Dal Satrangi: The seven-lentil symphony

Pushpesh Pant

MIXED lentils are our weakness. We have encountered these in many incarnations — Panchrangi, Rajasthani, Keoti Hyderabadi, Mili Pahadi and the triveni of unhusked yellow lentils — moong, urad and arhar. Our considered view is that more the merrier!

As the old saying has it, ‘Faqat dal roti, baaki sab baat khoti!’ (What matters in the end is just the lentils that go with bread.) The art of making a good simple dal is more difficult to master than turning out a complex curry. It involves getting down to the basics, and if anything is botched up, then there is no enchanting screen of spices and aromatics to hide behind. But let us not digress.

The recipe we share with dear readers this time is an improvisation on an inspired creation by our late friend Jiggs Kalra, relocating in tempering the ‘Seven Royal Salutes’ commemorating the legends of Asafzahi Nizams. He insisted that the tempering should follow in a prescribed sequence. However, we feel that except asafoetida and the bay leaf, you can follow your own inclination. You may also happily replace the ‘notes’ in tempering with curry leaves and kasuri methi. The idea is to compose a harmonious symphony of flavours that blend beautifully with the mosaic-like colours in the bowl.

You may substitute a lentil with another you prefer. Usually, this saatvik dal eschews garlic and onions but we feel a garnish of deep-fried finely sliced onions and cloves of garlic add to its crowning glory. It goes without saying that chopped coriander and mint leaves don’t hurt either.

What must be noted is that to relish the taste of lentils, no overpowering powdered or ground spices should be allowed to trespass. This is one of those rare preparations in the Indian kitchen that does away with both haldi and dhania powder. You may, if you can’t do away with the duo, add a large pinch but no more of haldi when you begin boiling the lentils.

Not all of the tempering is visible but you can feel its presence. And this is what sets this simple dish sublime.

Dal Satrangi

Ingredients

Black mash (whole) 40g

Black gram 40g

Dal chana 40g

Dal arhar 40g

Dal kulthi 40g

Dal malka masur 40g

Rajma 40g

Ginger paste 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

For tempering

Asafoetida 1/4 tsp

Bay leaf 1

Red chilli dried 1

Green chilli 1

Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp

Garlic cloves 2

Black peppercorns 6-8

Ghee 1/3 cup

Method

Soak black mash, rajma and black gram overnight. Soak rest of the lentils for 30 minutes. Bring water to a boil in a pressure cooker. Add lentils, salt and ginger paste to it. Cook under pressure for 20 minutes. Let the pressure come down on its own. Uncover and start tempering. Heat a little ghee in a saddle. Add asafoetida and bay leaf and pour over the dal. Stir well. Keep cooking uncovered over medium flame for five minutes. Administer the second tempering by heating some more ghee and adding cumin seeds, cloves and peppercorns to it. Stir. Continue cooking for another five minutes. Now is the time for the final salute. Add red and green chillies to the hot ghee and as soon as they change colour, pour over the lentils. Mix well. Serve with phulka or steamed rice.

PS: In case you’d forgotten to soak the lentils at night, soak these all together for 30 minutes and mash a little before every tempering.