Made in less than an hour, you can whip yourself up a serving of Jain dal fry and enjoy a wholesome lunch or dinner. This no-onion and no-garlic recipe is not only perfect for people following Jainism but also for devotees who are fasting and abstaining from similar ingredients. Try this easy recipe, pair the simple yet nourishing and delicious dal with rice or roti, and have a comforting meal.
If you’ve ever sat down at a Jain household for a meal, you’d know their food taste like home. The comforting flavours and the use of Satvik ingredients are sure to remind you of the dishes that your grandmother must’ve pampered you with. But out of all the frequently prepared dishes. Jain dal fry stands out, thanks to its simplicity and finger-licking taste that’s sure to keep you wanting more.
Unlike the regular dal fry, the Jain version stays true to the abstinence from ingredients like onion, garlic, and other root vegetables. And even without the restricted ingredients, a bowl of Jain-friendly dal fry topped with chopped coriander leaves never fails to make you feel warm.
But you might wonder how to achieve a similar texture and subtle earthy flavours, a little spicy undertones, and some tang in the dal? Well, the secret isn’t what you remove, but the ingredients you replace them with. With perfectly roasted jeera, a pinch of hing or asafoetida, the fiery
Read MoreRinse the toor dal under running water and drain it. Add the washed dal to a pressure cooker with three cups of water, turmeric powder, and salt.
Pressure cook on medium heat for about 3-4 whistles. Once the dal is soft, mash it slightly with the back of a ladle.
In the meantime, prepare the tempering by heating some ghee. Add cumin seeds and hing.
Slit some green chillies and add them to the ghee. Mix in the ginger paste and saute for a few seconds. Chop the tomatoes, add them to the same pan and cook till they are soft.
Stir in red chilli powder, coriander powder, and garam masala, and cook for another minute till the spices are well-mixed.
Add the cooked dal to the pan and mix the tempering. You can add more water to even out the consistency.
Let the dal simmer on low heat for about five minutes. Taste and adjust the salt and red chilli powder as per your preference.
Once the dal is thoroughly cooked, turn off the heat. Chop some coriander leaves, sprinkle them on top of the dal, and serve with rice or roti.
#1 Soak the toor dal for about fifteen minutes before cooking. This helps the lentils to get softer, cook faster, and results in a creamier texture.
#2 Don’t miss adding hing (asafoetida). Since the Jain-friendly food doesn’t have onion or garlic, hing helps to boost digestion and add depth to the dal.
#3 If you like a thicker consistency, simmer the dal without the lid. For a thinner consistency, add a little water before the final simmer.
#4 To replace the strong taste of garlic in the traditional recipe, you can make it Jain-friendly and still flavourful by adding minced or grated ginger.
#5 Before adding the cooked dal to the tempering, make sure the tomatoes are soft and the oil has separated from the masala.
#6 Once the dal is cooked, generously garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Also, add a squeeze of lemon to add a subtle freshness to your bowl of dal fry.
Even though the traditional recipe for dal fry features toor dal, you can also use a mix of toor dal and masoor dal or moong dal. But you’ll need to adjust the cooking time as different lentils need different times to soften.
The only dairy product used in this recipe is ghee. You can easily make it vegan by replacing it with plant-based oils like sunflower, mustard, or canola oil.
Toor dal can spill out of the cooker. To avoid it, make sure you’re not overfilling the pressure cooker, and add a teaspoon of oil to reduce the frothing. It is also recommended that you turn the heat low after the first whistle.
You can pair Jain dal fry with freshly prepared jeera rice, chapati, or paratha. Also, add a bowl of dahi or rita and a side of salad to make it a complete meal.
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