MIXED VEGETABLE BAKE

Preparation time: 10 minutes          Cooking time: 35 minutes         Total time: 45 minutes

Serves: 4 to 5

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp ghee or oil or butter
• ¼ tsp hing (asafoetida)
• ¾ tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• Few curry patta leaves
• 1 medium size onion, 1” ginger, 2 cloves of garlic cut into thin pieces or finely chopped
• ½ tsp haldi (turmeric)
• 2 medium size tomato, cut into small pieces  or half a can of chopped tomato, app 200ml
• 1 tsp tomato puree
• ½ tsp of lemon rind if unwaxed lemon is used ( optional)
• 2 medium size carrats, grated
• ¾ to 1 tsp pink himalayan salt, any salt can be used
• 1 cup ( app 240 ml) arhar dal
• 2 ½ cup water
• 1 green or red chili, cut into small pieces ( optional)
• ¼ tsp red flake chillies ( optional)
• 1 tbsp kasuri methi crushed
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• ½ tsp of garam masala ( optional)
• Few sprigs of fresh coriander leaves, cut coarsely

Method:

1. Wash and rinse dal. Dal should be rinsed 3 to 4 times. Keep aside
2. Add ghee in a pressure cooker. As soon as it melts, add hing, cumin seeds and mustard seeds. As soon as they start to splutter, add curry leaves.
3. Soon after add the mixture of onion, garlic and ginger and go on stirring until it becomes pink. Then add haldi.
4. Then add tomatoes, tomato puree, lemon rind and salt and mix these nicely and let it cook for  5 to 7 minutes or until all the tomatoes become soft and it becomes like a smooth paste.
5. Add carrots, both the chillies and mix it nicely and soon after add the washed dal and mix these again. Go on mixing for a minute. Then add water and close the pressure cooker.
6. It  may require 2 or 3 whistles to be ready. You should check after 2 whistles and if dal is not yet soft enough and smooth, give another whistle.
7. Let the pressure cooker release itself. If the consistency looks fine, then add kasuri methi crushed in your palm and lemon juice and let it boil for another 8 to 10 minutes.
8. More water can be added if required.
9. Add more salt if required.
10. Take out dal in a serving dish, sprinkle garam masala and cover the dish so that the aroma can be retained.
11. Garnish with  coriander leaves before serving.

Special Notes:

1. Arhar dal is mainly enjoyed with plain rice or  jeera rice. Chapatis or parathas can also be eaten with it.
2. Oil can be used to make the recipe vegan.
3. This dish is one of the favorite of children.