PANCHMESHALI DAL

 

A BENGALI STYLE LIGHT LENTIL CURRY MAKES ME HAPPIER!

These days, I wonder if my baby boy misses his mumma made dals! In his growing up years and until last year, I have fed him DAL / LENTIL CURRY in every meal, almost! This mumma is a dreamer, she loves thinking her child must me missing her cooking, the touch of his parents! In reality, may be he is; it may not be in that magnitude his mother is dreaming of! He is right actually, if one cannot hug & get along with a new environment; keep brooding over what he  or she has left back; he or she may be in trouble. A new environment is a new scope of learning; thats what I make myself believe and be comfortable with! Every mumma in my situation would worry about the child's health and appetite. He went from an entirely different culture including the food culture. With regards the food culture; my men have an edge; they are not typical Bengali eaters; they are used to eating food of varied culture and love them. So, baked meat and fish, cheese & bread, hot dogs are not a problem for them. But the child's mumma wants ideal conditions for him. How good it would be if he could feed himself quinoa with meat & vegetables; brown rice with mumma style "patla mushurir dal and fish fry, fulkopir bora o dalna"! He knows mumma has no respite from her worries until his life gets fixed! Yes, BENGALI STYLE LENTIL CURRIES are my favourite, the son too found them easier and faster way to gobble his usual Bengali Meals. The daddy, Mr.T does have his dal share; but would not have if there is a mutton curry or hilsa or prawn or a long whiskered cat fish curry in the menu! He however enjoys the North Indian style dal varieties with breads! Let us get something similar today?

I THINK I AM LOSING OUT ON THE ENERGY LEVEL!

If that is normal at my age, how come our mother is so active and energetic nearing 75? Her mother is nearing 95, still manages by herself; although her youngest daughter is always there by the side! It has a lot to do with the eating pattern too, I eat what I am not supposed to! I cannot do rigorous exercises. I only walked may be 6 kilometres today after the monthly meet with my GP and it hardly helps in weigh loss. Before entering the home, I had a fish bun; back home I took a shower, did the afternoon prayer and had a full on lunch with jeera rice, ruti, raw banana kebabs & egg drop curry! I had packed the man's lunch box too with it!

I am now having tea & a croissant! Over eating may cause me lack of energy!

But eating what I wish makes me happy! Very few friends I have; I am scared of mingling; neither enjoy partying! You have to leave me alone to see me happy! The man, T hailing from a party monger family became too home bound! We both enjoy our stay at home and discuss about the son. All that we want now are to travel to the son and also to Kolkata, now & then! But how to? Let me share a RECIPE then what all of us in the family would enjoy?

WHAT IS THIS PANCHMESHALI DAL?

What is DAL? The Indians call their LENTIL CURRIES, dal! What does PANCHMESHALI mean? It means A MIX / MIXTURE! I cannot survive a day without a bowlful of dal! Mumma made her son dependant on dal. Well, he is not the kind who would discuss with us how frequently he is having dal, if at all he is having! There are remote chances he would consult a map directory and find out Bengali Eateries to have BENGALI MEALS! Mumma would always ask him to consider the hygiene aspect majorly! I have a number of tales to tell about people who are like me; they went to Greece and felt they would die if they cannot find a Bengali Eatery that very night! I can totally relate; I wonder why my men are not as much Bengali like? My / Our very Bengali father did enjoy Dhaba style Dal or in general, Northern Indian Food! Else at home, he preferred only the sour dal varieties! The mother always wondered why then he did have any dal offered as an invitee. Who will tell our mother thats how we behave with an outsider, we need to be formal with those who are not our own! Anyway, this PANCHMESHALI DAL is VEGAN & GLUTEN-FREE and I did not follow any recipe of PANCHMEL DAL OR PANCHARATNA DAL doing this. The butter plays an important role in this dal but to make it vegan, just skip it and add more of lemon juice!

INGREDIENTS :

WHOLE BLACK GRAM LENTIL [WHOLE URAD DAL] : 1/2 SMALL TEA CUP

RED LENTIL [MASOOR / MUSHURIR DAL] : 1/2 SMALL TEA CUP

SPLIT DE-SKINNED BLACK GRAM DAL [DE SKINNED BROKEN URAD DAL] : 2-3 TBSP

BENGAL GRAM LENTIL [CHANA OR CHOLAR DAL] : 1/4 SMALL TEA CUP

SPLIT DE-SKINNED MOONG BEAN LENTIL [ HOLUD MOONG] : 2-3 TBSP

CHOPPED TOMATO : 2

CHOPPED ONION : 1 MEDIUM OR BIG

SLITTED GREEN CHILLI : 2-3

MINCED GARLIC : 1 TBSP

MINCED GINGER : 1/2 TBSP

CHOPPED FRESH CORIANDER : 2 TBSP

HALVED DRY RED CHILLI : 2-3

BAY LEAF : 1 OR 2

CUMIN SEED : 1/4 TSP

TURMERIC POWDER : 1 TSP

ASAFOETIDA : 2-3 PINCH

GARAM MASALA : 2 TSP

LEMON JUICE : 3-4 TBSP

BUTTER : 2 TBSP [SKIP IF YOU WANT IT VEGAN]

SALT : AS REQUIRED

OIL : 3 TBSP

PROCEDURE :

We will take all the dal varieties together; wash and soak them for an hour or so!

We will pour the uncooked dal mixture to the pressure cooker along with the water. The water should be about 21/2 - 3 coffee mugs! 

We will add some salt & turmeric, stir and close the lid. We will pressure cook at minimal heat up to 3 whistles.

As the cooker cools and opens by itself, the boiled dal would look like this!

In a wok, we will heat the oil. We will temper it with the asafoetida, halved red chillies, bay leaves & cumin seeds! 

We will give a stir and add the washed garlic & ginger mince!

We will stir cook them until brown and add the washed & chopped onions.

Once the onions get light brown; we will add the washed & chopped tomatoes, washed and slitted green chillies, the rest of the salt & turmeric!

We will stir cook until the tomatoes soften. We will add the boiled dal now.

We will add about 3-4 coffee mugs of water and stir well. We will cover cook for about 10-12 minutes and then open the cover!

We will add the garam masala, stir and let boil for 5 minutes.

Thereafter, we will add the washed and chopped coriander leaves and the lemon juice! We will give a stir and take it down!

We will pour the lentil curry in serving bowls and garnish with butter! For a vegan version, skip the butter!  Enjoy it with jeera or lemon rice & a variety of hand rolled breads!