Wish you all a very Happy and Prosperous New Year!
Tradition says eating black eyed peas on New Year's Day brings a year of good luck and health. That is the reason I wanted to share the recipe for black eyed peas dal. In India, dal and parathas are the ultimate comfort food. I don't know whether eating black eyed peas will bring good luck or not, but I do know that dal provides protein and much needed fiber in our diet. Eating well brings good health. Good health is the best wealth anyone can ask for, which should be the top New Year's resolution.
Here is the recipe. Enjoy!
Black
Eyed Peas Dal
In
this recipe, seasoning is added to the cooked dal and the raw
seasoning is added just before serving, to keep the onions crunchy.
Serves
4 - 6
•
1 ½ cups black eyed peas
•
¼ cup vegetable oil
•
1/8 teaspoon asafetida
•
2 dry whole red chilies, such as chile de arbol
•
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
•
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
•
10 fresh or dried curry leaves
•
2 cups chopped onions
•
1 tablespoon minced garlic
•
1 teaspoon coriander powder
•
1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
•
½ - 1 teaspoon cayenne
•
½ teaspoon turmeric
•
1 ½ teaspoons salt
•
2 large tomatoes, chopped
Raw
Seasoning:
•
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
•
2 tablespoons lime juice
•
1 – 3 minced fresh green chilies, such as serrano
•
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro/coriander leaves
Parathas (recipe follows)
Wash
the black eyed peas with several changes of water. Add enough water
to cover 2 - 3 inches above the peas. Let them soak overnight.
Discard the soaking liquid. Transfer soaked peas to a large heavy
bottomed saucepan with 6 cups of water and heat over medium high
heat. Bring it to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook until peas
are soft and creamy. Mash the peas with the back of a spoon. The
dal should be soft and creamy, but should have some texture.
Alternately,
you can cook the peas in a pressure cooker. Place the soaked peas
with 3 ½ cups of water in a pressure cooker. Close with the lid and
heat over medium high heat. Cook on high pressure for 1 ½ minutes
and reduce heat to medium. Cook for 10 - 12 minutes and turn off the
heat. Let the pressure drop on its own. It takes about 12 - 15
minutes. Open the lid and check if the peas are soft. If they are,
mash them with the back of a spoon. If not, add 1 more cup of water
and cook over medium heat until the peas are soft and creamy.
Heat
oil in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Add asafetida and
red chilies. When red chilies turn darker, add mustard seeds, and
cover until the spluttering subsides. Uncover, and add cumin seeds.
As soon as the cumin seeds sizzle, quickly add the curry leaves and
onion. Sauté onion until the edges begin to brown. Add garlic and
stir fry for a minute. Stir in coriander powder, cumin powder,
cayenne, turmeric and salt. Add tomatoes. Cook until tomatoes are
soft and some of the moisture evaporates. Add cooked peas along with
one cup water, and simmer over medium heat for 15 - 20 minutes. Add
more water if necessary. Just before serving, mix all the raw
seasoning ingredients together and stir into the dal. Serve with parathas.
Parathas
Yield
8
• 2
cups chappati flour (atta flour)
•
½ teaspoon salt
•
¾ cup water
•
2 tablespoons ghee or oil
•
extra flour for rolling
•
ghee or oil for basting
Stir
flour and salt in a bowl. Add water to the flour mixture and mix
into a soft, pliable dough. If the dough feels too dry, add water 1
tablespoon at a time and mix. If the dough feels sticky, add flour 1
tablespoon at a time. Transfer dough onto a work surface. Knead for
3 - 5 minutes. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest for
½ an hour allowing the gluten to develop.
Divide
the dough into 8 equal portions. Work with 1 portion at a time and
keep the rest covered to prevent from drying. Roll out the dough
into 5-inch circles. Brush the surface with a little ghee or oil.
Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of dry flour on top. Make a cut from the center
to the edge. Roll the dough from 1 cut side to the other. Press
down the pointed end in the middle to make a disc. Roll the disc
into 7 - 8 inch circles.
Heat
the griddle over medium high heat. When the griddle is hot, place
rolled parathas onto the hot griddle. When the bottom is cooked and
dotted with brown spots, flip it to the other side.
When
the other side is also covered with a few brown spots, baste the top
with ghee or oil. Flip it back and baste the other side with ghee or
oil. Remove from the griddle. Cover parathas with a kitchen towel
or foil while preparing the rest.
*You can substitute parathas with whole wheat tortillas.
For more memorable centerpieces, tablescapes, and recipes (including vegetarian, gluten free and vegan recipes),please check out my books, Entertaining From an Ethnic Indian Kitchen and Trader Joe's Simply Indian at my website komalinunna.com.
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