Urad Dal with Fresh Fenugreek

Sometimes a gentle Indian meal with split dal is just the thing I crave. I adore the creamy texture and mellow, yet unique flavour of urad dal so I made this simple dish for a special lady friend of mine when she was over for an afternoon visit. Fresh fenugreek is a must in this dish and it was a delight to find some at my local Indian grocery store. I served it with hot basmati rice, but it certainly would go well with naan or any other Indian flatbread.

Urad Dal and Chana Dal with Fresh Fenugreek and Tomatoes

Adapted from Pure & Simple by Vidhu Mittal

2/3 cup of skinless, split urad dal, well rinsed
1/3 cup of chana dal, well rinsed
sea salt to taste
1 teaspoon of turmeric
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
3 green chilies, seeded and finely chopped
1 cup of fresh fenugreek leaves, chopped
2 teaspoons of ghee, or a mixture of butter and oil
2 large tomatoes, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups of water

For the tempering:

1 tablespoon of ghee, or a mixture of butter and oil
1/2 teaspoon of asafetida
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon of fenugreek seeds
1/2 teaspoon of red chili powder

Soak the urad dal and chana dal in enough water to cover for at least 1 hour. Drain, transfer to a large pot, add 1 1/2 cups of water, bring to boil, reduce the heat to low and cover and simmer until the dal is soft, stirring occasionally to ensure the water does not boil away.

Add the fenugreek leaves to the pot and set aside.

Heat 2 teaspoons of ghee in a frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add the tomato and salt to the pan and stir and fry until the tomato begins to soften. Add the tomato to the beans, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for another 5 - 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the tempering. Heat a tablespoon of ghee in a small frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add the asafetida, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds and red chili powder. Stir and fry for a minute. Pour over the cooked lentil dish.

Serves 4-6.

More urad dal recipes from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:
Urad Dal with Tomatoes
Fennel Flavoured Ural Dal Soup
Urad Dal with Tomatoes, Spices and Coconut

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