Sweet & Sour Toor Dal

In some parts of India it is common to combine a sweet & sour taste, particularly in lentil curries such as this one. Plan in advance when you want to make this dish as the dal has to be soaked before you cook it.

Ingredients

250 gms Toor Dal (yellow lentil)
5x5 cm of Kokum
1 tsp coriander seeds
11 tsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp oil
2 tsp mustard seeds
5-6 curry leaves
4-5 cloves
5 cm piece of cinnamon stick
4 green chillies, finely chopped
1/2 tspn turmeric powder
400 gms of chopped tomatoes
10 gms of Jaggery
coriander leaves chopped

Wash & soak the lentils in cold water for 2 hours. rinse the kokum, remove any stones and put the kokum in a bowl with cold water for few minutes to soften. Drain the lentils and put them in a heavy based sauce pan with 1/2 litre of water along with the soaked kokum. Bring to a boil, then simmer fro about 40 minutes, or until the lentils feel soft when pressed between the thumb and index finger.

Place a small frying pan over low heat and dry roast tthe coriander & cumin seeds until aromatic. Grind the roasted seeds to a fine powder.

For the final seasing, heat the oil ina small pan over low heat. Add the mustard seeds and allow to crackle. Add the curry leaves and the roasted powder. Mix well and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and cook for another 2-3 minutes untill the toamto is soft. Add the jaggery, then pour the spicy mixture into the simmering lentils and cook for another 10 minutes. Season with salt to taste. Garnish with corainder leaves. Serve hot with chappatis or rice.