Daily Daal
The humble red lentil when combined with the right spices and cooking technique is elevated to new heights in this nutritious dish.
When I was 12 years old, I was sent to live with my grandmother for a year. My Naani Amma was a wonderful cook, but her journey in the kitchen had been a long and difficult one. After her marriage she found herself in charge of a household at the tender age of 16, with no clue as to where to even begin. Her sister-in-law took her in hand and the first thing she taught her how to cook was Daal.
Fast forward 50+ years, with long summer afternoons in Karachi and no one my own age to play with: I decided to make myself a nuisance and pestered Naani Amma to teach me how to cook. To the great disappointment of my 12 year old self, she started me off with the seemingly boring and nondescript Daal . My Naani used to smile at my protestations, assuring me that though everyone could make Daal, only a few could make Daal well.
I have since realised how right she was. Daal is at the core of Pakistani cuisine, some would argue an integral part of every meal. One should never underestimate how essential - and, may I add, easy - it is to master the humble lentil. Once you have tasted good Daal there is no going back, and you will want to make this again and again.
In a medium saucepan, put the drained lentils and 2 cups of water on to boil.
Add the onions, tomatoes and Hara Spice Blend. Do not add the salt at this point, as it makes the outside of the lentils hard and they will not dissolve completely.
Once it comes up to the boil, turn the heat to low, cover and let simmer for 20 minutes.
20 Minutes
When the lentils are completely soft and breaking down, stir vigorously, mashing all of the lentils up with a potato masher or with the back of the spoon against the sides of the saucepan. It should have the consistency of lentil soup. If too thick, add a little boiling water to loosen, and if too watery, uncover and let cook till it thickens.
At this point, add the salt and the lemon or lime juice.
Leaving the Daal to very gently simmer on the lowest flame, prepare the Bhagaar. Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium to high heat. When hot, add the chilli, ginger and garlic and fry till lightly golden in colour and slightly crisp. In English I would call it the Flourish. A lot of the flavour of the Daal comes from the Flourish at the end, where strong tasting ingredients like ginger, garlic and fresh chillies are fried in oil to concentrate their flavour, and then added to the hot Daal. Fresh ginger and garlic are essential for this step to maximise the flavours).
Pour this hot oil along with all the garlic and ginger bits onto the simmering Daal. You’ll hear a sizzling noise which is what you want.
Take a spoonful of this daal and add it to the hot frying pan to mop up any remaining oil and garlic bits. The Daal will dance around the hot pan, creating what my Nani called jhankaar. Add this jhankaar daal back into the rest of the pot and stir well to mix. Closest English translation would be tinkling or chiming. I like to think of it as singing. Adding the singing and dancing Daal back to the pan, gives the dish a subtle smoky flavour that is the difference between ordinary and good Daal.
Next, add in the fresh herbs off the heat. Cover and let the herbs infuse for 5 minutes.
5 Minutes
Ingredients
Directions
In a medium saucepan, put the drained lentils and 2 cups of water on to boil.
Add the onions, tomatoes and Hara Spice Blend. Do not add the salt at this point, as it makes the outside of the lentils hard and they will not dissolve completely.
Once it comes up to the boil, turn the heat to low, cover and let simmer for 20 minutes.
20 Minutes
When the lentils are completely soft and breaking down, stir vigorously, mashing all of the lentils up with a potato masher or with the back of the spoon against the sides of the saucepan. It should have the consistency of lentil soup. If too thick, add a little boiling water to loosen, and if too watery, uncover and let cook till it thickens.
At this point, add the salt and the lemon or lime juice.
Leaving the Daal to very gently simmer on the lowest flame, prepare the Bhagaar. Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium to high heat. When hot, add the chilli, ginger and garlic and fry till lightly golden in colour and slightly crisp. In English I would call it the Flourish. A lot of the flavour of the Daal comes from the Flourish at the end, where strong tasting ingredients like ginger, garlic and fresh chillies are fried in oil to concentrate their flavour, and then added to the hot Daal. Fresh ginger and garlic are essential for this step to maximise the flavours).
Pour this hot oil along with all the garlic and ginger bits onto the simmering Daal. You’ll hear a sizzling noise which is what you want.
Take a spoonful of this daal and add it to the hot frying pan to mop up any remaining oil and garlic bits. The Daal will dance around the hot pan, creating what my Nani called jhankaar. Add this jhankaar daal back into the rest of the pot and stir well to mix. Closest English translation would be tinkling or chiming. I like to think of it as singing. Adding the singing and dancing Daal back to the pan, gives the dish a subtle smoky flavour that is the difference between ordinary and good Daal.
Next, add in the fresh herbs off the heat. Cover and let the herbs infuse for 5 minutes.
5 Minutes