Dal/ Lentil/ Parippu

Recipe No: 275

I have to confess that I grew up in a house that doesn't use Coriander Leaves at all but married into a house which consider Coriander Leaves as a must in cooking. But why am I blabbering this now? Well, I consider this Dal as ‘the dish’ that made me fall in love with Coriander Leaves and as you know from my previous recipes, I use a lot of it now. Oh…by the way, this is my Mother in Law’s preparation and is a staple for dinner with Chappathi.

Ingredients                                            Serves 3

To pressure cook

• Thoor Dal/ Thuvara Parippu…1/2 Cup (Other Dals like Kadala Parippu/ Split Chick Peas and Cherupayar Parippu/ Split Green Gram also can be used)
• Water…………………………………...1 ½ Cups
• Turmeric Powder…………………..1/8 Teaspoon

To Saute

• Oil……………………………………..…1 Tablespoon
• Mustard Seeds……………………...1/4 Teaspoon
• Onion Chopped……………………..1/3 Cup
• Green Chilly slit…………………….1-2
• Tomato chopped……………………1 small
• Chicken/ Meat Masala…………..1/2 Teaspoon (I used store bought)
• Chopped Coriander Leaves…….2 Tablespoons
• Salt to taste

Method of Preparation

1. Wash the Lentils/ Dal really well (until the Water runs clear) and cook them with the all the ingredients mentioned in the 'to pressure cook’ section in a Pressure cooker till done. (After the first whistle, I lowered the heat to medium low and cooked for 5 more minutes.)
2. Once cooked, off the heat and let it cool down.
3. Heat Oil in a pan on medium high heat and splutter the Mustard Seeds.
4. Once the seeds start to crackle, add the Onion and Green Chilly; saute till translucent about a minute or two.
5. Add the Tomato and Salt; continue sauteing for another minute. (Tomatoes doesn’t have to be mashed. But if you don’t like to see them in pieces, please do wait till it mashes.)
6. Add the Chicken/ Meat Masala powder, followed by the cooked Dal (including Water if any) and mix well.
7. Add a cup of Water (add a bit more or less depending on your taste and the amount of Water left behind after cooking the Dal; but consider that this Curry tends to thicken a lot after cooling.) and let it boil. (Please refer the picture at the bottom for consistency.)
8. Add Coriander Leaves; mix well and do a taste test to adjust the seasonings. (At this point you can add more Masala (up to ¼ teaspoon) if you prefer.)
9. Serve hot with Chappathi.

Notes:

• Using a bit of Oil while cooking Dal/ Lentil in a pressure cooker may reduce boiling over/ leaking out of the whistle.
• The cooking time for the Lentil depends on your cooking conditions and the efficiency of the Pressure Cooker. So adjust the time accordingly.
• Depending on the time taken by the Lentil to cook (especially if your Pressure Cooker has a long cooking time), it may require a bit more Water. Please adjust accordingly.
• With Chicken/ Meat Masala, I mean only the spice powders that are used to cook them and it will not include Chicken/ Meat extracts (So okay for Vegetarians too). Instead of Chicken/ Meat Masala you can use a combination of Red Chilly, Coriander and Garam Masala Powder.
• As Coriander Leaves play a major role in the taste of this dish, I will not recommend avoiding it.

Make it, enjoy the deliciousness and
serve it to your family with love…