Gurudwara ki Laangar dal (mixed lentils)

This is a dal that is cooked in the Sikh Gurudwaras (temples) for Laangar (that’s the meal served to all devotees who come to the gurudwara). Last week I was watching Madhur Jaffery’s  Curry Nation being shown on the SBS TV. She has been following different kinds of Indian subcontinent cuisines both in restaurants as well as in people’s homes. She finally goes to show one of her own favourites recipes from that region. Last week it was Panjabi cuisine and there were two dishes that made me sit up and think yes I could cook that. The first one was this Laangar dal. The other one was mooli paratha which I shall write in a separate blog.

I generally cook in large amount so I can freeze it for another day. This is a slow cooked dal and so it makes sense to do a larger batch. The amounts used here should actually feed 5 people easily.

·

 I    Ingredients

125 grams Whole Urad (black gram)

125 grams Whole Moong (green gram)

100 grams Split channa dal

125 grams Moth beans (http://chefinyou.com/ingredients/moth-beans/)

1 medium onion finely chopped

4 cloves of garlic finely chopped

4 small green chillies finely chopped

·        Spices

1 Teaspoon of red chilli powder

½ teaspoon of turmeric powder

1 teaspoon of cumin powder

2 teaspoons of coriander powder

Salt to taste

30 grams of butter 

·        For tempering -

1 table spoon of oil (any vegetable oil can be used. I tend to use light olive oil)

A teaspoon of cumin seeds

5 cloves

2 inch long pieces of cinnamon stick

2 dried red chillies

·        Preparation

Put all the dals in a large saucepan and wash thoroughly. Then cover the mixed dals with hot water and leave to soak overnight. I changed the water in the morning and added some more fresh hot water. It begins to soften the dals.

Since this dal takes a good 3 to 4 hours to cook on low heat if you are making for an evening meal its best to start cooking it at around 11 30 am at the latest. Add the chopped onions, garlic and chillies and the dry spices of chilli, turmeric, cumin and coriander powders. Salt has to be to taste. I tend to put about 2 teaspoons. But you should put less as it is always easy to add more. If by chance you find that you have added more salt you can add a potato into the dish you care cooking. This will absorb extra salt and can be then removed from the dish. Also add the butter at this time. Bring the lentils to a boil and then turn the heat down to medium so that it does not boil over. You can cover it with a lid but be careful to check frequently as the water may evaporate leaving it dry and singed at the bottom. You can add some more water if needed. After a couple of hours you can turn the heat down to minimum, cover the pan and leave to continue cooking. 

You get a nice and thick dal with all the beans well softened. You then need to temper the dal. In a small saucepan put the cumin and oil to heat up. As the cumin starts to darken add the dry red chillies, cinnamon and cloves. Please be careful as this is very hot and the cloves and red chilli are likely to splutter. Once it is hot just add it on to the dal. Just before serving you can sprinkle some fresh coriander leaves.

The depth of flavour comes from the slow cooking and also when kept for another day. This dal can be eaten with rice or even with parathas as it is fairly thick in consistency. I will make this dal more often. It is truly a dal for winter months but since I have discovered with the summer approaching I will make it more come winter. Hope you enjoy it too.