Dal Methicha Varan, Curry Made of Split Pigeon Pea and Fenugreek Seeds

This again is a popular Maharashtrian dish, best eaten with  Jwarichi Bhakri.  This  bhakri is made of sorghum flour. To add an extra punch in your meal, serve it with some mirchi thecha, the very spicy green chilli chutney. I must mention here that I love eating it with plain rice too.

Ingredients

2 cups toor dal (split pigeon pea)
1/4 tspoon fenugreek seeds
4 green chillies
1/4 cup freshly scraped coconut
20 cloves of garlic
1 cup fresh chopped coriander

Method

Wash and drain water from the dal and keep ready.

In a mixi jar make a  paste of green chillies, a few fenugreek seeds, the coconut and some fresh coriander, 3-4 garlic cloves.

In a wide bottomed pan take some oil and make a tempering of mustard seeds, once they splutter add asefoetida, turmeric powder and the remaining fenugreek seeds, let the turn golden brown then add the dal, fry till lightly browned, ad water, about four cups nad let it cook covered, keep a watch on the dal and once it cooks almost 3/4 then add the ground paste, add water if needed, this is not to be too runny, neither to be too thick. Now add salt and cook till the dal cooks completely. 

To garnish you need to again make a tempering of oil, mustard seeds, asefoetida and turmeric, now add the remaining cloves of garlic in the oil and keep frying them till light brown and crisp, a little before they are done add 4 green chillies slit. Garnish the ready dal with this tempering just before serving to retain the crispiness of the garlic.