Maash ki daal or daal maash is not among the mainstream daals like daal makhani or an everyday daal like moong but is a popular side dish served in Pakistan and parts of India like Hyderabad, Bhopal and other places. The recipe is made using split urad dal known as maash ki daal. What makes this different from the Punjabi variant of sookhi urad daal is the use of tomatoes and lemon in place of buttermilk alongwith predominant flavours of black cardamom, lemon, chilies and coriander. You can enjoy this daal with naan, parantha or chapatis.

Servings: 4
Calories: 275 per serving
Preparation Time: 8 hours (including soaking time)
Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dhuli Urad Dal (split black lentil)
• 1.5 cup Water
• 3-4 tbsp. Oil/ Ghee
• 2 tsp. Ginger Garlic paste
• 2 Onions, sliced
• 2-3 Tomatoes, pureed (½ cup)
• 1 tsp. Cumin seeds (Jeera)
• 2 pinch Asafoetida (Heeng)
• 2 Black Cardamom (Badi Elaichi)
• 1 tsp. Kashmiri red Chili Powder
• 1 tsp. Cumin powder (Jeera Powder)
• ¼ tsp. Turmeric Powder (Haldi Powder)
• 1 tsp. Coriander Powder (Dhaniya Powder)
• ½ tsp. Garam Masala
• Salt to taste
• 5-6 Green Chillies, chopped
• 1 tbsp. Lemon Juice
• 2 tbsp. Ginger Julians
• 2 tbsp chopped Coriander Leaves (Hara Dhani

Method:

1. Soak the urad daal and in enough water overnight or for roughly 7-8 hours.
2. Drain the water from the soaked mix and rinse it a couple of times with water thoroughly and drain the remaining water.
3. Heat a pressure cooker on the flame add the daal mix with 1.5 cups water and 1 tsp. salt and pressure cook with the whistle for 4-5 whistles on high flame.
4. Once you hear the last whistles, switch off the flame and let the pressure release from the pressure cooker before opening it.
5. Once the pressure is released, check if the daal. You can check that by mashing some daal by pressing it between fingers. It should mash but there should be a little resistance and the daal should have a bite. If they are a little undone, give 1-2 whistles more, depending on the doneness and keep the cooked daal aside, straining the leftover water.
6. In a pan, heat up the oil and the sliced onions. Fry the onions on medium flame till brown while stirring in between to avoid burning.
7. Once the onions are nicely brown, remove them in a plate, keeping the leftover oil in the pan.
8. Add in required oil to the pan (if less is leftover) and heat it up.
9. To the pan, add in the cumin seeds (jeera), black cardamom (badi elaichi) and heeng and let the cumin seeds splutter.
10. Once the cumin seeds splutter, add in the ginger garlic paste and saute till rawness goes.
11. To the pan, add in half of the brown onions, 3-4 tbsp. water, turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and saute on medium flame for 2 minutwes.
12. Then add in the tomato puree and saute the masala covered on medium flame till most water evaporates, the masala starts releasing oil on the sides of the pan and the color takes a brownish red tinge. Keep stirring the masala in between. It’ll take almost 10 minutes to cook the masala completely.
13. To the prepared masala, add in the cooked daal and stir. Add in some 2-3 tbsp. water and cook the daal on medium flame, covered, for 5-6 minutes.
14. After 5 minutes, increase the heat to high and add in the green chilies, ginger juliennes and cook stirring constantly for 4-5 minutes.
15. Finish off the daal by mixing in some coriander leaves and the remaining brown onions, adjust the seasoning.
16. Garnish it with some brown onions, coriander, green chilies, ginger juliennes and serve it with naan, parantha or chapati.

Notes:

1. Do not hurry remove the pressure from the pressure cooker after 4-5 whistles, else you’ll land up with undercooked dal.
2. Preferably use a heavy bottom pan to cook the dal and masala. Keep stirring in between to avoid the daal maash from sticking to the pan.