Aam Daal

Aam Daal (Lentil cooked with raw mango) a perfect dish to relish in summer time....Raw mango is cooked along with daal, which gives the dish a unique tangy taste. A simple dish with a few ingredients........

While browsing I came found varieties of aam daal, but found this recipe (as posted by Sandeepa) very similar to the one I make at home...

Ingredients:

• � cup (100 gms) masoor daal (split orange / red lentils)
• 1 raw mango (kancha aam), peeled & finely chopped
• 1-2 cups water (as required)
• � tsp mustard seeds
• � tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp sugar (as required)
• salt to taste
• 1 tbsp mustard oil

Procedure:

1. Wash and soak the masoor daal for 10-15 mins. Pressure cook daal with turmeric, a pinch of salt and enough water till 2-3 whistles. Remove from fire, let the cooker come down to normal temp. Pour daal in a bowl and keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a kadhai. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter.
3. Add the chopped mango slices, saute a little. Add the boiled masoor daal and mix well. Cover and cook for some time till the mangoes become tender.
4. Bring to a boil and adjust sugar and salt. (Add a little water, if required)
5. Remove from fire, transfer to a serving bowl and serve with steamed rice.

This is going to MBP: Mango Masti event hosted by Neha and started by Coffee of Spice Cafe ....

Also sending Aam Pora Shorbot to the event. I liked the way Rinku of Cooking in Westchester prepared her Smoky Summer Cooler.

Sambhar

Sambar / sambhar is a dish common in South India (Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu), made of toovar dal (pigeon pea).
First the toovar /toor daal is cooked in a pressure cooker. Tamarind is soaked in water to extract the juice & the pulp is discarded. A mixture of ground spices known as sambar powder and tamarind juice are added to the daal.
Vegetables (including lady's finger, drumstick, carrot, radish, pumpkin, potatoes, tomatoes, brinjal and whole or halved onions and also other vegetables) and spices (turmeric and chilli powder) are also added. The daal is heated until the vegetables get cooked.
The cooked sambar is eaten with an oil-fried spice mixture containing items such mustard seeds, urad dal, dried red chillies, curry leaves, fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds and asafoetida. Fresh curry leaves are added at the very end to enhance the aroma of the sambhar.

Ingredients:

• 100 gms toovar / toor dal
• 100 gms vegetables (as per your choice)
• 1 onion, finely sliced
• 1 tomato, finely chopped
• 5-6 curry leaves
• a pinch red chilli powder
• 1-1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp sambhar powder
• 1 tsp dried coconut, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds / methi seeds
• 1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp urad daal
• tamarind extract
• salt to taste
• 2 tsp oil

Procedure:

1. Cook the toor dal in a pressure cooker till the daak is cooked.
2. Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan. Add fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds and urad daal and stir fry for 2-3 mins.
3. Add the chopped onions, curry leaves and saute till the onions are translucent and turn light brown.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes, vegetables and tamarind extract and fry till vegetables are tender.
5. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and sambar powder to the cooked toovar daal. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 mins on high flame.
6. Add dried coconut and salt to taste. Transfer in a serving bowl, garnish with curry leaves and serve hot with dosa / idlis.

Biuli Daal (Bengali Kalai Daal)

Sometimes back I wrote about Aloo Posto (Potatoes cooked in poppy seeds paste). It is served as a side dish with Biuli Daal (Urad Daal or Kalai Daal as known in Bengali). There are many ways of preparing this daal, but most famous is the simple & aromatic recipe stated below.

Ingredients:

• � cup (100 gms) urad dal (kalai dal / biuli dal)
• water (ratio 1 cup dal = 3 cups of water)
• � inch ginger
• 2 tsp aniseed (fennel / saunf / mouri)
• 1 bay leaf
• 2-3 green chilli
• salt (to taste)
• 1 tbsp oil, for tempering

Procedure:

1. Wash and soak the daal for 10 mins. Drain and keep aside.
2. Place the aniseed and ginger in a bowl and add hot water. Keep covered for 30 mins. Drain water and blend them together to form a smooth paste. (add a little water, if required). Keep aside.
3. Boil water in a pressure cooker and release the daal. Add salt and mix well. Place the cover with the lid and give one whistle. Simmer and cook daal for 10-15 mins or until moderately soft. (ensure that the grains are visible and daal is not mushy).
4. Heat oil in a kadhai, add the bay leaf, green chillies and aniseed-ginger paste. Saute and stir a little (don�t fry too much or the paste will have a burnt smell & taste).
5. Pour the tempering over the daal. Adjust the seasoning. (the daal should not be too thick. Add a little water, if necessary and give one boil). Serve hot with rice.