This Indian Dal Recipe Is So Good, It Ruined Indian Restaurants for Me

About this video

• Video Title: This Indian Dal Recipe Is So Good, It Ruined Indian Restaurants for Me
• Channel: My Name Is Andong
• Speakers: Andong
• Duration: 00:10:44

Overview

In this video, Andong shares a recipe for Indian dal, claiming it's so delicious it surpasses restaurant versions. The video details how to prepare the lentils, aromatic jeera rice, and a flavorful dal gravy, incorporating restaurant-style techniques and hacks for an elevated home-cooked meal.

Key takeaways

• Dal Preparation: The recipe uses a blend of three lentils: split pigeon peas, split red lentils, and split chickpeas, each contributing unique flavors and textures. Soaking the lentils for 30 minutes to an hour is recommended.
• Flavor Base: Instead of chopping and sautéing, ingredients like shallots, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, and green chili are blended into a smooth paste for an intense flavor base.
• Rice Cooking: Basmati rice is soaked and then cooked in boiling salted water, with an optional addition of lime juice and rind for extra flavor. The rice is cooked until al dente (about 90% done) and then drained and fluffed.
• Dal Gravy Construction: A flavor base is built in a saucepan with ghee, cumin seeds, dried chilies, and caramelized shallots. Blended aromatics and spices like garam masala, turmeric, and chili powder are added, followed by the cooked lentils and simmered to meld flavors.
• Restaurant-Style Enhancements: To elevate the dal, a touch of MSG, sugar, and white vinegar is added for savoriness, sweetness, and acidity. The accompanying jeera rice is made by blooming cumin seeds in ghee before adding the cooked rice. A final "tatka" (spiced ghee) with fried shallots and chili is drizzled over the dal just before serving.