Dal Afghani – lentils cooked in broth
2014-11-14- Cuisine: Fusion
- Course: Side Dishes
- Skill Level: Beginner
- Yield : 400 gms
- Servings : 6-7
- Prep Time : 10m
- Cook Time : 20m
- Ready In : 30m
Dal Afghani is for days when you are just tired of making dal the usual way. One such day, I ended up making this delicious version of plain old daal.
While pulses are not natively grown in Afghanistan, this recipe takes the best of both worlds and makes a yummy dish out of it.
Dal Afghani is a dal cooked in broth (mutton or vegetable) along with cumin and red chillies.
Ingredients
- Red lentils (masoor dal) 200 gms
- Onion 1 large finely chopped
- Garlic cloves 2 minced
- Ginger Minced 1.5 Tbsp
- Turmeric 1/2 Tsp
- Roasted Cumin powder 1 Tsp
- Ground red chillies 1/2 Tsp
- Low Salt broth (mutton or vegetable) 500 Ml
- Salt to taste
- Oil 2 Tbsp
- Fresh lemon juice 2 Tsp
- Thick yoghurt - 1 Tbsp for each serving
- Fresh green coriander (for garnish)
Method
Step 1
Heat oil, add onion, garlic and ginger and saute till onions get translucent. Add turmeric, ground cumin, red chilli powder and fry for another minute or so.
Step 2
Add the masoor dal (red lentils) and broth (mutton or vegetable broth) and let the mixture come to a boil.
Step 3
Cook the mixture till the lentils are tender. You can use a pressure cooker to cook the lentils.
Step 4
When cooked, give a thorough mix to the dal, remove from heat, add lemon juice and salt.
Step 5
Serve this dal with a topping of plain yoghurt, garnished with fresh green coriander on the side of Nan or Pita Bread or with steamed rice.
Dastarkhan
Known as dastarkhan, the floor spread is an important expression of culture in Afghanistan. Regardless of economic status, creating an adequate dastarkhan is important to any family, especially when hosting guests. A large tablecloth is spread over a traditional rug. Usually a young family member presents the “aftabah wa lagan”, a copper basin and elaborate pot filled with water, to each guest, pouring fresh water over the guest’s hands. Soap is provided, as well as a drying cloth. The dastarkhan is then filled with breads, accompaniments, relishes, appetizers, main courses, salads, rice, and fruits. Arrangement is important as guests should have easy access to the specialty foods. Source : Wikipedia
Dal afghani – Ingredients
posted by sarfaraz ahmed on November 14, 2014
Looks awesome. Will try cooking Dal Afghan this sunday to give a delicious surprise to my wife!
posted by Swati Sani on November 14, 2014
Thanks, Do let us know how it turned out.