AI-generated image
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
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
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).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Sayur lodehVegetables in coconut milk
Sayur lodeh is everyday cooking in Central Java, made in big pots in Solo and Semarang kitchens and ladled over rice, with lontong rice cakes at Lebaran, or alongside opor and sambal goreng on festive tables. It's soupy rather than thick: a fragrant broth of coconut milk, galangal, lemongrass and lime leaf that carries chunks of aubergine, long beans, chayote and sweetcorn, plus tempeh and tofu to make it a meal. The flavour is mellow and slightly sweet, so the heat comes from sambal on the side. Chef's tip: keep the pot at a gentle simmer once the coconut milk goes in and stir now and then — a rolling boil splits the coconut milk into oily curds.
Indonesian
Bagara bainganBaby aubergines in peanut sesame sauce
Bagara baingan is a Hyderabadi wedding dish of small aubergines cooked whole in a dark, tangy gravy of roasted peanuts, sesame, dried coconut and tamarind. Unlike a Gujarati stuffed brinjal, the aubergines here are only quartered at the base and fried until silky, then left to soak up a thin-but-rich sauce that is finished with a tempering, the 'baghar' that gives the dish its name. It's sour, nutty and gently spiced, and is served with biryani, bagara rice or plain rice. Chef's tip: choose small, glossy purple aubergines that feel heavy for their size; soft, light ones are full of seeds and turn mushy before the gravy has a chance to cling.
Indian
Polos curryYoung green jackfruit curry
Polos is the tiny unripe jackfruit picked in the Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces long before it sweetens, and cooked low and slow it becomes one of the island's most loved festival curries, especially at Sinhala and Tamil New Year in April and at wedding lunches. The firm, pale flesh soaks up a very dark roasted curry powder, garlic, ginger, goraka (a smoky souring fruit) and coconut milk until it turns almost black-brown and tastes rich, sour and meaty. Fresh polos is hard to find abroad; tinned young green jackfruit in brine works well. A frequent mistake is not cooking it long enough, which leaves it squeaky; the pieces must be soft enough to break with a spoon. Chef's tip: oil your hands and knife before cutting fresh jackfruit; the sticky white sap washes off oiled skin but not dry skin.
Sri Lankan