida

A pinch of Haldi/turmeric powder

Salt

2 tbsps Ghee

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds 1/4 tsp Jeera/Cumin seeds

Lemon juice optional

Method:

Wash and tip the Dal into a pressure cooker. Add three glasses of water, Haldi, green chillies, a tbsp of Ghee, Hing and a sprig of curry leaves. Pressure cook to three whistles till the Dal is mushy. Whisk it well and adjust consistency by adding water if required. Add salt and bring to a boil. Heat one tbsp ghee in a pan. Drop in the mustard. After it splutters add the Jeera. Immediately drop in the curry leaves , toss and pour the seasoning into the boiling Toyya. Serve with wedges of lemon.

Copyright © 2020 by Vinaya Prabhu. All rights reserved.

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