Name: Black Dal
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 150 min
Total time: 180 min
Yield: 4 Servings
Ingredients: For the Ginger Garlic Paste; 1 teaspoon vegetable oil; ¼ cup chopped peeled garlic; ¼ cup chopped, peeled fresh ginger; 2 cups Urad dal, cooked; 4 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter); ½ cup finely diced onion; 3 tablespoons ginger garlic paste; ⅓ cup tomato paste; ¾ teaspoon ground cumin; ¾ teaspoon ground coriander; ¾ teaspoon Indian red chili powder (known as lal mirch); ½ teaspoon garam masala; ½ teaspoon ground green cardamom pods; ½ teaspoon salt; 1½ to 2 cups water; 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes; ½ cup heavy cream; Cilantro leaves; Nonfat Greek yogurt; Thinly sliced red onion; Jasmine or basmati rice; Naam, cut into quarters

Mains

Black Dal

Author: Mary DiSomma

Featured in my "What's Cookin'" column for Peoria Magazine, January 2023.

The flavors of Indian cuisine are complex, but with the right ingredients, creating the perfect Indian dish doesn’t have to be overwhelming. I was fortunate to have learned to make a traditional dal at a cooking class during a trip to India.

After that cooking class, I fell in love with dal. Why? It’s creamy and buttery and packed full of intensely flavored Indian spices.

Urad dal is the star of the dish. Though it is often referred to as a black lentil, don’t confuse the two! Black and oval-shaped with a noticeable white speck on the side, Urad dal is known as a “pulse,” which is the edible seed of a legume. Its closest relative in the culinary world is a cowpea or a mung bean. Urad dal can be purchased at international markets or online. In addition, this is a recipe that requires you to plan ahead!