Premium

Don’t like daal? Try this Bhuni Urad Daal

Ditch the regular boring daal this summer, and try the tasty, tangy Bhuni Urad Dal. We have the recipe.

Bhuni Urad Dal | Source: Ashima Goyal Siraj

Yesterday my neighbour asked me if I knew how to make bhuni hui daal. I was lost. What is bhuni daal, I asked. Do you roast the daal before cooking it, I wondered. She didn’t know. She said it is very different from regular daal preparations; there is no water and each grain of daal is separate as opposed to regular daals where everything is mashed up together. She just remembered having it at some place and was wondering if I knew the recipe. After she left, I called my mom to ask, as I had never eaten bhuni daal but it sounded interesting. My mom told me it’s a very common Punjabi dish and her landlady makes it quite often. So she asked her and that’s how this recipe came from Chandigarh to Angola! There are a lot of different preparations on the internet but I preferred aunty’s recipe – very simple and very flavourful.

Bhuni Urad Daal
Preparation: 10 mins (+soaking time)| Cooking Time: 30 mins| Serves 4

Ingredients
1 cup white urad daal, washed and soaked for 1 hour
2 onions, chopped
1 inch ginger, chopped
1 green chilli, chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 black cardamom (badi elaichi)
4-5 black peppercorns
4-5 cloves
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
2 tbsps ghee/ oil
Juice of 1 lemon

Method
Heat ghee in a kadhai
Once the ghee is hot, add onions, sauté until they start to brown
Add green chillies and ginger. Sauté for 2-3 mins
Add all the spices and mix well
Drain the daal and add it to the kadhai. Mix well and sauté for 5 mins
Add just enough water (about 1½ cup) to cover the top of daal with a thin layer and cook covered on low flame till the daal is soft and the water has dried. Depending on your liking you can keep some water so that the daal is not very dry.
Drizzle lemon juice, mix well.
Remove from heat and garnish with chopped green chillies and fresh coriander leaves.
Serve hot with chapatis or paranthas.

Also Read

Keto upma breakfast recipe for lazy mornings

This chaat recipe is 'hearty, healthy-ish and so tasty'

healthy eating, healthy food, Shalini Rajani column, Shalini Rajani column, gluten-free kada prasad, healthy kada prasad recipe, Gurpurab special, indian express news

Guru Purab special: Try this gluten-free kada prasad

Four plant-based foods to eat every week (and why science suggests they'r...

Food is never just food. I believe it’s story telling, it’s conversation. It brings people together and it speaks a universal language! I love to play around in my kitchen. The thrill of being able to create something new and sharing it with others is what fuels my passion for cooking. The fact that dear husband is a foodie and an honest critique helps! I blog about my adventures in the kitchen at http://www.myweekendkitchen.in

First published on: 20-06-2014 at 12:54 IST