Cookbook:Khatti Dal (Spiced Tamarind Pigeon Peas)

Khatti Dal (Spiced Tamarind Pigeon Peas)
Category	South Asian recipes
Difficulty

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This is a variety of dal, the common staple food of South Asia made with dal forming a stew or thick soup. Dal is the name for split legumes in many South Asian languages (see dal page). Khatti translates as sour from Hindi, and comes from the use of tamarind, a very sour fruit on its own. Serve with any variety of roti (a round flat bread) or over rice and with a vegetable preparation on the side and an achar (pickle) or chutney as condiments. The roti is used to scoop up the dal and grab pieces of the vegetable.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (240 ml) toor daal (split pigeon peas)
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 onion
• ½ tsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• 3 tbsp diced or crushed tomato
• 6–8 pieces whole tamarind
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
• Curry leaves
• Salt to taste
• Coriander leaves (cilantro) for garnish

Procedure

1. Wash toor daal and boil for about 20 minutes until soft. Drain and smash the dal.
2. In a kadai, heat the oil until hot. Add curry leaves, mustard seeds and jeera seeds. Fry for a minute. They will pop at first, so a cover will help to avoid a mess.
3. Add onion and fry until slightly brown.
4. Add ginger and garlic paste. Fry for a minute, then add the tomatoes. Cook until the oil separates.
5. Add tamarind pieces, turmeric powder, and red chilli powder. Cook it for 4–5 minutes.
6. Add the toor daal and enough water for your desired thickness.
7. Add salt to taste, and garnish with coriander leaves.
8. Serve with a roti or poured over rice.