Some lunches take time to plan, while others come together with whatever is already in the kitchen. On a busy day, a simple dal dish can be just what you need.
While a dal and rice combination may not seem too exciting on its own, a burst of aroma from melted ghee and spices cooking in a hot pan will certainly do the trick. Gram dal is convenient since it doesn’t take a lot of ingredients to make it tasty.
First, Cook The Dal Gently
Rinse the dal a few times and put it on to cook with water and a little turmeric. It’s fine to soak it in advance; however, it won’t ruin your dish if you don’t follow this procedure due to lack of time.
Keep some hot water nearby too. Dal tends to get thicker while everyone is waiting for lunch, so adding some water later is completely normal.
Now For The Bit Everyone Waits For, The Tadka.
Heat a little ghee in a small pan and add cumin seeds. Wait for them to sizzle. Add mustard seeds and then curry leaves. The curry leaves will make a dramatic little splutter, so be careful.
The main thing is that you need to be present and mindful. Spices can burn very fast indeed. As soon as the garlic acquires a smell of toastiness and the cumin releases its aroma, the tadka is ready.
Pour It In And Let It Sizzle
It is time now to pour in the hot spiced oil on top of the cooked dal. There must be a satisfying sizzling noise when ghee touches the dal.
Stir it once and taste.
Maybe it needs more salt. Perhaps it is thicker than anticipated. It may need a drop of lemon juice to bring some life into it. It is home-made food, so adjustments are a part of the game.
Serve with white rice and some pickles. Roti is also fine. Even just a side salad made of cucumber and onions is sufficient to complete the platter.
Make Sure The Pantry Has The Basics
A packet of Gram dal is one of those things worth keeping around. It has a great shelf life in the cupboard and may come in handy when little is available for lunch.
Using an online grocery store may help in replenishing the stock in the cupboard. Along with the dal, cumin, mustard seeds, turmeric, ghee and other everyday ingredients can be added to the same order. It is a small convenience, but a useful one when the alternative is discovering an empty packet just as cooking begins.
There Is No Need To Make The Same Tadka Every Time
Some days call for plenty of garlic. Then there are some days when just the cumin seeds and curry leaves are sufficient. To spice things up, one may use green chillies, while a little bit of hing will give the tadka a unique flavour.
It is great to have ghee when a richer flavour is desired, but using any regular cooking oil will do just fine. The quantities can be changed too. A little more spice here and less there will not ruin the dish.
The Kind Of Lunch That Feels Like Home
A warm bowl of Gram dal is hardly complicated, and that is probably why it remains such a dependable lunch. There is nothing fussy about it. Just lentils, a fragrant tadka, and something warm to have along with it.
With the help of an online grocery delivery, there is no need to worry about keeping the ingredients stocked. All one needs to do is boil the dal, heat the ghee with spices, and pour the tadka on top. Then eat it while it is hot. That last part matters.