mushoor dal

[mongo_jones]

mushoor (masoor) dal, the orange split lentil, is perhaps the definitive west bengali dal (though moog dal fans may object). here are two recipes for it. they're very similar and involve almost all the same ingredients--it is just the mode of preparation that is different. these are both light, subtle home-cooking recipes: you are unlikely to ever find dal made this way in a restaurant.

ingredients:

1 cup dal (washed thoroughly and drained)

6 cups water

1 tspn haldi

1 1/2 tspsns salt

1 medium tomato--diced

1 small onion--sliced or diced

1 inch ginger--crushed and minced

3 cloves garlic--crushed and minced

1 thai green chilli--minced

4 cloves

1 inch piece cinnamon

1 tblspn cumin seeds (for preparation 2)

2 tblspns canola oil (for preparation 2)

4 tblspns cilantro leaves

1/2 lime

preparation 1:

dal made this way is the easiest and, in my opinion, the most satisfying bengali dal--a must have ingredient of a meal of bengali comfort food:

put all the ingredients (except the prep 2 stuff and the lime and cilantro) into a large saucepan, cover and bring to a boil (till the dal threatens to spill over). uncover briefly, stir, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 20-25 minutes. resist all temptation to uncover and taste or inspect till the 20 minute mark. at that point, taste and check for salt. if you'd like the dal to be more mushy cook for another 5 minutes. if not, stir in the cilantro, remove from heat and serve immediately with steamed rice (or have it alongside the rest of the meal as a soup). if eating with rice, squeeze some lime juice over it. if you desire you can also add a tspn of ghee before you serve the dal. personally, i like the non-fat version.

preparation 2:

this resembles more closely the north indian dal preparation in which the dal is cooked and then a tadka added:

put all the ingredients except 1/2 the onions, 1/2 the garlic, the cumin, cilantro, chilli, lime and oil to boil and cook as above to the 20-25 minute mark. when the dal is done to your liking, heat the oil and add the cumin seeds--saute till they darken and add the remaining onions, garlic and green chilli. saute till the onions begin to brown and pour the entire tadka onto the dal. mix well and serve as above. (you can vary the tadka to your taste: some save all of the onions, garlic and tomatoes for the tadka; some saute the onions till they're completely crisp--experiment and see what works for you.)

enjoy!

[uberleet]

haldi is turmeric, right?

[mongo_jones]

right

[skchai]

Mongo, while we're on the topic, is there any way to retain the attractive orange color of the mushoor dal after it's been cooked? It normally turns to a less yellow - I know this has no effect on the taste, but . . .

[mongo_jones]

not that i'm aware of. i suppose you could always add some red food coloring--that's a time honored indian restaurant tradition for making things look good. my mushoor dals turn almost green when i'm done with them.

in an unrelated dal note: while i've had no trouble cooking mushoor, kal urad or channa dal since i moved from l.a to boulder, moog dal is really pissing me off. it takes forever to soften (i don't pressure cook it). i know altitude changes cooking times but why the hell does just moog dal have to behave this way?

[skchai]

Not sure I'm willing to go so far as the red food coloring route, but perhaps a small amount of paprika or kashmiri chili might bring the orangeness back?

Not sure about why your moong dal is so hard to cook, but moong is one of the most "glutinous" of the dals and therefore may need more water to cook properly - just a speculation. Or you may try presoaking, as one might with other legumes.

Incidentally, you may know from your wife that moong dal is the basis for the Korean bindaetteok savory fritter / pancake. I've tried to make Korean-style pakoras out of moong dal and Indian-style bindaetteok out of besan, both with very limited success. Interestingly enough moong dal is used in Vietnamese and Thai cuisine primarily in making sweets!

[jeff29992001]

how does malka masoor (the roudn red lentils from turkey) compare to masoor dral (the split red lentils, the subject of this recipe) in texture and taste?

[anil]

how does malka masoor (the roudn red lentils from turkey) compare to masoor dral (the split red lentils, the subject of this recipe) in texture and taste?

Difficult to say - The former I have mostly tasted in the mezes, which have spices and lemon thereby making it a tad difficult to compare.

[v. gautam]

Mongo,

are you pan roasting or frying the mung dal as per traditional bengali practice? have you tried a slow cooker?

gautam

[mongo_jones]

Mongo,

are you pan roasting or frying the mung dal as per traditional bengali practice? have you tried a slow cooker?

gautam

yes, i am pan-roasting the dal first (prior to washing it on pain of death from my mother). i have no idea why mung is the one dal that is taking longer to cook at altitude. i haven't tried it in the slow-cooker yet--do you think pressure cooking might be a viable alternative? i'm a little nervous because misjudging the time might result in a complete mash.

(sorry for the late reaction; only saw today that this thread had new responses and one addressed to me)

[mongo_jones]

how does malka masoor (the roudn red lentils from turkey) compare to masoor dral (the split red lentils, the subject of this recipe) in texture and taste?

discovered today at my local indian grocery that the mushoor dal i've been buying from them is actually a product of turkey. so it wouldn't surprise me if it just is malka masoor that has been peeled and split.

might also explain why, no matter how hard i try, i can't get my mushoor dal to taste exactly like the dal back home (though water etc. plays a large part in this too obviously).

[mongo_jones]

i haven't tried it in the slow-cooker yet--do you think pressure cooking might be a viable alternative? i'm a little nervous because misjudging the time might result in a complete mash.

i know you've all been waiting with bated breath for me to resolve this problem. well, i finally took recourse to the pressure cooker yesterday. after dry-roasting and washing 1 cup of the moog dal i pressure-cooked it with 4 cups of water (2 whistles), let the pressure dissipate on its own and then continued cooking as per normal. sped things up considerably with no loss in taste. i'll post a full recipe later (need to check first that i haven't already done so earlier).

Edited March 21, 2004 by mongo_jones (log)

[Schielke]

Is this dal always supposed to be cooked to a near souplike consistency? I made a similar version of this last night without knowing what it should end up looking like. I was expecting a more grain-like result.

It was still tasty though.

[mongo_jones]

Is this dal always supposed to be cooked to a near souplike consistency? I made a similar version of this last night without knowing what it should end up looking like. I was expecting a more grain-like result.

It was still tasty though.

the consistency depends on personal taste. i make it ranging from pretty watery to thickish. it should always be easily pourable though. and keep in mind that it will thicken considerably in the refrigerator.

glad to hear you enjoyed it regardless.

[Schielke]

Ahh, so do most indian dal recipes go for that texture?

[mongo_jones]

Ahh, so do most indian dal recipes go for that texture?

watery? no, not at all. some--like cholar (channa) dal, moog dal and kali-urad dal--are almost always quite thick.

as for mushoor dal--bengalis make a watery version, other indians may not.

[Schielke]

Well not necessarialy watery, but pourable vs chunky independent lentils.

[mongo_jones]

Well not necessarialy watery, but pourable vs chunky independent lentils.

i'll go out on a limb and say yes. i haven't encountered lentils anywhere (in the form of dals that is) that are cooked down to separate into a granular or grainy texture.