MASUR DAL ( Simple )

Ingredients

• 470 g Masur dal (red lentils) (½ seer converted to approximately 470 g. Rinse thoroughly under cold water until water runs clear before use.)
• 58 g Ghee (1 chhatak converted to approximately 58 g (about 4 tablespoons). Clarified butter available in most supermarkets or Indian grocery stores.)
• 58 g Curd (plain yogurt) (1 chhatak converted to approximately 58 g (about 4 tablespoons). Use full-fat plain yogurt for best results.)
• 12 g Fresh ginger (1 tola converted to approximately 12 g. Peel and grate or grind to a paste before use.)
• 6 g Black pepper (½ tola converted to approximately 6 g (about 1 teaspoon). Grind to a fine powder before use.)
• 6 g Cumin (½ tola converted to approximately 6 g (about 1 teaspoon). Grind to a fine powder before use.)
• 3 g Turmeric (¼ tola converted to approximately 3 g (about ½ teaspoon). Use ground turmeric powder.)
• 4 leaves Cassia leaves (Indian bay leaves / tej patta) (Also known as tej patta or Indian bay leaves. Available at Indian grocery stores. Do not substitute with Mediterranean bay leaves as the flavour differs.)
• 1 pinch Panch-foron (Bengali five-spice blend) (A Bengali whole-spice blend typically containing equal parts fenugreek, nigella, cumin, black mustard, and fennel seeds. Available at Indian grocery stores.)
• 18 g Salt (1½ tola converted to approximately 18 g (about 1 tablespoon). Adjust to taste.)
• 1175 ml Water (1¼ seer converted to approximately 1175 ml (about 5 cups).)
• 1 pinch Fenugreek seeds (Whole fenugreek seeds used in the tempering. They add a slight bitterness that balances the dal.)

Instructions

1. 1Place the masur dal (red lentils) in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Swirl the lentils with your hand and carefully pour off the cloudy water. Repeat this rinsing process 3 to 4 times until the water runs mostly clear. Drain the lentils well in a colander. This removes excess starch and any impurities. Also prepare your spices now: grind the black pepper and cumin to a fine powder (using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle), and grate or grind the ginger to a paste.
2. 2Pour the 1175 ml (approximately 5 cups) of water into a large, heavy-bottomed pot or saucepan and place it over high heat. Add the rinsed and drained masur dal to the water. Bring the mixture to a full boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. As it heats, a greyish foam may rise to the surface — skim this off with a spoon and discard it for a cleaner-tasting dal.
3. 3As soon as the dal reaches a rolling boil, add the ground turmeric powder and the 4 cassia leaves (tej patta / Indian bay leaves) to the pot. Stir briefly to combine. The turmeric will turn the lentils a golden-yellow colour. Reduce the heat to medium so the dal simmers steadily without boiling over. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the lentils become very soft and begin to break down — this will take approximately 15 minutes.
4. 4Once the lentils are fully softened and cooked through (they should crush easily between your fingers), add the grated or pasted ginger, the ground black pepper, and the ground cumin to the pot. Then stir in the plain yogurt (curd) and the salt. Stir everything together well to fully combine all the ingredients into the liquid. Continue to cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes over medium heat so all the flavours meld together.
5. 5Using the back of a large spoon, a whisk, or a ladle, vigorously stir and mash the dal in a circular churning motion directly in the pot. The goal is to break down the lentils so that the mixture becomes a thick, smooth, uniform liquid with no whole lentils remaining. Continue churning for 2 to 3 minutes until the dal is creamy and well blended. Once the desired consistency is reached, remove the pot from the heat and set it aside.
6. 6Place a separate small frying pan or saucepan over medium heat. Add the ghee and allow it to melt and heat up — it should shimmer but not smoke. Carefully add the panch-foron (Bengali five-spice blend) and the pinch of fenugreek seeds to the hot ghee. Stand back slightly as the seeds may splutter. Fry the spices in the ghee, stirring gently, for about 30 to 60 seconds until they are fragrant and lightly toasted. Do not let them burn — if they darken too quickly, reduce the heat. The aroma of the toasted spices will be your signal that the tempering is ready.
7. 7Carefully pour the churned liquid dal from its pot into the pan containing the fried ghee tempering. Be cautious as the hot ghee may splutter when the liquid is added. Alternatively, you may pour the tempered ghee over the dal in its own pot — either approach works. Stir everything together to combine the tempering with the dal evenly. Place the pan back over medium heat and bring the dal to a gentle boil. Allow it to boil for a further 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, to fully marry the flavours. Remove from the heat. The dal is now ready to serve. Remove and discard the cassia leaves before serving.