Daal/dahl/dal/dhal

[polly]

I realise that the various spellings of dal are probably phoenetic translations from Indian languages, but is there a 'most' correct version?

Is it all 'much of a muchness' or is there a difference?

[Fat Guy]

My sense is that dal is the preferred English spelling.

[Suvir Saran]

Yes I use Daal or Dal as the preferred spellings.

I grew up with family and friends that used Daal. But some we knew also used Dal.

[Fat Guy]

Of course you should spell it any way you like, because it is not an English word and therefore latitude is required, but I think the trend in transliteration over time has been towards minimalism and I like that. Thus you see a disappearance of all those wild spellings of Chinese words that made them seem so foreign.

Right now I believe the official New York Times spelling is dal, see for example

http://query.nytimes.com/search/full-page?...752C0A9649C8B63

While I don't see the Times as definitive, it's usually a pretty good starting point for style stuff. Suvir how are you doing it in your book?

[Suvir Saran]

I just checked the Dal chapter and yes... we have gone with Dal.

Short and savory!

[Simon Majumdar]

Ihave always grown up using the spelling "Dhal" The "h" is pronounced almost as an expression of breath

S

[Suvir Saran]

An aspirated "D" perhaps Simon?

Yes my Bengali friends do say Dhaal. But the Bengalis say many words somewhat differently.

My own name... Suvir is written and pronounced differently by Bengali friends of the family. They call me Shoo Bir and always spell my name as Subir.

I have realized, and I may be wrong, but most Bengalis I have met do not say "v", they change it to "b".

But many Indians including myself, mix their v's and w's. Similar to the Germans.

[Suvir Saran]

Any special Bengali Dahl recipes Simon?

Steven where do you eat your favorite Dal? Do you have a favorite Dal?

Polly.. what are your favorite daals?

[Fat Guy]

I confess to being mostly dal-ignorant, Suvir. A couple of years ago I did an article on mail-order specialty foods and among a hundred other things I got like six different kinds of dal from IndiaPlaza.com. I did some tests at the time but they didn't reveal a strong preference, and the assignment wasn't in-depth enough to warrant further investigation. I think I still have most of them in a box somewhere, though, if you have any suggestions.

[anil]

Ihave always grown up using the spelling "Dhal"  The "h" is pronounced almost as an expression of breath

S

When I was young, I used to be able to detect the subtle pronounciation

differences between various bengalis - It started by differenciating between bangals Vs Khotis, and then got trained to sub-classify.

Now, most bengali I hear are from Banladeshis in NYC.

[polly]

Polly.. what are your favorite daals?

HMM... Favourite dals. If we are talking about dry beans, I love all of them.

If we are talking about the dish, I love all of them.

especially dal with coconut milk (molaghashyam)

sambar

green lentil dal with lots of fried, pulverised onions in the base.

red lentil dal with tomato, green chilli and curry leaves

Last night I cooked something that you may not call a dal, but it was very yummy:

Yellow split peas cooked till mushy but with some still holding shape, flavoured with asofetida, salt, sugar, butter and a few thyme leaves.

Then I stirred in a whole lot of finely shredded savoy cabbage and let it steam together for a little bit.

It was earthy/sweet and buttery without being heavy. I had it with lemon roasted chicken.

[Suvir Saran]

South Indian lentils with Onions

(Sambhaar)

Sambhaar is the sauce served with Dosas (lentil and rice pancakes) in southerin Indian restaurants. There are as many sambhaar recipes in Southern India as there are households. This was one that my mother learned from my fathers bosses wife. My mother would make sambhaar with different vegetables depending on what was available fresh and what was necessary to use. You can substitute onions with small red radishes that are left whole or even pearl onions. You can also use any other vegetable or a mix of many. This is a great lentil dish to eat with rice and serve for a special party. The flavors are intense, the spicing very different from most anything people have ever eaten.

SAMBHAAR POWDER

2 teaspoons black mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

2 teaspoons coriander seed

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

4 whole dried red chilies

1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 tablespoon channa dal

1 heaped teaspoon urad dal

LENTILS

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

3 whole dried red chilies

1/4 teaspoon asafetida

8 fresh curry leaves

1 pint smallest possible pearl onions, peeled, or 4 small onions, quartered

2 hot green chilies, stemmed and cut in half crosswise

8 fresh curry leaves

1 1/2 teaspoons tamco dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water

4 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped

3 teaspoons salt, or to taste

TEMPERING

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

1 teaspoon dried, shredded coconut

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 whole dried red chile

1 tablespoon canola oil

1/8 teaspoon asafoetida

1. Combine the mustard, fenugreek, coriander and cumin seeds, chilies, peppercorns, channa dal and urad dal in a small frying pan and dry roast, stirring, until the spices are fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Cool, and then grind to a powder in a spice grinder.

