Moradabadi Daal-- A Must Try!!!

I am not at all a Daal person and would prefer to make a curry instead of a daal, given a choice. But after my Lucknowi Daal, I did start loving it but only limited to Lucknowi Daal. Now, there is a new inclusion in my favourite daal list, Moradabadi Daal!! The recipe was shared by Hina Gujral of Fun, Food and Frolic several months back but I somehow never got to make it. I did today and wow! Totally bowled out by the superb taste. If you have nothing to cook or in no mood to cook, you must certainly make this daal. Even if you are in the mood, you must still make this because you are undoubtedly going to fall in love with it!!! Please try this daal.... A humble request!!! Trust me, you won't be disappointed! 

Ingredients 

For the daal

1/2 cup moong daal washed and drained 

1/4 tsp heeng/asafoetida 

1/2 tsp turmeric powder 

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste (I finely grated both)

1/2 tbsp tamarind paste/pulp (without seeds)

Salt to taste

For the tadka

1 tbsp ghee/refined oil (the flavor is optimum  with ghee)

1 tsp cumin seeds 

1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder 

1 tsp chaat masala powder

1 medium onion finely chopped 

1 medium tomato deseeded and finely chopped 

1-2 green chillies chopped 

1" piece ginger julienned 

3-4 cubes of paneer crumbled

Fresh coriander chopped finely 

Direction 

Cook the daal with required water in a pressure cooker with all the other ingredients listed under daal until done. I usually add water just until 1" above the level of the daal to avoid spitting by the cooker while cooking. 

Remove from heat and let the pressure release on its own. Open the lid and mash the daal adding any additional hot water to achieve desired consistency. Spoon out the daal in individual serving bowls and keep it ready while you prepare the tadka. 

In a small tadka pan or small wok, heat the ghee and add the cumin seeds. Let them crackle and then add chilli powder and chaat masala powder. Remove from heat immediately and spoonfuls of the tadka into individual bowls. Here the quantity of ghee mentioned was for two servings of the daal. Increase as per your requirement. Now add the chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, chopped chillies, and ginger juliennes into each serving bowl on top of the tadka and crumble some paneer cubes on top. Finish it off with a generous sprinkle of fresh coriander (I love lots of it) and serve hot with rotis/naan/paratha or rice! Enjoy this lip smacking daal and also the compliments!!