Dhaba Style Urad Dal

Dhaba tadka mix is the reason this dal works. Dhabas are roadside kitchens in India, and the spice blends they use are ground fresh and roasted hard. Make the mix yourself: dry roast cumin, coriander seeds, fennel, cloves, and cinnamon on a flat pan, then grind to a powder. It takes ten minutes and the difference against store-bought curry powder is substantial. Urad dal is white split black gram. Pressure cook it to mush, mash it further, then hit it with a hot butter tadka of cumin seeds, green chillies, onion, and tomato. Finish with lemon and eat it with rice or roti.

How to Make Dhaba Style Urad Dal

Making the tadka spice mix

Dry roast each spice separately if you can; they have different burn points. Grind to a fine powder once cooled and store in an airtight container. Use within two weeks for best results.

Cooking the dal

Two to three whistles in a pressure cooker gives you the right texture: fully cooked but not split into water. Mash with the back of a spoon until creamy before the tadka goes in. No blender required.

The tadka

Hot butter, cumin seeds first, then green chillies and garlic paste, then onion until it caramelizes. Add tomato and paste, cook until oil separates. Pour this over the dal and stir through. Lemon at the end, not before.

Dhaba Style Urad Dal

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• Author: Siri Pulipaka, adapted from NDTV Cooks
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4
• Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

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Description

Comfort food at its finest! This creamy urad dal is bursting with warm spices and a bright lemon finish. Perfect with rice or roti.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 cups (237 ml) white urad dal (split black gram)
• 5 cups (1183 ml) water
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• Salt
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 2 green chillies, slit lengthwise
• 1 small onion, minced
• 1 small tomato, chopped
• 1/4 cups (59 ml) tomato puree
• 2 tsp dhabba tadka mix
• juice of one lemon
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 1/2 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp fennel seeds (saunf)
• 1 tsp whole cloves
• 1/2 inch cinnamon stick
• 1/2 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp ground mace (javitri powder)
• 1 tsp turmeric powder

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Instructions

1. Dry roast the whole spices (cumin, coriander seeds, saunf, cloves, and cinnamon) separately on a tawa. Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder, and javitri powder (if using), and roast further. Cool, then make a fine powder of the spices and store in an airtight container.
2. Pressure cook the dal with salt and turmeric for 2 to 3 whistles until mushy. Mash to a creamy consistency using the back of a ladle.
3. In a pan, fry one tablespoon of butter with cumin seeds and ginger-garlic paste. Add onions until translucent. Then add chopped tomatoes, salt, and green chilies.
4. Add the tomato puree and the dhaba tadka mix. Cook until oil separates from the edges.
5. Pour in the cooked dal and mix well. Cover and cook on low heat for 10 to 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in lemon juice and coriander leaves.

Notes

• To enhance the dal’s flavor, sauté the onions until deeply caramelized before adding the tomatoes.
• For a smoother texture, blend the cooked dal with an immersion blender before adding the tadka.
• Leftover dal can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and reheated gently on the stovetop.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Category: Main Course
• Method: Pressure Cooking
• Cuisine: Indian

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 cup
• Calories: 250
• Sugar: 5
• Sodium: 400
• Fat: 10
• Saturated Fat: 5
• Unsaturated Fat: 5
• Carbohydrates: 40
• Fiber: 10
• Protein: 15
• Cholesterol: 10

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