Coconut Masoor Dal

I wanted not to cook today, especially any meat. I wanted to just eat dal on hot bed of steamed rice...yum yum yum. Simple pleasures of life.
Masoor dal or the red lentils are one of my favorite lentils. My mom did not cook them very often.

Anyway, the dal I made today is super delicious creamy dal with coconut milk. Enjoy with hot steamed rice or your favorite roti

Khopra Masoor Dal (Red lentils in coconut milk)

Coconut Masoor dal

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup masoor dal
2. 2 ripe tomatoes chopped fine
3. 1 medium small onion chopped fine
4. 2 large garlic cloves
5. 1 tablespoon oil
6. 1 cup coconut milk
7. 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin, urad dal, mustard seeds, hing, salt, chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric
8. 3 dried red chillies, few curry leave

In a pressure cooker cook the dal with 2 cups water add turmeric for 4-6 whistles. Let the steam escape.

In the mean time heat oil in a pan and add cumin, urad dal, mustard seeds, red chillies and curry leaves and fry till they start to splutter. Add finely chopped garlic and hing and fry for 30 minutes. Add the rest of the powder ingredients and mix well. Add onions and fry till they become brown. Add tomatoes and cook for 5-7 minutes. Open the cooker after the steam has escaped and add it to the pan and mix well. Simmer for 5-7 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add coconut milk and simmer further for 5 more minutes. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy hot hot :)

Palak Masoor Dal

My mom seldom used to make Masoor dal. For that matter we never used to eat dal at a regular basis in our house. But lately I have been making many dishes with masoor dal and I like it.
           Today, I asked my D what she wants to eat for dinner and she said "dal Roti". And instead of making any plain old dal I made masoor dal with Spinach. It is yummy and healthy and the kids ate it too without any fuss. So here is the recipe

Palak Masoor Dal (Red lentils with Spinach)

Palak Masoor Dal

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup masoor dal dry roasted
2. 3/4 cup loosely packed frozen spinach thawed or about 2 cups fresh spinach
3. 1 medium tomato chopped
4. 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
5. 1 big or 2 small green chillies chopped
6. 1/2 teaspoon each of ginger-garlic paste, cumin, mustard seeds, salt, turmeric, asofetida
7. 1 tablespoons lemon juice (optional)
8. 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves (optional)
9. 1 tablespoon oil

In a pressure cooker add the dal, spinach, tomato and turmeric with about 2 cups of water and cook fo 3 -4 whistles. In a pan heat the oil and add the cumin and mustard seeds and let them splatter. Add the onions and fry till they start becoming brown. Add green chillies, ginger-garlic paste and asofetida and fry for a minute. Add the dal and the rest of the ingredients and add about 1/2 cup water if it gets too thick. Simmer for 5 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve with hot Roghni Roti