Arhar Dal Recipe (Yellow Lentil/ Yellow Dal/ Toor Dal/ Pigeon Bean Recipe)

Arhar Dal Recipe is a simple, easy, Healthy and wholesome recipe that is very tasty and an inseparable part of Indian cuisine with different methods of preparations. Thicker consistency goes well will rotis, naans and Paranthas whereas thinner consistency of Arhar Dal goes well with Rice.

Garnishing with Coriander leaves not only enriches the presentability but also enhances the flavour and nutritional value.

Adding few drops of lemon to Arhar dal adds on to the taste and provides daily supply of Vitamin C to the body.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Arhar Dal (Split Toor Dal/ Yellow Lentil)
• 1/2 teaspoon Cumin (Jeera)
• 1 Pinch Asafoetida (Hing)
• 1-2 cloves of Garlic finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon Ginger finely chopped
• 1-2 tablespoon Desi Ghee (Clarified Butter)
• 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric (Haldi) powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Coriander (Dhaniya) powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Degi Mirch (optional)
• Salt as per taste
• 3-4 cups water
• 1 Tomato medium finely chopped
• 1 Green Chili finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon Coriander leaves finely chopped

How to make Arhar Dal (Yellow Lentil)

1. Wash Arhar dal properly and soak for 30 minutes.
2. Now add soaked arhar dal in pressure cooker and add Turmeric powder, chopped tomatoes, chopped ginger, coriander powder, degi mirch, salt and chopped green chilli.
3. Add 3-4 cups of water and close the lid of pressure cooker and boil for 1-2 whistles. Don’t add excessive water otherwise this will come out during whistle. To avoid this you can add 1 teaspoon Ghee/oil while boiling.
4. Let the pressure release itself.
5. Take a pan or wok/ kadhai and start tempering (tadka) of dal. Add Ghee to the pan and heat over medium flame. Add cumin (Jeera) and let it splutter.
6. Now add chopped garlic and saute it for a minute.
7. Add a pinch of Hing.
8. Now add boiled Arhar dal and cook for 2 minutes.
9. You can adjust the consistency by adding or reducing water.
10. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Recipe Notes:

• There are different methods of preparing Arhar Dal in Indian household.
• Arhar Dal can be prepared by temepering with onion, ginger and garlic also.
• Mostly Arhar Dal is tempered simply with Hing Jeera ( asafoetida Cumin) in Ghee (Clarified butter) and this method is very easy and quick.
• Perfect cooks do tempering with deep ladles. But this is not advisable for beginners.
• If Arhar Dal is not soaked properly then 1 more whistle pressure cooking is required.
• It is not necessary to soak Arhar Dal but while preparing any dal/ Lentils it is better to soak for sometime as it is cooked well and less cooking time and fuel is required.