If everyday toor dal, chana dal and moong dal have started to feel a little repetitive at the dinner table, drumstick dal is exactly the change your kitchen needs. Known as sahajan in Hindi, the drumstick pod lends this recipe a distinctive earthy flavour along with a strong nutritional punch. The method is straightforward, the ingredients are easy to find, and the result is a deeply satisfying bowl of dal that tastes best ladled over steaming hot rice. Here is the complete recipe with every step laid out clearly.
Ingredients
- Three drumstick pods
- One cup toor dal
- Three green chillies
- Half a teaspoon turmeric powder
- Water as required
- One inch piece of ginger
- One tomato
- Two tablespoons ghee
- Half a teaspoon mustard seeds
- Half a teaspoon cumin seeds
- Half an inch cinnamon
- Two red chillies
- Half a teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- A pinch of asafoetida
- Ten to twelve curry leaves
- Salt to taste
- Half a teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
- Fresh coriander for garnish
Step-by-Step Method
Start by peeling the drumstick pods and cutting them into medium-sized pieces. Soak the toor dal in water for one full hour, then rinse it well under running water. Transfer the soaked dal to a pressure cooker and add the drumstick pieces, green chillies, turmeric powder, salt and enough water to cook the dal through.
Close the cooker and cook on high flame until one whistle sounds. Then reduce the heat to medium-low and let the dal cook for another seven to eight minutes, or until two to three more whistles come. While the cooker is doing its work, roughly chop the ginger and green chillies and pound them together in a mortar to get a coarse, textured paste. Set this aside for the tadka.
Once the pressure releases naturally and the dal is fully cooked, open the cooker and lift out the drumstick pieces. Put them into a mixer jar, add a little water and blend to a smooth paste. Strain this paste back into the cooked dal through a sieve. The woody, fibrous parts stay behind in the strainer while all the flavour and goodness of the drumstick flows back into the dal. Whisk the dal well so everything combines evenly.
Making the Tadka
Heat two tablespoons of ghee in a pan over medium flame. Add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, cinnamon, fenugreek seeds, asafoetida and curry leaves and let them splutter. Stir in the ginger-chilli paste prepared earlier. When the mixture turns golden and aromatic, add the chopped tomato and cook on medium heat until it softens completely and breaks down. Add half a teaspoon of Kashmiri red chilli powder along with a splash of hot water and stir it all together.
Pour this hot, fragrant tadka directly over the cooked dal and mix thoroughly so every spoonful carries the flavour. Finish with a generous handful of freshly chopped coriander, give the dal one final stir, and it is ready to serve. Pair it with hot steamed rice for a wholesome, comforting and flavour-rich meal.
