Ghono Maash Daal (White Lentils)

Serves four to five people.

Ingredients:

• Maash daal (white lentil) - 2 cups
• Sliced onion - 4 tablespoons
• Ginger paste - 1 teaspoon
• Garlic paste - 1 teaspoon
• Ground turmeric - ½ teaspoon
• Green chili - 4 to 5
• Chopped coriander leaves - 2 to 3 tablespoons
• Panchforon (a mixture of fennel, mustard, fenugreek, cumin and black cumin) - 1 teaspoon
• Dry chili - 2 to 3
• Chopped ginger - 1 teaspoon
• Chopped garlic - 1 teasoon
• Salt - 1 ½ teaspoon (as needed)
• Oil - ¼ cup
• Ghee - 2 tablespoons

Preparation:

• Fry the dry lentils lightly in a heated pan.
• Now soak the lentils for about 15 minutes in water.
• Clean and dry the lentils.

• Add 4 to 5 cups of water into the pan and start heating.
• Skim off the white foams as the water starts boiling.
• Stir in the ginger paste, garlic paste and turmeric.
• Keep over medium heat.

• As the lentil softens and the water starts drying up, add in the green chili and salt.
• Stir thoroughly and keep covered over low heat.

• Heat oil in a separate pan and fry the onion, chopped ginger and garlic until they turn brown.
• Add the panchforon and dry chili.
• Fry for another 2 minutes and pour all the ingredients into the other pan with lentils.

• Stir in the coriander leaves with lentils.
  
• Keep covered for another 2 to 3 minutes.
• Now mix in the ghee before serving hot.

Masoor Daal Bhorta (Mashed Lentils)

Serves four to five people.

Ingredients:

• Masoor daal (lentils) - 1 cup
• Chopped onions - 4 tablespoons
• Chopped garlic - 1 tablespoon
• Ground turmeric - ½ teaspoon
• Salt - 1 teaspoon (as needed)
• Chopped coriander leaves - 3 tablespoons
• Sesame oil - 2 to 3 tablespoons
• Dry chili - 2 to 3

Preparation:

• Clean the daal and boil with 2 cups of water.
• Skim off any foam that forms on top of the daal.
• Add the turmeric and garlic.
• Keep covered over low heat for 5 to 6 minutes.
• Remove the lid and let the water dry up.
• Turn off the heat once the lentil is slightly fried.

• In a separate pan, heat a little bit of oil and fry the dry chili.

• Mash the onion, chili, coriander and salt in a bowl.
• Mix in the lentils and the rest of the oil.
• Mash thoroughly by hand and serve.

Tomator Tok (Tomato Tok)

Serves three to four people.

Ingredients:

• Ripe tomatoes - 4
• Chopped onions - 2 tablespoons
• Chopped garlic - 1 teaspoon
• Ginger paste - ½ teaspoon
• Panchforon (a mixture of fennel, mustard, fenugreek, cumin and black cumin) - ½ teaspoon
• Bay leaves - 1
• Sugar - 1 teaspoon
  
• Salt - 1 teaspoon
  
• Oil - 2 tablespoons
  

Preparation:

• Clean and cut the tomatoes into small pieces.
• Boil the pieces with ginger and salt in 4 cups of water.
• Once the tomatoes become soft, stir the mix thoroughly into a thick paste.

• In a separate pan, heat the oil and brown the onions and garlic.
• Add in the panchforon and bay leaf, and fry for another minute.
• Add all the ingredients from the pan into the tomato mix.

• Stir in the sugar and let it simmer for another 2 to 3 minutes.
• Serve hot.
  

Masoor Daal (Lentils)

Serves four to five people.

Ingredients:

• Masoor daal (lentils) - 2 cups
• Chopped onions - 1 tablespoon
• Chopped garlic - 1 teaspoon
• Ground turmeric - ½ teaspoon
• Green chili - 3 to 4
• Chopped coriander leaves - 1 tablespoon
• Dry chili - 2 to 3
• Panchforon (a mixture of fennel, mustard, fenugreek, cumin and black cumin) - ½ teaspoon
• Salt - 1 teaspoon
  
• Oil - 3 tablespoons
  

Preparation:

• Clean the daal and boil with 5 to 6 cups of water.
• Skim off any foam that forms on top of the daal.
• Add the turmeric and salt.
• Once the water dries up somewhat, and the daal's boiled, stir a few times.
• Add the green chili, and if needed, some more water.
  

