Bengali masoor dal

This Bengali masoor dal is a simple dal which you can have ready in 15 minutes in the pressure cooker. Spilt red lentils cook really quickly in a pressure cooker and there is a hardly any chopping of ingredients involved. Perfect for a midweek recipe. This dal gets its flavour from bay leaves, chillies & panch phoron (Indian five spice). This spice blend is often used in Bengali cuisine and consists of methi seeds, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds and nigella seeds. Normally, this dal would be flavoured with mustard oil - but as I didn't have this I used ghee instead. But if you really want the authentic Bengali taste - then use mustard oil. As I don't usually cook with it - I don't tend to have it in my home. I tend to go for ghee or vegetable oil! 

Ingredients 
Serves 4 
For the lentils
1 cup / 190g spilt red lentils
2,5 cups / 625ml water plus more as required
1 tsp turmeric 
1/4 tsp asafoetida 
1 tsp salt 
1 green chilli chopped
Half large red onion diced
Half large red tomato cut into chunks 
Handful coriander leaves chopped

For the tadka
1/2 tbsp ghee or 1 tbsp mustard oil
2 Indian bay leaves 
2 dried red chillies 
1 tsp panch phoron 

Method 

1. Add all the ingredients for the lentils in a pressure cooker. Seal and pressure cooker for 2 whistles. Let the pressure release naturally and then gently whisk the dal using a wire whisk. This will help break any remaining lentil grains and make the dal smooth. 
   
   
2. Adjust the consistency with water according to your preference. I like mine to be on the soupy side so I can serve it with rice. Let the dal simmer on a low heat whilst you prepare the tadka.
   
   
3. In a small frying or tadka pan, heat the ghee or mustard. Important: if using mustard oil - let it heat until it smokes lightly and turns pale yellow. This is so the raw flavour & smell of the mustard oil disappears. 
   
   
4. Add the panch phoron and let the spices crackle, Next add the bay leaves and chillies and saute them until they become fragrant and soft, around 30 seconds on medium-high heat.
   
   
5. Pour the hot tadka straight into the simmering dal and mix well. Adjust with salt to taste and mix in the coriander leaves. Serve hot with rice and sabzi. 
   
   

Recipe notes

• If you do not have a pressure cooker, add all the ingredients for the lentils to a large saucepan. Use 3 times the amount of water to lentils instead and simmer for 20 minutes until soft. Whisk or use a stick blender to mix the dal after cooking to ensure that it is lump free and smooth and continue from step two in the recipe!