Dal Kulfa recipe
Lets clear these Indian names first.
Dal means Lentils and there are so many varieties of them.Most of them are cooked in almost the same manner,but a few of them are cooked with Milk,few of them are added in combination with other dals.A few of these can be combined with mutton or chicken ( cooking these differ a bit).Also they can be cooked with a variety of vegetables and green leaves like spinach,purslane or saag.In the end dal is a wholesome meal on its own,eaten either with rice or rotis or in the form of soup.If you learn to cook it well,then good for you.They say the simplest things are sometimes the tricky ones to cook.Too much blabbering....okay lets move on.
Kulfa is Purslane leaves.My hubby says they are cooling things..in the sense...you can eat them in the summers.Spinach is a heaty thing I've heard.Anyone wants to correct me anywhere,please go ahead.
I used red lentils as they are my favourite,they cook faster and I love to eat it with rice,matta rice or basmati rice,your choice.
2 bunches of kulfas.The leaves have to be plucked and washed and kept aside.For 2 people or 3,
2 cups of red lentils,washed well and kept aside.
I use a pressure cooker coz its faster but if you have a normal vessel with a good lid,that's perfect too.Add the lentils,add 4 cups of water or the water level should be at least an inch and half above the lentils.Now add the leaves directly,add half a tsp of turmeric powder,salt to taste,red chilly powder and a few green chillies.( you know your spice limit,so adjust,we Indians love our chillies and that's what makes us hot ;>)
Close the lid.If its a pressure cooker,then I think a mere 8 minutes will do,if its not a cooker,then close the lid and keep checking.The dal will cook and so will the leaves.You don't want a paste or you don't want the contents to stick to the bottom of the pan.Keep stirring if not using a cooker.
Now the main thing.Its called the tadka( don't remember what its called in English right now),I guess tempering.
Using clarified butter or ghee is the perfect thing here but you can use sunflower or any vegetable oil you like.Olive oil will render a different taste.I normally use sunflower oil and rarely ghee.
3/4ths of a cup of oil in a small shallow frying pan.To it,add an inch of finely chopped ginger,half an onion finely sliced,2 tsp of garlic chopped fine,half a tsp of mustard seeds,half a tsp of jeera or cumin seeds,a pinch of hing or asafoetida and 2 dried red chillies and curry leaves.When the garlic gets golden Brown,switch the gas off ( shouldn't be on high heat anyways) and directly add it to the Dal-leaf mixture.
Close the lid after mixing it in well and let it sit on simmer for at least 15 minutes on slow heat.If the Dal is thick,add water to make it a little watery like consistency.
That's Dal kulfa for you my way.
Kulfa is Purslane leaves.My hubby says they are cooling things..in the sense...you can eat them in the summers.Spinach is a heaty thing I've heard.Anyone wants to correct me anywhere,please go ahead.
2 bunches of kulfas.The leaves have to be plucked and washed and kept aside.For 2 people or 3,
2 cups of red lentils,washed well and kept aside.
I use a pressure cooker coz its faster but if you have a normal vessel with a good lid,that's perfect too.Add the lentils,add 4 cups of water or the water level should be at least an inch and half above the lentils.Now add the leaves directly,add half a tsp of turmeric powder,salt to taste,red chilly powder and a few green chillies.( you know your spice limit,so adjust,we Indians love our chillies and that's what makes us hot ;>)
Close the lid.If its a pressure cooker,then I think a mere 8 minutes will do,if its not a cooker,then close the lid and keep checking.The dal will cook and so will the leaves.You don't want a paste or you don't want the contents to stick to the bottom of the pan.Keep stirring if not using a cooker.
Now the main thing.Its called the tadka( don't remember what its called in English right now),I guess tempering.
Using clarified butter or ghee is the perfect thing here but you can use sunflower or any vegetable oil you like.Olive oil will render a different taste.I normally use sunflower oil and rarely ghee.
3/4ths of a cup of oil in a small shallow frying pan.To it,add an inch of finely chopped ginger,half an onion finely sliced,2 tsp of garlic chopped fine,half a tsp of mustard seeds,half a tsp of jeera or cumin seeds,a pinch of hing or asafoetida and 2 dried red chillies and curry leaves.When the garlic gets golden Brown,switch the gas off ( shouldn't be on high heat anyways) and directly add it to the Dal-leaf mixture.
Close the lid after mixing it in well and let it sit on simmer for at least 15 minutes on slow heat.If the Dal is thick,add water to make it a little watery like consistency.
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