Toor Dal and Rice Pulao with Peas

These two dishes are the ultimate comfort food for me! It made me want to eat both the rice and the dal today as I stepped outside in the cold and felt the 18 degrees! Also I wanted to give my daughter something light to eat since she was home sick with a fever and sore throat. Typically this dal is made in a pressure cooker, it doesn’t take very long at all, about 10 minutes. I included the regular cooking method so more people can try it. I typically add an ingredient similar to tamarind to add a sour element to the dal. It’s called ‘kokum’ and is only available at the Indian stores. I decided to substitue the ‘kokum’ with lemon juice. The lemon juice adds a good sour flavor and is a good substitute. The smell of cooked rice is very nostalgic, gives me a happy warm feeling inside.. perfect for this weather.

Toor Dal

• 1 cup toor dal
• 3 cups water or more if needed
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 serrano chili, chopped (take the seeds out if too spicy)

Tempering

• 2 tablespoons olive oil or ghee
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
• ½ a lemon, squeezed
• ½ cup chopped cilantro

In a large pot, add the toor dal and the water with turmeric and salt. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to medium. Unless you are using a pressure cooker, this dal takes a while to cook, about 40 minutes. Keep it at a simmer and add water as needed.
In a separate small frying pan, heat the oil or ghee and add the cumin and mustard seeds.
Cook till they sizzle, about a minute.
Once the dal reaches the needed consistency, add the cumin and mustard seeds.
Turn the heat off and add the lemon juice and the cilantro.

Rice Pulao with Peas

• 1 cup basmati rice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 medium onion, sliced thin
• 2 cups chicken broth or water
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 teaspoon salt

In a heavy pan, heat up the olive oil and add the cumin seeds. Add the onions once the cumin begins to sizzle. Cook the onion on medium heat till golden brown. Add the rice and stir till it is opaque, careful not to burn. Add the chicken broth and salt. Bring to a boil and cover on low-medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add the frozen peas right on top and cover and cook on low heat for another 10 minutes.