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DHABA DAAL FRY

A combination of lentils cooked with indian spices served with flavoured rice and tempered potatoes
Seen here with Bhuna aloo ( tempered potatoes) and Zeera Rice ( cumin flavoured rice)
Print Recipe
Servings 6 People

Equipment

  • Knife
  • Chopping board
  • mixing bowl
  • At least two pots with lid
  • deep round pan (karahi)

Ingredients
  

  • 150 g red lentils 
  • 150 g Chana daal 
  • 150 g Toor daal (arhar daal) 
  • 3 tbsp Desi ghee (Butter ghee) 
  • 1 medium size onion (chopped) 
  • 2 medium size tomatoes chopped 
  • 2 tsp whole zeera (cumin seeds) 
  • 1 tsp kasuri methi 
  • 2 tsp ginger and garlic  paste 
  • 1 tsp finely chopped garlic 
  • 2-3 chopped green chillies  
  • Salt 
  • 2 tsp chilli powder 
  • ¼ tsp haldi powder (Turmeric powder) 
  • A handful of fresh coriander leaves finely chopped for garnishing 

Zeera Rice

  • 500 g (approximately 2 cups) basmati rice 
  • (wash and soak for half an hour) 
  • Salt
  • 2 tsp ginger garlic paste  
  • (if using separately then 1 tsp of each- ginger and garlic) 
  • 2 tsp zeera (cumin seeds) 
  • 1 tbsp ghee 

Bhuna Aloo

  • (tempered potato Indian style)
  • 8-10 medium size potato (not available use any variety) 
  • 3 tbsp mustard oil 
  • 1 tbsp whole zeera (cumin seeds) 
  • 1 tbsp rai (brown mustard seeds)  
  • 2 tsp crushed chilli flakes
  • 2 tsp red chilli powder
  • ½ tsp haldi powder ( turmeric powder)
  • 2 tsp mango powder (amchoor) 
  • ( use chaat masala if not available)
  • Salt to taste 

Instructions
 

Method 1

  • Wash and soak the lentils for at least an hour. In a pot add water (double the quantity of lentils), all the three lentils, salt, chilli powder and haldi powder. Bring it to a boil, cover and simmer cook for at least 25 minutes or until the lentils are softened. Use a whisk to gently mix the daals. 
  • In a Kadhai (Deep round pan), add ghee followed by zeera. Once it starts splattering, add chopped onions and chopped garlic. When it turns golden brown in colour, add ginger garlic paste, tomatoes, green chillies, and kasuri methi. Fry this masala for a few minutes (approximately 3-4 mins). Keep aside a tbsp of this fried masala with some ghee for garnishing. Also, you might have to adjust the consistency of daal before pouring it in the masala. If its too thick add some boiling water, on the contrary, if its too runny you can always cook for few minutes and bring it to the required consistency. Now pour the prepared daal in the kadhai. Remember daal should be hot when pouring in! Switch the gas off and mix it gently in the masala. Garnish with the coriander leaves and the masala kept aside. You can always finish of with an extra dollop of ghee before serving.  

Method 2

  • In a pot, put soaked rice with water (double the quantity of rice). Add all the other ingredients and start cooking on high flame. Mix in the ingredients by stirring lightly. When the water starts boiling, leave it open for about 4-5 minutes. Thereafter, stir lightly once again and cover. Reduce the flame to medium at this stage and let it cook for another five minutes (approximately). Check, the most of the water should have dried by now with some moisture left. If it’s completely dried, just add some water ( about ¼ cup only if needed) and reduce the flame to lowest. Make sure the lid covers the pot tightly so the steam could not escape. You can use aluminium foil or a moist cloth with the lid to cover the pot. Make sure there’s enough steam inside the pot. Leave it on low flame for another 12-15 minutes (approximately). Switch off the cooker. 
  • Let it sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.
  • If you do not feel very comfortable with this method, you can go for the second method

Method 3 

  • Put rice, 1 tsp salt and 5 cups of water in a pot and place it on high flame. Leave the pot open and wait till it starts boiling. Let it boil for 5-8 minutes. Check the rice, it should be cooked completely. Be careful, do not overcook in order to prevent the rice from breaking. After its cooked, drain the water using the sieve. Let it sit for about 10 minutes to reassure all the water is completely drained.  
  • In a deepfrying pan (kadhai), add ghee and cumin seeds. When the seeds start splattering add ginger garlic paste and salt (about 1 tsp, remember some salt was added when boiling the rice). Fry it quickly, for just about one minute, on medium flame. Add the boiled rice and mix it in gently. Leave it on very low flame whilst mixing and leave it on low flame for few minutes so all the flavours are blended in nicely. Switch off the cooker, rice is ready to serve. 

Method 4

  • Wash and cut the potatoes (skin on) in to 1”cubes approximately. In a kadhai ( deep pan) add oil, once it is hot put zeera and rai seeds. When they start splattering add chilli flakes, red chilli powder and haldi powder. Lower the flame of the cooker as the masala might get burnt very quickly. Immediately after adding the masalas in the hot oil, add the potatoes, salt and mix it all in.
  • Now add just about 100ml of water and cover the pan. Leave it on high flame for few minutes to build the steam inside the kadhai. Then leave it on low medium flame to simmer cook until potatoes are cooked. After 15-20 minutes, check the potatoes, if they are cooked add the mango powder or chaat masala and fry the potatoes for few minutes on high flame. This will give a crispy layer and a nice yellowish brown colour to the potatoes. It will also help to dry out, if there’s any water left, in the Kadhai.

Notes

  • Remember, lentils have a tendency to thicken when they cool down. Always check the consistency when hot. 
  • Avoid cooking too much after daal is added in the masala, it will spoil the lovely colour of the dish. Make sure you have the right consistency before pouring in the masala. 
  • If you did not keep the masala aside or you want to add some extra aroma and a kick of spice to your daal……… In a pan just add a tbsp of ghee, once its hot, switch off the gas and add ½ tsp chilli powder. Use it as a garnish when serving! 
  • This rice can also be made in rice cooker. Fry the ingredients quickly in a pan as in the second method. Add them with the rice in the cooker. Follow the instructions as per the rice cooker.