Vatli Dal

Chana dal / Bengal Gram - 1 cup
Onion - 3/4 cup, finely chopped

Green chilies - 5
Garlic cloves - 5, grated
Ginger - 1 inch, grated
Salt
Hing / Asafoetida - 2 pinches
Turmeric - a pinch
Lemon juice - 2 tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
4 tbsp oil
Curry leaves - 6
Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp

Clean, wash and soak dal in sufficient water for 4 -5 hours or overnight. Drain water and add salt, grated garlic, grated ginger and 3 green chilies. Grind everything together to a coarse paste keep aside.



Take a steel vessel which can fit into a pressure cooker. Add 2 cups of water in the pressure cooker. Apply oil to the vessel. Pour the ground mixture in the vessel. Close tightly with a foil. Place the vessel in the cooker and cook for 4 whistles after full pressure is reached. Remove and cool a little. Then break the cake with fingers to make a panko bread crumb like consistency.

Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds and let it crackle. Add hing, turmeric, curry leaves, 2 green chilies. Saute for 1 minute on a low heat.

Add chopped onion and cook till the onion caramelizes.

Add the cooked dal, salt, sugar, red chili powder. Mix and cook covered on a low heat by sprinkling water once in a while if it gets too dry.

Add a little more oil if required. Once done, add lemon juice, mix well and serve.