Apple Dal ??? This was exactly how my expression was when I saw it on Sujatha's blog. I kept wondering how Dal made out of apple would taste. Something about the recipe caught my attention, & I made a mental note of it, to be tried on a later date.
I have a huge stack of bookmarked recipes that are waiting to see the light of the day. At times I come up with a menu plan for the entire week wherein certain lunches/dinners are reserved for trying out new recipes. Somehow, I am never able to stick to the plan either because there are left overs or because my pantry is not stocked with appropriate ingredients or more so because I am plain lazy.
And, I had happily forgotten about Apple Dal too until I saw some apples lying in my refrigerator unattended. These apples we had bought several weeks ago turned out so sour that neither of us touched them again. I & Shankar relish fruits so its not everyday that there are excess fruits in my pantry that go unnoticed. It didn't take too long for me to decide that we were going to have Apple Dal for dinner
The basic recipe is from Sujatha's blog & I have tweaked the recipe here & there to suit my taste
Here's how I made it :
Preparation Time: 30 mins
You Will Need:
- 1 cup toor dal
- 1 onion - finely chopped
- 1 tomato - finely chopped
- 1 green apple - cut into cubes
- 2-3 green chillies - finely chopped
- 1 tsp - mustard seeds
- 1 tsp - cumin seeds
- 2 tsp - oil
- A few curry leaves
- 2 tsp - sambar powder
- 1 tsp - corinader powder
- 1 tsp - red chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp - kitchen king masala (optional)
- A pinch of Turmeric
- 1/2 tsp - Garam Masala
- Salt as per taste
- 2 tbsp - lemon juice
Method:
- Pressure cook Toor dal with a pinch of turmeric & salt
- Soak apple cubes in water mixed with lemon juice for about 15 mins
- Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan & add mustard & cumin seeds
- Once the seeds pop & splutter, add chopped green chillies & curry leaves
- Add chopped onions & saute till they turn transparent
- Add apple cubes & cook for 5 minutes
- Now, add chopped tomatoes
- Add Sambar powder, Red chilli powder, Coriander powder, Kitchen king masala, & saute till the raw smell disappears
- Add cooked toor dal & mix well
- The apples will be fully cooked my now & will be soft & mushy
- Add salt as per taste & add a pinch of Garam masala
- Give the mixture a gentle mash & mix well
- Cook on low flame for 10 mins
Transfer to a serving bowl & Serve with HOT rice or rotis .. Enjoi !!
I loved the slightly sweet & tangy taste of apples mixed with spices .. It had all the right ingredients to tickle our taste buds. We had our Dal with HOT steamed rice, accompanied by roasted papads, Yogurt & pickle. It was one complete meal we thoroughly enjoyed . .
NOTE:
- You could consider cooking the apples along with toor dal in a pressure cooker.
- If you do not like biting into apples, you could mash them into a paste or just boil them separately & puree them using a blender. This will keep people guessing about the secret ingredient.
- Addition or Deletion of spices is entirely upto you.
When are you making Apple Dal?
