Masur Dal (Simple)

Required

Masur dal 1/2 seer, ghee 1 chhatak, curd I chhatak, ginger 1 tola, pepper 1/2 tola, cumin 1/2 tola, turmeric 1/4 tola, cassia leaves 4 in number, panch-foron 1 pinch, salt 1 1/2 tola, water 1 1/4 seer, fenugreek 1 pinch.

Method

Boil the washed dal in water. Add powdered turmeric and cassia leaves when it starts boiling. Add ginger, pepper and cumin, all of them pasted or powdered, and curd and salt when the pulses are boiled. Churn the liquid so that the pulses melt thoroughly. Then take the pan down.

Heat the ghee in another pan with the panch-foron and fenugreek in it. When they are fried pour in the liquid dal. Boil for a few minutes more and take down.

Masur Dal (Alternative)

Required

Masur dal 1/2 seer, ghee 1/2 powa, curd 1 chhatak, ginger-juice 1 tola, pepper 1/2 tola, cumin 1/2 tola, turmeric 1/4 tola, a few cassia leaves, salt 1 1/4 tola, cardamom, cinnamon and clove 1/4 tola altogether, panch-foron 1 pinch, water 1 seer, a few green chillies.

Method

Wash the dal and keep them under water for about 20 minutes, and then drain off the water. Heat half the ghee in a pan with the cassia leaves. Add the dal when the ghee is sufficiently hot and stir till they become light brown. Then add hot water with salt and powdered turmeric. Add curd, ginger-juice and powdered pepper and cumin when the pulses are well boiled. The pulses must be thoroughly melted. Then take the pan down. Heat the rest of the ghee in another pan with the panch-foron and the green chillies cut lengthwise. Pour in the liquid dal when the ghee is sufficiently hot Boil for a few minutes more. Add powdered cardamom, cinnamon and clove, and stir before taking off the fire. Keep it covered.

Masur dal is very tasteful, easily digestible and nutritious Green leaves of coriander plants are often added to give an aroma to the preparation.

Arahar And Mash Kalai

The required materials and the methods are the same in the preparations of both arahar and mash-kalai as in the case of masur dal Arahar dal should be cooked with plenty of ghee and mash-kalai with powdered or pasted aniseed and ginger for making the preparations more tasteful.

Kancha-Moog

Moog dal when husked after drying them in the sun instead of frying them are called "kancha moog-dal". They are richer in vitamin than the fried quality and are easier to digest. Raw entire moog give up shoots when kept moistened with water for about 20 hours, and when cooked with shoots without rich spices they can be assimilated even by patients who cannot usually-digest vegetable protein. The requisites and the methods-are almost the same as in the case of the fried moog-dal. The seasoning is only a bit different.

Heat ghee or oil in a pan and when it is sufficiently hot add a pinch of mustard seeds some pasted ginger and sliced pieces of karela or uch-chhe, if desired, and stir till they are fried. Then pour in the boiled liquid dal and boil it again for a few minutes more. Add some hot ghee and stir before taking down.