Dal Tadka - a cleansing reset

If you’re feeling the effects of different, or excess foods and drinks that tend to come with social holiday times this simple tempered daal recipe is a great soother, cleanser and reset for body-mind.

This one is made with mung daal - split mung beans. These quick cook treasures are a protein and fibre packed legume that create a hearty, creamy, porridge-like consistency that makes for a perfect comfort food.

Another favourite legume for this recipe is toor daal - split pigeon peas,. Also quick to cook, these offer a different nutty taste and flakier texture, maintaining their shape a little more than mung daal.

Split red lentils can also be used (more aggravating for vata types) giving yet another flavour and texture variation.

Or…you can mix it up with 50:50 combinations to get various flavour and nutrient combos (or use whatever you have in the cupboard to equate with the volume for the recipe).

recipe

Allow 1/2 cup daal per person:

1 cup mung daal (or alternative legume - see above)
2-3 large dried chillies (deseed)
- choose your heat and taste preference - kashmiri are milder than other dried chillies and offer a sweeter taste)
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp crushed garlic
203 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 -2 tsp salt (more for vata, less for kapha)
To serve - add ghee / flax seed oil, additional salt to taste, chopped fresh coriander if available

MEthod:

Rinse mung daal until water runs clear (there’s no need to pre soak any of the legumes above)
For each cup of daal add 3 cups water
Bring to the boil, add salt and simmer for 30 mins (or until soft)
Meanwhile heat a dry fry pan on medium to high heat - the pan should be starting to smoke
- add sliced or chopped dried chillies (removing seeds as you go)
- add cumin seeds
- cook, shaking until aromatic and slightly smoky (gives a great taste to the daal)
reduce heat and add:
- ground spices
- garlic
- ginger
- a little water to create a paste (substitute with oil or more water if you don’t have a non stick pan)
- cook the paste for 1 minute
Add tempered spice paste to cooked daal, or vice versa and stir through
Allow to sit for at least 5 mins with lid on to develop flavours

serve

Either stir through 1 tbsp ghee or oil in the pan, or add to your bowl once served

Add salt to taste and garnish with fresh coriander if available / to your taste

Serve just as it is or with steamed rice or simple plain chapati or roti

A favourite chutney on the side makes a lovely complementary flavour, texture and way to bring in the 6 tastes of Ayurveda to your meal

Dal Tadka - a cleansing reset

If you’re feeling the effects of different, or excess foods and drinks that tend to come with social holiday times this simple tempered daal recipe is a great soother, cleanser and reset for body-mind.

This one is made with mung daal - split mung beans. These quick cook treasures are a protein and fibre packed legume that create a hearty, creamy, porridge-like consistency that makes for a perfect comfort food.

Another favourite legume for this recipe is toor daal - split pigeon peas,. Also quick to cook, these offer a different nutty taste and flakier texture, maintaining their shape a little more than mung daal.

Split red lentils can also be used (more aggravating for vata types) giving yet another flavour and texture variation.

Or…you can mix it up with 50:50 combinations to get various flavour and nutrient combos (or use whatever you have in the cupboard to equate with the volume for the recipe).

recipe

Allow 1/2 cup daal per person:

1 cup mung daal (or alternative legume - see above)

2-3 large dried chillies (deseed)

choose your heat and taste preference - kashmiri are milder than other dried chillies and offer a sweeter taste)

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp crushed garlic

203 tsp grated fresh ginger

1 -2 tsp salt (more for vata, less for kapha)

To serve - add ghee / flax seed oil, additional salt to taste, chopped fresh coriander if available

MEthod:

Rinse mung daal until water runs clear (there’s no need to pre soak any of the legumes above)

For each cup of daal add 3 cups water

Bring to the boil, add salt and simmer for 30 mins (or until soft)

Meanwhile heat a dry fry pan on medium to high heat - the pan should be starting to smoke

add sliced or chopped dried chillies (removing seeds as you go)

add cumin seeds

cook, shaking until aromatic and slightly smoky (gives a great taste to the daal)

reduce heat and add:

ground spices

garlic

ginger

a little water to create a paste (substitute with oil or more water if you don’t have a non stick pan)

cook the paste for 1 minute

Add tempered spice paste to cooked daal, or vice versa and stir through

Allow to sit for at least 5 mins with lid on to develop flavours

serve

Either stir through 1 tbsp ghee or oil in the pan, or add to your bowl once served

Add salt to taste and garnish with fresh coriander if available / to your taste

Serve just as it is or with steamed rice or simple plain chapati or roti

A favourite chutney on the side makes a lovely complementary flavour, texture and way to bring in the 6 tastes of Ayurveda to your meal