Tomato Capsicum Dal Recipe - Tomato Dal (no Onion no Garlic)

Tomato dal or tomato pappu is one of my favourite ways to cook dal. Although there are thousands of ways to make dal in India, the simple dal recipe with tomatoes has my heart, closely followed by any type of kootu recipe since it includes coconut. I recently tried this version with tomatoes and capsicum (with no onion or garlic) because I love it when Amma adds capsicum to her sambar recipe. Capsicum does add a lovely flavour to dishes.

You can use any variety of dal or lentil you want in this recipe. I mostly use moong dal or toor dal or a mix of them. Masoor dal is also a good addition or option to make this, especially since it cooks way quicker. Generally, a mixed dal dish gives a lovely consistency (like this panchratan dal recipe) and I even thrown in some chana dal when it strikes my fancy.

I have found that the freshness levels of lentils vary outside India and depends on the business an Indian store gets. In fact, the toor dal in Mustafa centre in Singapore used to drive me mad because it just wouldn't cook even after 4-5 whistles, sometimes more. A simple trick can solve this although it takes longer to get to your final dish. Soaking! Soak your dals in warm water for 1 hour or so before pressure cooking and that will give you a mushier, softer dal. Remember that soaked dal needs lesser water to cook so adjust accordingly.

More dal recipes on Edible Garden:
Cumin dal
Sweet and sour dal tadka
Kerala-style dal recipe
Methi dal
Dal fry

TOMATO CAPSICUM DAL RECIPE

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup of toor dal (tuvar dal)
2 tbsp of moong dal (split green gram)
1/4 tsp of turmeric powder
1/2 cup of chopped, ripe tomatoes
1/2 cup of cubed green capsicum (bell pepper)
1 tbsp of ghee or oil
1 tsp of cumin seeds
1/2 tsp of black mustard seeds
A few curry leaves
A generous pinch of hing (asafoetida)
1/2 tsp of sugar or powdered jaggery (optional)
2-3 of green chilies, sliced (adjust to taste)
Salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Soak the moong dal and toor dal for about 30 minutes if you've had trouble cooking them to a mush in the past. Usually, older lentils take longer to cook.

2. Then, pressure cook the lentils with tomatoes, capsicum, green chillies, and turmeric for 12 mins or 4 whistles. Set aside to cool down.

3. Open carefully and mush the dal further with the back of a rounded spoon.

4. Heat the ghee or oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds.

5. When they pop, add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle and brown for 10 seconds.

6. Follow with the curry leaves and hing.

7. Quickly add the cooked dal to this and mix well. Add sugar, if using, and salt. If the dal is too thick at this stage, add some water and bring to boil. If the dal seems too watery, simmer it for a few minutes until it thickens.

Notes:

• The consistency of dal is really up to personal choice. I light mine a bit on the thicker side, especially when serving with rotis
• If you don't have a pressure cooker or want to cook this dal without one, use a quicker cooking lentil like masoor dal or moong dal alone and cook in a pan with lots of water until mushy. Make sure to keep the heat low and the pan partially covered
• You can add some fresh, chopped coriander leaves instead of curry leaves

That's it! Simple and delicious tomato capsicum dal is now ready. To get this recipe in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, etc, use the Google translate button in the sidebar.

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