This is the easiest and by far the creamiest dal curry one can make! You can alter the spice level according to your taste. The curry is versatile. You can adjust the thickness accordingly and use it as cream and lentil soup, dal with rice or a dip for bread/chapatis. It holds good in the fridge for up to a week, and can be frozen for a month.
Serves 4
Cooking time: 30 mins
Ingredients:
1 cup toor dal/or any lentils of your choice, whole masoor dal works great as well
1 cup yellow onions, chopped
1 cup tomatoes, chopped
2 green chilies, slit ( more or less as you like)
1/4 tsp ginger, chopped
1/4 tsp garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp garam masala powder(optional)
Pinch of hing/asafoetida (optional)
1 cup heavy cream
Couple of spoons of ghee or melted butter
Salt to taste
Method:
Wash and soak dal in warm water for 30 minutes. Cook in 3 cups of water, or pressure cook until soft and mushy. Set aside.
In a saucepan, on medium heat, add a spoon of ghee. To this add mustard and cumin seeds. As they splutter in the ghee, add onions. Sauté for a minute.
Add some more ghee in the center, add chopped ginger and garlic. Once the aroma kicks in, add green chilies. Sauté for a few seconds. Toss in tomatoes and cook for a few minutes until the tomatoes are pulpy.
Add in the dry powders and sauté for a few seconds until aromatic.
Pour in the cooked dal and a cup of warm water. Combine to form a smooth mixture.
Bring this to a boil on low heat. Check for taste. Add cream and stir in. Let it boil for just a few minutes. Turn it off and serve hot with rice, chapatis, bread, naan, or straight up as soup. Enjoy!