A Simple Dal Fry

Pin It Now! Dal at my typical maharashtrian home was called "Varan" and it was simply toor dal cooked with a few minimalist ingredients - turmeric and hing. After adding salt and water it was served on top of hot rice for a comforting "Varan-bhat" that we relish till today.

 Recently I gave a new twist by adding some veggies and fruit. Also went in is a tadka of pure ghee, cumin and a handful of jaggery taking the simple "varan" to a whole new level.

 Here's how I make it :-

 1. Pressure cook 1/4 C toor dal or red lentils with :-

• pinch of hing
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 chopped apple\mango (optional)
• 2-3 tbsp chopped vegetables ( I use a mix of carrots,peas,green beans and corn

2.  Make a tadka with 2-3 tbsp ghee. When the ghee is hot add the following:

• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1-2 small pieces of green chillies 

3. Mash the toor dal and add water to get desired consistency. Add :-

• 2 tbsp chopped tomatoes
• handful of cilantro
• 1 tbsp chopped jaggery
• salt to taste

4. Finally add the tadka. Microwave on high for about 2-3 minutes till the jaggery melts.


There you have it. We have this dal with some pickle and rice for a comforting end to a meal.
Sending this dal to Delicious Dals event started by Suma of Veggie Platter. I cannot wait to see the round up here.