Useful Tips for Cooking Dal
Dal is an important ingredient in the Indian kitchen, prepared in some form or the other on a daily basis in most households. Making dal is simple, but sometimes the dal is not cooked completely even after several whistles in the pressure cooker. This takes more time to cook and may affect the taste and texture of the dal.
If you also face such a problem, then by adopting some simple measures before and while cooking the dal, it can be cooked quickly and better.
choose the right pulses
The speed of cooking of pulses depends on its type. Whole and shelled pulses usually take longer, while washed or broken pulses cook faster.
If you are short on time, choose alternatives like moong dal. However, the cooking time of pulses also depends on their variety and freshness.
soak lentils
Instead of putting the dal directly in the cooker, it can be beneficial to soak it in water for some time beforehand. By soaking the pulses absorb water and their grains become soft, due to which it takes less time to cook.
Especially soaking pigeon pea, gram or whole pulses before cooking can be very helpful.
lightly fry and cook
The method of lightly roasting the dal in a dry pan for 2-3 minutes before cooking can also be adopted. Take care that the color of the dal does not change too much and it does not burn.
Light roasting can give a different aroma and taste to the dal. After this it can be cooked in the normal way.
add salt later
If the dal does not cook easily, instead of adding salt in the beginning, adding salt after the dal is cooked thoroughly may be a better option. First cook the dal until soft and then add salt and other spices.
However, it is not necessary that adding salt makes a difference every time the pulses are cooked. Other factors like type of pulse and quality of water also affect its cooking process.
add sour things later
Sour things like tomato, tamarind and lemon are used to enhance the taste of dal. But acidic ingredients can slow down the softening process of some pulses.
Therefore, if there is a problem in getting the dal cooked, it would be better to add tomato, tamarind or lemon after the dal is completely cooked.
Use baking soda carefully
Some people use baking soda to soften very tough lentils. A small amount of it can help soften the dal quickly.
But it should be used in limited quantity only. Adding excess baking soda may alter the taste, color and texture of the dal. Therefore, it is better to use it only when required rather than using it regularly.
What to do if pulses remain raw?
If the dal is not completely cooked and time is short, the easiest option is to cook it for some more time. If required, it can be pressure cooked again with some hot water.
If the dal is almost cooked but some grains are still hard, it can be used by mashing or blending it well. This will make the texture of the dal more smooth and creamy.
Overall, many factors are responsible for the quick cooking of pulses like its variety, soaking time, amount of water and age of the pulses. Therefore, next time while making pulses in the cooker, by keeping these simple methods in mind, you can reduce the cooking time to some extent.