(Five Dal mixed in an equal portion)
Panchratan Dal is a unique North Indian dish. It is exotic mixture of five different lentils cooked together and flavored with spices and onion, garlic, tomato and green chili tadka and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
In Hindi Panchratan literally means five jewels which refer to five different lentils in the preparation of Dal. They are Toor dal (Arhar dal), Chana dal, Red Malka masoor dal, Moong dal and Urad dal.
Panchratan dal is a very simple dish that is cooked in almost every Indian household. It is usually served with roti and rice accompanied with some vegetable dish.
Ingredients for dal:
¼ Cup toor dal (Arhar Dal)
¼ Cup moong dal (yellow skinned)
¼ Cup white urad dal
¼ Cup chana dal
¼ Cup split and skinned red masoor dal
½ Teaspoon turmeric powder
1½ Teaspoon salt or to your taste
4 Cups of water
2 Tablespoons chopped coriander
leaves (optional)
Ingredient for onion tadka:
1 Medium onion- chopped
1 Teaspoon minced garlic
1 Medium ripe tomato- chopped into
small pieces
1 Medium green chili – chopped
1 Tablespoons vegetable oil
Ingredients for cumin seed tadka:
1 Teaspoon cumin seeds
1 Pinch of asafetida (Hing)
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
Ingredients for hot chili tadka
2 Teaspoons crushed red chilies or red
chili powder
2 Tablespoons melted butter or ghee
Cooking measuremetn conversion
Measuement converter
Toor dal, Moong dal, white Urad Dal , Chana dal & skinned Red Masoor dal
Chopped Tomatoes, Chopped Onions Chopped Green Chilies & Minced Garlic
Crushed Pepper, Butter. Cumin Seeds Hing (Asafetida)
Directions for cooking dal:
1. In a pressure cooker add all the Dals and wash, changing water several times until the water appears clear and then soak dals in 4 cups of water for 30 minutes or longer.
Add dals in pressure cooker
Wash and rinse the Dal’s
Soak Dal’s in water
Dal’s are soaked
2. Once Dal’s are soaked rinse the water out and wash . Add 4 cups of water,
Turmeric powder, salt and 1 teaspoon of oil and mix. When Dal is boiling it creates lot of foam and the foam comes out from pressure cooker to prevent that it is a good idea to add little oil.
3. Close the lid of the pressure cooker, place the weight on the lid and cook on
medium high heat.
Add water, salt & Turmeric & mix
Close the Pressure cooker
4. In about 8 to 10 minutes pressure cooker will start steaming turn the heat down and cook for 7 to 8 minutes. Turn the stove off and wait until steam goes down. Different brand of cooker require different time to cook.
5. While dal is cooking prepare the onion and cumin seed tadka and keep them
aside (see below for directions)
6. Open the pressure cooker and turn the stove on to medium heat, with the cooking spoon mix dal well so there are no lumps, if the dal is thick then add more water if it is too watery, then cook little longer.
Open the Pressure cooker
Mix Dal well
7. Add Onion, tomato tadka and mix and cook for 5 minutes.
8. Add cumin seed Tadka and cook for 1 minute and turn the stove of or until you have the desired consistency.
9. When ready to serve, transfer dal in a serving bowl and garnish it with coriander leaves and pour hot chili tadka over dal. (See below for chili tadka)
Add onion and tomato tadka
Add Cumin Seed Tadka
Panchratan Dal is ready
Panchratan Dal
Tips:
1. If you wish you can skip onion tadka or any other tadka and alter Dal to your taste.
2. Use pressure cooker for cooking dal otherwise it takes too long to cook dal.
Direction for cumin seed tadka: (tadka)
1. Heat oil in a small pan (tadka spoon) add 1 tablespoon oil, cumin seeds and, asafetida, fry them for 2 to 3 minutes or until cumin seeds become dark brown Turn the stove off.
Directions for hot chili tadka: (Hot oil) (tadka)
1. In a small pan (tadka pan) heat 2 tablespoons ghee or melted butter add crushed red chilies or red chili powder and fry them on very low heat for 1 to 2 minutes or until the red chilies fried, turn the heat off.
Direction for onion tadka: (tadka)
1. Heat small frying pan, add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, chopped onions and minced garlic and sauté them on medium high heat for 5 to 6 minutes or until onions become light brown, while frequently stirring them.
2. Add chopped tomatoes and chopped green chilies and cook. With the spatula try to mash the tomatoes so that they become soft quickly. In about 5 to 6 minutes tomatoes will become soft and blend with onions. Turn the stove off.
Geeta Seth
Other recipe:
Masoor Dal Moong dal with spinach
Trevti dal Chana dal
(Toor dal, moong dal & chana dal mix)
Moong dal
Toor dal & masala tadka dal
(Arhar or pigeon peas) Boiled white rice
Maharani dal Chapatti (Pulkha or roti)