Pigeon Pea and Fenugreek Curry (Methi Tadka Dal)
Photo: Monali.mishra, CC BY-SA 4.0
Methi Tadka Dal is a quick pressure-cooker lentil dish where fenugreek leaves give toor dal a pleasant bitter edge. The leaves cook down with the dal, tomatoes and onion until soft. A final tadka of mustard seeds, cumin, golden garlic, red chillis and curry leaves in hot ghee adds aroma at the end. It is ready in about fifteen minutes and goes well with plain rice and a sour Gongura pickle.
Instructions
Put the toor dal, water, methi leaves, the three tomatoes, onion, turmeric, green chillis, peppercorns, butter and the ginger, if using, into a pressure cooker. Cook until the dal is soft, which takes about 4 whistles.
Heat the ghee in a pan and add the mustard seeds, cumin, sliced garlic, red chillis and curry leaves. Fry until the garlic turns golden.
Stir in the finely chopped tomato, then season with salt, chilli powder and ground coriander to your taste.
Tip the cooked dal mixture into the pan and let it simmer. Add a little water if you want a thinner, more gravy-like curry.
Finish with two drops of lemon juice. Serve hot with rice, and a little Gongura pickle on the side if you like.
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