This book dives into the diversity of dal across the Indian subcontinent

When we saw the first recipe in Pratibha Karanrsquos new book The Book of Dals Penguin Random House R999 about chana aur lauki from Jammu and Kashmir it brought back memories of dals sneaked into subjis to be eaten with rotis instead of with rice In this KutchiGujarati writerrsquos home dals are fervently enjoyed especially with a dash of sugar and lemon for a sweet and sour flavourIn a telephone interview from her home in Delhi Karan 79 who retired as secretary of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries in 2003 tells us ldquoDal is a very versatile and diverse ingredient not only in India but worldwide In Arab countries rice and lentil dishes are called mujadara in Egypt it is called koshari Mexico frequently uses kidney beans and minced meat and lentilbased soups are popular across Europe and AmericardquoAfter her second book Biryani came out in 2009 Karanrsquos family urged her to write another on lentils because ldquothey are an intrinsic part of all Indian homes including oursrdquo The book contains recipes from all over India and neighbouring countries gathered by Karan during her travels and from the kitchens of friends families and strangers alike Her marriage to the then Hyderabadbased Vijay Karan drew her into Hyderabadi cuisineldquoI would pester my motherinlaw to give me recipes and I gathered a few by talking to people chefs and restaurants Wherever we go I like to meet people and talk to them about foodrdquo says the enthusiastic home chef A favourite in the Karan household is khatti dal from Hyderabad ldquoItrsquos the goto dish for everyone when they come back after travellingrdquo However when the author cooks she goes for simpler versions which can be cooked quickly ldquoLasun and lal mirchi ki dal is what I like It is like a breeze to make and everyone loves it at homerdquo she adds All this passion was poured into her first book A Princely Legacy Hyderabadi Cuisine which covered the history culture and cuisine of Indiarsquos most beloved dish the biryaniSunday midday ladles out six of the most unique dals from the pages of her latest book and talks to Karan about themKootuTamil NaduldquoThis dal is popular across many South Indian communities because it is very healthy and has fresh vegetables and coconut Itrsquos abundant in spices and curry leaves and coconutrdquo says Karan ldquoYou can make it with a single vegetable or with a medley of themrdquo The trick is to boil the vegetables with green chillies cumin and red chilli powder and grated coconut just till they are tender but not mushy Since this too is also a dry dal Karan suggests eating it with sambhar or by itselfArhar dal with shalgamKashmirKashmirrsquos harsh winters prevent growth of fresh vegetables and sundried ingredients and vegetables come to the rescue ldquoThe cuisine relies heavily on dry vegetables and wellspiced meatsrdquo says Karan as she shared a recipe from a Kashmiri friend ldquoDry ginger powder fennel star anise seeds and asafoetida are used extensively in Kashmiri cuisine and so it is in this dish too The strong taste of asafoetida along with green chillies and fresh radish packs a punchrdquoMoong ki bikhri dalUttar PradeshThis also happens to be this writerrsquos favourite dal and we found ourselves agreeing on how this delicious dal with a unique name is unique in taste and texture too ldquoIt is called bikhri scattered because unlike others that are mushy in texture here each grain is separated from the otherrdquo says Karan ldquoI got the recipe from my daughterinlawrsquos mother The secret to getting the right texture is cooking it at the right degree and being stingy with the water The flavours come from simple spices such as cumin seeds peppercorn onion green chillies and curry leaves The magic ingredient that enhances the dal is crushed pepper sprinkled on top towards the end It goes well with bread and roti but I prefer relishing all the flavours on their ownrdquo In other parts of the country this kind of dry moong dal is called sukhi dal and the tempering differs from region to regionAngoor ki dalGujaratldquoThis one is a fine example of how a few ingredients can make a dish marvellousrdquo says Karan ldquoIt takes ghee cumin seeds red chilli