Gala hua dal(cooked lentils, peas, and beans

 
               GALA HUA DAL (COOKED LENTILS, PEAS, AND BEANS
 
 Recipe By     : 
 Serving Size  : 1    Preparation Time :0:00
 Categories    : Indian                           Vegetables
                 Vegetarian
 
   Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
 --------  ------------  --------------------------------
 *****  NONE  *****
 
         E  *****
   
   This is the basic recipe for cooking lentils or beans.
   Many southern and southwestern regional recipes call
   for cooked lentils or beans to be stirred gently into
   a dish near the end of cooking.  Therefore, it may be
   a good idea ot make them a day ahead and have them
   ready when you begin the actual cooking.
   
   Makes 4-1/2 Cups Thick Lentil or Bean Puree
   
   1-1/2 cups yellow lentils (arhar dal) or, red lentils
   (masar dal), yellow split peas (supermarket variety),
   or yellow mung beans (moong dal)
   
   1/4 teaspoon tumeric
   4-1/2 cups water
   
   1.  Pick lentils, peas, or beans clean and wash
   thoroughly in several changes of water.
   
   2.  Put the lentils, peas,  or beans in a deep pot
   along with the tumeric and 4-1/2 cups water; bring to
   a boil.  (Be careful, they foam a lot.)  Stir often to
   make sure they do not lump together.  Cook over medium
   heat, partially covered, for 40 minutes (25 minutes
   for red lentils and mung beans).  Cover, reduce heat,
   and continue cooking for an additional 20 to 25
   minutes (10 minutes for red lentils and mung beans) or
   until soft.
   
   3.  Turn off heat and measure the puree.  There should
   be 4-1/2 cups puree; if not, add enough water to bring
   to that quanity.  For a more ground puree, beat
   lentils, peas, or beans with a whisk for 3 to 5
   minutes.  Cooked dal can be kept for 3 days,
   refrigerated. Cooked lentils and beans thicken
   considerably and become gelatinous with keeping.  They
   also reduce in volume considerably. Therefore remember
   to make allowance for such evaporation.
   
   My Note:  I always end up beating them with a whisk as
   it velvetizes the soup.  There is no need to use
   something like a food processor .... I think it would
   end up making the ingredients too fine and would ruin
   the texture of the soup.  Also, I refrigerated them
   for both 1 day and then later 2 days and found that
   indeed, it did thicken .... I simply put them in a pot
   and added a cup or two of water and simmered until I
   got the consistency I wanted .... thick but with some
   liquid as this is not meant to be a soup in which a
   spoon will stand up
   
   Recipe By     : Pat Gold 
  
 
 
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