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Daal mash
White urad dal with ghee tarka
دال ماش (daal mash): Lahore's dry-cooked white urad dal with a sizzling ghee tarka
Walk into any dhaba on Lahore's Mall Road or in the lanes behind Anarkali after dark and daal mash is on the counter beside the tandoor, a pot of split white urad lentils cooked until each grain is soft but still separate, never a soup. It is eaten scooped up with hot tandoori roti, with a heap of raw onion rings and a squeeze of lemon, and it is rich enough to stand in for meat at a weeknight dinner. The flavour comes almost entirely from the last minute: a ladle of ghee crackling with garlic, ginger, green chilli and cumin poured over at the table. The usual mistake is adding too much water, which turns it to mush; it should cook in just enough to be absorbed. Chef's tip: soak the dal for 30 minutes and stir it as little as possible once it is in the pot, so the grains stay whole.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the dal
- 7 oz white urad dal (split, skinned)rinsed and soaked 30 minutes
- 2 cups water
- 1 /2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 /2 tsp red chilli powder
For the tarka
- 3 tbsp ghee
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 4 cloves garlicthinly sliced
- 3 cm piece fresh gingercut into fine matchsticks
- 2 green chilliesslit
To serve
- 1 red onion (optional)sliced into thin rings
- 2 tbsp fresh coriander (optional)chopped
- 1 lemon (optional)cut into wedges
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Drain 7 oz white urad dal (split, skinned) and put it in a heavy pan with 2 cups water, 1 /2 tsp ground turmeric and 1 tsp salt.
2 minStep 2: Bring to the boil over a medium-high heat, skim off the foam, then cover, turn the heat to low and simmer for 18–20 minutes, without stirring, until a grain crushes easily between your fingers but still holds its shape and nearly all the water has gone.
20 minStep 3: Uncover and stir once very gently with 1 /2 tsp red chilli powder; if any water is left, cook uncovered for a few more minutes until the dal looks moist but dry. Tip it into a serving dish.
3 minStep 4: For the tarka, heat 3 tbsp ghee in a small pan over a medium heat and add 1 tsp cumin seeds; when it crackles, after about 20 seconds, add 4 cloves garlic, 3 cm piece fresh ginger and 2 green chillies.
2 minStep 5: Fry for 1–2 minutes until the garlic is pale gold, not brown, then pour the sizzling tarka straight over the dal.
2 minStep 6: Scatter with 2 tbsp fresh coriander and serve hot with 1 red onion, 1 lemon and tandoori roti.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 320 kcal
- Protein
- 16 g
- Carbs
- 34 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 9 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does daal mash take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of ground turmeric?
- Leave it out (it mostly adds colour).
- What can I use instead of red chilli powder?
- Cayenne, half the amount (hotter).
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