Gujarati Dal

Being a Gujarati, I should know what all basic ingredients will be used to prepare this simple yet delicious Dal. I learn this dal from My Grandma and continuing her magical recipe in my Kitchen till today.

Ingredients
2 cups toovar (arhar) dal
1 cup chopped yam (suran)
2 tbsp peanuts
2 dry dates (kharek) (optional)








Other ingredients
8 pcs kokum , soaked
1 tomato , chopped
50 gms jaggery (gur)
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 pc grated ginger
4 green chillies , slit
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)

For the tempering (tadka)
1/4 tsp mustard seeds ( rai / sarson)
1/4 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1/4 tsp fenugreek (methi) leaves
10 to 12 curry leaves (kadi patta)
2 cloves (laung / lavang)
2 sticks cinnamon (dalchini)
1 bayleaf (tejpatta)
2 small round red chillies (boriya mirchi)
1/2 tsp asafoetida (hing)
2 tbsp ghee
1 tbsp oil
salt to taste

For the garnish
4 tbsp chopped coriander (dhania)


Method
1.Wash and pressure cook the dal in 4 cups of water.
2.In another vessel, pressure cook the yam, peanuts and kharekh.
3.When the dal is cooked, cool slightly and blend till it is smooth.
4.Prepare the tempering by heating the ghee and oil and adding the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf, red chillies and asafoetida.
5.Add 3 cups of water, the cocum, tomato, jaggery, lemon juice, ginger, green chilli, chilli powder and turmeric powder and simmer for 10 minutes.
6.Add the dal, yam pieces, peanuts, kharekh and salt and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
7.Serve hot garnished with coriander.

Tips
1.The longer this dal is simmered, the better it tastes.