Summers just rob off your appetite and your desire to cook in a steaming hot kitchen. You need a heavenly tasty and appetite provoking aroma to motivate you to stand up and do the cooking. Otherwise you are just fine with the ice cream tub.
We desi are really intrigued with the heavenly garlic tardka. What ever the dish is a garlic tardka will make crunching sound in every one stomach.
Like for example, take this daal masoor or yellow lentil, its easy and quick to make no special ingredient or skill is asked for, (which means little time near the stove). Just put every thing in the pot and have some screen time. Make this tardka, eat it when it's still hot, sleep because all this heavy eating (because you can"t keep your hand off and accidentally over ate every single time), will make you drowsy.
Want to try? You wont regret.
DAAL MASOOR
Ok it's called daal masoor, but it's really two daal mixed. Daal masoor and daal mong.
INGREDIENTS FOR DAAL
Daal masoor 3/4 cup and
Daal mong 1/4 cup soaked for half hour
Onion 1 small diced
Garlic cloves 3 to 4
Tomato 1 small cubed
Turmeric 1/4 tsp
Oil 1 Tbsp
Chilli flakes or powder 1/4 tsp or more if you like it hot
Salt to taste
INGREDIENTS FOR TARDKA
Oil 1/3 cup ( yeah the more the better)
Garlic cloves about half bulb, please don't use garlic paste, fresh cloves are better. Slice them paper-thin and uniformlly to ensure equal cooking time.
Whole cumin 1/2 tsp
Green chilli sliced
Karrdi leaves few optional (although pronounce similar but Its different from curry leaves)
Red chilli powder 1/4 tsp
DIRECTIONS
In a pot put water 1 and 1/2 cup with all the daal ingredients, except salt and tomatoes. This is crucial for fast cooking, if added early, your daal will take longer time to cook.
Cook on high flame to boil, then turn it to the maximum low, cover and leave for 30 minutes.
If you are planning to eat it with boiled white rice, put it on other burner, they will be ready simultaneously.
After half hour the daal will be almost mushy, if not, mush it with a round bottom spoon. Add salt and tomatoes, mush tomatoes a little bit and cover for further 5 minutes. Pour out in a dish if you are serving it right now, Or just keep it in the pot.
At this point make tardka. In a fry pan, Heat oil to medium hot. Put garlic in and turn the flame to low. Slowly their edges will turn brown. Now add cumin, wait for 10 seconds, add green chilli and karrdi leaves. Wait for another 10 seconds. Add red chilli, don't wait and pour this over the daal. You will hear the oil crackle. Cover for 5 minutes, so that the tardka aroma infuses into the daal.
I serve it with carrot pickle (you can find it's recipe here), any vegetable side dish, leftover to be exact, mine is beet sabzi and fresh salad. Or just cucumber.
Look out for your mouth, it might be watering. Ok, don't wait. Make your plate and eat it up.
Enjoy!