2. Heat the oil with 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, 3 whole red chilies, 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida and 8 curry leaves in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. When the mustard seeds crackle, add the onion and then 1 teaspoon turmeric and cook until the onions wilt, about 3 minutes. Add a little water as needed if the spices stick to the bottom of the pan to keep them from burning. Now add the spice powder and stir 2 to 3 minutes to roast the spices. Drizzle in a little water as the spices begin to stick to the bottom of the pan so that they cook evenly and don't burn. Add 2 tablespoons shredded coconut and stir 1 minute. Add tomatoes, tamarind water and salt and cook over medium-high heat 3 minutes. Add 2 1/2 cups water and the cooked dal. Bring to a boil, turn the heat down and simmer vigorously until the mixture thickens and the lentils break down, 7 to 10 minutes. Skim once the liquid comes to a boil to remove the foam that rises to the top.

3. For the tempering, combine the spices in a spice grinder and grind to a coarse powder (the powder should have some texture). Heat 1 tablespoon oil with the asafoetida in a small frying pan over high heat. Add 8 curry leaves. When the leaves begin to sizzle, add spice powder and turn the heat down to low. Add the spice powder and cook, stirring, until fragrant and dry, about 1 minute. Add the mixture to the sambhaar and stir. Serve hot.

,

[Suvir Saran]

SPICY SQUASH AND BEAN STEW

(Dhaansaak)

Serves 6 to 8

This dish is my adaptation of the famous Parsee dish Dhaansaak. Haunting spices seem subtle and familiar at first taste, it is only minutes later that one experiences their warmth and full flavor. The back heat of this dish makes it hotter than the other recipes in this chapter. This recipe is a perfect one to make for a one pot meal. You can change the vegetables according to your taste and also change the proportion you use them in. This particular recipe is a great fall recipe but works well at most times. I often use whatever lentils I have at home. But the substance of this dish comes from the Channa daal which is a very distinct lentil in keeping its shape even after cooking for a long time. Serve this lentil with steamed rice for a hearty weekend lunch as one would have at the Bombay Gymkhana or any of the elite Clubs in Bombay, or for a festive dinner party.

STEW

3/4 cup yellow split peas (channa dal)

1/4 cup yellow mung beans (moong dal)

3/4 cup pink lentils (masoor dal)

1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons garam masala

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

2 bay leaves

1 to 2 hot green chilies, chopped, with seeds

1 tablespoon salt

6 1/2 cups water

3/4 pound tomatoes, chopped

3 cups 1-inch chunks skinned and seeded butternut squash (about 1 small)

5 cups 1-inch chunks eggplant with skin (about 1 medium)

1 medium red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

12 fresh spinach leaves, stemmed, washed, and torn into bite-sized pieces

TEMPERING OIL

1/4 cup ghee or canola oil

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 small red onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. For the stew, put the all of the dal in a large soup pot along with 4 1/2 cups of the water. Bring to a boil and skim well. Then add the ginger, garlic, garam masala, turmeric, cayenne, cloves, bay leaves, chilies and salt. Simmer, covered, until the dal are tender but not falling apart, about 20 minutes. Stir every now and then to prevent the dal from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

2. Add the tomatoes, squash, eggplant, onion, corn, spinach and the remaining 2 cups water. Return the stew to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are tender but still hold their shape, about 15 minutes. Remove the stew from the heat.

3. For the tempering oil, heat the ghee or oil in a medium skillet or kadai over medium-high heat. Add the mustard seeds, cover, and cook until they pop, about 1 minute. Add the chopped onion and the cumin and cook, stirring, until the onion is well browned around the edges, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium, add the garlic and cook a few seconds. Now add the cilantro and stir. Add the lemon juice, remove from the heat and scrape the tempering oil into the stew. Stir well and taste for salt. If the stew is a bit thick (it should have a lightly thickened, velvety consistency), add 1/4 to 1/2 cup water. Serve hot.

