Saturday 1 July 2006

Jihvā for Ingredients - Dal

Lentils or dal are a member of the legume family. They grow in pods that contain either one or two seeds that are round, oval or lens-shaped disks. With the highest level of protein other than soybeans, it is a very important part of the diet for vegetarians. Apart from that, dal also contains dietary fibre, vitamin B1, and minerals. The important thing is that it is low in fat.


Masoor Dal


Dal has the advantage of cooking quickly. It easily absorbs flavours from other foods and seasonings. It has a mild and a distinctive earthy flavour. Dal is renown for causing flatulence, which often countered by adding asafoetida to the dish.

As the entry for Jihva for ingredients, I have thought of cooking an unusual combo; Indian and Italian.

Dal Farfalle

What do we need:

2 cups farfalle or any pasta
1/2 cup masoor dal
1 bay leaf
1 onion
2 pips garlic
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp sambar powder
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup milk
salt

How do we do it:

Boil dal with the bay leave until soft. Discard the bay leave and purée the cooked dal until smooth. Set aside.

Boil a pot full of water with a generous amount of salt. Cook the farfalle in the boiling water to al dente or until the time specified on the pasta package. When cooked, drain and set aside.

Chop the onion and garlic finely. Heat oil and sauté the onion, garlic, cumin seeds and the dried basil leaves until aromatic. Add the dal purée, sambar powder and milk. Cook until the mixture thickens. Add lemon juice and season with salt. Add the cooked farfalle and stir gently but thoroughly to ensure that it is fully covered.


12 comments:

RP said...

Pasta with dal! That was so creative. Loved the idea.

Anonymous said...

Hi Pushpa -- I'm glad to know I'm not the only one using sambhar powder in other dishes :) This looks great!

indianadoc said...

Fusion cooking...I always liked it...dal n pasta...that's a good concept Pushpa...very creative indeed!!

KA said...

Pushpa,
Very innovative recipe!

I have a question about your previous post: Is that the same recipe used for making prasad at Sabarimalai(Ayyappa) temple?

Revathi said...

Hi Pushpa,
I was expecting a sweet dish from you for this JFI - he he heeeee. Cool one dear !!

Kay said...

I had no clue that dal would go with pasta! Wow!

Menu Today said...

Hi Pushpa,
Very creative one.

Unknown said...

I have neither heard of pasta cooked with lentils nor have I seen it appearing in anyone's blog. This is purely my own idea. It could be just a co-incidence. Don't different people come up with the same idea? I actually wanted to make lentil soup and cook pasta. Then, thought why not I just pop the pasta into the soup and VIOLA!!!

RP, Shynee & Kay~ Thank u very much.

Linda~ Thank u. I prefer using sambar powder than curry powder as the former is milder than the latter.

KA~ Thanx. I have never heard of the prasadham in Sabarimalai.

Revathi~ Thank u. I actually wanted to prepare a desser out of dal but then, culdn't find the time to do it. Next time huh?

Vaishali said...

Hi Pushpa,
Great idea there to pair pasta with dal.

Unknown said...

Vaishali~ Vielen dank Schatz.

Anonymous said...

Hey Pushpa,
Cooking is definitely an art that perfects itself only when blended with the right proportion of sense, oodles of love and a fair amount of concern thrown in for good measure! This idea is well demonstrated on your blog through your pragmatic selection of unique recipes for toddlers and adults alike. I particularly liked the oatmeal muffins and the beautiful, lavender topped yam jellies!
Meenakshi at PRITYA

Hello Meenakshi,

Thank u very much for the compliments. I'm very much encouraged by ur words.

So, wat do u all actually do at PRITYA?

Pritya said...

Hi Pusiva, Dal Farfalle is such a unique dish…I am not familiar with it. It looks truly creative. Would surely like to try it out. Cheers!

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