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Pancharatna dal


So this was yet another participant of my Diwali event, Pancharatna Dal. This is a north Indian delicacy, of course Dal is something Northies will die for. I have a small North Indian inclination which I figured out lately. Its to their cuisine, the dressing and my love for hindi even though my hindi sometimes kills the language :P lol


My North Indian friends will raise the flag saying, Swathy, lets talk in English please. But as you know nothing can stop me, I will still go on with the horrifying hindi that finally makes them run away :D

So as the name itself, Panchratna, means 5 stars. I should say, what all mother nature gave us are real stars, of which the legumes and grams, oh my god how versatile they are and how well they get along with any other partners of them. Dals are always made as accompaniment to main dishes like rice, parathas, phulkas and rotis. This Diwali my pancharatna dal was backing my ghee paratha, which is yet another super hit recipe of mine, which was accepted at my home and among friends. 

So let me introduce the 5 starts in this recipe. Mung, Toor, Urad, Channa, Masoor, their combination has finally gave a super fine, pleasent yellow colored dish which was equally attractive to eyes and could wake up the taste buds. See the lovelies sitting in their soaking step.

Some dishes comes out so good looking that  cannot stop taking their pics. This was one among them. So lets see the recipe now.

Ingredients:

Dals - All skin removed: Urad, Mung, Toor, Masoor and Channa dal. Urad skin removed was less so I added some with skin. - 1/4 cup each of which Mug and Toor I took 1/2 each. This is a big batch as I had guests at home. Reduce measurements per your need)
Sauteing:
Oil for sauteing (better to use Groundnut or Mustard oil as it is North food) or use Ghee
Cumin or Jeera - 1 tsp
Fennel seeds - 1/4 tsp
Ajwain or Carom seeds - 1/4 tsp
Shallots - 7 to 8, slit
Green shillies - 4 to 5 slit
Garlic - 10 pods slit again
Ginger chopped - 1/2 inch
Coriander leaves as much as you want
Curry leaves optional
Tomato chopped - 2 big

Powders:
Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Hing - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste


Tempering

Ghee - 2 tbsp
Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander seeds crushed - 1 tsp
Asafoetida or Hing - 1/2 tsp
Coriander and Curry leaves
Red chilly dried - 2

Method: 

Soak dals for at least 4 hours and pressure cook them with turmeric powder, shallots and garlic for 5 whistles. It should be completely mushy.

Heat oil or ghee in a pan and saute all ingredients under for sauteing. Then lower the heat and add the powders. Add the cooked dal and mix well. Now add 1 cup of water (you can add water based on consistency you are looking for). Cook till it boils. 

Heat a pan and prepare the tempering. Pour the tempering over cooked dal. Serve hot with ghee parathas. 








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Location: Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India

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