[Suvir Saran]

YELLOW MUNG BEANS WITH SPINACH AND BENGALI FIVE SPICE MIX

(Muger Dal)

Panch Phoran, the five-spice mix from Bengal works its magic on this lentil preparation. The spinach makes the lentil otherwise light in oil, seem decadently rich and creamy without any addition of cream or butter. The mango powder gives a nice sour flavor without taking away from the very delicate flavor of the lentils and spinach. In Bengal they would use mustard oil to make this daal, I feel the daal tastes just as good cooked with ghee or canola.

Serves 4

3 tablespoons ghee or canola oil

1 cup yellow mung beans, picked, washed and drained

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

4 cups water

1 bay leaf

2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

2 firmly packed cups stemmed fresh spinach, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 teaspoon panch phoran mix (Bengali five spice mix)

3 whole dried red chilies

1/2 finely chopped hot green chili, with seeds

1/2 teaspoon mango powder

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the ghee or oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the mung beans and turmeric and cook, stirring, 1 minute.

2. Add the water, bay leaf and salt. Bring to a boil and skim well. Then reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the beans are tender, about 20 minutes.

3. Add the chopped spinach and cayenne and cook, partially covered, 15 minutes longer.

4. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons ghee or oil in a small frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the panch phoran and the dried and fresh chilies and cook until seeds pop and the cumin turns a golden brown color, about 1 minute. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the mango powder. Pour this tempered oil into the saucepan with the dal and stir. Serve hot.

[Simon Majumdar]

These are spectacular recipes. Please, please keep them coming. They make a remarkable collection.

I promise still to spend cash money on your book when it comes out

S

[Suvir Saran]

I realized that the recipe for the sambhaar does not have the quantity for the dal. Please use the recipe below to get the cooked dal you will need to make the Sambhaar.

1 Cup Toor Daal

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Combine the dal, turmeric and 6 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and skim well. Then turn the heat down so that the water simmers vigorously and simmer, partially covered, until the dal is tender, about 35 minutes. Stir occasionally to keep the dal from sticking to the bottom of the pot and skim as you need to.

2. When the dal is cooked, strain it over a 4 cup or larger measuring cup.

Note: You can use the liquid for making a rassam. Recipe for which is in the link below.

Rassam

[Suvir Saran]

FIVE LENTIL DAAL WITH TOMATO, CURRYLEAVES AND MUSTARD SEEDS

(Punchkuti Daal)

Makes about 2 quarts

This is a fairly complicated and wonderfully tasty daal. If you don’t have all five of the different lentils, try it with 1 1/2 cups of the massor dal and 3/4 cup of the channa dal instead.

This daal is particularly interesting because it shows how spices can be added in a variety of different ways within the same dish. The way that the spices are treated determines their flavor. So ground spices are cooked into the lentils, and then more spices are added at the end in the form of two different tarkas. The flavor of the raw spices is absorbed into the lentils to add a very gentle, subtle taste. The tarkas add a sharper, more distinctive note to the dish.

DAAL

1/2 cup masoor dal (pink, split lentils), picked over

1/2 cup moong dal, picked over

1/2 cup toor dal, picked over

3/4 cup channa dal, picked over

1/4 cup urad dal, picked over

8 cups cold water, or as needed

Salt

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, mashed to a paste (about 1/2 tablespoon)

2 small hot green chilis, or 1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped, with seeds

1 tablespoon ground garam masala

1/2 tablespoon ground cumin

1/2 tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon Indian red chile powder or 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 1/2 cups chopped fresh or canned tomato

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro (about 1 firmly packed cup leaves), finely chopped

TARKAS

4 tablespoons ghee or canola oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, mashed to a paste (about 1/2 tablespoon)

2 small hot green chiles, or 1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped, with seeds

6 fresh curry leaves

1-inch stick cinnamon

1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

3 cloves

Pinch asafoetida

1. For the daal, wash and drain the lentils. Put them in a 3-quart saucepan with the 8 cups water, 1 tablespoon salt, onion, garlic paste and chopped fresh chiles. Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer the lentils, partially covered, until they are tender, about 45 minutes.

2. Lower the heat to medium, add the garam masala, ground cumin and coriander, turmeric and chile powder and give the mixture a stir. Cover and simmer the daal 5 more minutes.

3. Add the tomatoes and simmer 15 more minutes. Add more water if the daal gets dry – it should be the consistency of a lentil soup, not thick and bound like a split pea soup.

4. Stir in the lemon juice, half of the cilantro and 2 more teaspoons salt. Then take the daal off the heat while you make the tarkas.

