pepperhead212
Executive Chef
I made a dal, with my smallest one of those butternuts of the season, which had 20.6 oz, or a little more than 4 c of cubes, once it was trimmed and seeded. I started by rinsing 1¼ c of toor dal, then soaking it, while cutting up the squash, chopping a large onion, and mincing 2 large cloves of garlic, with about a tb of ginger. I also measured out ingredients for the tarka, and the rest of the dal, to cook the dal with. I also blended 2 c of ripe tomatoes, to have ready.
Just before starting to cook, I drained the toor dal, then added about 3/4 c masoor (red) dal, and rinsed them well. Then I put about 2 tb ghee in the Instant Pot, and set it on sauté, medium, and when melted, added a large chopped onion (about 1¼ c), and when golden, I added 1 tsp cumin seeds (more later), the minced garlic/ginger paste (with about a tsp of salt), cooked about 30 sec, then added about a tb of Kashmiri chili powder, 1/2 tsp turmeric, and 1½ tsp garam masala (more of this later, too), and cooked another 30 sec., then added the 2 c of tomatoes to the pot. I let that boil about 3 minutes, scraping the pot, then added just under 4 c water, used to rinse out the VM, and lid! Then I added the drained dal, the butternut cubes, and the cut up stems of the Swiss chard (the chopped greens go in later, with some chopped mild chiles, and a few pole beans, cut up). I tasted for salt - added about 1/2 tsp (most is in that garlic paste), mixed, then put the lid on, and set on Bean mode, for 5 minutes, and let it reduce 15 minutes (only had a small amount of pressure still). Meanwhile, I prepared those veggies to be added, and when the dal is ready, I stir the veggies in, set the IP so Bean mode, for 3 minutes, and let it reduce 15 minutes again, when done. Then I took the cover off, stirred in another tsp of garam masala, and let it sit on warm, while making the tarka.
In the 1 qt pot, I heated about 2 tsp ghee, then added another tsp of cumin, and 3/4 tsp mustard seed, and when it started crackling, added about 1/4 tsp asafoetida, followed by a large stem of curry leaves, stripped, until they were crisp, then I scraped it onto the dal. Then I added about 4 tb of chopped cilantro, to finish.
My smallest butternut squash this season, 20.6 oz of cubes, after trimming. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
The 20.6 oz of butternut cubes, plus the garlic/ginger paste, to go into the dal. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Butternut dal dish, about 3/4 cooked, before a bunch more veggies being added, and briefly cooked. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Chard, mild peppers, and a few pole beans, ready to stir into the butternut dal, to finish cooking. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Cumin and mustard seeds, some asafoetida, and a large sprig of curry leaves, ready to make tarka. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Asafoetida added, and finally the curry leaves, cooked just until crispy. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Tarka, just before stirring into the finished dal. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Finished butternut dal, with some crispy slices of toasted French bread. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Just before starting to cook, I drained the toor dal, then added about 3/4 c masoor (red) dal, and rinsed them well. Then I put about 2 tb ghee in the Instant Pot, and set it on sauté, medium, and when melted, added a large chopped onion (about 1¼ c), and when golden, I added 1 tsp cumin seeds (more later), the minced garlic/ginger paste (with about a tsp of salt), cooked about 30 sec, then added about a tb of Kashmiri chili powder, 1/2 tsp turmeric, and 1½ tsp garam masala (more of this later, too), and cooked another 30 sec., then added the 2 c of tomatoes to the pot. I let that boil about 3 minutes, scraping the pot, then added just under 4 c water, used to rinse out the VM, and lid! Then I added the drained dal, the butternut cubes, and the cut up stems of the Swiss chard (the chopped greens go in later, with some chopped mild chiles, and a few pole beans, cut up). I tasted for salt - added about 1/2 tsp (most is in that garlic paste), mixed, then put the lid on, and set on Bean mode, for 5 minutes, and let it reduce 15 minutes (only had a small amount of pressure still). Meanwhile, I prepared those veggies to be added, and when the dal is ready, I stir the veggies in, set the IP so Bean mode, for 3 minutes, and let it reduce 15 minutes again, when done. Then I took the cover off, stirred in another tsp of garam masala, and let it sit on warm, while making the tarka.
In the 1 qt pot, I heated about 2 tsp ghee, then added another tsp of cumin, and 3/4 tsp mustard seed, and when it started crackling, added about 1/4 tsp asafoetida, followed by a large stem of curry leaves, stripped, until they were crisp, then I scraped it onto the dal. Then I added about 4 tb of chopped cilantro, to finish.
My smallest butternut squash this season, 20.6 oz of cubes, after trimming. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
The 20.6 oz of butternut cubes, plus the garlic/ginger paste, to go into the dal. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Butternut dal dish, about 3/4 cooked, before a bunch more veggies being added, and briefly cooked. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Chard, mild peppers, and a few pole beans, ready to stir into the butternut dal, to finish cooking. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Cumin and mustard seeds, some asafoetida, and a large sprig of curry leaves, ready to make tarka. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Asafoetida added, and finally the curry leaves, cooked just until crispy. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Tarka, just before stirring into the finished dal. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Finished butternut dal, with some crispy slices of toasted French bread. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
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