Go-To Dal

This is straightforward, simple yellow dal. I must make it at least four times a week. Yellow split dal is my husband's favorite, and while I do change it up by putting other things in it sometimes (see my recipe for palak dal), sometimes unadulterated dal is just the way to go, especially when serving a dal as an accompaniment with an entre.

You start by cutting up a large yellow onion. I don't usually put any garlic in my dal, but you can do that, too (a couple of cloves in the garlic press usually does the trick).

Set your pressure cooker to saute and pour in 2 tablespoons of canola oil. Add in a teaspoon of black mustard seeds and a teaspoon of cumin seeds and wait a bit until they start to crackle.

Then add in the onion. Add a teaspoon of salt, a teaspoon of turmeric, a half teaspoon of cumin powder and a half teaspoon of red pepper and saute until the onions are translucent. Then add in one cup of dal and one tablespoon of coriander powder and toss a bit.

Cover the mixture with 2 and 3/4 cups of water, seal the cooker. Cook for 20 minutes on high.

Dal is most often eaten as a side, but I frequently make a light meal out of this dal, rice, and a salad.