Recipes For Healthy Life - By Nisha Gupta

 दाल फुल्का Dal Phulka is one of the most familiar everyday meals prepared in North Indian homes. This recipe pairs smooth Arhar Dal with a simple garlic-cumin tadka and thin, soft wheat phulkas served straight from the tawa. Prepare it using Dinesh Flour Mills Arhar Dal Choti Dana and Dinesh Flour Mills MP Sharbati Atta. Recipe Information Preparation time: 15 minutes Dough resting time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 35 minutes Total time: Approximately 55 minutes Servings: 4 Cuisine: North Indian Course: Lunch or dinner Diet: Vegetarian Yield: 8 thin phulkas Dinesh Flour Mills Products Used 1 cup or approximately 200 g Arhar Dal Choti Dana 2 cups or approximately 250 g MP Sharbati Atta Ingredients for Arhar Dal 1 cup Dinesh Flour Mills Arhar Dal Choti Dana 3 cups water 1 medium tomato, chopped 1 green chilli, slit ½ tsp turmeric powder Salt to taste Hot water as required 2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped Ingredients for the Dal Tadka 1½ tbsp ghee or cooking oil 1 tsp cumin seeds One pinch asafoetida 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 1 or 2 dried red chillies ¼ tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder Ingredients for Thin Phulkas 2 cups Dinesh Flour Mills MP Sharbati Atta Approximately ¾ cup water ¼ tsp salt, optional Dry atta for rolling A little ghee for serving, optional How to Cook Arhar Dal Rinse the Arhar Dal two or three times until the water is mostly clear. Soak it for 20 minutes if time allows. Drain before cooking. Add the dal to a pressure cooker with three cups of water, chopped tomato, green chilli and turmeric powder. Pressure-cook over medium heat for approximately three to four whistles, or until the dal is completely soft. Allow the pressure to release naturally. Open the cooker and whisk the dal gently until it reaches a smooth consistency. Add salt and a little hot water if the dal is too thick. Simmer over low heat for five minutes. Prepare the Garlic-Cumin Tadka Heat ghee or oil in a small tadka pan. Add cumin seeds and allow them to crackle. Add asafoetida, sliced garlic and dried red chillies. Cook over low heat until the garlic becomes lightly golden. Do not let it burn. Switch off the heat and add Kashmiri red chilli powder. Immediately pour the hot tadka over the cooked dal. Add chopped coriander and cover the pan for two minutes so the tadka aroma settles into the dal. How to Make Thin and Soft Phulkas Place MP Sharbati Atta and optional salt in a wide mixing bowl. Add water gradually while bringing the flour together. Knead for eight to ten minutes until the dough becomes smooth, soft and pliable. The dough should feel soft but should not stick heavily to your fingers. Cover with a damp cloth and rest for 20 minutes. Knead briefly again and divide the dough into eight equal portions. Roll each portion into a smooth ball. Lightly dust it with dry atta. Roll it evenly into a thin circle approximately 14 to 15 cm wide. Keep the centre and edges equally thin. Heat a tawa over medium-high heat. Place one rolled phulka on the hot surface. When small bubbles appear, turn it over. Cook the second side until light brown spots begin forming. Turn again and gently press around the edges with a clean cloth or spatula. The phulka should inflate naturally. If using a gas flame, transfer the partly cooked phulka directly over a low flame for a few seconds until it puffs. Use tongs and supervise it continuously. Remove immediately and keep covered in a clean kitchen cloth. Apply a little ghee only if desired. Serving Suggestion Serve the hot Arhar Dal with freshly prepared phulkas. Add a seasonal dry sabzi, onion rings, lemon, green chilli and pickle for a traditional everyday North Indian plate. Important Cooking Tips Cook the dal until completely soft before whisking. Add hot water, not cold water, when adjusting the consistency. Keep the tadka flame low after adding garlic because thin slices brown quickly. Resting the dough makes it easier to roll. Do not make the dough stiff. A medium-soft dough gives more flexible phulkas. Roll each phulka evenly. A thick centre or thick edges can prevent proper puffing. The tawa should be properly hot before the first phulka is placed. Do not overcook the phulkas because they can become dry. Keep cooked phulkas covered until serving. Storage and Reheating Refrigerate cooled dal in an airtight container. Add a little water while reheating because dal thickens after resting. Phulkas are best served fresh, but leftovers can be wrapped in a clean cloth and stored in a covered container for a short period. Purchase the Ingredients Order Dinesh Flour Mills Arhar Dal Choti Dana for the dal and Dinesh Flour Mills MP Sharbati Atta for thin, freshly cooked phulkas.