Your favorite dal with a twist

This is yet another recipe I have got from my family. Best for a simple dinner that goes with both roti and rice.
Well, easy for working professionals for sure!

Masoor dal being an integral part of every household, should never get boring!

Here’s one trick to bring spice back to your regular dal!

It’s prep time!

• Masoor dal 1 cup
• Tomato – 2 finely chopped (it’s my love for tomatoes, you can use a bit less too)
• 2 medium sized onions, 4 cloves of garlic & green chili – chopped
• Bengali special bhaja (roasted) masala
• Coriander leaves (optional)
• Vegetable oil

Let’s cook!

• Wash the dal (lentil) for at least twice. Put it to boil with a little more water than regular (3 cups of water against 1 cup of dal)
• Once the dal is boiled properly, place a pan on your oven.
• Pour 1 tablespoon of oil. Once hot, temper the chopped garlic & green chili till golden brown.
• Once the smell of raw garlic goes off, fry onions. Sprinkle a bit of salt while frying the onions – it helps onions get caramelized better & faster
• Add chopped tomatoes to fried onion. Fry this for a few minutes tomatoes are done.
• Add the dal and let it mix on a medium flame
• Once the dal is done, add the roasted masala (amount as per your choice, just remember this masala adds the twist & brings the aroma of the dal)
• Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves

How to make the Bengali style Bhaja masala (Roasted masala)

Dry roast the following

• 1 tablespoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
• 1 tablespoon Coriander seeds (Dhaniya)
• ½ tablespoon Fennel seeds (Saunf)
• ¼ teaspoon Fenugreek seeds (Methi)
• 1 Bay leaf (Tejpatta)
• 1 dry Red Chilli (Sukhi lal mirch)

Let’s cook!

• Take a pan on flame and put the flame in medium low. Let the pan become completely dry.
• Add 1 bay leaf, 1 dry red chilli into the pan and dry roast them for 1 minute in medium low flame. Stir them frequently.
• Add 1 tablespoon Cumin seeds, 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, ¼ teaspoon Fenugreek seeds, ½ tablespoon Fennel seeds one by one into the pan and give a nice mix.
• Dry roast the whole spices in medium low flame for 3-4 minutes until the spice mix change the colour slightly. Stir the whole spices continuously with the help of a wooden spatula. When the spice mix is done, you will get a nice redolent flavour from it.
• Switch off the flame and transfer the spices immediately on a separate dry plate. Spread the spices on a plate and let it rest until the spice mix cools down completely to room temperature.
• Transfer the spices into a small jar of the grinder and put on the lid of the jar. Pulse it for a minute to make fine dust

Storage instructions

After grinding the bhaja masala, you can keep it in a clean and dry airtight container. Keep the spice in a cool and dry place which is always away from direct sunlight. Always use dry spoon for the spice. You can store the spice for 4-5 months.