METHI DAL FRY with Chana dal

METHI DAL FRY with chana dal (with step-wise instructions) – Creamy, mildly spicy, lip smacking and "dump and cook" Indian mixed dal curry with fenugreek leaves easily made in a pressure cooker (stove top and Instant Pot); any greens can be used or omitted altogether.

Although I love slaving over a hot stove or even standing in front of a hot oven any day, some days warrant an easy peasy dish which leaves me time to attend to my other hobbies or chores!

Comfort food for me is a bowl of thick dal with some rice or flat breads like rotis and parathas and if it can be made in a jiffy with no effort, "bring it on", isn’t it?

LAYERING TECHNIQUE or "DUMP AND COOK" METHOD:

I have been experimenting making Indian dishes using the layering technique where ingredients are just layered in a pressure cooker (no frying, sautéing here!; the lazy cook's dream) and then pressure cooked either in stove top pressure cooker or an electric pressure cooker (Instant Pot).

This not only saves a lot of time but retains the freshness of most ingredients.

I have been successful with some of them which I will list below.

I am now totally loving this method and in my family's own words, "absolutely no difference in taste, flavor or texture from the dishes made using the frying and sautéing techniques"!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE DAL FRY

• A mixture of dry lentils like masoor dal (red lentils), moong/mung bean dal and chana dal (split Bengal gram dal). You can use all three or use just one of them or even two you like or have. You can even substitute with split pigeon peas or toor dal if you want.
• Spices – cumin seeds, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, MDH brand Kitchen King powder (available in any Indian store or online) or if you cannot find the Kitchen King masala powder, substitute with some freshly ground coriander powder or your favorite curry masala powder.
• Aromatics like onions, ginger, garlic etc. along with tomatoes.
• For heat and to spice it up more, feel free to add slit or sliced green chilies or even jalapenos or Serrano peppers. Not a fan of these, then stir in cayenne pepper powder/red chili powder/Kashmiri red chili powder instead.
• Greens – I have used fresh methi or fenugreek leaves (a winter green leafy vegetable) here, but if you cannot find any, spinach, kale or beet, carrot and radish greens would work fine too. I have even used salad greens sometimes with amazing results! If you like your dal curry plain, you can make this even without adding any greens too.
• Just a garnish of freshly chopped coriander leaves and you are good to go!
• Need a bit more tanginess in your curry? Then stir in my favorite spice mix (always in my pantry),  Chaat Masala powder (a tangy spice mix used in Indian street foods) or even some dry mango powder (amchur powder). This is totally optional; you could squeeze in some lime/lemon juice instead too.

LAYERING TECHNIQUE USING THE PRESSURE COOKER:

Like I said, no frying, no sautéing of spices, no blending of masalas etc. here!! Just layer the ingredients mentioned, add water, mix and pressure cook. Now, no complaints like "I don't know how to cook"!

Once the pressure drops, mash using a masher or a ladle (keep it smooth or leave it slightly chunky or coarse if you like), adjust the consistency (keep it thick or thin) and seasonings, simmer a couple of minutes, garnish and dig in!

This is so “embarrassingly” easy to make for a lip smacking dal curry, you can say there is no recipe technique here at all!

UPDATED SEPTEMBER 20, 2021 USING SPINACH LEAVES:

I always have a pack of fresh, organic baby spinach leaves and/or a mix of salad greens in my fridge t0 enjoy in my salads. Today, I decided to add some fresh baby spinach leaves along with arugula to the dal curry after pressure cooking it.

You can choose to add it before pressure cooking or just after pressure cooking (add whole or chop roughly); give it a good simmer, adjust consistency and seasonings and serve hot with rice, pulao, parathas, naan, rotis or any Indian flat bread!

When enjoying with rice, we love our dals a bit on the thinner side and slightly thick when dipping rotis, parathas etc.

Enjoy Foodies and Happy Cooking/Eating!

If you do try this dal curry, do drop me a line or two in the comment box below (please rate it too) or ping me on Instagram (@curryandvanilla16) or you can even share a photo of your version on my Facebook page. I would love to hear from you.

Like I promised, here are some more dishes I made using the pressure cooker "dump and cook" or layering technique:

• Pressure Cooker Matar Paneer Masala
• Pressure Cooker Vegetable Salna
• Paneer Makhani (Paneer Butter Masala)
• Pressure Cooker Sambar Sadam/Rice to name a few.

Now, let’s get to the dal curry, shall we?

STEP-WISE INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE METHI DAL FRY:

Pick lentils to remove any stones or impurities, wash and drain. Here you can use a mix of dals or just one dal.

Prep all the other ingredients needed for the dal curry – chop onions and tomatoes (and green chilies if using), powder spices or set the spice mixes ready beside the pressure pan.

IF USING THE STOVE TOP PRESSURE COOKER:

Heat the pan on medium to medium low heat and add oil (or oil and ghee).

Start layering the ingredients (except the chaat masala powder), starting with the cumin seeds.

Once all ingredients have been added, give it a mix, add water and pressure cook.

Pressure cook on high for 1 whistle, lower heat to low or medium low and cook an additional 7 minutes; let pressure release naturally.

IF USING THE INSTANT POT:

Turn pan to sauté mode.

Add oil and cumin seeds and continue to layer the other ingredients except chaat masala powder.

Once all the ingredients have been added, give it a good mix, add water and mix again.

Pressure cook on high for 6 minutes and then NPR (natural pressure release).

FINAL FINISHING OF CURRY:

Give the dal a good mix and if needed, stir in some chaat masala powder or even amchur powder for that slight tang. This is totally optional! You could squeeze in a squirt of lime or lemon juice too just before serving.

Adjust salt and other seasonings as well as consistency. Simmer for a few minutes and garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves (mix in some before garnishing); serve immediately.

Thick, spicy and lip smacking Methi  Dal Fry ( or even plain without the fenugreek leaves or any greens)  goes so well with any Indian flat bread or even hot, steamed rice or pulao.

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