Whole Masoor Dal – Pressure Cooked

Whole Masoor or Sabut Masoor are these mighty nutritional members of the legume family, typically dark brown on the outside and salmon-pink on the inside. They cook super fast, even without a pressure cooker and are a powerhouse of proteins, dietary fibre, iron, zinc, vitamins, minerals and are super low on calories. These wholesome food staple are quite versatile when it comes to cooking…soups, salads, stews, lentil bowls or simply a delicious dal that I’ve cooked here.

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Serves: 4-5

Ingredients:
1 cup black masoor or sabut masoor, washed thoroughly. Soak it in water for about 15 minutes.
2 medium size onions, finely chopped
2 medium onions, sliced, for tadka
4 green chilies, slit, for tadka
2 medium size tomatoes, finely chopped (or pureed)
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
2 tsps Kashmiri chili powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsps corriander powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
1/2 tsp asafoetida
2 tsp cumin seeds for dal and 1 tsp for tadka
3 cloves
3 green cardamoms
1 black cardamom
1 bay leaf
1 medium cinnamon stick
5 cups of water
Oil for frying
2 tbsp ghee for tadka
Salt as per taste

Method:
1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add asafoetida, cumin seeds and fry for a bit.
2. Add all the whole spices – cloves, cinnamon, green and black cardamom and bay leaf. Fry for few seconds till aromatic.
3. Tumble in the onions and fry till translucent and golden brown.
4. Add the ginger-garlic paste and saute for a minute till the raw smell goes away.
5. Now add the spice powders – chili, turmeric, cumin and garam masala and fry on low for one minute.
6. Add the pureed tomatoes and saute on medium till the oil starts leaving from sides.
7. Now add the soaked masoor, water and salt. Stir and pressure cook on medium for about 15 minutes after the first whistle.
8. Open the lid and add more water if you feel the consistency is too thick. Boil for few minutes.
9. In a separate pan, heat ghee and add a tsp of cumin seeds and sliced onions. Fry till the onions are dark brown and crisp. Be careful not to burn.
10. Now add the slit green chilies and fry for few seconds.
11. Lastly, add this tadka to the cooked lentils and mix well.
12. Garnish with chopped coriander. Mix and leave the lid on for about 5 minutes so all the flavours are thoroughly absorbed. Serve hot with steamed rice or parathas