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Kiwi's kumara dahl

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kiwi View Drop Down
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    Posted: 03 July 2010 at 20:40
Thought it is time I provide some detail on dahl.

Background that I've stolen from wiki


Dahl:
Dahl, or dal, is a preparation of pulses (dried lentils, peas or beans) which have been stripped of their outer hulls and split. It also refers to the thick stew prepared from these, a mainstay of Indian, Nepali, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, and Bangladeshi cuisine. It is regularly eaten with rice and vegetables in Southern India, and with both rice and roti (wheat-based flat bread) throughout Northern India & Pakistan. Dal is a ready source of proteins for a balanced diet containing little or no meat. Sri Lankan cooking of dal resembles that of southern Indian dishes.
-snip-
Most dal recipes are quite simple to prepare. The standard preparation of dal begins with boiling a variety of dal (or a mix) in water with some turmeric, salt to taste, and then adding a tadka (also known as tarka, chaunk or baghaar) at the end of the cooking process.

Tadka:

Tadka or tarka (also known as chaunk or baghar) consists of various spices or other flavorings fried in a small amount of oil. The ingredients in the tadka for each variety of dal vary by region and individual tastes, but common tadka combinations include cumin, chilli powder [cayenne powder], and onion or mustard seeds and garlic. In some recipes, ginger, tamarind, unripe mango, purslane, or other ingredients are added while cooking the dal, often to impart a sour flavor. Some preparations also call for mashing the cooked dal a bit with a hand masher or suitable rolling pin.

Other common tadka ingredients include asafoetida, fresh or dried chili pods, cilantro and garam masala. The raw spices are fried for a few seconds in the hot oil first, and then the remaining ingredients are added. The garlic is typically only fried for a minute or two, but the onion is fried for 10 minutes or until browned. The tadka, or spice-infused oil, is poured over the cooked dal and served with bread or over Basmati rice.


(TL;DR) In a nutshell: Dahl is a lentil preparation, and tadka is the onion / spice mix that is added to it, making what is (confusingly) also known as dahl. It's a common Indian peasant food.


My take - here is one of my spins on an Indian classic, sweet potato dahl. The recipe is rough because that is how it should be cooked. I'm a firm believer in throwing out the measuring tools when you start cooking Indian food. Just go with it. More of everything is good.

Kumara dahl


Ingredients

Dahl:
A large kumara
1 1/2 cups Masoor Dahl (red lentils)
Tumeric
water

Tadka:

Spice blend (I used some pav bhaji masala, coriander, cumin, fenugreek, kashmiri chili, paprika, salt and amchur powder)
Ginger
Garlic
oil and a splash of vinegar to turn the above into a paste
2 onions
1 shallot
Ground cashew nuts and almonds

Can of tomatoes
Splash of cream and to finish it off, and salt to taste

Basmati rice and naan to serve


Method / Pictorial


This recipe is a little weird because it has a few distinct parts that are all done separately and combined. Once you get good at it, you'll have the timing down and be efficient at doing all at once. Until then, it is probably best to go through each step in order.

Kumara:

Before even getting anything else out, peel and cube (~1.5cm) the kumara and get it boiling. you want it very boiled - sort of falling apart around the edges, this will help thicken the end result. When it is done, strain it in the colander and reserve.



Dahl:

Chuck the lentils in enough water to keep them happy while boiling (I normally start with less and progressively add as I got along to end up with a thick stew-like product) and turmeric. sorry, no pics of this by itself.

Tadka:

While the kumara and tadka is cooking away (it'll take half an hour or so), get the rest of your stuff out and ready. You'll probably want to grind up the nuts in a mortar:

And then get your spices, garlic and ginger frying in oil and vinegar. here is a snap of all of that being thrown into the pan:

mix that into a paste and get it frying away. Not too hot now, or it'll burn / require too much oil. After a few minutes, anyone in the house will be coming sniffing around for the amazing smell. When it's getting nice and aromatic, add the onions and shallot and fry until the onion is sweating nicely:

When that's done, add the ground cashew and almond:

fry a bit longer then remove from the heat.

Combine: Everything now goes in a big pot. This is a good time to chuck your rice on.

Kumara + dahl:

+ tadka:

Then add a can of tomatoes and a little cream:


Let this stew away on a low heat while the rice cooks (stir lots, it will help thicken it by damaging the kumara chunks), then serve:



Makes heaps Big smile this was 5 lunches, and enough for two to have for dinner as well.


kai time!
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TasunkaWitko View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 July 2010 at 08:28
wow - i've never heard of this, but it looks delicious!
 
thanks for such a detailed tutorial and a great learning experience!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Boilermaker Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 August 2010 at 18:56
Kiwi,

That looks insanely good.

I am embarrassed to ask but what is a kumara?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote kiwi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 August 2010 at 18:57
Oh - sorry. Local (polynesian) name for various types of sweet potato.
kai time!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Boilermaker Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 August 2010 at 19:06
Sweet potato!  Yes, that sounds fantastic, I'm going to cook that up tomorrow.  Many thanks!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote kiwi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 August 2010 at 19:10
Yay! I think you'll be the first person to recreate one of my curries Big smile
kai time!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Boilermaker Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 August 2010 at 19:54
Can't wait!  I'm going to make it tomorrow, I LOVE curries!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Boilermaker Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 August 2010 at 19:07
Wouldn't you know, I couldn't find any red lentils here, only the sort of brown or gray ones and I went to two different markets.  Going to Whole Foods tomorrow to look for the red ones.  Go you think the color of the lentils makes a difference?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote kiwi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 August 2010 at 19:23
there'll be a slight difference in taste, but I'm sure it'll be good still. cooking times could vary, that would be the biggest worry. I'm sure some googling and looking at recipes for the two different types would clear up that though.
kai time!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Boilermaker Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 August 2010 at 19:46
If I can't locate the red lentils tomorrow I will go ahead and try the bag of brown ones I bought.  I did find a nice sweet potato, though.Smile 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote kiwi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 August 2010 at 20:21
as long as they're split I'm sure you won't have any dramas.
kai time!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Boilermaker Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 September 2010 at 20:28
I found a Middle Eastern market today that had red lentils, cheap too!  I made this tonight, I didn't have the exact spices you used but just kind of free-formed it with hot curry powder, garam masala, turmeric, paprika, cumin, and chili powder.   OUTSTANDING!!!  It is hard to believe that a vegetarian dish can be this good and satisfying.  I loved it.  Thanks for the recipe, Kiwi.
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