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Kurthi dal
Kurthi dal (कुरथी दाल): earthy horse gram simmered soft and tempered with garlic and mustard oil (plus overnight soaking)
Kurthi, as horse gram is called in Jharkhand, grows on poor, dry upland soil where little else will, and it has fed the plateau's Adivasi and farming families for centuries. Cooked slowly into dal, it is dark, earthy and filling, with a slightly smoky taste, and it is eaten through the cold months with rice and a dry vegetable, as it is believed to warm the body. The tempering of garlic, dried chilli and smoking mustard oil is what makes it Jharkhandi. Chef's tip: mash a ladle of the cooked gram against the side of the pot; it thickens the dal without any flour.
- Total time
- 70 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the dal
For the tempering
Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Drain 7 oz horse gram (kurthi). Put it in a pressure cooker with 3 ¾ cups water, ½ tsp ground turmeric and 1 ¼ tsp salt and cook for 6–7 whistles over a medium heat (about 25 minutes), or simmer in a covered pot for 50–60 minutes, until each grain is soft enough to crush between your fingers. Common mistake: skipping the overnight soak; horse gram is very hard and will stay chalky.
30 minStep 2: Add 1 tomato and simmer the dal for 10 minutes, mashing some of the grains against the side of the pot, until creamy but still with whole grains. Add hot water if it is thicker than you like.
10 minStep 3: For the tempering, heat 2 tbsp mustard oil in a small pan over a high heat until it smokes lightly, then turn down to medium. Add 1 tsp cumin seeds and 2 dried red chillies and let them crackle, then 6 cloves garlic and fry until golden. Add 1 onion and fry 4–5 minutes until browned at the edges.
6 minStep 4: Pour the hot tempering into the dal; it should sizzle loudly. Stir, simmer 2 minutes, scatter with 2 tbsp coriander leaves and serve with rice.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbs
- 34 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 9 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kurthi dal take?
- About 70 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of ground turmeric?
- Leave it out (it mostly adds colour).
- What can I use instead of tomato?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
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