Dal Dhokhadi

I think I have always been a fan of Gujarati food. Ever since I remember, this has been one of my favorite recipes. It was my brother's favorite recipe too. What was best about it was that we didn't need any chapatis to go with it. You could simply pour it in a bowl and eat it with a spoon, kind of like a stew.

Every other day my mom would ask me, what should I make for dinner, and the answer would be, dal dhokadi. My mom is a great cook. I love everything she makes. Her non-vegetarian Goan fare is to die for. Every once in a while, she would make chat for us. Things like Dahi Puri, Pani Puri... She knew how much I loved chaat food. It was wonderful, a plate full of dahi puri, and I would end up taking second, sometimes third helpings. If any of it was leftover from the night, I would eat it again in the morning. No offense meant to the pani puri wallas, but my mom's chaat food was the best and nothing could beat THAT taste.

I long for it now. No one in my new home likes chaat food. I end up going to the pani puri wala, often alone, to have my fill. Still nothing can ever compare to those good times back at home. This dish reminded me of mom's cooking yesterday.

Ingredients

• 2 cups toovar daal or masoor dal (yellow or red lentils)
• 2 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
• a pinch of asafoetida (hing)
• 4 to 5 curry leaves
• 1/2 cup groundnuts, soaked
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp red chilli powder
• 2 tbsp jaggery
• salt to taste
• 1 cup wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp turmeric (for the flour)
• 2 tsp red chilli powder (for the flour)
• 1 tbsp oil
• salt to taste

First knead the flour with turmeric, chilli powder, oil, salt and water as needed. Make a firm dough. Keep it aside.

Pressure cook the lentils with 2 cups of water till they are soft. Heat the ghee in a wok, and throw in the mustard and cumin seeds. Add a pinch of asafoetida, and curry leaves. Now pour in the cooked lentils and the groundnuts, and bring the curry to a boil.

While it is boiling, roll out the dough in the form of a thin chapati (tortilla). Cut it with a sharp knife into diamond shapes. Pick up the pieces and slide them into the dal. Boil the dal till the pieces of dough start floating.

Garnish with coriander and serve hot.

Happy Cooking!