LENTILS WITH CARAMELISED SHALLOTS/ KUTTY VENGAYA DAL
Author: 
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Indian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 2.5 cups
 
Ingredients
  • • Tuvar dal/pigeon pea lentils – 1 cup
  • • Green chillies – 3, chopped roughly
  • • Turmeric – 1 tsp
  • • Tomato – 1, chopped finely
  • • Salt – as needed (around 1 tbsp)
  • • Water – 3 cups for pressure-cooking the lentils
  • [For tempering]
  • • Ghee /oil – 3 tbsp (mix of both)
  • • Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
  • • Garlic – 4, chopped
  • • Ginger- 2 inch, julienne or grated cut
  • • Red chilli – 2, broken
  • • Asafetida/hing – pinch
  • • Shallots – 8, skin removed
  • • Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
  • • Amchur powder – 1 tsp
  • • Sugar – a pinch
  • • Dry methi leaves – ½ tbsp, crushed
  • • Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp finely chopped for garnish
  • • Lemon – squeeze a little for garnish
Instructions
  1. Add washed tuvar dal, tomatoes, green chillies, turmeric and salt in the pressure cooker with water.Pressure-cook the lentils for 5-6 whistles till you get a mashable smooth consistency.
  2. Meanwhile in a small sauce pan, heat up the ghee or oil in medium-low flame. Add the cumin seeds, when it crackles, add the whole red chillies, shallots,sugar, garlic, ginger, curry leaves and let them cook in low –medium flame till the shallots gets roasted or caramelized. Turn off the heat and add the red chilli powder, dry methi leaves, asafoetida and amchur powder.
  3. When it’s pressure-cooked, open the cooker and check if the consistency is good. If not mash it, add little water and boil for two minutes. Or leave it.
  4. Add the tempering of shallots to the pressure cooked lentils.
  5. Garnish with chopped coriander and squeeze lemon. Check for salt and serve this shallot dal hot with steamed rice and a potato fry. You can also serve this with rotis/naan.
Notes
1. Vegan Note: use any oil in this recipe instead of ghee.
2. Hing or asafetida is a strong, aromatic spice. It gives unique flavor to daal. But it is optional.
3. If you do not have a pressure cooker, us a heavy bottomed pot with lid and cook for aroung 30-40 minutes in medium low flame.
Recipe by Relish The Bite at https://www.relishthebite.com/lentils-with-caramelised-shallots-kutty-vengaya-dal/