FW: Mike Wolfberg's Recipe for Masoor Dal

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Here is a repost of a lentil dish.

Carol

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BTVC-SCD [mailto:BTVC-SCD ] On Behalf Of Jan

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Sent: Wednesday, August 12, 2009 2:37 AM

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Subject: Mike Wolfberg's Recipe for Masoor Dal

[incredibly detailed recipe - More here: http://kenya-portals.com/colitis/]

Mike Wolfberg's Recipe for Masoor Dal

This is a soupy kind of dish which is best served in small bowls.

This recipe is based on one from " Flavors of India " by Sacharoff,

published in

1972 by 101 Productions and distributed in the U.S. by Scribner's Sons.

1 cup split dry red lentils (masoor dal)

3 cups water

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. ground turmeric

1/4 tsp. hot red pepper

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. ground coriander seeds

1/2 tsp. finely chopped fresh ginger root

The gnarled pieces have the most flavor; avoid buying large solid pieces. Cut

off the brown skin before chopping.

1 tsp. black mustard seeds

1 Tbl. mustard oil {any other oil of choice}

1/2 dried hot red pepper

Cut this open and discard the seeds and pulpy material. Finely break or chop

the

pepper.

1/2 - 2 oz. fresh lemon juice

according to taste - start with the smaller amount and add enough to just begin

to get the blending in of the lemon flavor.

1-2 Tbl. (or more) chopped cilantro

Wash this well to get rid of grit.

1. Look through the lentils carefully, and remove any foreign objects, such

as stones, twigs, and other grains. This can easily be done by pouring a few

tablespoons (at a time) of lentils onto a white dinner plate and looking at all

the contents of the plate; remove the foreign matter as you find it by sliding

it off the plate; then dump the contents of the plate into a bowl.

2. Wash the dal under warm water by placing the dal in a strainer and

placing that in a bowl. Run the water over the dal, let it soak in the water,

and stir it. Continue rinsing until the water is clear

and some of the scummy bubbles are washed away. Drain the dal.

3. Bring the water to a boil. Add the salt and the washed dal. After it

comes to a boil again, cook uncovered for 5 minutes. Then lower the heat to

low,

cover, and cook for another 15-20 minutes, until it is quite soft.

4. Stir, and add in the 4 powdered spices and the ginger. Let this simmer

for another couple of minutes.

5. In another pot with a cover, large enough to hold the dal, place the

mustard seeds, chopped dried red pepper, and the mustard oil. Cover the pot and

put it on a low flame. As the pot heats up, the seeds pop and spatter. When the

spattering stops, turn off the flame, and wait several seconds before

uncovering

the pot. Do not breath the hot fumes from this pot! Add the dal mixture to this

pot, enjoying the loud " chuuum " sound as you pour.

At this point the mixture can be kept on hold for hours.

6. Soon before serving, be sure the dal is hot. If you had not put it on

hold, leave the mixture to simmer another 2 minutes, letting the flavors blend;

cover the pot if you don't want to lose moisture, according to how soupy you

want it to be. I prefer this to be a bit thicker than a thick split pea soup.

7. Add the lemon juice and chopped cilantro, and stir. Start with about 1/2

oz. of lemon juice, and add enough to just begin to get the blending in of the

lemon flavor. It is ready to serve in a minute. Even though the lentils are

salmon-colored, the final result is a dark yellow.