Sukhi Urad Dal (split skinned Black Lentil)

This is one of the most popular and favorite dal dishes in Uttar Pradesh, India. It is eaten with hot chapatis after adding lots of ghee in it.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Dhuli Urad Dal (split skinned Black Lentil)
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• A pinch of asafetida
• 2 whole dry red chilies
• 1 small onion sliced finely
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 2 green chilies chopped very fine
• 1 tsp dry ginger powder ( Powdered Soond)
• 1 tbsp lime/ lemon juice
• Chopped fresh coriander leaves to garnish
• 1 tbsp crispy brown onion slices
• Salt to taste
• 4 tbsp ghee(clarified butter)

Method:

• Wash dal thoroughly and put into a pot/ deep pan to boil it. Add about 5-6 cups of water, salt to taste (remember it is dry dal so it requires less salt), 1 tbsp oil and the turmeric powder. Mix well and set up to boil. Cook until the dal is soft but not mashed. Strain the dal and keep aside.
• Heat the 4 tbsp ghee in another pan, on medium heat. Add the cumin seeds, fry until spluttering stops. Now add ‘whole’ red chilies and fry till red chilies become brown. Add sliced onion, chopped green chili, and grated ginger. Fry until onion is light brown.
• Now add the boiled dal and stir well. Do not mash the dal while stirring. All grains of dal should be separated.
• Remove from heat. Stir in gently lemon juice and dry ginger powder.
• Garnish with chopped coriander, crispy brown onion slices, fried whole red chilies and ‘Tadka’ (seasoning).
• Prepare seasoning to garnish dal: heat 3-4 tbsp ghee on a medium flame, in a small pan until hot. Now turn off the fire and add the asafetida powder and a pinch of red chili powder. Pour immediately over dal mix just before serving.
• Serve with hot Chapatis/Roti (Indian flatbread) or Parathas (pan-fried Indian flatbread) and your favorite pickle.

Do You Know?
The word Dal derives from the Sanskrit term to split. It is a preparation of pulses (dried beans) which have been stripped of their outer hulls and split.

Dal is every man’s meal and one of the healthy dishes in an otherwise red hot-chilly pepper Indian diet. It is an excellent supplement to cereal grain diets because of the presence of good protein/carbohydrate content.

The desert cuisines of Indians use an immense variety of pulses and preserves to substitute for the relative lack of fresh vegetables.