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Everything about Dal Recipes :

Dal One of the popular pulses commonly prepared in every house of South Asian
countries. Dal can also be spelled in many ways like the Dahl, Daal, Dhal, or the
Parippu, Paruppu and Pappu because of the wide cultural heritage and multifaceted
languages that we have in our Country.Dal is a preparation of pulses (dried lentils, peas or
beans) which have been stripped of their outer hulls and split. Dals are also commonly
available like the whole pulses known as sabut dal or the split dal known as dhuli dal. The
hulling of a pulse is to improve digestibility and palatability. There are over 50 different
varieties of pulses in India & Pakistan.Dal is prepared like a thick stew with mild spices and
seasoned with fresh curry leaves (also called Karipak) and coriander leaves (known as
cilantro) to give an earthy flavor. Dal (dried lentil) is low in fat and high in protein, fibre and
nutritious.To name few of the popular Daals cooked at every household are the:Masoor dal
(red dal) These are skinned and split lentils. They are salmon coloured, cooks quickly and
turns mushy and golden.Toor dal or Tuvar dal or Tur dal or Arhar dal (yellow dal) - A whole
lentil, yellow in color with a tan jacket but are usually skinned and split. They are mild and
have a nutty flavor. Tur Dal is a very vital ingredient in preparing dal for a daily meal like
Plain dal, Sambar and also used in preparation of Rasam.Urad dal, Urid dal (black dal or
white dal) - A creamy white lentil like beans having a black skin casing over it, available as a
whole or split dal. Split dal is usually used for seasoning the curries/ gravies. This is also used
to make the popular tiffin over the country known as the Idli. To get a soft and fluffy Idli, it
is best to use a whole dal.Moong dal (green dal or green gram) Dried lentil, green or
yellow in colour. The whole dal is green in colour and is used to make many preparations like
the Pesarattu (also known as green Dosa), pakoda etc. This is also soaked overnight and
sprouted. The sprouted dal is used in preparing salad or also eaten raw. It is highly nutritious
and a low cal food. The skinned and split dal is also called the dhuli moong and they are flat,
yellow in color and very easy and fast to cook. Theyre relatively easy to digest too.Channa
dal Small, splited, size of a half chickpea, dull yellow in color with a sweet and nutty
flavor. One of the most popular dal in India used mainly in seasoning and many other
varieties of dishes. Cooked Channa dal normally causes flatulence, hence Indian try to
counter by adding asafoetida (known as Hing) to dish.Rajma Popularly known as Red
Kidney Bean ( reddish brown in color) all over the World. Normally cooked in Northern
India and usually served with rice (known as Rajma-Chawal). Rajma is also cooked in onion
tomato gravy with spices and is tangy to taste. This dish is prepared by soaking the red
kidney beans overnight and boiled in a pressure cooker the next day. Red Kidney bean is an
excellent source of iron, potassium, thiamine, vitamin B6, folic acid and has very high starch,
protein and dietary fibre. A cup of red kidney beans, taken daily, is a good choice for diabetic
patients and prevents blood sugar level from rising rapidly after meal.Lobia or Lobiya (black
eyed bean) - Pale colored with a prominent black spot in the centre of the bean. In North
India, lobia is cooked as a Dal and South India, the normal snack prepared by lobia is the
Sundal, they normally soak it overnight and boil the next day and season it with mustard,
curry leaves, dry red chillies, asafoetida, salt and fresh coconut grated. Black eyed peas are
excellent source of calcium, folate and Vitamin A among other nutrients and high in
nutrition.As part of the Jewish New Year tradition, it is thought that eating black eyed peas
bring prosperity and good luck. Black eyed bean is quite popular in the west especially South
America and is often used in Indian cooking.Popular dishes prepared with the above Dals
include:
Idli, Dosa, Vada, Dal Makhani, Moong Dal Vada,
Pesarattu, Channa dal recipe, Arhar dal recipe, Tadka or Tarka dal recipe, Masoor dal recipe,
Yellow dal recipe, Dal curry recipe, Daal Bhaati, Patholi and populary known Palak

Dal.Delicious spiced powders are prepared by mixing of Dals and other spices which can be
eaten with hot rice and ghee or also is accompanied with Idli or Dosa. There are a variety of
Dal powders.Dal Preparation :Most of the Dal recipes are quite simple to cook. The standard
preparation of Dal begins with washing, boiling a variety of Dal (or mixed dal) in water with
adding some turmeric (haldi powder) and a little of oil to make the dal soft a little faster. Its
than smashed well and seasoning (popularly known as Tadka, Tarka, Chaunk or baghaar) is
done at the end of cooking process and garnished with fresh coriander leaves.Tadka :Tadka or
Tarka (also known as chaunk or baghaar) is done by adding various spices or flavorings fried
in a little amount of oil. The Tadka or seasoning is different and vary by region or ones
individual taste.

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