A Recipe for Yellow Dal from 'Indian As Apple Pie'

Indian As Apple Pie airs on WTTW Saturdays at 4:00 pm and is available to stream via the PBS app.
Get more recipes, food news, and stories at wttw.com/food or by signing up for our Deep Dish newsletter. 

You've probably encountered dal if you've dined at an Indian restaurant. Encompassing legumes such as lentils, peas, and beans, it's a category almost as broad as curry. In the latest episode of Indian As Apple Pie, Anupy Singla walks you through the world of dals and how to buy them, as well as demonstrating some recipes, including a yellow split moong dal that she describes as the Punjabi version of chicken noodle soup: a warm, comforting, easy-on-the-stomach dish for when you're sick. The recipe also demonstrates the fundamental Indian technique of heating oil and cooking the spices in it, in the process called tarka. 

Yellow Split Moong Dal

Whenever you see the word "duhli" on packaging, it indicates a legume is "washed" - no skin and usually split. The beauty of this form is that it cooks up super fast (40 minutes on the stove and 3 minutes in the instant pot) and because it has no skin it's very easy to digest. That's why it's the dal of choice when someone has a bellyache – our Punjabi version of chicken noodle soup.

Ingredients

1 cup yellow split moong dal (dried, split, and skinned moong dal), picked over and washed (no need to soak)
6 cups water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or ghee
1 pinch hing or asafoetida (optional)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 cup yellow or red onion, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, minced or pureed
1 tablespoon garlic, minced or pureed
1/2 - 4 fresh Thai or serrano chiles, stems removed and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon garam masala
2 teaspoons coriander powder
1-2 teaspoons red chile powder or cayenne
2 teaspoons – 1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon cilantro, minced

Instructions

1. In a roomy pot, add the dal and water. Bring the mixture to a boil, turn the heat down, and simmer partially covered for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally. Turn the heat off, cover the pot completely, and let the contents sit. The reason I say roomy is because beans, lentils, and peas expand when cooked. One of the most common mistakes is cooking them in a pot that is too small. 

2. In a separate and small frying pan or pot, heat the oil or ghee over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the hing, turmeric, and cumin. Stir and cook for 40 seconds. 

3. Add the onion. Stir and cook for 3 minutes until brown. 

4. Add the ginger and garlic. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. If the mixture looks dry, add a small amount of additional oil or ghee.

5. Add the fresh chiles. Cook for 1 minute. Stir, scraping the bottom.

6. Turn the heat off and transfer this mixture to the pot of dal. To get it all out, pour 1 cup of dal into the pot, scrape, and dump it back into the pot. 

7. Add the garam masala, coriander, red chile, and salt and stir until combined. A whisk helps to evenly distribute the spices. 

8. Bring the dal to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes until everything pulls together.

9. Turn the heat off, add the cilantro, stir, and serve steaming hot over basmati rice or with Indian bread like roti or naan. We always add a small amount of ghee, freshly chopped onion, green chiles, and a dollop of Indian pickle or achaar, for an extra layer of flavor and crunch.