There is nothing like a green leafy vegetable and dal combination. Otherwise difficult to like fibrous green leafy veggies magically render to mellow texture when combined and cooked with Indian dals.
Last Sunday, in addition to fresh amaranth, I also bought chard at local farmers market. 5 chard leaves for a dollar and thirty cents. Chard leaves are almost the size of young banana leaves. That big but they are delicate like spinach. They also taste similar to spinach. Makes a good meal when combined and cooked with masoor dal or toor dal.
Fresh Chard Leaf and Masoor Dal
Recipe:
1 cup – masoor dal (red lentils)
5 – fresh chard leaves, coarsely chopped
1 each – onion and tomato, cut to big chunks
8 to 10 – finely chopped Indian variety green chillies
Cherry fruit sized, raw tamarind
½ teaspoon each – turmeric and saltFor popu or tadka:
1 tablespoon ghee or oil
¼ teaspoon each – cumin, mustard seeds, and minced garlic
6-8 curry leaves
Take masoor dal in a pressure-cooker. Rinse with water and drain the water.
Add the chard, onion, tomato, chillies, tamarind and turmeric, along with three cups of water.
Mix and pressure-cook for about 10-15 minutes on high heat and then allow the pressure to come down naturally. Remove the lid, usually the dal will be cooked to tender. Add salt and lightly mash the ingredients. The dal is now ready for the final “Popu or tadka” touch.
In a skillet, heat the ghee until a curry leaf tossed in it sizzles. Keep the heat to medium. Add the curry leaves and garlic. Toast to pale gold color. Then, toss in cumin and mustard seeds. When seeds start to pop, add the whole thing to mashed dal. Mix and serve.
Chard-masoor dal tastes good with rice and chapati.
A Bowl of Chard-Masoor Dal with Tomato Pickled Rice, A glass of Coconut Water and a cup of Blackberries ~ Our Meal Today
Dazzling Dals ~ From My Digital Cookbook:
1. Amaranth Dal (Thotakura Pappu) ~ from Nandyala
2. Brinjal Dal (Vankaya Pappu) ~ from Nandyala
3. Fenugreek Dal (Menthi kura Pappu) ~ from Nandyala
4. Gongura Pappu (Ambadi Dal) ~ from Nandyala
5. Khatti Dal ~ Hyderabad Style
6. Lemon Cucumber Dal (Budamkaya Pappu) ~ from Nandyala
7. Mango Dal (Maamidi Kaya Pappu) ~ from Nandyala
8. Ridgegourd Dal (Beerakaya Pappu) ~ from Nandyala
9. Spinach Dal (Palakura Pappu) ~ from Nandyala
10. Spinach – Garlic Dal ~ from Kosta Region, Andhra
11. Spinach Mango Dal (Palakura Pullakura) ~ from Telengana
12. Spinach-Split Pea Dal ~ American Influence
13. Sprouted Masoor Dal ~ North India inspired
14. Tomato Dal (Tomato Pappu) ~ from Nandyala
15. Tindora Dal (Dondakaya Pappu) ~ from Nandyala
16. Moongdal Aamti with Kokum and Goda Masala ~ Maratha Influence
17. Mungdal and Ridgegourd (Beerakaya Pesara Pappu) ~ from Andhra
Why blackberries? (Yes, they’re healthy and in-season; I’m just curious as to whether or not there’s something that particularly lends itself to pairing with a chard dal.)
Comment by Joe Grossberg — August 7, 2007 @ 6:42 pm
My family in India, who regularly visit my website wanted to see the seasonal fruits that we consume here.
It’s that simple.
Comment by Indira — August 7, 2007 @ 6:46 pm
Great idea…Your presentation is bold and beautiful.I like dal and greens combination very much..havent tried chard yet…will give it try.
Do you use rhubarb with dal combo too..?
Comment by haritha — August 7, 2007 @ 7:00 pm
Great combo Indira Jee! looks fabulous. Thanks for sharing.
Comment by Jyothi — August 7, 2007 @ 8:01 pm
wow what a meal…very healthy.pickled rice is just yummy and coconut water looks so serene!
Comment by Madhuli — August 7, 2007 @ 8:20 pm
Hi Indira
Lovely dal.Thanks for sharing.Heard of kesari dal which is toxic and looks like masoor dal.Can you please tell me how can we differenciate?Thank you.
Comment by satya — August 7, 2007 @ 8:49 pm
I too love the combination of dal and vegetables, especially greens 🙂 Nice recipe.
Comment by Raaga — August 7, 2007 @ 9:40 pm
I love chard – it is one of my favorite vegetables and I often prepare it as a simple dry curry. Of course the stems are lovely too. Don’t throw them away – it’s not like collards or kale where they are indigestible. They are tasty, and if chopped finely cook almost as quickly as the leaves.
Since I always have chard in the fridge, this will be tomorrow’s supper.
Comment by Diane — August 7, 2007 @ 10:20 pm
What a simple and humble meal it is! Excellent combo Indira! You really have an adorable taste!
Comment by Nirmala — August 7, 2007 @ 10:45 pm
Here’s a stupid question. Everytime I pressure cook masoor dal it foams and clogs the whistle and then makes a mega mess. I have given up on pressure cooking this dal and just cook it on the stove as it takes very little time to get done. Am I doing something wrong?
And another thing, Haritha mentions rhubarb. The leaves of this plant are toxic and should not be eaten. Eat only the stems.
Comment by anyesha — August 8, 2007 @ 9:19 am
Lovely recipe. I liked the picture especially rice mudda with tomato pickle.
Comment by Hima — August 8, 2007 @ 11:09 am
Thank you all for your nice comments on this recipe.
Satya: I have never come across the toxic kesari dal before. I have no idea how they look and taste. Sorry.
Comment by Indira — August 8, 2007 @ 7:13 pm
Indira! What a beautiful picture! The orangey red of the masoor with the evergreen color of the chard – goes well together.
Comment by Kay — August 9, 2007 @ 12:04 pm
Food Blog Roundup: Stuffed Tomatoes and Food Blog Picnics…
It’s still summer and food blogs are making the most of it with fresh berries, tomatoes, and herbs showing up in new and creative ways. The omnivores at The Omnivore’s Solution are dealing well with summer, stuffing a new breed……
Trackback by Apartment Therapy Food — August 14, 2007 @ 9:12 am
Indira, I made this dal today. It tasted awesome. Thanks for introducing this new veggie to me. I am going to buy chard regularly from now on.
Comment by Rama — August 17, 2007 @ 3:43 pm
anyesha: putting a tbsp or so of oil in with your dal, beans, etc. can prevent foaming.
Comment by steev — August 20, 2007 @ 3:46 pm
Hi Indira. I just came across your site and recipes. I think it is an excellent site. Thanks.
Comment by sujata — September 17, 2007 @ 10:16 pm
Hi indira, i’m a totally petrified of cooking and have been putting it off for a ages now. Some how I feel braver these days and your website is a huge help coz your recipes are simple and instructions easy to follow. I’m actually looking forward to trying some of it. I wanted to say thank you 🙂 priyanka
Comment by Priyanka — October 21, 2009 @ 3:42 am