Recipe: Mysore Dahl

Malaysia Kitchen has recently launched its cooking series on Seven Two on Saturdays at 3pm (Read more here). To whet your appetities, here is a recipe for the Mysore Dahl from Episode 3...

By: Carol Selva Rajah

Ingredients:
1 cup Mysore (red) dahl
2 cups water
2 green chilli, sliced in half
2 clove garlic, diced
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 red onion sliced thinly
1 Tbsp dried prawns, soaked in water and pounded
150g pumpkin, chopped into pieces
1 ripe tomato, chopped with skin on
¼ tsp turmeric
1 tsp freshly dry roasted cumin, then ground in a mortar and pestle for wonderful aroma
1 Tbsp Malaysian curry powder
Pepper, salt to taste.

To garnish
1 Tbsp ghee
2 dried chilli
1 tsp black mustard seeds
10 - 12 curry leaves

Method:
Wash dahl, then boil uncovered with green chillies and turmeric. Cook for about 20 mins with sufficient water to cover the dahl - it will take on a golden yellow colour. To test, press some with your finger, it should be soft.

To a large pan add some vegetable oil and fry the garlic and onions until brown. Add the cooked dahl
dried prawns, tomato, pumpkin and a little water and cook on stove. Add cumin, curry powder, season and stir. Leave the pumpkin textured and with some form and simmer until cooked. Season to taste.

In another frypan melt the ghee for a few seconds, add broken chilli, mustard seeds and curry leaves,
tossing until they pop. Place this as garnish on the dahl serve with other vegetables for a protein rich
meal with brown rice or chapatti.