Arhar - Masoor Dal

This is a very simple dal and is a combination of two of the most commonly used Indian lentils- Arhar and Masoor. Masoor is basically a pink lentil with a brown skin. Here we use the split skinless version , so the lentil looks like a pink hemisphere. Arhar aka Toor aka Tuvar aka Pigeon Pea is the most commonly used lentil throughout India. Whole Arhar is a yellow lentil with a green skin, and the split skinless version looks like a yellow hemisphere. The cooking time of both the lentils varies slightly, and so this recipe is a combination of soft masoor accentuated by the wholeness of the arhar. This daal h does not even need common spices like turmeric and coriander. It is seasoned lightly and then we add acidity by using a big heap of dried mango powder or aamchoor. A tip to remember while cooking any daal is that you must bring it to a boil after adding the souring agent. This adds consistency and gets rid of the rawness of the seasoning. So boil your daal after adding tamarind or dried mango powder or kokum.

1 cup Arhar Dal
2 cups split skinless Masoor Dal ( Pink lentil also known as Malka, this dal looks brown with a skin on it)
10 cups of water
4 tspn salt
3 thai green chillies
1 large onion
1 large tomato
1 tspn cumin seeds
2 pinches asfoetida
1 1/2 tbspn dried mango powder
1 tbspn oil

Instructions

1. Soak the daals for 2 hours.
2. Boil with the salt and 9 cups of water for 25 minutes. The masoor will be mushy while the arhar will retain a slight bite.
3. In a pan, add the oil. When hot add the asfoetida and cumin seeds and let it splutter. Add onions till they are translucent.
4. Now add tomatoe ( finely diced) and the chillies.
5. Cook for 5 minutes.
6. Add to the daal. Add the dried mango powder to the daal and brong to a boil.
7. Serve , garnished with coriander leaves.