• In a separate pan, heat oil and fry the onions and garlic.
• Add the panchforon and the dry chili, and fry some more.
• Pour in all the ingredients into the daal and garnish with the coriander leaves.
• Turn off heat after 2 to 3 minutes and serve.
  

Alur Daal-e Dim Omelette (Egg and Potato Curry)

Serves four people.

Ingredients:

• Potatoes - 8
• Eggs - 4
• Chopped onion - 4 tablespoons
• Chopped garlic - 1 teaspoon
• Fried cumin powder - ½ teaspoon
• Panchforon (a mixture of fennel, mustard, fenugreek, cumin and black cumin) - 1 teaspoon
• Ground turmeric - 1 teaspoon
• Green chili - 4 to 5
  
• Salt - 1½ teaspoons
  
• Oil - ½ cup
  

Preparation:

• Boil and slightly mash the potatoes. Do not turn it into a paste.
• Add 10 to 12 cups of water, and mix with turmeric and salt thoroughly.
• When the mixture turns thin, heat over low heat and keep stirring.

• Leave the mixture on the stove and stir occasionally.
• Make omelettes with the eggs in a separate pan, and cut them up into small pieces.
• Keep the eggs aside.

• Heat the rest of the oil and add the panchforon.
• Brown the onions and garlic in the same mixture, and add the green chilis.
• After a while, pour all the contents into the potatoes mix.
• Wait for a couple of minutes and add the omelette pieces into this mix as well.
• Keep stirring.

• Take off the stove once the mix starts to boil and the gravy slightly thickens.
• Sprinkle with fried cumin powder and serve hot or cold.
  

Maasher Daaler Dim Curry (Lentil Egg Curry)

Serves four people.

Ingredients:

• Boiled eggs - 4
• Maash daal (white lentil) - 1 cup
• Chopped onion - 4 tablespoons
• Ginger paste - 2 teaspoons
• Garlic paste - 1 teaspoon
• Turmeric paste - 1 teaspoon
• Chili paste - 1 teaspoon
• Coriander paste - 1 teaspoon
• Cumin paste - 1 teaspoon
• Green chili - 3 to 4
• Salt - 2 teaspoons
• Fried cumin powder - ½ teaspoon
• Oil - 4 tablespoons
• Ghee - 2 tablespoons

Preparation:

• Boil the lentil in about 3 cups of water until it softens.
  

• Fry the boiled eggs in a pan slightly mixed with salt and turmeric. Leave the eggs aside.

• Fry the onions and mix well with all the different paste ingredients in ½ cup of water.
• Now add the lentil and chili.
  
• Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.

• Add the eggs along with ½ cup of water and cover.
• If the gravy turns too thick, add another ½ to 1 cup of water.

• Once the gravy starts to bubble, add the fried cumin powder and ghee.
• Serve hot or cold.
  

• Note: the white lentil can also be replaced with other types of lentil if not available.
  

Daal Palong (Spinach Daal)

Serves four people.

Ingredients:

• Musur daal (lentil) - 1 cup
• Chopped spinach - 4 cups
• Beaten eggs - 2
• Oil - 4 tablespoons
• Chopped onion - 4 tablespoons
• Chopped garlic - 2 teaspoons
• Green chili - 3 to 4
• Salt - 1 teaspoon
• Panchforon (a mixture of fennel, mustard, fenugreek, cumin and black cumin) - ½ teaspoon

Preparation:

• Boil the lentil in 4 cups of water.
• Keep aside once the water evaporates.

• Boil the spinach in salted water while stirring. Boil until water evaporates.
• Mix the lentil with spinach and stir well together.
• Add green chilis. Keep aside.

• Heat oil in a pan and fry the onion and garlic with panchforon.
• Add the spinach-lentil mixture to the pan.
• Add ½ cup of water.
• Turn the heat low.
• Once the water starts boiling, add the beaten eggs to the pan. Alternatively, fried, thin slices of eggs can be added.
  
• Keep stirring.
• Once the lentil thickens, turn off the heat and serve.