Dal and Kadhi

 "The traditional food of the Indians"

A Dal is a preparation of pulses which is said to be a thick spicy sort of stew which is eaten with the main course of the meal that is prepared in accordance to the Pakistani, Indian or Bangladeshi cuisine. In India we have a variety of dals available and their names as well as how it is prepared also differ according to the region. The names of some of the common dals are Toor dal or arhar dal, chana dal, masoor dal (red lentils), moong dal, urad dal (black gram) which is whole as well as split.

A plain dal is made by simply boiling the soaked dal with salt and a little turmeric until it’s soft. Then it’s blended with a wooden blender so that it forms a stew which is neither thick nor thin. When this is done in a small pan very little oil is poured and seasoning like cumin seeds red chilli powder and asafoetida is added and this seasoning is added to the dal. It can be topped with fresh coriander leaves to enhance the taste.

The Gujratis use arhar dal to make a sweet and sour dal, or a full meal called dal dhokli.The South Indians use the same dal to make a preparation called sambar which is hot spicy and sour as use of spices and tamarind is there, which they serve with idli vada and dosa. On the seasoning or tadka as it is normally called depends the taste of the dal. Dal Makhani which is dal made of black gram is made very thick and it needs to be soaked overnight. Next morning after adding salt it is cooked on slow flame until it is completely cooked and mashes properly. Then seasoning of garlic, onion, ginger, green chillies and tomatoes is prepared in clarified butter or butter and put on top. To give it color a bit of chilli powder is added during seasoning. This is served with rotis or parathas. Different types of dals are served either with rice or rotis.

Dal is not only an accompaniment but many snacks can be prepared form dals. Like pancakes which may be either plain or stuffed with vegetables or onion and tomatoes. It can either be made into pakoras which is something like a small ball which is eaten with sauces or chutneys.

Kadhi also is an accompaniment of the main food but it is very different from dal. It is made of a mixture of curd and gram flour(besan) along with water. In this preparation the curd amount is more and the gram flour is very little along with water. To make Kadhi is simple. It is first blended together then bought to a boil when it starts boiling salt is added and it is left to boil till the consistency is a bit thick. Then seasoning of dry chillies, asafoetida, mustard seeds is added to it after which the kadhi is ready. Kadhi is also made with different things like spinach and small gram flour balls etc. It is usually eaten with rotis or rice. or a mixture of dal and rice which we know as khichadi.

Thali