Gujarati dal

Gujarati cuisine is basically served with dal, rice, fulka/ chapathi's, subzi, vegetable salad and yogurt and everything is vegetarian pretty much! Dal is an essential part of gujarati meal. Here is the dal recipe which is little sweet and little tangy!


Ingredients:
Toor dal (one cup) 
2 medium sized tomatoes 
Whole mustard (one tea spoon)
Whole jeera (one tea spoon)
Jeera / cumin Powder ( 1 tea spoon) 
Dhaniya powder ( I tea spoon)
Amchur / dry powder ( 1 tea spoon)
Sugar ( 1 tea spoon)
Chili powder ( 1 tea spoon)
Turmeric (half tea spoon)
Green chillies 2
Peanuts - 1/4th cup
Curry leaves
Hing / asafoetida (one pinch)
Ghee / oil 4 table spoons
Salt to taste.


Method of preparation:

1. Pressure cook toor dal with 2 cups of water for 3 pressure release cycles (3 whistles), then switch off the stove and allow it to cool down. 
2. In the mean while, take a kadai / skillet heat oil / ghee then add whole mustard, Jeera, hing, slit green chillies, jeera powder, dhaniya powder,red chili hing and fry till flavour come out then add chopped tomatoes mix it well and leave it for 2 minutes. 
3. Now add turmeric, jeera powder,  dhaniya powder and amchur close the skillet with a lid and cook for 5 minutes adding 3 to 4 teaspoons of water if required. 
4. Once oil starts getting separated from the tomatoes, add the cooked dal and peanuts and one cup of water. As the dal becomes be little loose in consistency, add salt to taste. 
5. Allow it to cook for 10 minutes. If required, any spices or masala can be added at this time. 
6. Switch off the stove and Gujarati dal is ready to serve. 

*Ideas:
chopped garlic can be added to the dal while cooking (gujarati food is not made with garlic usually ).
Jeera, dhaniya, amchur and chili powder can be added more according to your taste.