A simple start to the week with one of my true favourites. This daal is a real gem and one for you to save for those days where you want to have a hug in the form of a dinner. This daal goes beautifully with just some plain rice but if you’re keen to try it with another dish then the true Bengali way is to have it with some Aloo Posto (on my latest IGTV).
The fragrance of the lime leaves make this daal stand out from the regular home ones and this holds a special place on the dinner table. I typically would always use dried kaffir lime leaves but obviously, fresh ones have the upper hand. Instead of using the usual red (masoor) lentils for this, we use moong (small yellow) lentils for this as they have a creamier texture.
RECIPE
- Boil the lentils in a pressure cooker for 3 whistles or just in a saucepan with 4 parts water for 20 mins until the lentils are broken up and incorporated fully with the water. It might take a little bit longer than 20 minutes depending on the quality of the lentils but you can speed it up by soaking the lentils overnight.
- Once boiled, add in 1/2 tsp turmeric and 1 tsp salt.
- Add in 2 lime leaves (ripped a little along the middle) into the lentils and keep 2 leaves for the tempering.
- In a small frying pan add in 1 tbsp mustard oil and once hot then add in 1/4 tsp nigella seeds (kalonji/kalo jeere), 1/2 tsp yellow mustard seeds, 2 roughly chopped lime leaves and 2 broken dry red chillies. Let it sizzle for 1 min.
- Add the tempering into the lentils along with 1/2 tsp sugar and the zest of 1 lime (about 1/2 tsp). Typically we would use an actual kaffir lime but those are hard to come by.
- Optional: you can add a sliced shallot into the tempering oil and get it softened slightly before adding spices, it adds a lovely sweetness into the lentils.
