Pakistani Urad Dal | Maash Ki Dal Recipe

 This urad dal (maash ki dal) recipe is prepared in the traditional Pakistani, North Indian or Punjabi way: bhuni/sukhi as dry and firm, but fully cooked. I have tested and perfected this authentic recipe loved by all who have tried it.

What is Mash Ki Dal (Urad Dal)

urad dal/daal is the ivory white lens that results when the entire urad dal is peeled. It is also called dhuli or urad dal wash. It took me to pack after pack of urad dal (I had never seen it labeled "Maash" growing up) to get the perfect al dente texture.

Still, I kept trying. Because if you've had that dal, you know you can't miss it. You'll see it eyeing you in the obnoxiously eclectic "dal department" of the Indo-Pak grocery store, and you'll want to relive one bite, wrapped in roti, chewy yet textured.

I have nothing against every version of this delicious dal, but my mother-in-law makes the best I've ever had. Since she's been visiting, I've tried to recreate it several times, asking her detailed and probably trivial questions: 1¼ teaspoon coriander powder or 1½?

How To Make Sookhi Urad Daal

If you've tried making dal maash, you know that getting the texture right is the biggest hurdle. Perfecting the soak time, cook time, and dal to water ratio is something of an art.

Tips For Tastey Urad Dal

1. Fresh dal cooks faster than old dal. Dal is best used within a year of being collected and dried. If your dal has been in your pantry for more than 9-10 months, you may need to increase the cooking time.
2. Contrary to my culinary instincts, my mother-in-law doesn't brown the onion first, instead adding the garlic and tomato along with the onion. I chop everything up in a food processor to save time, but you can do it by hand if you prefer.
3. The green chilies are added last, which means they should be pleasantly hot. If your green chillies are too hot to bite, remove the seeds, cut into smaller pieces and use half.

Serving Instruction For Maash Ki Dal

Maash ki dal is usually eaten with roti. Kachumber salad or crisp fresh vegetables like sliced onions, carrots, or cucumbers are great alongside the dal to add texture and texture

Ingredients

• 1 cup (200 g) urad (maash) dal*, peeled and split black lentils
• 1 medium onion, cut into quarters
• 1 small to medium-sized tomato, quartered
• 5-6 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 1/3 cup neutral oil such as grapeseed oil
• 4 whole teeth
• 1 ½ teaspoons coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 – 1½ teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder, use up to 1/2 teaspoon if using cayenne pepper or hot red chili powder
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 ¼ teaspoon kosher salt or to taste

After Cooking

• 1-2 green chiles, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon julienned ginger
• 1-2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice, optional