Sonal’s Daal Recipe

Recipe Date: January 27, 2024
Difficulty: Easy
Measurements: Imperial (US)

From our chef friend and recipe creator Sonal Singh: “Vig Schönberger is a tropically crisp white that blends beautifully with the richness of daal. The wine’s fruitiness reminds you of ripe mangos, just like you would traditionally serve beside Indian dishes – a cooling taste to a spice-filled meal.”

Ingredients

  • ½ cup toor dal pigeon pea lentil
  • ½ cup masoor dal red lentil
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 4 cups water divided
  • 1 tbsp ghee
  • ½ tsp mustard seeds
  • ½ tsp cumin seeds
  • ¼ teaspoon asafoetida
  • 6-7 curry leaves
  • 1 medium yellow onion finely chopped
  • 4 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 green chili sliced, or more to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon garam masala

Directions

Rinse the daal thoroughly until the water becomes less cloudy and almost clear. Transfer to an instant pot or pressure cooker. Add turmeric, teaspoon salt and 3 cups of water. Give it a stir.

For an Instant Pot, set to cook on high pressure for 8 minutes with natural pressure release.

For a stove-top pressure cooker, cook for 5 whistles on high then lower the heat and let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes.

Set cooked daal aside. Only begin the next step after all of the pressure has been released and daal is done.

In a pot, heat ghee and add mustard seeds once the ghee is hot. The seeds should begin to pop. Once mustard seeds pop, add cumin seeds which should immediately sizzle. Add asafoetida and saute for a few seconds. Add curry leaves and allow to sizzle for 5-10 seconds Add onions and cook until soft and light golden brown in color. Add minced garlic and stir until fragrant followed by sliced green chili Add the cooked lentils to the pot and mix. This is generally a thick daal however it can be thinned out as preferred by adding more water. Stir in garam masala and adjust salt to taste.

Serve with brown rice and onion topping along side a chilled glass of Vig Schönberger.

Please share your version of Sonal’s dish on Instagram, tagging @rochewines and @vigwines so we can savour your plats délicieux.