Lentils- Maash-Urad Daal
Maash-Urad daal, also known as split black gram lentil is deliciously simple. This recipe is my grandmother’s recipe and a favorite in our household. There are so many ways of making this daal and in this post, I am going to share a simple recipe without the heavy use of spices. In this recipe, the daal-lentils are made with whole spices and then finished off with seasoned oil (bahgaar). This is perfect when you are not in the mood of having too much masala (spices) and just want to enjoy a plain simple daal.
There are three steps in preparing this dish 1) Soaking the lentils 2) Cooking the lentils 3) Bahgaar or seasoned oil. The recipe below will walk you through these steps. I have also included a video demonstration of this recipe to help you understand the steps better. Simple, quick and delicious! Go ahead and give it a try.
What is Bahgar?
Bahgaar or tadka is a technique used in South Asian cooking that is used to add flavor and aroma to the food. In simple terms, whole spices along with onion or garlic are sizzled in oil. This is cooked separately from the main dish and poured on the finished meal. The whole process only takes about 5 minutes and is done at the very end. Bahgar is mainly used to enhance flavors in daal (lentils), some curries and vegetables.
What does uncooked Urad Daal look like?
There are so many types of lentils out there and it gets confusing which is which. This daal/lentil can be found at any local Indian Pakistani store. The English name for this lentil is split black gram without shell and it looks white. The original “un-shelled” version of this lentil is black colored grain. The cooked version of this recipe will also look white unless you add tomatoes, red or yellow spices.
Lentils Maash/Urad Daal
Equipment
- Instant Pot, Electric Pressure Cooker, or Regular Stove Top
Ingredients
- 1 cup Lentil / Urad Daal split black gram un-shelled
- 1.5 cup water
- 3/4 tsp salt or to taste
- 1 Pod black cardamom (Bari Ilaichi)
- 1/4 tsp peppercorn
- 1/4 tsp Cumin (zeera)
- 2 Whole Red Button Chilies
- 1/4 tsp Ginger (chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (chopped)
Tarka / Oil Seasoning
- 3 tbsp oil
- 1/4 of a small-sized onion
- 1/2 tsp cumin (zeera)
- 3 whole red button chilies
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions
- Wash and soak 1 cup of urad daal for 20-30 minutes (important step).
- In the instant Pot, add 1.5 cups of water.
- Add whole spices (1/4 tsp of cumin, 1 black cardamom, 1/4 tsp of peppercorn, 5 cloves, 1/4 tsp of ginger, 3 cloves of chopped garlic and salt to taste).
- Cover the lid and turn valve to seal. Pressure cook for 5 minutes and 10 mins NPR (Natural Pressure Release).
- Release rest of the pressure after 10 mins NPR.
- Note: If there is a little bit of water left, press saute and cook for a few seconds.
Prepare the baghaar / Oil Seasoning
- Add 3 tbsp of oil.
- Add sliced onion (1/4 of a small onion).
- Saute the onion until light brown
- Add 1/2 tsp cumin seeds and 2-3 red button chilies.
Garnish
- Dish out the daal, add the bahgar/ oil seasoning and garnish with chopped cilantro.
Stove Top instructions
- Soak lentils/daal for 2-3 hours.
- Add 1.5 – 2 cups of water ( water can also be added during the cooking process).
- Add whole spices (1/4 tsp of cumin, 1 black cardamom, 1/4 tsp of peppercorn, 5 cloves, 1/4 tsp of ginger, 3 cloves of chopped garlic and salt to taste).
- Cook the daal on medium-low flame.
- When done add the bhagaar/ oil seasoning and garnish with cilantro.
Notes
- Soaking lentils is a very important step in the cooking process. It will soften each grain from the inside and cooks thoroughly. Soak the lentils for at least for 15 to 30 minutes.
- For accurate lentil to water ratio, use the same cup for measuring both the water and lentils.