Paanchdal Masala

This dal is based from a mix of five different lentils, mainly urad dal, toor dal, masoor dal, yellow moong dal, and channa dal. Hence the name, "Paanch" means five. I wanted to experiment with these different lentils to see what we could create by putting them all together in one dish. I made this dal milder than how I usually make the Gujarati dhal so I went easy on the spices. Here goes ...

1/2 cup toor dal
1/4 cup masoor dal
1/4 cup urad dal
1/4 cup yellow moong dal
1/4 cup channa dal
2" piece ginger, grated
2 tomatoes, grated
1/4 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ghee
Pinch of asafoetida powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 lemon, juiced
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp sugar (optional)
Chopped cilantro for garnish

1. Soak all five dals together for an hour or two. Wash the dals out before putting them in to boil in pressure cooker. Add enough water to cook the dals. I added about 5 cups. Also add a pinch of salt. Pressure cook for 5-6 whistles. Allow to cool down.
2. Check to make sure lentils are fully cooked. If so, puree the dal mixture until smooth. *
3. Remove the dal puree from pressure cooker into pot. Heat the dal on medium flame while you add the ingredients.
4. Start by adding the tomato puree, grated ginger, red chili powder, coriander powder, salt and sugar, if using. Let dal come to boil, then reduce heat to low. Garnish with lemon juice and chopped cilantro.
5. Meanwhile, make the tadka seasoning, by heating ghee in small handheld tadka pan. Add the cumin seeds. Allow to splutter and then add the asafoetida powder. Remove from heat and garnish dal with tadka.
6. Serve hot with Kundru-Potato Fry and roti or rice.

* WARNING: Cooking these dals was a total mess and did I mention time consuming. I added 5 whole cups of water and it was not enough. Also, the dals weren't cooked properly (I think channa dal mostly) so I had to turn the pressure cooker back on again. When I checked again, they were cooked but still not enough water so some of it stuck to bottom of cooker. Finally, I scooped the good stuff that was on top and worked with that. I definitely need to cook less measurements of dal, maybe a handful of each next time and also get the water measurements right!

As far as final product, you can definitely taste all the different flavors that each of the five lentils contribute to the dish, from sour to sweet to tangy. It would also make a great Indian lentil soup, if served alone. It's worth a try. We gave it Three Stars because we only have tastebuds for our Gujarati dhal!