Basic South Indian Soupy Split Pigeon Peas Recipes

TOOR DAL (SPLIT YELLOW PIGEON PEAS)

Steps:

• Prepare the dal: Soak the pigeon peas in a large bowl of warm water for about 1 hour. (They will have swelled a little.) Thoroughly rinse the soaked pigeon peas with fresh water, then tip the drained pigeon peas into a pot.
• Add tomatoes, turmeric, salt and 5 cups water, and bring to a boil over high. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until very tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Use an immersion blender to purée some of the dal, leaving some intact and getting some very smooth, or whisk vigorously to break up some of the soft dal. Stir in the peanuts and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the dal is very tender, about 30 minutes. Taste and adjust with salt. If the dal has become too thick for your liking, stir in a splash of water.
• Prepare the tempering: In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the ghee. When hot, carefully add all of the tempering ingredients (the mustard seeds will sputter!) and swirl the pan until you can smell all the toasted spices, about 30 seconds. Pour everything over the hot dal.

FALGUNI'S GUJARATI SPLIT PIGEON PEAS

Steps:

• 1. Place the dal with 3 cups water in a large saucepan (not nonstick) and boil over high heat about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan, and cook until the dal is very soft and broken, about 30 minutes. Let cool, then with an electric handheld mixer, beat it on medium speed to make a smooth puree, about 1 minute. Mix in the remaining 3 cups water, kokum, jaggery, coriander, cumin, turmeric, cayenne pepper, half the asafoetida, and salt.2. In a food processor, process together the tomatoes, green chili peppers, ginger, and curry leaves to make a smooth puree, about 30 seconds, and add it to the dal.3. Boil the soupy dal over high heat about 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer the dal about 20 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, mix in the cilantro, cover, and keep warm.4. Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the cinnamon, cloves, and red chili peppers about 30 seconds. Then add the mustard and cumin seeds, and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon asafoetida they should splutter upon contact with the hot oil, so lover the heat and cover the pan until spluttering subsides. Transfer to the dal and swirl lightly to mix, with parts of it visible as a garnish. Serve.From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

CRISPY SPLIT PIGEON PEA CAKE

Steps:

• 1. Soak the dal in the water about 1hour or longer. Transfer the dal and water to a small, nonstick saucepan, add the salt and turmeric, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer until all water is absorbed.2. Reduce the heat further and drizzle 2 tablespoons oil into the dal along the circumference of the pan. Cover and allow the dal to develop a thin crust at the bottom (do not stir), 30 to 40 minutes. With a rubber spatula lightly dislodge the edges, then invert the cake onto a serving platter.3. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a small nonstick saucepan. Add the red chili peppers and mustard seeds they should splutter upon contact with the hot oil, so cover the pan and reduce the heat until the spluttering subsides. Add the asafoetida and curry leaves, stir a few seconds, then pour everything over the dal as a garnish. Serve.VARIATION: For added flavor, mix finely chopped ginger, garlic, or cilantro into the dal in Step 1, while it cooks.From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

PIGEON PEA PASTE (AKA ARHAR DAL OR TOOVAR DAL)

Steps:

• Pick over the peas and wash them well. Drain. Soak the peas overnight in water to cover by 5 inches. Drain, discard soaking liquid.
• PRESSURE COOKER METHOD:.
• Put the drained peas in a pressure cooker and cover with water by 1/2 inch. Add a few drops of cooking oil to prevent foaming. Put the lid on and bring up to pressure. Cook for 15 minutes. Allow the pressure to drop by itself.
• NON-PRESSURE COOK METHOD:.
• Put the drained peas in a medium pan along with water to cover them by 2 inches and bring it to a boil. Cover partially, turn the heat down to low, and simmer gently until the beans are tender, 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours.

PUNJABI-STYLE SPLIT PIGEON PEAS

Steps:

• 1. Place the dal in a large saucepan and add water, salt, and turmeric. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover the saucepan (partially at first, then completely), and cook, stirring occasionally, until the dal is cream, 35 to 40 minutes. As the dal cooks, some of it may foam and rise to the top. Stir the foam back into the dal. Mix in the lime juice and transfer to a serving dish. Cover and keep warm.2. Heat the oil in a small saucepan and cook the onion, curry leaves and green chili pepper, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the cumin seeds and ginger and stir about 1 minute. Add the coriander, ground cumin, and paprika and stir about 1 minute, then transfer to the dal and swirl lightly to mix, with parts of it visible as a garnish. Top with the cilantro and serve.From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

HAZRAM'S SOUPY PIGEON PEAS

Steps:

• 1. Prepare the tamarind paste and the sambar powder. Then place the dal and water in a pressure cooker, secure the lid, and cook over high heat until the regulator indicated high pressure, then cook 30 seconds more. Remove from the heat and allow the pot to depressurize on its own, 12 to 15 minutes. Carefully open the lid and stir vigorously to mash the dal. Keep over low heat while you proceed with the next step.2. In a small bowl, combine the mustard seeds, asafoetida, green chili peppers, and curry leaves. In another bowl combine the coriander, sambar powder, fenugreek leaves, turmeric, and salt.3. Heat the oil in a large, nonstick wok or saucepan over moderate heat and cook the red chili peppers and onion until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Add the mustard seeds-curry leaves mixture and cook, stirring, about 1 minute. Add the tomato and cook until all the juices evaporate, about 2 minutes.4. Add the coriander-sambar powder mixture, stir about a minute, then add the tamarind paste and cook about 3 minutes. Mix in the dal and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, add the cilantro, and simmer about 10 minutes to blend the flavors. Transfer to a bowl and serve.From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

SOUPY SPLIT PIGEON PEAS WITH JAGGERY

Steps:

• 1. Prepare the masala, then place the dal, water, and curry leaves in a pressure cooker. Secure the lid and cook over high heat until the regulator indicated high pressure, then cook 30 seconds more. Remove from the heat and allow the pot to depressurize on its own, 12 to 15 minutes. Carefully open the lid. Let cool, then blend in the pot with a hand-held immersion mixer or transfer to a blender and purée, then return it to the pressure cooker.2. In a small bowl, combine the curry powder, turmeric, cayenne pepper, and salt. Reserve 1 teaspoon of the mixture and add the rest to the processed dal. Mix in the lime juice and jaggery.3. To make the tarka, heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and add the mustard, cumin, and fenugreek seeds they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Remove the pan from the heat and add the reserved 1 teaspoon curry powder mixture and the asafoetida. Immediately add the tarka to the dal and mix well. Transfer to a serving bowl, mix in the cilantro, and serve.From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

BASIC SOUTH INDIAN SOUPY SPLIT PIGEON PEAS

Steps:

• 1. Prepare the tamarind paste and the sambar powder. Then, place the dal, water, green chili peppers, curry leaves, turmeric, and salt in a pressure cooker. Secure the lid and cook over high heat until the regulator indicates high pressure, then cook 1 minute more. Remove from the heat and allow the pot to depressurize on its own, 12 to 15 minutes. Carefully open the lid and mix in the tamarind and cilantro. Stir vigorously to mash the dal, then transfer to a serving bowl, cover, and keep warm.2. Heat the oil in a small nonstick saucepan over medium heat. Add the red chili peppers, stirring about 30 seconds (stand back in case they burst), then the onion, and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger, fry a few seconds, then add the asafoetida and mustard seeds they should splutter upon contact with the hot oil, so lower the heat and cover the pan until the spluttering subsides. Add the sambar powder and cook, about 30 seconds. Transfer to the dal and swirl lightly to mix, with parts of it visible as a garnish. Top with the cilantro and serve.From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.