5. Pour 3 tablespoons of the ghee or oil into a small saucepan and warm over medium-high heat. Add the curry leaves and cook about 1 minute. Then add the onion and cook until it just begins to brown around the edges, 4 to 5 more minutes. Then add the garlic paste and chopped chiles and cook just to mellow the raw taste of the garlic, 10 to 15 seconds. Scrape this into the daal.

6. Pour the remaining tablespoon of the oil into the saucepan or a small kadai and warm it over medium-high heat. Add the cinnamon stick and cook it until you can smell it. Then add the whole cumin and mustard seeds, the cloves and the asafoetida and cook, stirring, until the mustard seeds start popping. Dump this mixture immediately into the daal and stir. Let the daal stand a few minutes to infuse it with the perfumed oil, then sprinkle with the remaining cilantro. Serve hot.

[polly]

Wow, Suvir, you're outdoing yourself with the recipes.

I'm going to make the five lentil dal first. That one is speaking to my cravings.

thanks again

[Suvir Saran]

Thanks Polly!

I will post after this a very basic dal recipe. You can use it with most kinds of dals. It is your very basic recipe that you would find prepared for daily consumption.

[Suvir Saran]

SIMPLE LENTIL DAL WITH CUMIN AND CHILES

Moongee Kee Dal

Makes about 4 cups

This simple dal recipe is prepared almost daily in most northern Indian homes. Once you feel comfortable cooking the original recipe, try variations.

Made as is, this dal is fairly thin, which is the way I like it. If you like a thicker texture, whisk the dal after the lentils are cooked to break the lentils up into a puree.

DAL

1 cup moong beans (split yellow lentils), picked over and, washed and drained

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

3 to 4 cups cold water

TARKA

1/4 cup ghee or canola oil

1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds

2 whole, dried red chiles

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

Juice of 1/2 lime

1. For the dal, wash and drain the lentils. Put the lentils in a large saucepan with the turmeric, 1 teaspoon salt and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the lentils crumble when you touch them, 20 to 30 minutes. Add another cup of water during cooking if needed; the lentils should be covered with water throughout the cooking. When the lentils are cooked, taste for salt and add more if you need to.

2. For the tarka, heat the ghee or oil in a small frying pan or kadai over medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds and cook, stirring, until they turn a light brown color, about 1 minute. Add the whole dried red chilies and garlic and cook, stirring, until the garlic no longer smells raw, about 30 more seconds. Remove the pan from the fire and add the cayenne and a few drops of water to stop the cooking.

3. Transfer the dal to a serving bowl, add half of the tarka and all of the lime juice, and stir to blend. Then pour the remaining tarka over the top. Serve hot.

[Suvir Saran]

Paalak Waalee Daal (Mung Beans and Spinach)

Mung daal is eaten as a staple in homes of Delhi and other northern Indian cities. The spinach gives the daal a creamy texture. The cumin and ginger add a very wonderful bite and the asafoetida gives it the meaty aroma without any of the heaviness. You can serve this with rice or chapatis and with any simple dry vegetable.

1 cup dhuli mung kee daal (split, washed green beans)

1 cup tightly packed, finely chopped spinach greens

2 tsp.ginger, finely chopped

2 small hot green chilies, chopped

pinch of asafoetida

1 tsp.turmeric powder

salt (to taste)

1-1/2 tsp.cumin seeds

juice of half a lime

4 tbsp.canola

Clean and wash the daal.

In a sauce pan heat the canola and fry the cumin seeds, asafoetida and the ginger for a minute or so. Until the cumin seeds are a nice golden color.

Add the daal and spinach and cook for a couple of minutes. Now add the salt and the turmeric powder and 6 cups of water.

Cook uncovered on low heat, stirring occasionally until daal is tender. Add water if you want daal runny or cook more if you want it thick.

Stir in the lime juice and serve hot.

[A Scottish Chef]

Wow, Suvir, you amaze me

I was searching for an easy way to make a Daal and the search returned this thred. Boy, am I grateful. I'll be serving your Moongee Kee Dal to the Indian Chefs later tonight as part of the meal I am preparing.

Thank you very much indeed!

[Suvir Saran]

Thanks Scottish Chef!

Hope your meal is just as you wanted it to be.. and that they enjoy all you make.

All the best.

[A Scottish Chef]

Well, Suvir, they thoroughly enjoyed the meal and I passed on the source of the Daal recipe. They seemed quite fascinated by this Suvir guy I was raving about