It is often tiresome to eat the same legumes, such as arhar, chana, or masoor, during daily meals. Nevertheless, due to their high protein content, people continue to include these legumes in their diet. If you also enjoy simple food like dal with rice for lunch, you can try mot dal.
If you want to add something new, tasty, and healthy to your lunch, mot dal will be the perfect choice for you. This nutrient-rich legume not only aids digestion but also provides energy and a high amount of protein to the body.
Mot dal, which holds special significance in the cuisines of Rajasthan and North India, is rich in fiber, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. It helps strengthen muscle mass, assists in weight control, and supports normal digestive system function.
Since mot dal requires time to cook, it should be soaked for several hours. After that, the soaked mot, two and a half cups of water, a little salt, and turmeric should be cooked in a multi-cooker until 3-4 whistles are achieved.
To prepare the tarka (tempering), sesame oil is heated in a pot. Cumin seeds and asafoetida are added to it, followed by frying chopped onion, green pepper, and ginger-garlic paste until the onion turns light golden brown.
Next, chopped tomatoes and dry spices are added. The tomatoes must be simmered well until soft and the oil separates from the spices.
After this, the cooked mot dal is mixed with the vegetable sauce in the pot. Then, hot water is added as needed and allowed to simmer on low heat for 5-7 minutes so that the spices are completely dissolved in the dal.
When the water evaporates, the heat is turned off, and the hot mixture of spices and fresh chopped coriander is sprinkled on top.
Hot dhaba-style mot dal is recommended to be served with cumin rice, hot flatbreads, or paratha. Its flavor can be enhanced by adding a fresh salad of green dressing, lemon, and vinegar onion.
