My first official kitchen chore, at the ripe age of 6, was to help Mom with the dal. It is one of the first dishes I learned to cook from her, and I still consider her the ultimate dal expert. Dal is sort of an umbrella term under which my family (and, I bet, most Indians) lump pulses and legumes such as lentils, beans and dried peas.
My mother measured the dal by the fistful — one fistful per person — and placed it in a large stainless-steel bowl called a parat (you can use any large bowl). My job was to pick out the debris: the stones, the sticks and whatever else did not belong in there. Then I had to place the dal in the chaalni (a kind of sieve; you can use any fine mesh sieve) and rinse it several times. If it was any other dal than moong dal (a small, split yellow mung bean, possibly one of the most popular dals in northern India) or masoor dal (pink lentils), I had to put it back in the clean bowl, add water and leave it on the counter to soak and soften for the night. The next day, Mom would drain out the water and then cook the dal. Draining the water was key, Mom would always tell me, as this would make the dal easier to digest.
There are countless ways to prepare the many dals in Indian cuisine, and it would take an entire book to list them all. However, my mother taught me some techniques that can be applied to many dals.
For dals with quick cooking times, such as moong dal and masoor dal, Mom places the dal in a deep pot, adds water to cover, seasons with a bit of turmeric and then brings it to a boil. She skims off any scum that forms on top of the boiling dal. She then reduces the heat to medium and allows the dal to simmer until it is soft and mushy. Just before serving, she garnishes it with a tadka, or tempering, of hot oil seasoned with spices, ginger, garlic and lastly salt.
About The Author
An engineer turned food writer, Monica Bhide writes about food and its effect on our lives. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Food & Wine, Prevention, Cooking Light, Health and Self. Her latest book is Modern Spice: Inspired Indian Flavors for the Contemporary Kitchen (Simon & Schuster). Read more at her website.