Kashmiri Dal

Ingredients

• 1 cup masoor dal
• 2tbspn oil
• 1-2tbspn ghee
• 1 cup fresh mint, roughly torn
• 1 cup fresh coriander, chopped
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• 1/2 inch ginger, grated
• 2tbspn tomato paste
• 2 green chillies (1 deseeded) finely chopped
• 1tspn coriander powder
• 1tspn turmeric powder
• 1tspn curry powder
• 1tspn salt
• 3 cups water

Method

1. Heat oil, add mint and fry for a couple of mins.
2. Add onion, pinch of salt and fry on low till onions turn red
3. Add all the powdered spices along with chillies and ginger, garlic and tomato pastes. Fry on low-to-med flame till raw taste of spices is gone, around 10mins
4. Add masoor dal and fry for another 2 mins.
5. Add 3 cups boiling water and simmer till dal is cooked but still remains whole (this time can vary but it took me 15mins)
6. Adjust seasoning, add the ghee and coriander and let sit for 10mins.

Variation (if made with toor dal)

1. Cook toor dal in water with half a tomato, pinch of turmeric, salt and 1tspn of oil, until dal is just cooked but still al-dente.
2. Follow steps 1 to 3 above.
3. Then add the cooked dal along with the water it was cooked in. Add more water if needed and simmer for 5 mins till dal is fully cooked.
4. Step 6 as above