Black lentils cooked
over a slow fire for hours on end are a favourite with almost
all gourmets. The dish tastes best after being stored in the
refrigerator overnight and reheated.
Black lentils,
whole (urad daal) 300 gm/1 ¼ cups
Chilli powder
5 gm/1 tsp
Cream 160 ml/
2/3 cup
Garlic paste
20 gm/4 tsp
Ginger paste
20 gm/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Tomato purée
160 ml/ 2/3 cup
White butter
120 gm/ 1/2 cup
Pick,
clean and soak daal for at least 3 hours; best soaked
overnight. Add 1.5 litres water to the daal and cook over a
low flame till grain splits and daal is mashed. It is
traditionally cooked over charcoal embers for 6 hours or
overnight with 2 litres/8 1/2 cups of water. It can also be
cooked for 12 hours in a slow cooker.
Stir
the lentils vigorously to mash them. Add the tomato purée,
ginger and garlic pastes, salt and chilli powder and cook
for an hour till daal is thick. Keep aside 10 gm butter and
add the rest to the daal along with the cream and cook for
another 15 minutes, stirring continuously till the fat is
incorporated into the daal.
Time:
Preparation: overnight
Cooking: 2 1/2 hours on a gas stove; overnight on charcoal or
a slow cooker.
To
Serve: Add the reserved butter and serve hot with
tandoori roti
or naan.