powder sugar one cup of either green or red grapes and can be eaten with ricerdquo She learnt this recipe from a cook at her inlawsrsquo place in Hyderabad who picked it up from a Gujarati family she used to work with The use of grapes does give credence to the stereotype that Gujarati food leans towards the sweeter side but as Karan observes ldquoThis Gujarati dal has a sweet and sour flavour similar to the ones found in MaharashtrardquoIngredients200 gm red gram lentils arhar dal13 tsp turmeric2 tbsp ghee1 tsp mustard seeds1 tsp cumin seeds1 tsp red chilli powder1 tsp sugar1 cup ripe green grapesSaltMethodWash and soak the lentils in abundant water for about 20 minutes Drain and pressure cook in two and onefourth glasses of water with salt and turmeric Switch off the flame after one or two whistles When the pressure subsides open the lid the lentils should be tender but not mushy If not cook further without pressure until tender Tempering Heat ghee in a pan add mustard seeds When they sputter add cumin seeds When those turn brown turn off the flame After five seconds add red chilli powder and pour this tempering into the cooked lentils Add sugar and grapes and cook for two minutes until the dal reaches mediumthick consistency Serve hotChana dal with keema and fresh fenugreekAndhra Pradesh and TelanganaHyderabadi cuisine is influenced by the Mughal Persian and Arabs winds and Telugu food has an identity of its own as well ldquoInterestingly they scoop out the flesh of tomatoes onions apples and guavas and stuff the casings with keemardquo she says adding ldquoThey have a long list of nonvegetarian dishes many of which are meatbased with all kinds of dals and vegetables This dal goes equally well with parotta rice and even purisrdquoIngredients150 gm Bengal gram lentils split and skinned chana dal13 cup oil1frasl2 tsp fenugreek seeds methi2 onions finely sliced2 to 3 green chillies chopped1 tsp ginger paste1 tsp garlic paste13 tsp turmeric powder1 tsp red chilli powderA few sprigs of fresh green coriander choppedA few mint leaves coarsely chopped250 gm keema minced meat1 cup fresh fenugreek leaves methi saag coarsely choppedJuice of 12 limesSaltMethodWash and soak the lentils for about 20 minutes and drain the water Place the lentils in a heavybased pan add about two to three glasses of water and a little salt Let it all come to boil on a high flame first and then cook on mediumlow flame until the lentils are tender Set aside In a separate pan heat the oil Add fenugreek seeds followed by onions and green chillies When the onions turn golden add ginger and garlic paste After a few seconds add salt turmeric and red chilli powder Add the coriander and mint leaves Sprinkle a little water so that the ingredients blend better Add the keema and stir for five to six minutes Add the fenugreek leaves and cook for another five minutes Add about half a glass of water and cook covered on mediumlow flame for seven to eight minutes until the keema is cooked Now mix in the lentils Cover and cook for three to four minutes more Add the lime juice and turn off the flame It should be semidry Serve hot with bread paratha or puriDhansakGujaratldquoA renowned dish from an essentially vegetarian statemdashowing to the predominance of Hinduism and Jainism but some communities such as the Parsis and Bohras do eat seafood and muttonrdquo says Karan Mostly made with meat Karanrsquos version has just vegetables and both versions are equally popular ldquoIt is essentially made with a combination of two dals and several vegetables such as pumpkin fresh fenugreek brinjal and tomatoes cooked together and ground into a fine paste in vinegar To get it just right add ghee and lime juice towards the endrdquo says KaranParippu hodiSri LankaThis recipe is a memento from a trip to Sri Lanka shared by a young enthusiastic chef based in Galle Karan found many similarities between Sri Lankan and Kerala cuisines with cloves cinnamon cardamom nutmeg coconut and shallots playing an important role in every dish ldquoWhat makes this dal stand apart is the special Sri Lankan curry powder which is similar to our garam masalardquo she says ldquoThis dal goes well with rice but can also be eaten with breadrdquoAlso ReadHow this ecowarrior is encouraging tribals to make products from plastic waste