Mix of three dals topped with a tarka of ghee,onions,tomatoes,ginger,garlic and spices tastes just like what we get in Indian restaurants. This dal is also called Peeli dal(yellow) and is standard fare in most homes and restaurants.
If I had to pick a favorite food,it would have to be dal chawal. Its so basic but so satiating. When we take a trip outside of US,the first few days I enjoy trying the different food and flavors of the country we are visiting and then a week later I am so ready for some soul satisfying Indian food. I start hunting Indian restaurants and guess whats the first thing that I order! Yup Dal Fry! I am surprised at my daughter(she loves her pastas,pizzas and burgers like most kids her age) who also relishes basic Indian food just as much as we do,Dal Fry being among her favorites as well. Some of the other dals that I have made are Kali Masoor Dal-Dhaba Style, Moong Ki Dal-A simple Ayurvedic Preparation,,and Ma ki Dal,(It is one of my most viewed and popular posts). My sister is a graduate of Institute of Hotel Management,Kolkata and this is her signature recipe.
Dal is so versatile, it can be made into halwa,stuffed into parathas, cooked into a Moong Matar Pulao with Quinoa, Green Moong Dhokla, Chana Dal Khichri, Brown Rice Dosa and Daliya Dosas also require Urad dal. I also make Pesto Moong Dal Appe and South Indian style Moong Dal Appe. You could also fry and dunk them in yogurt and make Moong dal ki pakori.
Hope you will enjoy it just as much as my family does. Here is the written recipe followed by the pictorial one-
Restaurant Style Dal Fry
Ingredients
- 1 cup mixed dals-1/3 each of Yellow Moong Orange Masoor and Arhar/Toor
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric/Haldi
- 1 tsp salt or as needed
For Tarka/Vaghar
- 2 Tbsp Ghee/Butter or Oil use oil for vegan option
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 to mato chopped
- 1 tsp Ginger minced
- 1 tsp garlic minced
- 1 tsp Green Chilies Minced
- 1 tsp Cumin/Jeera
- 1/2 tsp Paprika/Kashmiri Lal Mirch optional
- 3 Dry Red Chilies
- 1/8 tsp Garam Masala
- 2 tsp Kasoori Methi
- Few Curry Leaves
- Pinch of Asafoetida/Hing
- Generous squeeze of lemon/lime juice
Instructions
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Soak mixed dal for a couple of hours(optional)
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Add 3 cups water to the dal and cook with salt and turmeric in a pressure cooker,about 4 whistles or cook in an open pot till almost done.
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While the Dal cooks, prepare the tarka/vaghar
For Tarka/Vaghar
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In a small pan heat Ghee/Butter/Oil and add Cumin/Jeera and let it crackle.
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Add onions and cook till light brown.
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Add curry leaves and Dry Red chilies and stir.
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Add Ginger,Garlic and green Chilies and cook till the raw smell goes away.
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Add Asafoetida/Hing and Kasoori Methi and stir.
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Add Tomatoes and cook till they turn soft and ghee separates.
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Add Paprika and Garam Masala, stir and mix it to boiling dal.
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Boil together for few minutes till tarka mixes well and dal thickens a bit.
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Squeeze some lemon/lime juice and top with chopped cilantro/coriander.
Notes
Here is the step by step pictorial recipe-
Ingredients
Put dal in a pressure cooker/pan with salt and turmeric and cook till done.
Heat some ghee/oil in a pan and put jeera/cumin
When jeera/cumin crackles, add chopped onons
Put whole red chilies(optional) and curry leaves
Add minced ginger,garlic and green chilies
Add kasoori methi/dry fenugreek leaves
Add chopped tomatoes and cook till mushy
Add paprika/kashmiri lal mirch
Cook till ghee/oil separates. Add to boiled dal and cook together till vaghar blends in with the boiled dal.
Enjoy over Rice or with roti/paratha.
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Soniya
Such a well explained recipe!! Dal fry looks so delicious!
Aanchal Gupta
Thanks Soniya.
aish das padihari
You got me at dal. I love anything and everything dal. I also make my dal fry this way only.
Aanchal Gupta
Thanks Aish. My favorite meal,simple and satisfying.
Lathiya
Dal is always a comfortable dish… this looks delicious ?
Aanchal Gupta
Thanks Lathiya.
Shreya
Classic and always a favourite!
Aanchal Gupta
Thanks Shreya
Shreya
Classic 🙂 lovely
Jagruti
We love Daal and this one is our all time favourite, so comforting!
Aanchal Gupta
Thanks Jagruti,soulfood indeed.
Becky
Hey, could you put pictures of the three kinds of dal uncooked? I always get their Hindi names confused. Sorry, I am Euro-American so not a native user of Hindi.
Aanchal Gupta
Hi Becky,dals can be pretty confusing for a lot of people. Will update recipe with pictures of uncooked dals for reference.