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Teliya maah
तेलिया माह: Himachali whole black urad slow-cooked in mustard oil with whole spices
Teliya maah is one of the dishes of the Himachali dham, the feast cooked by hereditary cooks (botis) in big brass pots for weddings and temple fairs in Mandi, Kangra and Chamba, and served on leaf plates with rice. Whole black urad is cooked slowly with plenty of mustard oil, whole spices, ginger and fennel until each bean is soft but whole and glossy with oil; like most dham dishes, it uses no onion or garlic. Serve with rice and a sour madra or khatta. The usual mistake is stirring hard once the urad is soft, which turns it into a mushy dal instead of separate, oily beans. Slow-cooker option: put the soaked urad, spices and water on low for 8 hours, then finish uncovered on the hob. Chef's tip: heat the mustard oil until it smokes, then let it cool for a minute, which takes away its raw bite before the spices go in.
- Total time
- 115 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 9 oz whole black uradsoaked for 8 hours
- 5 tbsp mustard oil
- 2 black cardamomcracked
- 1 ⅛ in cinnamon stick
- 4 cloves
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- ¼ tsp gluten-free asafoetida
- 1 ⅛ in gingergrated
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 tsp ground fennel
- 3 ¾ cups water
- 1 ¼ tsp salt
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat the 5 tbsp mustard oil in a heavy pot over a high heat until it just smokes, then take it off the heat for 1 minute.
3 minStep 2: Return to a medium heat and add the 2 black cardamom, 2 bay leaves, 1 ⅛ in cinnamon stick, 4 cloves, 1 tsp cumin seeds and 3 dried red chillies. Fry for 30 seconds until the cumin crackles, then add the ¼ tsp gluten-free asafoetida and 1 ⅛ in ginger for 30 seconds.
2 minStep 3: Stir in the ½ tsp ground turmeric, 2 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder, 1 tsp ground fennel and ½ tsp dry ginger powder (saunth) with 2 tbsp water and fry for 1 minute.
1 minStep 4: Drain the 9 oz whole black urad and add it to the pot. Fry for 3 minutes, stirring, so every bean is coated in the spiced oil.
3 minStep 5: Add the 3 ¾ cups water and 1 ¼ tsp salt, bring to the boil, then cover and simmer on a low heat for 75–90 minutes, stirring gently every 20 minutes and adding a little hot water if it starts to catch. Pressure cooker: 8 whistles, then rest.
85 minStep 6: It is done when the beans are soft right through when pressed but still whole, and the liquid has reduced to a thick, oily coating. Uncover and cook for a few minutes more if it is wet. Serve hot with rice.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 15 g
- Carbs
- 34 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 10 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does teliya maah take?
- About 115 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 100 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 vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of black cardamom?
- Green cardamom, same number, with a pinch of smoked paprika (for the smoky note).
- What can I use instead of bay leaves?
- Leave it out, or a pinch of dried thyme (it's a background flavour).
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