Spicy Egg Dhall

Since Sunday was a day of cooking frenzy for me I decided to make a dish which is easy taste better after a few days and I would say one of my favorites too. It can be eaten with rice, bread, chapattis or great on its on as soup or with some Indian crackers called papadums on the side.

papadums

This is a spicy dish which i think is quiet healthy too because of the ingredients used. This recipe has been passed to generations. Has anyone ever had that experience when you have eaten all sorts of food when you were growing up and the forgot about it yet suddenly you have a taste for it and frantically try to find out what it was? Heheee.. well I have had one of those recipes and it involved this particular dish. I only learnt this about 3 years ago and I think I have mastered it no complaints yet… well actually I did a few times before that when my mom was not quiet happy with the consistency of the gravy. anyways …. This dish uses lentil. The recipe calls for yellow dal or yellow lentils which is known as the Toor Dal ..toor dalcurry leaves - tamarind juice

Curry leaves and and tamarind juice is also used in this dish. If you cant get the fresh ones I think they should have ready made tamarind juice seeing that we want the sourness of the tamarind for the dish. Most of these can be probably be bought at Indian Asian markets or Asian markets. I use fresh curry leaves and like 4-5 pinches of tamarind which is sold in slabs here. I just put in water and soak it to get the juice out.

So without further ado here is the recipe of ‘Dal Telur’ or ‘Egg Dal’. There are no measurements for this recipe and I usually play it by ear but I will try to indicate the amount of ingredients used …

Dal Telur (Egg Dal)

Ingredients:-
Yellow dhall – about ½ - 1 cup
Coconut milk - about ¾ cup (you can add more if desired)
Tamarind juice – about ½ cup (depends on your taste buds can more if preferred)
(A)
Curry leaves – about 3 stalks (use only the leaves)
Garlic – about 3-4 cloves (sliced)
Ginger – about 2 -2 ½ inches (sliced)
Onions – about 2 (sliced)
Red chilie – about 2 or 3 pieces (sliced)
Green chilie about 2 or 3 pieces (sliced)
(B)
Curry powder – about 2- 3 tbsp
Chillie powder – about 1 – 11/2 tbsp
Eggs – about 6 depending on the size
Brinjals(eggplant) – 1 (cut into slices thick or thin up to you)
Tomatoes – 2 or 3 (cut into quarters)
Potatoes – 2 or 3 (cut into quarters)
Long beans – 4 or 5 strands cute into 2 inch pieces

Method
1-Boil the eggs.
2-Wash the lentils and boil them in deep pot a quarter filled with water until
its half tender on medium heat. You can keep on adding water if it’s still
hard.
3-Then add in the coconut milk and continue cooking until the lentils are
tender.
4-When the lentils are ¾ done put in the potatoes and continue cooking.
5-Meanwhile cut all the vegetables and put aside.
6-When the lentils are done, heat up about 2 tbsp of oil and fry ingredients A
then add in ingredients B fry till fragrant. Take off heat and put into the pot
of lentil and stir.
7-Add in the tamarind juice and water. You can adjust the consistency and the
spiciness of the dish to your liking. If the dish is not spicy enough you can
always fry some chillie powder and pour it in. I like mine not too runny or not
too thick. While adjusting the consistency you should always make sure there
is the taste of tamarind and salt.
8-Add the brinjals and long beans
9-Once the eggs are cooked make little slashes on them and put them into the
pot.
10-Lastly put in the tomatoes and let simmer for a few minutes or until oil form
on the top.

And that’s it. Simple and fast … and yummy to. I like to scoop a bowl of this and then crush some papadums over them ummm delish … heehee.. Happy Trying!