Rice with Toor Dal

Ingredients(for 1 cup cooked rice with 3/4 cup toor dal curry per serving)

• 1 cup Rice (Chawal (short grain or basmati))
• 3/4 cup Toor Dal (Arhar dal)
• 4 cups Water (For cooking rice and dal)
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder (Haldi)
• 1 tsp Salt (Namak, to taste)
• 1 small Onion (Finely chopped, optional) - optional
• 1 medium Tomato (Chopped) - optional
• 1 tsp Ghee (Desi ghee, can substitute with oil for vegan)
• 1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds (Rai)
• 1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds (Jeera)
• 6-8 Curry Leaves (Kadi patta)
• 1 Green Chili (Slit, optional for spice) - optional
• 2 tbsp Coriander Leaves (Hara dhania, chopped for garnish) - optional

Instructions

1. 1

   Rinse rice and toor dal separately under running water until water runs clear. Soak dal for 10 minutes for faster cooking.

   5 minutes

   Soaking dal helps reduce cooking time and improves digestibility.

2. 2

   In a pressure cooker or heavy-bottomed pan, add soaked toor dal, turmeric powder, salt, and 2 cups water. Pressure cook for 3 whistles or simmer until dal is soft.

   10 minutes

   Add a pinch of hing (asafoetida) for better digestion.

3. 3

   Cook rice separately with 2 cups water. Use a rice cooker, pressure cooker or saucepan. Fluff the rice once cooked.

   10 minutes

   For South Indian flavor, use short-grain rice like sona masoori.

4. 4

   Prepare tempering: Heat ghee in a small pan, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, and green chili. Let seeds splutter. Add onion and tomato if using, sauté until soft.

   5 minutes

   Use coconut oil for a Kerala touch or skip onion/garlic for festival purity.