Toor dal – another Gujju treat.

I just bought some toor dal over the weekend. Now, it is difficult when one is setting up a home and a kitchen from scratch, where spices and foods have been left behind when moving countries. I find that every time I want to make a particular dish I realise that I am missing at least one or more ingredient. Having got the toor dal and the hing I just could not find curry leaves. I guess I have to make do without it till I can find where it is sold… maybe they had just run out in the shop I go to. It does lend a distinct flavour and aroma to the dal.

Dal (lentils) are a big part of Indian meal. Toor dal is one of my favourite specially the Gujarati version of it. There are many different recipes for making dal and there is a difference in the way people from different communities make it. For example there is a video from Manjula’s Kitchen.

Even for a Gujarati receipt you will find subtle differences between households as they are handed down from mother to daughter. Indianfoodsforever provides a simple toor dal recipe which is interesting. However, the one that got my interest is from Archana’s kitchen. The dal is made using all the ingredients that I am used to. I am particularly partial to the sweet and sour taste. This does not mean that there is not a good kick of chillies as that is put to suit your taste. Archana proposes to have it at soup consistency which is fine but my family tends to prefer the dal to have thicker consistency and have it with plain rice.

I also think that when cooking any food and particularly this dal if you are distracted and unhappy while making it the taste does not come out just right. This is not linked to how experienced the cook is believe me I have noted over the years that when the dal is made by a distressed cook it is bland, lacks the tang and feels flat. I love it when it turns out just right and then having that little bit extra to have as left over is such a pleasure. For a gujju meal the toor dal is accompanied by at least plain rice, some sabji and roti. More elaborate will include some salad (as kachumber - finely chopped onions, tomatoes, cucumber), pickles, yogurt or raita, papad and of course a sweet dish which unlike western customs is served with the main meal.