Gala Hua Dal(Cooked Lentils, Peas, And Beans

* Exported from MasterCook *

GALA HUA DAL (COOKED LENTILS, PEAS, AND BEANS

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Indian Vegetables
Vegetarian

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
***** NONE *****

E *****

This is the basic recipe for cooking lentils or beans.
Many southern and southwestern regional recipes call
for cooked lentils or beans to be stirred gently into
a dish near the end of cooking. Therefore, it may be
a good idea ot make them a day ahead and have them
ready when you begin the actual cooking.

Makes 4-1/2 Cups Thick Lentil or Bean Puree

1-1/2 cups yellow lentils (arhar dal) or, red lentils
(masar dal), yellow split peas (supermarket variety),
or yellow mung beans (moong dal)

1/4 teaspoon tumeric
4-1/2 cups water

1. Pick lentils, peas, or beans clean and wash
thoroughly in several changes of water.

2. Put the lentils, peas, or beans in a deep pot
along with the tumeric and 4-1/2 cups water; bring to
a boil. (Be careful, they foam a lot.) Stir often to
make sure they do not lump together. Cook over medium
heat, partially covered, for 40 minutes (25 minutes
for red lentils and mung beans). Cover, reduce heat,
and continue cooking for an additional 20 to 25
minutes (10 minutes for red lentils and mung beans) or
until soft.

3. Turn off heat and measure the puree. There should
be 4-1/2 cups puree; if not, add enough water to bring
to that quanity. For a more ground puree, beat
lentils, peas, or beans with a whisk for 3 to 5
minutes. Cooked dal can be kept for 3 days,
refrigerated. Cooked lentils and beans thicken
considerably and become gelatinous with keeping. They
also reduce in volume considerably. Therefore remember
to make allowance for such evaporation.

My Note: I always end up beating them with a whisk as
it velvetizes the soup. There is no need to use
something like a food processor .... I think it would
end up making the ingredients too fine and would ruin
the texture of the soup. Also, I refrigerated them
for both 1 day and then later 2 days and found that
indeed, it did thicken .... I simply put them in a pot
and added a cup or two of water and simmered until I
got the consistency I wanted .... thick but with some
liquid as this is not meant to be a soup in which a
spoon will stand up

Recipe By : Pat Gold <plgold@IX.NETCOM.COM>



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